CALIFORNIA DISABILITY ADVOCACY

Big life decisions.
A clearer way forward.

From the Self-Determination Program to life after school, PathBridge helps your family navigate complex choices and build a practical plan.

Book a free consultationWatch our introduction →

First 30 minutes free · Zoom or phone · Korean and English, with other languages supported

Yvonne Yoo, PathBridge Solutions
Yvonne YooDisability AdvocateIndependent FacilitatorAdult Services and Benefit SpecialistI help young people with developmental disabilities and their families prepare for adulthood and access support for education, benefits, employment, and community life.

OUR SERVICES

Specialized support. One connected plan.

Start with the challenge in front of you. We help connect it to the bigger picture.

01

SDP & Independent Facilitation

Connect personal goals, service options, and spending plans—with the participant leading decisions.

02

Education & IEP Advocacy

Prepare school records, questions, and goals. Get support before, during, and after IEP meetings.

03

Adult Transition Planning

Bring school, adult programs, work, and community participation together in a coordinated plan.

04

Regional Center & IPP Support

Clarify priorities, prepare for the IPP meeting, and organize service follow-up.

05

Benefits & Applications

Understand the next steps for SSI, SSDI, and DAC benefits, prepare records, and get help with applications and follow-up you authorize.

06

Documents & Coordination

Know what is needed, organize your paperwork, and keep the next action clear across agencies.

MEET YOUR FACILITATOR

Experience, with a personal connection.

I’m Yvonne Yoo. For more than 25 years, I’ve helped families navigate education, disability, and community services. Today, I bring that experience to Independent Facilitation and planning for life after school.

We’ll start with what matters to you, organize the next steps, and make sure you understand the scope and fees before choosing paid support.

Let’s talk about your next step →
25+
Years of Regional Center & Special Education Experience
15+
School Districts
Several Hundred
Korean Families Served
Statewide
Serving All 58 California Counties

Thoughtful guidance. Practical follow-through.

Your goals lead

Support is shaped around the participant’s priorities, not a one-size-fits-all checklist.

Connected preparation

School, Regional Center, and adult-life planning are considered together.

Clear commitments

Understand the scope and fees before agreeing to paid support.

SELF-DETERMINATION

More choice in how life takes shape.

Explore California’s Self-Determination Program with participant-led planning and clear funding guidance.

More choice for your family. Funded support to get started.

Your Regional Center may fund approved SDP transition services, including person-centered planning and spending-plan preparation. Confirm funding and authorization before work begins. After enrollment, paid Independent Facilitator support comes from your existing SDP budget; the budget does not increase to cover the fee.

Explore funding for my SDP transition California DDS: SDP funding and transition FAQs ↗

GETTING STARTED

From your first question to your next step.

01

Share your priorities

Use the short form to tell us what brings you here. You do not need every document ready.

02

Have a conversation

Your first 30 minutes are free, by Zoom or phone. We listen and clarify where support could help.

03

Choose your next step

Leave with a clearer direction. Any additional paid work starts only after you agree to its scope and fee.

STATEWIDE ACCESS

Across California. Close to your priorities.

All 58 counties · Korean and English, with other languages supported · Zoom or phone. In-person options depend on location and need. Tell us your preferred language.

Let's Talk

Let’s make the next step clearer. Tell us what your family is working through.

You don’t need all the answers to begin.

Start with a free 30-minute conversation. No obligation.

Book your first conversation →
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Service Area

All California — first 30-minute consultation free by Zoom or phone

Korean and English, with other languages supported. Tell us your preferred language when requesting a consultation.

Government agencies and licensed professionals remain responsible for decisions and services only they can provide.

Free SDP Guide

Read the free Self-Determination Program guide in English, Korean, or Spanish, then print it or save it as a PDF.

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English Guide

California SDP Independent Facilitator guide (English) — open or save
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한국어 가이드

California SDP Independent Facilitator guide (Korean) — open or save
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Spanish Guide

California SDP Independent Facilitator guide (Spanish) — open or save

School-to-adult planning

California Adult-Transition Roadmap: IEP, IPP & Employment

Families often receive information from several systems at once. These three conversations can help connect school goals, Regional Center supports, and preparation for adult life.

Step 1 · School

Turn the IEP toward adult-life goals

California requires measurable postsecondary goals and transition services no later than the first IEP in effect when a student turns 16, or earlier when appropriate. Ask how current instruction and services build toward education or training, employment, and independent living when needed.

California Department of Education guidance ↗
Step 2 · Regional Center

Connect the IEP and person-centered IPP

DDS provides a Youth's Plan guide for ages 14–22. Bring the same strengths, preferences, communication needs, and future goals into the IPP conversation, then clarify which service, document, and follow-up belongs to each system.

California DDS IPP tools ↗
Step 3 · Work

Explore work before school ends

California DOR Student Services help eligible students ages 16–21 explore jobs, prepare for work, and consider education after high school. Ask the IEP team or a local DOR office what is available and how responsibilities will be coordinated.

