The independent facilitator is a voluntary service for Self-Determination Participants. If you choose to have an independent facilitator, this person can assist you with navigating services, choosing providers, and any other tasks you assign them to. You are not required to have a paid independent facilitator, but if you choose to, the funds come out of your individual budget and, by law, SCLARC cannot increase your budget to account for these costs; there are no set rates for Independent Facilitators and you will choose what to pay them. SCLARC highly recommends the services of an outside Independent Facilitator and finds that participants are more successful, more quickly, when they have an outside Independent Facilitator.

• Your Service Coordinator can serve as the Independent Facilitator, but their role will be limited. They will not be able to negotiate rates for you or scout for new services in the community.
• You can choose your Independent Facilitator, and it can be someone who knows you well, like a family member or friend. However, an independent facilitator cannot be paid to perform these duties if they are:
  • The parent of a minor child participant in Self-Determination
  • The spouse of a married participant in Self-Determination
• An independent facilitator must be truly independent and cannot provide the participant any other services in their Individual Program Plan (IPP.) This includes that they cannot be the participant’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) worker.
• You can also look for Independent Facilitators at the California Self-Determination Program Network.

• If you are interested in hiring an outside Independent Facilitator, a list of resources from State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) can be found here; a list of questions you may ask them to determine whether they will meet your needs can be found here(English) or here (Spanish). Please note that neither SCLARC nor SCDD is guaranteeing the quality of their work, the training they have received, or your satisfaction with their services; the listing is provided as a public service only and is not an endorsement of any person or company listed. You should verify that the prospective independent facilitator has met the training requirements, as an independent facilitator is required to receive training in the principles of self-determination, the person-centered planning process, and other responsibilities and roles of the independent facilitator (pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code 4685.8 (c)(2).)