Are you on a waitlist for Transition Supports? You are not alone. There are lots of people across the state wanting to enter the program, but there just aren’t enough Transition Supports providers available. Partly because recent changes from DDS have made it difficult for providers to make a living wage providing these supports. But that’s a topic for another day.
If you have the time and energy (or the “spoons”) for it, there are things you can do while you are waiting that will help your transition go smoother and make your Transition Supports provider very happy when you finally start working with them. This list does not include everything possible, but it includes the ones I usually recommend:
- Get a copy of your most recent IPP and ask for an Expenditure Report of what the Regional Center has spent in services for you during the last 12 months
- Ask your Regional Center coordinator if there are “generic resources” you could be using. Your coordinator or service providers like ILS or SLS workers can help you apply or ask for services.
- If your needs are not being met, ask your coordinator for an IPP meeting as soon as possible and ask that they address your needs with the solutions at their disposal.
- Even if these solutions are not ideal, if they do not cause harm, they are often better than having no supports at all.
- Plus having these in place makes the budget process easier later.
- Make sure your needs are properly recorded in your IPP document!
- Even if they can’t meet your needs, having it recorded that they were requested helps us later on.
- If you are requesting supports that are related to medical needs, make sure you request them from your health insurance provider or Medi-Cal.
- If they say no, ask them to send you a denial letter.
- Make a list of the people, places, activities, and things that you love.
- Make a list of people in your life who could provide valuable insights about you, your skills, interests, passions, potential, and support needs.
- Consider how you work best with other people, whether that includes meetings where you can see the other person’s face, via phone, via text, etc.
If there are other ideas you think should be on this list please share them in the comments below or email them to SDP@expandyu.com!