DDS Will Post Revised Mandatory Holiday Schedule Today
(9/14/2009)

SACRAMENTO, CALIF (CDCAN) [Updated 09/14/09 08:20 AM (Pacific Time) - The Department of Developmental Services will post today (Monday, September 14, 2009), a revised mandatory uniform holiday schedule that expands the number of days from 10 to 14 per year that many regional center funded community-based programs would have to close, which will go into effect 60 days from the date of the posting or sending out of the notices. The department’s website is www.dds.ca.gov CDCAN will also post the official revised schedule on its website at www.cdcan.us and also sent out a report with the official days.



The Department of Developmental Services, a state agency under the California Health and Human Services Agency, contracts with 21 non-profit regional centers to coordinate services and supports to over 240,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities provided by community-based organizations and individuals. The department also oversees 4 sate owned and operated developmental centers and 2 smaller facilities (one of which is slated for closure by February 2010).



The Department of Developmental Services also posted on its website last week a request for proposal (RFP) regarding a new combined (consolidated) quality assurance reporting survey for persons with developmental disabilities (see below for details).



Holiday Schedule Would Mean No Funding For Programs On Those Days

The 14 days – mandatory holidays in which the program would not receive any funding from the State – will be the same across the state and is expected to have major impact on many community-based providers and their workers – many who, if they do not have enough paid vacation days – would be forced to take what essentially would be mandatory unpaid furlough days (the specific programs impacted are listed below – and is also supposed to be listed on the Department of Developmental Services website including specific vendor codes)



Not completely known is the specific impact on thousands of children and adults with developmental disabilities whose programs and services would not be available for those 14 days.



The expanded and uniform schedule is expected to reduce spending by the State for these services by $16.3 million during the 2009-2010 State Budget year that began July 1 (that figure does not include any lost federal matching funds



Uniform Holiday Schedule Part of Revised 2009-2010 State Budget

The mandatory “Uniform Holiday Schedule”. Provisions are in a budget trailer bill (called “trailer bill” because it follows or trails the main budget bill), ABx4 9 (the “x4” stands for 4th special or extraordinary session) which lists out the mandatory holiday schedule, but gives the director of the Department of Developmental Services the authority to make changes to the schedule as listed in the trailer bill by providing 60 days notice.



The revised holiday schedule to be posted today on the Department of Developmental Services website, along with other notices to be sent out, is meant to trigger that 60 days notice time period requirement.



Delgadillo on September 2 said that the Department of Developmental Services would be sending out the notice that would change the holiday schedule, effective 60 days from the date of the notice, that will also include vendor codes and programs directly impacted:



At the CDCAN Townhall Telemeeting on September 1, Department of Developmental Services Director Terri Delgadillo said the revised mandatory uniform holiday schedule is based on results from an online survey in which over 4,800 people from across the State participated, that she intended to make send out next week, notice to providers and others (and post on the department’s website at www.dds.ca.gov ) changes to the mandatory uniform holiday schedule.

The revised holiday schedule to be posted sometime today (September 14) should reflect what Delgadillo announced on September 2nd would be the revision – though the announcement at that time was not official. The revised schedule to be posted should be as follows (please note – the actual official revised schedule will be posted sometime today on the department’s website)::



1. January 1, (New Year’s Day)

2. Martin Luther King Jr Day

3. President’s Day

4. Cesar Chavez Day

5. Memorial Day

6. Independence Day (July 4th)

7. Labor Day

8. Veterans Day

9. Thanksgiving Day

10. Day after Thanksgiving Day

11. Christmas Eve

12. Christmas Day

13. Day after Christmas Day [will be observed 12/28]

14. Some date (will be announced in the notice) in temporarily in April 2010 that will shift permanently to Columbus Day in October 2010 [Note: The reason for the April 2010 date is because with the 60 days notice requirement to make a holiday schedule change, it is too late to apply that change for the 2009 Columbus Day.]



Delgadillo said earlier this month that the notice that is being sent out will also include explanation that if the mandatory holiday listed above, falls on a Saturday, then it will be observed on Friday. For 2009, the mandatory holiday for the day after Christmas would be observed on Monday, because this year, Christmas Day falls on a Friday.



Many Services & Programs Impacted By Mandatory Holiday Schedule

Though the online survey and in many budget summaries by the Legislature and the Department of Developmental Services only mention that this mandatory uniform holiday schedule would apply to all regional center funded day programs, “look alike” day programs and work activity programs, in fact the mandatory schedule would apply to many more programs and services:



· Activity centers

· Adaptive skills trainers

· Adult development centers

· Behavior management programs

· Community activities support services

· Client/parent support behavior intervention training programs

· Community integration training programs

· Creative arts programs

· Infant development programs

· Program support groups (day services)

· Social recreation programs

· Socialization training programs

· Work activity programs



In addition, transportation vendor/family member, transportation companies, transportation/additional component vendors, transportation brokers transportation assistant/vendors, transportation vendor/auto driver and transportation vendor/public or rental car agency or taxi, who provide transportation for persons with developmental disabilities to and from the impacted programs that will be forced to close on the mandatory holiday schedule, will also be impacted.



Also impacted would be those group homes that would have to increase staffing levels on those additional closure dates to accommodate persons who would remain in the group home during the day hours because their program would not be open.