In addition, when a service agency is unable to locate appropriate services in its
catchment area, it might send its consumer to another catchment area to receive those
services through a courtesy vendorization agreement with the vendoring service agency.
For example, if no day program is available to provide services to a consumer, a service
agency might transport its consumer to another area to receive appropriate services
through a courtesy vendorization.
Some regional centers will allow another type of courtesy vendorization. If the
service agency does not have a contract with a vendor for needed services, it allows an
agency that has been vendorized by another regional center to enter its catchment area
to provide services to one of its consumers.
6. Service providers must be vendorized by the regional center in whose
catchment area the agency’s business office is located, known as the vendoring regional
center. Once vendorized,
the service provider may be utilized by other regional centers
known as “user” or “utilizing” regional centers, as well as by the vendoring regional
center. California Code of Regulations, title 17, section 54302, subdivision (a)(77), defines
“Vendoring Regional Center” as the regional center in whose service catchment area the
vendor is located. California Code of Regulations, title 17, section 54302, subdivision
(a)(73), defines “User Regional Center” or “Utilizing Regional Center” as any regional
center which utilizes a service within the vendoring regional center's catchment area.
7. When claimant was preparing to move to Sweetwater Spectrum and NBRC
was preparing to assume the role as his service agency, his parents requested that
Lifehouse provide his supported living services. Lifehouse is a supported living services
provider located in the GGRC catchment region and is vendorized by GGRC. Claimant’s
parents were familiar with Lifehouse because its executive director had assisted them in
planning Sweetwater Spectrum, and because several other residents at Sweetwater
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Spectrum receive supported living services from Lifehouse through a courtesy
vendorization.
8. NBRC advised claimant’s parents that it preferred that supported living
services be provided by an agency located in its catchment area. When a vendor is
located in its catchment area, the service agency has a contract directly with the vendor,
which allows the service agency to better monitor the program, and issue a plan of
correction if necessary. When a service agency provides services through courtesy
vendorization, the user service agency does not have a contract with the vendor. In
addition, the rates paid by the user service agency are not always the same as the rates
paid by the vendoring agency.1
1 For example, GGRC’s maximum median rate for supported living service
providers is $17,000 per month, while NBRC’s maximum median rate for supported
living providers is $7,300 per month. These monthly rates were frozen in 2008, and
regional centers must apply to the Department of Developmental Services to request an
exception in order to pay more than the rate assigned to that particular service agency.
(Welf. & Inst. Code, § 4648.4.) An exception will be approved if the service agency
demonstrates that the increase is necessary to protect the consumer’s health or safety.
9. After interviewing the supported living service providers vendorized in
NBRC’s catchment area, the family reluctantly agreed to try Bayberry, an agency that will
provide services within NBRC’s rates. Bayberry began to provide supported living
services to claimant in January 2013.
10. Over the past 18 months, claimant’s family has become dissatisfied with
Bayberry’s services. They report that claimant has not been provided with sufficient
community activities, which he enjoyed while at the Boston Higashi School.
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