Consent to Receive Services

How bttr approaches consent, services, privacy, and the rights of the people it supports. Published for participants, families, service coordinators, community partners, and anyone who wants to know how we work.

Last updated October 10, 2026Published by bttr Living LLC

Our commitment to transparency and care

bttr exists to support people with developmental disabilities and the families who stand beside them. We believe trust starts with openness, so this page sets out what bttr does, what it does not do, what it can promise, and what it cannot.

We care about every person who reads this, whether or not they ever receive services from us. If anything here is unclear, or if something about bttr concerns you, please contact us at info@bttrliving.com or (510) 709 5809. Every message is read and every concern is taken seriously.

1.About this page

This is a public information page. It is not a consent form, an application, or a contract.

This page explains, in general terms, how bttr handles consent and service delivery. It is published so that anyone can review our practices before, during, or after working with us.

  • Reading this page does not enroll anyone in services and does not create an agreement or a provider relationship with bttr.
  • Nothing on this page collects consent. Consent is given separately, in person or in writing, during the intake process and only after a conversation with the bttr team.
  • Each participant's services are governed by their own documents, including their Individual Program Plan, their authorization or spending plan, and the forms they sign with bttr.
  • The information here is general. It may not describe every situation, and it is not legal, medical, or financial advice.

2.Who bttr is and how services are funded

bttr is a support services agency. Its services are funded through California regional centers or through a participant's Self Determination Program budget.

bttr Living LLC is a support services agency based in Newark, California. bttr is vendored by California regional centers and serves participants across the state through the Self Determination Program. bttr is not a regional center, a government agency, or a medical provider.

California's Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act gives people with developmental disabilities the right to the services and supports they need to live the life they choose. The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) oversees that system, and 21 regional centers coordinate services locally. bttr is one of the community providers that delivers those services.

Regional center services
A person's planning team writes an Individual Program Plan (IPP). The regional center service coordinator then issues a purchase of service authorization naming the service, the provider, the hours, and the dates. bttr bills the regional center directly.
Self Determination Program
The participant directs an individual budget and spending plan. A Financial Management Service (FMS) pays bttr from that budget for the services the participant chose. Rates and hours are reviewed in writing before they are added to a spending plan.

Cost. Participants and families are not billed out of pocket for services covered by a regional center authorization or an approved spending plan.

Decisions bttr does not make. bttr does not determine regional center eligibility, approve services, or set authorized hours. Those decisions belong to the person, their planning team, and their regional center. bttr cannot guarantee what will be approved and can deliver only what is authorized.

4.Services bttr provides

A person agrees only to the services named in their own authorization or spending plan.

Availability depends on the regional center, the funding source, and bttr's capacity at the time. Listing a service here is not a promise that it is available to every person.

Independent Living Services
One to one skill building for adults in areas such as money management, cooking, transportation, health routines, communication, and self advocacy.Regional Center of the East Bay, and the Self Determination Program statewide.
Coordinated Family Support
Coordination support for adult clients who live in the family home, including connecting services, navigating benefits, and planning ahead.Regional Center of the East Bay and Golden Gate Regional Center.
Supported Living Services
Ongoing, hands on support for adults who live in a home they own or rent.Regional Center of the East Bay, and the Self Determination Program statewide.
Tailored Day Services
An individualized day built around the participant's own goals, such as college, work, volunteering, and community life.Self Determination Program statewide.
In Home Respite and Behavioral Respite
Scheduled relief for families, with a support professional staying with the participant.Self Determination Program statewide.
Personal Attendant Services
Person centered help with daily routines at home and in the community.Self Determination Program statewide.
Additional services
Adaptive Fitness Coaching, Adaptive Skills Training, Social Recreation, and Housing Search, when included in an approved Self Determination spending plan.

5.How services begin

Six steps come before a first session. Several depend on the regional center or FMS, so bttr cannot guarantee a start date.

