11902 Residential Placement Procedure

Link to TCADD Policy 11901

SCOPE:

This procedure provides guidance to Tri- Counties Regional Center (TCRC) staff who work with individuals, families, and planning teams in the process of exploring various community living options with someone other than their family’s home such as their parents, grandparents, siblings or other close relatives. Community living options may also include but are not limited to: FHA, Intermediate Care Facilities, Community Care Facilities, out-of-home respite services or crisis home placements.

Out-of-home respite services shall not exceed 21 days, and crisis placements are on a short-term basis to avert a more restrictive long-term placement.

This procedure relates to licensed or certified living options only.

PROCEDURE:

1. General Considerations:
   1. Individuals and their planning teams who identify the desire to explore licensed or certified living arrangements need support, information and resource options presented to them by the service coordinator. The service coordinator utilizes the person-centered planning process in order to ensure that the individual’s or planning team’s preferred future and personal preferences are respected.
   2. Families with minor children, who choose a licensed or certified living arrangement as a service option, should have such choice supported and facilitated by the Service Coordinator.
   3. Adults living with parents or other family members, who identify the desire to live in an alternative living arrangement, are assisted by the service coordinator in exploring options with their planning team, as an individual transitions to adulthood, the service coordinator discusses living options, provided by the placement coordinator, as a part of the planning process.
      1. The planning team in supporting the service coordinator, assists in identifying potential service options for individuals and the planning team to explore, as a part of the PC IPP process.  Information gathered will be captured on the Placement Coordinator’s Referral Form.
   4. When the need for out-of-home respite arises because of an emergency at their home living arrangement, TCRC staff assesses whether a specialized respite bed is needed and if existing vacancies in certified or licensed facilities are appropriate to meet the need. Similarly, when an individual is experiencing a behavioral crisis, and generic or mobile crisis services are unable to resolve the issue(s) in the current living arrangement, staff assesses the probability that a crisis placement is available and can address the need.
2. Referral(s) to Licensed or Certified Living Arrangements:
   1. When the individual/family/guardian/conservator and planning team agree to select a licensed or certified living arrangement
      1. The service coordinator prepares a referral packet(s) to forward to the service option(s) identified by the placement coordinator, and/or planning team. The referral packet(s) includes the following (current to TCRC standards):
         1. Placement Coordinator Referral Form (this form may not be available in an emergency crisis or crisis placement due to the expediency of the placement needs)
         2. Individual Family Service Plan /PC IPP
         3. Medical Evaluation(s)
         4. Psychological Evaluation(s)
         5. CDER
         6. Individual Service Plan or Individual Education Plan from day/school program
         7. Current consent form
         8. Exceptions and IPP Addendums within the last 12 months
         9. TCRC Vendor reports
         10. Statement of Eligibility
         11. Intake Social Assessment (if applicable)
3. Pre-Placement Activity – SC:
   1. Informs residential liaison (provided by the placement coordinator) and provides the placement coordinator with the Referral Form.  The service coordinator will provide a referral packet upon request by the service provider, residential liaison or placement coordinator. The residential liaison and the vendor will review the referral packet to verify the individual is a good match for the level of care needed, needs and preferences and other residents in the home and provide feedback to the service coordinator.
      1. Informs the individual and/or planning team regarding all service providers who responded and assists the individual’s planning team in selecting options that are appropriate to meet the PC IPP outcomes of the individual.
      2. Assists the individual/planning team in arranging a pre-placement visit.
4. Planning Activity:
   1. The Service Coordinator:
      1. Informs the residential liaison assigned to the residential program of the date planned for placement.
      2. Service coordinator to develop an IPP Amendment.
      3. Assists the individual/planning team in obtaining all necessary lab test(s).
      4. Informs the day/school Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) /program providers so services can begin as determined by the individual and planning team. 11904-Notifying SELPA of a Change in Living Arrangements.doc | Powered by Box
      5. Notifies the payee, usually the parent, legal caregiver, or conservator (may vary) to contact the Social Security Office of the change in living situation.  If Trust Management Services (TMS) is the payee, the Service Coordinator is to notify TMS immediately of the change in living situation.
      6. Notifies the payee to arrange for transfer of health care services if moving out of county.
      7. If an individual is moving into an Intermediate Care Facility and is on the Medicaid Waiver program,  service coordinator to complete Medicaid Waiver Forms – Tri-Counties Regional Center DS2200 Choice Form  to change an individual’s Medicaid Waiver eligibility, as individual will no longer qualify.
      8. Ensures the necessary packet of forms (permission for placement and medical treatment; admissions agreement, rate page and non-objective statement) is completed on the day of individual’s move.
      9. Coordinates, with the individual/planning team and the residential program, a move-in date that is agreeable.
      10. Ensures the individual and/or planning team brings clothing, personal belongings, current medications (including prescriptions for each medication taken, which includes over the counter medications) and Medi-Cal card to the residential program.
      11. Participates in the move by being available to answer questions and obtain appropriate signatures on all paperwork, leaving necessary copies with vendor and the individual/family/guardian/conservator.
      12. Whenever possible, the service coordinator who is the residential liaison participates in the placement to meet the individual and family/guardian/conservator. The team will discuss whether the case will be transferred to the liaison or remain with the placing service coordinator.
5. Emergency Respite or Crisis Placement
   1. The referral for respite or crisis placement is completed through the planning team and TCRC manager. Respite referrals or crisis placements are approved at least 48 hours prior to admission to the facility and with ample time. The liaison and manager in whose area the respite facility or crisis placement is located are also informed of the respite placement or crisis placement as soon as possible, but no later than the next business day.
   2. After-Hours: On the next business day, the On-Call Manager will report the activity, including notifying the service coordinator and the appropriate team Manager for the individual’s service area.
   3. The assigned service coordinator is then responsible for contacting the placement coordinator, TCRC Service Coordinator/Liaison to the respite or crisis placement and the team Manager for the area where the respite or crisis placement is located on that first business day.
   4. For a crisis placement, discharge planning is coordinated by the referring TCRC staff, under the supervision of the referring team manager.
6. Case File / Record Transfer:
   1. Title 17 requires a PC IPP to be developed within thirty (30) days of moving into a residential program Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 17, § 56720 – Consumer IPP Documentation | State Regulations | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute. The service coordinator completes the initial thirty (30) day IPP to incorporate changes in supports and services.
   2. Case records are transferred to the appropriate team/service coordinator residential liaison within thirty (30) days of the move date. The case records must meet the following:
      1. Be complete and up to date (i.e. Special Incident Reports closed, update living situation in Sandis) and
      2. Complete Internal (INTRA) Transfer Summary 202209.docx | Powered by Box

Revision Date: 12/2025