Section 4685.9 - Office of the Self-Determination Program Ombudsperson(a) The department shall establish an Office of the Self-Determination Program Ombudsperson.(b) The Office of the Self-Determination Program Ombudsperson shall be headed by an individual, to be known as the Self-Determination Program Ombudsperson. As soon as is practicable, the Director of the Department of Developmental Services shall appoint an ombudsperson qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of the office for a term of four years. The director may reappoint the ombudsperson for consecutive terms.(c) The office shall be an independent and autonomous entity within the department for the purpose of monitoring the implementation of Section 4685.8 and to assist regional center clients and Self-Determination Program consumers and their families to participate fully in the Self-Determination Program as authorized pursuant to Section 4685.8(d) The office shall have all of the following rights and duties: (1) Providing information and assisting regional center consumers and their families in understanding their rights under the Self-Determination Program, including the process, goals, and objectives of the program and facilitating solutions to disagreements regarding eligibility and services.(2) Deciding whether to investigate complaints regarding the implementation of the Self-Determination Program, and recommending to the department strategies for change and improvement of the Self-Determination Program. Disclosure of information shall occur only as necessary to carry out the mission of the office and as permitted by law.(3) Annually compiling and reporting to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature relevant data collected over the course of the year, including, but not limited to, the number of contacts to the office, the number of complaints made, including the type of those complaints, the number of investigations performed by the office, the trends and issues that arose in the course of investigating complaints, the number of referrals made, and the number of pending complaints.(4) Recommending to the department and the Legislature changes to, including, but not limited to, relevant laws, regulations, policies, and actions that it determines to be appropriate and provide and facilitate public comment on, including, but not limited to, relevant laws, regulations, policies, and actions.(5) Establishing a dedicated telephone number at which regional center consumers and other stakeholders may contact the office.(e) The department shall include, on the portion of its internet website dedicated to the Self-Determination Program, a link to the internet website of the office.Ca. Welf. and Inst. Code § 4685.9
Added by Stats 2021 ch 76 (AB 136),s 48, eff. 7/16/2021. See Stats 2021 ch 76 (AB 136), s 49.