(a)
(1)Any person believed to have a developmental disability, and any person believed to have a high risk of parenting a developmentally disabled infant shall be eligible for initial intake and assessment services in the regional centers. In addition, any infant having a high risk of becoming developmentally disabled may be eligible for initial intake and assessment services in the regional centers. For purposes of this section, “high-risk infant” means a child less than 36 months of age whose genetic, medical, or environmental history is predictive of a substantially greater risk for developmental disability than that for the general population. The department, in consultation with the State Department of Public Health,
shall develop specific risk and service criteria for the high-risk infant program on or before July 1, 1983. These criteria may be modified in subsequent years based on analysis of actual clinical experience.
(2)Initial intake shall be performed within 15 working days following request for assistance. Initial intake shall include, but need not be limited to, information and advice about the nature and availability of services provided by the regional center and by other agencies in the community, including guardianship, conservatorship, income maintenance, mental health, housing, education, work activity and vocational training, medical, dental, recreational, and other services or programs that may be useful to persons with developmental disabilities or their families. Intake shall also include a decision to provide assessment.
(b)
A regional center shall communicate with the
consumer and his or her family pursuant to this section in their native language, including providing alternative communication services, as required by Sections 11135 to 11139.7, inclusive, of the Government Code and implementing regulations.