  1. Referral or inquiry. A regional center service coordinator sends a referral, or a person, family, or independent facilitator contacts bttr about Self Determination services.
  2. Authorization or spending plan. The regional center issues an authorization, or a spending plan is approved with bttr listed as a provider.
  3. Consent and intake. bttr reviews its practices with the person, answers questions, and documents consent.
  4. Assessment. bttr meets with the person, and with anyone they invite, to learn their strengths, routines, goals, and support needs.
  5. Individual Service Plan. bttr writes a plan with goals drawn from the IPP and the person's own priorities. The person reviews it and can ask for changes.
  6. Match and schedule. bttr matches the person with a support professional based on the assessment, then sets a start date and schedule together with them.

Accepting a referral or completing an assessment does not guarantee that bttr will be able to provide services. If bttr cannot make an appropriate staffing match or cannot meet a person's needs safely, it says so directly and informs the service coordinator so other options can be found.

6.What to expect from bttr

Screened and trained support professionals, sessions built on the person's plan, records they can see, and firm professional boundaries.

  • Screening. Support professionals complete a Live Scan fingerprint background check, tuberculosis clearance, and reference checks before working with participants.
  • Training. Support professionals are trained in person centered practices, participant rights, Home and Community Based Services standards, confidentiality, and incident reporting.
  • Matching. bttr matches staff to each participant based on the assessment and tells the participant who is coming before they arrive. Staffing changes do happen, and bttr cannot guarantee the same person for every session.
  • A different match. A participant can ask for a different support professional at any time without giving a reason. bttr works on a new match as quickly as staffing allows.
  • Sessions. Sessions take place in the home and community at agreed times and follow the Individual Service Plan. The participant sets the pace.
  • Records. Support professionals write a note after each session. bttr sends progress reports to the regional center, or to the participant and FMS, as the funding source requires. Participants can ask to see notes and reports about them.
  • Transportation. When a plan includes community activities, a support professional may travel with the participant on foot, by transit, by rideshare, or in a vehicle. Support professionals who drive participants are required to hold a valid license and insurance. Riding with a support professional is always the participant's choice.

Professional boundaries

Support professionals do not accept money, valuable gifts, or loans from participants or families. They do not use a participant's bank card, benefits, or belongings for themselves, and they handle a participant's money only as the service plan describes. They do not act as a conservator, payee, or legal representative, and they do not work privately for participants outside of bttr. Anyone who is asked for money by a support professional, or is made uncomfortable, should contact bttr right away.

7.What bttr asks in return

Good support depends on honest information, a safe place to work, and mutual respect.

  • Accurate and complete information about needs, routines, health, behavior, and safety, and an update when something changes. bttr plans support based on what it is told
  • Early notice when a session needs to be cancelled or rescheduled
  • Updates to addresses, phone numbers, emergency contacts, living situation, legal decision maker, or service coordinator
  • A reasonably safe home for visits, including securing pets when asked, keeping weapons locked away during sessions, and telling bttr about known hazards
  • Cash, medication, and valuables stored securely
  • Notice if cameras or recording devices are in use in the home
  • Respect for support professionals. bttr does not tolerate harassment, threats, or discrimination toward its staff, just as it does not tolerate them toward participants
  • Concerns raised early, so bttr has the chance to fix them

8.Scheduling, cancellations, and missed visits

Schedules are built with the participant. Missed hours cannot always be made up, because authorizations are usually set by the month.

  • Cancelling. bttr asks for at least 24 hours notice when possible and understands that illness and emergencies happen.
  • If bttr cancels. bttr gives notice as early as it can and offers a substitute or a new time where possible. Illness, emergencies, weather, and staffing shortages can affect a session, and bttr cannot guarantee that every scheduled session will take place.
  • Making up hours. bttr tries to reschedule within the same authorization period. Unused hours often cannot be carried forward. That rule is set by the funding source, not by bttr.
  • No fee. bttr does not charge participants or families a fee for cancelled or missed sessions.
  • Repeated missed visits. bttr reaches out to understand why and adjusts the schedule or plan. It may also inform the service coordinator, who monitors how authorized hours are used.

9.Health, safety, and reporting

bttr responds to emergencies, reports serious incidents as the law requires, and is open about when it does.

