Mental Health
Mental health clients are often referred from psychiatric hospitals by discharge planners and social workers. Most mental health clients function independently, may take public transportation, and receive visitors. Mental health clients suffer from psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression; they are almost always on medication Mental health clients pay for their stay in the facility through their Social Security disability income. The facility may also set room rates based on optional services such as a private room.
A mental health board and care facility may have has few has 4 beds to over 100 beds.
Developmentally Disabled
Regional Center is governed by the Department of Developmental Services. Each Regional Center covers a specific geographic region known as a catchment area. Developmentally Disabled individuals typically have intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy seizure disorder and function at various levels of independence. aking care of Regional Center clients involves a considerable amount of work and commitment. Each Regional Center consumer has an Individual Program Plan that specifies the goals the client is working on. A typical goal might be “the consumer will learn to use city bus services,” or “...reduce in-stances of wandering,” or “...will take a community college class.”
The Regional Center has it's own application process that is separate from Community Care Licensing. Regional Center also requires that you attend a special orientation at their office. There are 21 Regional Centers in California. The Regional Center contracts with you to provide a specific level of care. There are different levels of care ranging from Level 2 through 4 with many sub levels.
Each Adult Residential Facility vendored by a regional center is designated to provide one of 4 service levels. Levels refer to facilities, not clients.
Service Level 1: Limited care and supervision for persons with self-care skills and no behavior problems.
Service Level 2: Care, supervision and incidental training for persons with some self-care skills and no major behavior problems.
Service Level 3: Care, supervision and ongoing training for persons with significant deficits in self-help skills, and/or some limitations in physical coordination and mobility, and/or disruptive or self-injurious behavior.
Service Level 4: Care, supervision and professionally supervised training for persons with deficits in self-help skills, and/or severe impairment in physical coordination and mobility, and/or severely disruptive or self-injurious behavior.
Service Level 4 is subdivided into Levels 4A through 4I in which staffing levels are increased to correspond to the escalating severity of disability levels.
