Does the doctor who fills out form SOC 821 for IHSS protective supervision have to be a pediatrician?

You may wonder whether a developmental psychologist, psychiatrist, or other specific doctor should fill out form SOC 821. Note that it should be filled out by a doctor. It should not be a behaviorist or therapist; you can submit additional documentation from your behaviorist or BCBA, but it should be a doctor filling it out. It should be the doctor who is treating your child and knows your child the best because the form is going to ask for specific examples. There's an area for notes under each category of memory, orientation, and judgment. It should be a doctor who's going to be able to write notes with their knowledge of the child.

If IHSS tells you that they require a specific specialist, have the doctor who knows your child best fill out the form with examples. Let IHSS defend why they don't want your child’s primary doctor to fill it out.

You need to have a doctor fill out SOC 821, but you can also submit whatever supplemental information you want. If you have other providers or other caregivers, like a respite provider or behaviorist who wants to write a letter to speak to some of the behaviors that you're describing, submit that too. Any supplemental letters from psychologists or behaviorists, you can just put that on a regular piece of paper and just indicate their child's name and case number. There's not a specific form.

For more information, see our article on IHSS protective supervision.