Self-Determination Program (SDP)
Your life. Your choices. Your future.
At FUCIS, we are proud to be a community partner for Self-Determination Program participants. Our person-centered day program services align with the freedom, choice, and personalization that SDP was designed to deliver — empowering each participant to build a meaningful, self-directed life on their own terms.
The Five Principles of Self-Determination
The Self-Determination Program is built on five core principles to ensure that every participant has:
Freedom — to exercise the same rights as all citizens, including where to live, with whom, how time is spent, and who provides support.
Authority — to control a personal budget and use it to purchase the services and supports of one’s own choosing.
- Support — to arrange the resources and personnel needed to live a fully integrated life in the community.
- Responsibility — to make informed decisions, manage one’s budget, and accept a valued role in the community.
- Confirmation — to be recognized as the central decision-maker in designing and directing the services one relies on.
What is the Self-Determination Program?
SDP is a voluntary Regional Center program that provides each participant with an individual budget to purchase the services, supports, and activities they need to carry out their Person-Centered Plan (PCP) and Individual Program Plan (IPP).
For many participants, SDP has been life-changing. It opens the door to:
- Purchasing services from traditional Regional Center vendors or local businesses
- Hiring support workers directly
- Negotiating unique service arrangements with community partners
- Building a truly personalized day, week, and life — designed around their goals, not someone else’s schedule
In SDP, the individual is in charge — not the system, and not the professionals who support them.
Your Future. Your Path.
FUCIS offers SDP participants:
- ✓ Community-integrated career exploration — out in the community, not just in a classroom
- ✓ Job exploration visits, vocational training, and PIP on-the-job experiences in real work environments
- ✓ In-person support at training sites and throughout the community
- ✓ Job readiness instruction in resume writing, applications, interview preparation, workplace etiquette, and more
- ✓ Technology, digital literacy, self-advocacy, and life skills training
- ✓ Remote learning for participants whose schedules or preferences call for virtual programming
Your Career Journey Starts Here.
Whether you’re exploring career paths, building job-readiness skills, or looking for a community that believes in you — FUCIS has a place for you within your Self-Determination plan.