Request an IPP Meeting
Individual Program Plan (IPP)
Once the PCP process has been completed, send a request to your Case Manager for an Individual Program Plan (IPP) meeting. This meeting is held with your Regional Center Service Coordinator / Case Manager. Much like PCP, the IPP process involves discussing your future plans, goals and services in meeting(s) with your support team. From these meeting(s), a formal, legal and required written document of agreement is produced, otherwise known as the Individual Program Plan, IPP.
What is an IPP?
An Individual Program Plan (IPP) is the cornerstone legal document in California’s regional center system. The IPP is a written, legally binding plan developed collaboratively between a regional center consumer (and/or their family/authorized representative) and their case manager / service coordinator. The listing of your support services and needs in the IPP are best informed by your completed PCP document from the previous step. It serves as the foundation for your budget.
It documents:
- The consumer’s goals, dreams, and desired outcomes
- The services and supports Regional Center will purchase or coordinate
- The timeline and responsible parties for each objective
- Baseline information about the person’s current functioning and needs
The legal authority comes from the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (California Welfare & Institutions Code §4646–4648). In order for the budget to be produced, the IPP must be approved by the regional center.
The Completed IPP
Once the IPP is completed, participating parties must sign off on the plan with the Regional Center. Participating parties includes the participant, regional center service coordinator / case manager / social worker, and any others in the planning team. The IPP document is submitted to your local regional center for final approval to continue enrollment.
Who is Involved?
This table describes the people involved and their roles during an IPP meeting and process.
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| Consumer | Center of the plan — their voice drives everything |
| Family/ Authorized Rep | Advocates and participates in planning |
| Service Coordinator | Facilitates the meeting, documents the plan |
| Vendor/ Providers | Invited to speak to specific service needs, if applicable |
| Clinicians/Specialists | Provide supporting assessments or letters, if applicable |
How to Request an IPP Meeting
Any of the following can trigger an IPP meeting:
- Initial IPP — automatically scheduled when first enrolled at Regional Center
- Annual IPP — Regional Center must hold this at least once per year (WIC §4646)
- Consumer/Family Request — you have the right to request an IPP meeting at any time (WIC §4646(d))
- Significant life change — transition to adulthood, new diagnosis, or change in living situation.
Steps to Request
- Contact the Service Coordinator directly and put it in writing — follow up with an email or letter to create a paper trail.
- State your purpose — e.g., adding a new service, updating goals, addressing a denial, discussing transition
- Regional Center must schedule the meeting within a reasonable time frame (typically 30–45 days)
What Happens at the IPP Meeting
- Review of current plan and progress on existing goals
- Discussion of the consumer’s vision, preferences, and new goals
- Identification of needed services and supports
- Regional Center proposes what they will fund; you can advocate for additional or different supports
- The plan is documented and both parties sign
- Key principle: The IPP must reflect what the consumer needs to meet their goals — not just what Regional Center typically offers. (WIC §4646.5)
Your Rights During the IPP Process
- Right to meaningful participation — meetings must be held at a time/place convenient to you
- Right to bring supporters — advocates, attorneys, family, friends
- Right to an interpreter — Regional Center must provide one if needed
- Right to disagree — you can refuse to sign the IPP if you disagree with what’s documented
- Right to appeal — if Regional Center denies a service, you have the right to a Fair Hearing (WIC §4710)
- Right to request reassessment — if needs have changed
Tips for Effective IPP Advocacy
- Come prepared — bring a written list of goals and desired services
- Use person-first, outcomes-focused language — connect services to specific life goals
- Request supporting documentation — clinician letters, assessments, school records
- Don’t sign if you disagree — ask for more time to review
- Document everything — follow up meetings with written summaries via email
- Cite the Lanterman Act — invoking WIC §4646 and §4648 signals you know your rights