Emergencies

If there is a medical emergency or immediate danger during a session, the support professional calls 911, stays with the participant where it is safe to do so, and notifies the emergency contact and the bttr office. bttr may share the information responders need. bttr is not responsible for the cost of emergency transport or treatment.

Medication and medical care

Support professionals are not nurses or medical providers. They do not diagnose, give medical advice, or perform medical procedures, and they do not administer medication unless a service plan specifically provides for assistance and the required training is in place.

Special incident reports

State regulations require regional center providers to report certain serious events to the regional center, including a missing participant, suspected abuse or neglect, a serious injury, an unplanned hospitalization, being the victim of a crime, and a death. bttr reports within the timelines the regulations set, generally within 24 hours of learning of the event, with a written report within 48 hours. The purpose is safety, not blame. bttr tells the participant when a report has been made, unless the law or their safety requires otherwise.

Mandated reporting

Everyone who works for bttr is a mandated reporter under California law. Suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child, a dependent adult, or an elder must be reported to protective services or law enforcement. This duty applies even without consent and is one of the few limits on confidentiality.

Choice and the dignity of risk

People have the right to make their own choices, including ones others might not make. bttr gives information, talks through options, and supports the decision. bttr may document that a risk was discussed. It steps in without agreement only when there is a serious and immediate risk of harm or when the law requires it.

If anyone ever feels unsafe with a person from bttr, please tell us immediately at (510) 709 5809. You will be heard, and it will never be held against you.

10.Limits of bttr services

We are direct about where bttr's role ends, so nothing about our services comes as a surprise.

No guaranteed outcomes
bttr commits to effort, skill, and good faith. Progress depends on many things, including participation, health, and circumstances outside anyone's control. bttr does not guarantee that a goal will be reached or reached by a certain date.
Not medical or clinical care
bttr does not provide medical, nursing, psychiatric, or mental health treatment. Adaptive fitness coaching is not physical therapy or rehabilitation. bttr does not replace licensed professionals.
Not legal or financial advice
bttr can help organize paperwork, explain a notice, and prepare for appointments. It does not give legal, tax, benefits eligibility, or investment advice, and it does not guarantee the outcome of any application or appeal.
Not an emergency service
bttr is not a crisis line and does not provide around the clock monitoring unless a plan specifically includes it. In an emergency call 911. For a mental health crisis call or text 988.
Scheduled time only
bttr is responsible for support during scheduled service hours. Outside those hours, participants, families, and other providers remain responsible for care and supervision.
Limited by authorization
bttr can deliver only the service type and hours that are authorized.
Community activities
Community life involves ordinary risks such as travel, weather, crowds, and physical activity. bttr takes reasonable care, and taking part in any activity is the participant's choice.
Personal property
bttr asks that valuables be kept secure. Anyone who believes something is missing or damaged in connection with a session should tell bttr right away so it can be looked into.
Other agencies
bttr is not responsible for the decisions, timelines, or conduct of regional centers, FMS agencies, benefit programs, landlords, schools, employers, or other providers, although it helps people communicate with them.
Events outside our control
Natural disasters, public health emergencies, outages, and similar events can interrupt services. bttr communicates and resumes as soon as it reasonably can.

These limits do not reduce anyone's rights. Nothing on this page asks a person to give up a right or legal remedy that the law does not allow them to waive. bttr remains responsible for delivering services with reasonable care and in line with the law.

11.Privacy and information

bttr collects what it needs to support people, shares it only with those involved in their services, and does not sell it.

California law makes the records of people who receive regional center services confidential. bttr follows applicable California and federal privacy law in how it collects, stores, and shares information.

What bttr collects

  • Name, date of birth, contact details, and regional center identification number
  • IPP, authorization, assessments, and Individual Service Plan
  • Health, communication, and safety information a person chooses to share
  • Emergency contacts and support team members
  • Session notes, schedules, attendance, and progress reports
  • Calls, texts, emails, and website form submissions

Who it is shared with

  • The regional center service coordinator and planning team
  • The FMS and independent facilitator, for Self Determination participants
  • The bttr staff assigned to the participant, who see only what they need for their work
  • DDS, the regional center, and other government agencies that audit or monitor services, as the law requires
  • Emergency responders, protective agencies, courts, and law enforcement, when safety or the law requires it
  • Service providers that host or process records for bttr under confidentiality obligations

Sharing with anyone else, including family members of an adult participant, doctors, schools, employers, and other providers, requires the participant's separate written authorization, which they can change at any time.

