Preparing for the IPP Meeting

What is the IPP?

The IPP stands for the Individual Program Plan and essentially is a written plan of action that details what the participants needs are, and what kind of services or support will be provided by the regional center to meet the needs.

An IPP meeting is required to be held at least once per year* with the individual receiving services from the regional center, along with family members and representatives from the regional center. This meeting provides an opportunity to discuss any needs relevant for the regional center to be aware of, ensuring they can identify the most appropriate solutions to address those needs.

*The law requires the RC to meet each person at least annually, or quarterly in certain cases. Any meeting you request with your SC counts as an IPP meeting. 

PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE!

Prepare as much as possible before the meeting:

Have all the documentation to back up your need for support and services. Show any new diagnosis, any professional assessments, etc.  Check and exhaust all generic supports! Examples include: health insurance, In Home Support Services (IHSS), the school district (up to 22 years old). Also, have a list of concerns and the barriers that you or your loved one face that prevents them from having a quality way of life.

Prepare to answer questions:

The regional center must meet the needs of people with disabilities as required by California's Lanterman Act.  The Service Coordinator determines which services to provide based on your loved one's specific needs. They do this by asking questions. Often times, client's and their families will ask us, "Why do they need to know how many hours of IHSS we get?" 😤  Because it's a generic support, and they want to ensure you utilize those hours before requesting a service from the regional center. Do some questions always make sense? Nope. But they need to be relevant questions, not nosy, subjective questions.

Prepare to take notes and a list of action items:

Whenever possible, take someone to the meeting with you so that they can help you take notes, and create a list of action items. This helps you to focus on speaking with the Service Coordinator and reviewing any items you need to take care of later.

Additional IPP Tips from Miss Nerdy:

• Discuss needs, not wants or wishes, and NEVER mention money! The regional center will dismiss anything that is not a need.

• Tell them the need, don't tell them the service or support you would like. The Service Coordinator's job is to find the best service or support based on the need. 

• If you ever hear "We don't do..", "We can't do..", or a plain "No" when asking for a service or support, ask for a Notice of Action (NOA). They have 10 days to tell you in writing why they said no.

• Unless it's an urgent need, expect some back and forth negotiation on the service or support they offer and the hours given. Be willing to negotiate, but don't back down until it meets the need.