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Personal Assistant Services & Behavior Respite

mother teaches child how to read

Traditional vs. Specialized Services

Traditional services are appropriate for individuals of all ages and are available in situations when the parent or primary caregiver has a need for temporary relief or assistance with caregiver responsibilities. 

Specialized care offers an enhanced level of service for individuals who have more challenging behaviors – like physical or verbal aggression, property destruction, self-injury, self-stimulation, or elopement – and therefore need more support than traditional services can provide. The service is appropriate for individuals of any age.

Service Categories

Respite: A support service designed to provide parents and other primary caregivers with temporary relief from the constant care required by a family member with special needs. Both the specialized and traditional levels of respite care must be delivered in the family’s home and care can only be provided to the individual authorized to receive services.

Daycare: Provides care to an individual in their home environment while the parents or other primary caregivers are working or attending an educational program. Care can only be provided to the individual authorized to receive services.

Attendant Care: Provides an extra set of hands to individuals who need support completing their activities of daily living. At the traditional level, services must be delivered in the family’s home while at the specialized level services can be provided in the home, in the community, or in other facilities such as a group home. For individuals with severe behavioral needs, attendant care can be used as an extra layer of support for other services or to assist during ABA-Based Behavioral Health Treatment sessions. This service is offered as 1:1 or 2:1.

Services Details

Both specialized and traditional sessions can be as short in duration as 3 hours or may be provided up to 24/7 depending on the needs of the individual.

Prior to initiating care, a supervisor conducts an initial appointment to understand the needs of the specific individual and family and identifies care providers who are a good match.

All our services are provided by a team of professionals who are experienced with and passionate about working with individuals of all ages who have developmental disabilities. Our trained and responsible staff are actively engaged with the individual receiving care while participating in preferred activities in the family home or other appropriate environment.

All our care providers have passed a live scan clearance as validated by DOJ and FBI and maintain current CPR and First Aid certification. All staff are also certified in Non-Violent Crisis Prevention and Intervention (NCPI). In addition, at the specialized level, care providers are trained in the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and can collaborate with the individual’s ABA service provider to ensure consistency in implementation of the behavior treatment plan. 

When providing care, we often rotate staff members in the home. This is especially helpful when working with children as it helps them grow accustomed to meeting a variety of people. This makes it easier for them to transition into outside programs for more training, and eventually help them prepare to live as independently as possible.

Who Pays for Care in California

In the state of California, the local Regional Center will authorize and pay for appropriate and necessary services for any individual assessed and diagnosed with a developmental disability. The state defines developmental disability as “intellectual disability, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and other conditions similar to intellectual disability that require treatment similar to a person with intellectual disability.”

The state will pay for services for individuals at any income level if the need for services is demonstrated. The number of hours is dependent on each particular case. 

Parents and other primary caregivers can also receive respite services under a self-pay arrangement, paying for services directly as needed.

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