How it is protected

  • Records are stored in secure, access controlled cloud systems, with access limited to approved bttr personnel.
  • bttr uses secure technology tools, including artificial intelligence tools within its protected systems, to organize records and automate administrative work. Decisions about a person's services are made by people, together with that person.
  • Service records are kept for at least five years, as state regulations require, and longer where the law requires it.
  • No system is perfectly secure. If information is exposed in a way the law requires bttr to report, bttr notifies the people affected promptly.

bttr does not sell personal information and does not use it for advertising. Information submitted through this website is used only to respond to the person who sent it.

Electronic Visit Verification

Federal law requires electronic verification of visits for personal care services delivered in the home, including respite, Supported Living Services, and personal assistance. The system records the type of service, who received it, who provided it, the date, the location, and the start and end times. Location is recorded only at the start and end of a visit.

Access to records

Participants and their authorized representatives can ask to see bttr records about them, receive copies, and request corrections by writing to info@bttrliving.com.

12.Communication, recording, and media

bttr contacts people about their services in the ways they prefer and never uses anyone's image or story without separate permission.

  • Channels. bttr communicates with participants and families by phone, text message, email, video call, and in person about scheduling, service updates, and documents. Carrier message and data rates may apply.
  • Preferences. People can tell bttr how and when they prefer to be reached, and can opt out of text messages or any other channel at any time and still receive services.
  • Privacy of messages. Text and standard email are not fully private. bttr limits sensitive details in them and will use phone or in person conversations on request.
  • Not for emergencies. Messages to bttr are read during business hours and are not monitored for emergencies.
  • Recording. California law generally requires the consent of everyone in a private conversation before it is recorded. bttr does not record calls or sessions without saying so first, and asks families to tell bttr if cameras or audio recorders are in use in the home during sessions.
  • Photos, video, and stories. bttr does not photograph, record, or publicly share anything about a participant unless they sign a separate media release for that specific use. A release is optional, has no effect on services, and can be withdrawn for future use. Support professionals may not post about participants on personal accounts.

13.Rights of the people we serve

These rights belong to every participant. No form or policy takes them away.

People with developmental disabilities have the same legal rights as every other person in California, along with specific rights under the Lanterman Act and the federal Home and Community Based Services rules. These include the right:

  • To be treated with dignity, respect, and cultural humility
  • To privacy in their home, body, relationships, and information
  • To make their own choices about where they live, who they spend time with, and how they spend their day
  • To services in the most integrated setting, with full access to the community
  • To take part in every decision about their services and lead their own planning
  • To choose who is involved in their planning
  • To be free from abuse, neglect, exploitation, coercion, and restraint
  • To ask questions and receive honest answers
  • To decline, pause, or change a service without retaliation
  • To ask for a different support professional or choose a different provider
  • To see their records and ask for corrections
  • To receive information in their preferred language and format
  • To file a complaint or an appeal without fear
  • To equal treatment regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability

14.Concerns, complaints, and appeals

Please come to us early. We want to know, it will not be held against anyone, and everyone is free to go outside bttr at any time.

No concern is too small. A schedule that is not working, a comment that did not sit right, a note someone disagrees with, a question about a report: we would much rather hear about it. This applies to participants, families, service coordinators, community partners, and members of the public. bttr does not retaliate against anyone for raising a concern, and it does not allow its staff to do so.

  1. Tell us. Call (510) 709 5809, email info@bttrliving.com, or speak with any bttr team member. A trusted person can contact us on someone's behalf, and anyone can ask to speak with bttr leadership directly.
  2. We acknowledge it. bttr aims to acknowledge every complaint within one business day and to say who is looking into it.
  3. We look into it. bttr listens, reviews what happened, and takes immediate steps if safety is involved.
  4. We respond in writing. bttr aims to send a written response within ten business days, including what it found and what will change. If more time is needed, bttr explains why.

