How to Get an Effective Budget to Manage Your Self-Determination Program (SDP)?

An effective budget is the foundation of a successful Self-Determination Program (SDP) journey. A well-thought-out budget ensures you receive the right services, maximize your allocated funds, and avoid delays or underutilization. But getting there requires education, planning, and the right support at each step.

This guide walks you through the key steps to enrolling in SDP, explains how individual budgets are determined, and shares best practices to ensure your budget truly reflects your needs.

Step 1: Attend a Self-Determination Program Orientation

The first step in enrolling in the Self-Determination Program is to reach out to your Service Coordinator at your local Regional Center and ask about upcoming SDP orientation sessions.

You can also:

• Visit your Regional Center’s website to register, or

• Attend the SDP Orientation offered by the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, which is widely regarded as one of the most thorough and easy-to-follow sessions available.

Attending an orientation is mandatory before you can move forward in the program. This session introduces:

• How SDP works

• Your rights and responsibilities

• The roles of different SDP partners

• How budgets are developed

  
  

Step 2: Educate Yourself on the Self-Determination Program

Before moving deeper into the process, it’s critical to understand how SDP actually works.

Families who take the time to educate themselves early tend to:

• Ask better questions

• Build stronger Person-Centered Plans

• Advocate more effectively for appropriate budgets

Accura FMS’s SDP Learning Portal is a great resource to learn:

• SDP fundamentals

• Spending plans

• Service categories

• FMS models

• Common mistakes to avoid

Education is one of the most powerful tools you have in SDP.

Step 3: Identify an Independent Facilitator (IF)

Once you’ve attended orientation and confirmed your interest in SDP, inform your Service Coordinator.

At this stage, you’ll begin:

• Person-Centered Planning

• Budget development

• Service identification

An Independent Facilitator (IF) can help you in this process. They help guide you step by step, ensuring nothing is missed and your plan reflects real needs.

Good news:The Regional Center covers the cost of an Independent Facilitator to help you transition into the Self-Determination Program.

Take time to research and select an IF who:

• Understands SDP deeply

• Communicates clearly

• Aligns with your family’s goals

  
  

Step 4: Person-Centered Planning (PCP)

Person-Centered Planning is the heart of the Self-Determination Program.

It focuses on:

• The individual’s goals, preferences, and strengths

• What a meaningful life looks like for them

• The services and supports required to achieve those goals

This is not just a formality or a document—it becomes the roadmap that guides:

• Your Individual Program Plan (IPP)

• Your SDP budget

• Your spending plan

Your Independent Facilitator helps ensure the PCP is detailed, realistic, and clearly documented, so it accurately supports budget development.

How Individual SDP Budgets Are Determined

Once your Person-Centered Plan is complete, the Regional Center determines your individual SDP budget. How this is calculated depends on your situation.

For Participants Currently Receiving Regional Center Services

If the participant already receives Regional Center services, the budget is typically based on:

• The prior 12 months of Regional Center expenditures

• Services that were included in the IPP

• The most recent 12 months of actual spending data

  
  

Budget Adjustments May Occur If:

Both of the following are true:

1. The IPP team determines an adjustment is necessary due to:

   • A change in needs, circumstances, or resources

   • Previously unmet needs

   • Services not used due to illness or lack of provider availability

   • Changes in living situation

2. The Regional Center certifies that:

   • These expenditures would have occurred even without SDP participation

     
     

For New Participants or Those Without 12 Months of History

If the participant is newly eligible or lacks a full year of spending history, the budget is calculated differently.

The Regional Center:

• Estimates the annual cost of required services and supports

• Uses average costs for each service and frequency of use

• Adjusts for unique needs such as:

  • Language preferences

  • Behavioral or medical supports

  • Geographic availability of services

The Regional Center must also certify that:

• The calculated budget would have been spent regardless of SDP participation

  
  

How to Get an Effective SDP Budget

An effective budget doesn’t happen by accident.

The most successful families:

• Educate themselves early

• Clearly document needs

• Invest time in Person-Centered Planning

• Work closely with their Independent Facilitator

• Ask questions and advocate when something doesn’t align

The stronger your planning and documentation, the more accurately your budget will reflect real-life needs.

Where Accura FMS Fits In

Financial Management Services (FMS) comes after your SDP budget is approved—but that doesn’t mean it’s less important.

Once your budget is in place, Accura FMS helps ensure:

• Maximum utilization of SDP funds

• Clear visibility into spending

• Faster vendor and employee payments

• Minimal administrative burden

With Accura’s modern technology, families who once spent hours managing spreadsheets and statements now spend minutes tracking and managing their SDP funds—often achieving near 100% utilization.

Maximizing SDP: Your Next Steps After Budget Approval

Getting an effective SDP budget starts with education, planning, and the right partners. When your budget is well-built and supported by modern tools, the Self-Determination Program can truly deliver on its promise of flexibility and choice.

If you’re ready to take the next step after budget approval, Accura FMS is here to help you make the most of your Self-Determination Program in California. Book a consultation with us today to get your FMS journey started.