What do I do when Regional Center doesn't respond to me?

If you have been waiting longer than the standard timelines for a response from your Regional Center, you may wonder what your options are for moving things along.

If your service coordinator has been generally unresponsive or problematic, you can ask to speak with their supervisor and/or request assignment to a new service coordinator. If their behavior was egregious (e.g., if you believe they discriminated against you or violated your rights), you can file a Section 4731 complaint.

See our article about Regional Center appeals for detailed information about filing a Section 4731 complaint (for current Regional Center clients) or a citizen complaint (not currently a Regional Center client).

If you need urgent assistance and can’t reach your service coordinator, you can call your Regional Center and ask to speak with the “service coordinator of the day.”

You can also get in touch with OCRA for help if your child is a Regional Center client. The Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA) is part of Disability Rights California. OCRA has a Clients’ Rights Advocate (CRA) at each Regional Center. The CRA helps protect Regional Center consumer’s rights. OCRA is funded by the state Department of Developmental Services.

Lisa Carey, Undivided Navigator and Education Advocate, recommends requesting an IPP meeting every time you need something. When a family requests an IPP meeting, the service coordinator must have one within 30 days. Any request in the meeting must have a response within 15 days.

For example, you could write your service coordinator an email like this: "We are requesting you fund specialized supervision. Please provide a date for an IPP meeting. If you are able to resolve this request prior to the meeting, I will be happy to rescind my IPP request or cancel the meeting."

Carey says, "It is surprising how quickly some workers start to move in order to not have to have a meeting. Some workers will need the meeting to get them to move."