Contacting bttr first is encouraged but never required, and it does not limit the right to use any of the outside options listed here.

Service coordinator
A regional center service coordinator can help resolve concerns about any provider, including bttr, and can help a person change providers.
Rights complaint
A person who believes a regional center or provider has violated or wrongly denied a right can file a complaint with the regional center under section 4731 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and can ask DDS to review the response.
Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy
Free legal information and advocacy for regional center clients, run by Disability Rights California. Northern California 1 800 390 7032. Southern California 1 866 833 6712.
DDS Ombudsperson
An independent office within DDS that gives information and helps resolve disagreements, with a separate ombudsperson for the Self Determination Program. (877) 658 9731, Ombudsperson@dds.ca.gov, SDP.Ombudsperson@dds.ca.gov.
Protective services
To report abuse or neglect, contact Adult Protective Services or Child Protective Services in the county, or local law enforcement. In an emergency, call 911.

Appealing a regional center decision

Decisions about eligibility and about the type or amount of services are made by the regional center, not by bttr. When a regional center denies, reduces, or ends a service, it must send a written Notice of Action. A person generally has 60 days from receiving it to file an appeal with DDS. If the appeal is filed within 30 days and before the change takes effect, current services generally continue while it is decided. The notice itself explains the exact steps and deadlines, which control over this summary.

15.Changing, pausing, or ending services

A participant can stop at any time. If bttr needs to end services, it explains why, in writing, with notice.

Participants can change their goals, schedule, or support professional, pause services, or stop altogether by telling bttr, their support professional, their service coordinator, or their FMS. bttr asks for 30 days written notice when possible to allow a smooth handover. This is a request, not a condition.

Other reasons services may end

  • The authorization or spending plan expires, is reduced, or is not renewed
  • The participant moves outside the area bttr serves for that program
  • Goals are complete and no new goals are identified by the participant and planning team
  • Sessions are not taking place over an extended period despite repeated attempts to reach the participant and adjust the plan
  • A serious safety or conduct issue, including threats or harassment toward staff, cannot be resolved
  • Information needed to provide services safely is withheld or materially inaccurate
  • bttr can no longer meet the person's needs or provide appropriate staffing

When bttr ends services, it generally gives the participant and the service coordinator or FMS at least 30 days written notice with the reason, and continues services during that period where it is safe and authorized to do so. Where there is a serious and immediate safety risk, bttr may suspend services right away with written notice. In every other case, bttr first makes a good faith effort to meet with the participant and their team and solve the problem.

However services end, bttr helps with the transition. With permission it shares relevant records with the next provider, completes final reports, and stays available for questions. Withdrawing consent stops future services. It does not undo services already delivered, records already created, or reports bttr was required to make.

16.Language and accessibility

Everyone has the right to understand how bttr works, in the way that works for them, at no cost.

  • This page is available in English and Spanish. Spanish speaking staff are available, and interpretation for other languages is arranged on request
  • American Sign Language interpretation is available on request
  • bttr can provide large print, a version read aloud, a shorter summary, or a walk through with pictures and examples
  • People can use their own communication device, supporter, or interpreter in any meeting
  • If any part of this website is difficult to use with assistive technology, please tell us so we can fix it

18.Contact

Questions, concerns, and feedback are always welcome, from anyone.

bttr Living LLC

Email
info@bttrliving.com
Phone
(510) 709 5809
7 days a week, 9am to 9pm PT
Office
39899 Balentine Drive, Suite 200
Newark, CA 94560
Website
bttrliving.com

Outside help and information

DDS
dds.ca.gov
Ombuds
(877) 658 9731
OCRA
North 1 800 390 7032
South 1 866 833 6712
Crisis
Emergency 911
Mental health crisis 988

At bttr, consent is not a formality. It is the beginning of trust. If something is ever on your mind, please reach out. We are here.