The Individual Program Plan (IPP)

The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act requires that a person who receives services from a regional center, over the age of three, have an Individual Program Plan (IPP).  An IPP identifies what outcomes the client and is working towards, who will provide the services or support and, if there is a cost associated with the service or support, who will fund it. In 1992, the law was amended to make the development of the IPP more focused on the client.  This approach is called person-centered planning and is about determining, planning for and working toward the preferred future of the person with developmental disabilities.  The preferred future is what the person, and family if they are a child, want to do in the future based on their strengths, capabilities, preferences, lifestyle and cultural background.  It entails listening to clients and their families about things like: where they want to live; how they want to spend their day; who they want to spend time with; and their hopes and dreams for their future. It is about supporting people in the choices they make about their life and giving people all the information they need to make those choices. The Service Coordinator (SC)  writes the IPP which documents the goals and objectives to focus on, identifies the services and supports needed to meet the goals to immplement the IPP and monitors to make sure that the services and supports clients receive are the ones they need and want.