California DOR Student Services ↗

Bring one practical question to a free first conversation

For example: Which meeting should we prepare for first, and which records would help connect the IEP, IPP, SDP, benefits, and employment plan?

Request a free first 30-minute consultation

Educational information only. Each public agency determines eligibility and authorizes its own services; PathBridge does not guarantee approval, funding, or employment.

SSI and DAC: preparing for age 18

SSI and Disabled Adult Child Benefits at 18: Three Checks

Benefits rules are separate from the IEP, IPP, and SDP. These three preparation steps help families ask Social Security the right questions without assuming an outcome.

Check 1 · SSI

Prepare for the age-18 redetermination

When a young person received SSI based on childhood disability, Social Security redetermines disability using the adult rules at age 18. Read every notice, note its deadlines, and ask which medical, school, daily-function, or work records SSA needs.

Social Security: SSI redeterminations ↗
Check 2 · DAC

Ask about benefits on a parent's record

An unmarried adult age 18 or older whose qualifying disability began before age 22 may be eligible for Disabled Adult Child benefits when a parent receives Social Security retirement or disability benefits, or has died. SSA says people already receiving SSI or benefits on their own record should ask whether DAC may be payable.

Social Security: benefits for adults disabled before 22 ↗
Check 3 · Records

Organize the record before contacting SSA

Keep SSA notices, provider and medication information, medical and school records, work history, and the parent's benefit status together. A DAC claim may require an Adult Disability Report and medical-release authorization. SSA advises families not to delay applying only because every document is not yet available.

Social Security: information for a child's-benefit application ↗

Bring one benefits-transition question to a free first conversation

PathBridge can help organize notices, records, and questions alongside the IEP, IPP, SDP, and adult-transition plan before you contact the responsible agency.

Request a free first 30-minute consultation

Educational organization and navigation only—not legal, tax, or financial advice. Social Security and other agencies decide eligibility, evidence, payment, and deadlines for each person.

Common SDP questions

California SDP Independent Facilitator: Quick Answers

Clear answers to common questions families ask before choosing Self-Determination Program support.

Do parents have to pay out of pocket for SDP transition support?

Parents do not pay out of pocket for transition services authorized and funded by their Regional Center. Funding is available for initial person-centered planning and other approved SDP transition support. Confirm the approved services, provider, and funding before work starts; not every expense is automatically covered. After enrollment, paid Independent Facilitator services come from the participant’s SDP individual budget, which is not increased for that cost.

What can an Independent Facilitator help with?

A participant-selected Independent Facilitator may help with informed individual-budget decisions; locating, accessing, and coordinating services; identifying immediate and long-term needs; person-centered planning and IPP development; and obtaining identified supports. The participant directs the process and makes the decisions.

Do I have to hire an Independent Facilitator?

No. An Independent Facilitator is optional. California DDS says a participant who chooses not to use one may ask their Regional Center service coordinator to provide the available Independent Facilitator functions. You may compare options and choose the support that fits you.

How is an Independent Facilitator paid?

California DDS says the cost of an Independent Facilitator, if any, is paid from the participant's individual budget, and the budget is not increased to cover that cost. Before paid work begins, confirm authorization, written scope, rate, estimated hours, and coordination with the Regional Center and FMS.

What is the difference between an SDP individual budget and a spending plan?

The individual budget is the amount available to purchase needed services and supports. The spending plan explains how that money will be used, including the services, frequency, and cost. California DDS says the spending plan cannot exceed the individual budget and is attached to the participant's IPP.

Who can help develop an SDP spending plan?

California DDS says help may come from a family member or close friend, an Independent Facilitator, a Regional Center service coordinator, an FMS provider, or Regional Center-funded transition support. The participant develops the plan, and the Regional Center reviews it for compliance with state and federal requirements.

How do I find a Korean-speaking Independent Facilitator in California?

Use the California SDP Network's language and Regional Center filters, and ask your Regional Center service coordinator about available Independent Facilitator support. Compare training, respect for participant-led decisions, written scope, rates, and experience with Regional Centers and FMS providers. PathBridge serves all 58 California counties in Korean and English by Zoom or phone, with other languages supported, and offers a free first 30-minute conversation.

What happens in PathBridge's free first conversation?

The first 30 minutes by Zoom or phone are free. Share where you are in SDP or adult-transition planning, clarify the question that matters most, and identify practical next steps. There is no obligation; any later paid scope and fee are explained before you decide.

Program rules and authorizations can change. Review current California DDS Independent Facilitator guidance, the SDP FAQ, the California SDP Network directory, and RCOC's current SDP information; each Regional Center and FMS remains responsible for its own decisions.

Ask your question in a free first conversation

More about my experience

Deep Knowledge of the System

25+ Years of Disability, Education & Family Systems Expertise — supporting individuals with disabilities and families through Regional Center, special education, IPP/IEP, SDP, and adult-transition navigation.

WIC §4685.8
IPP Process
Lanterman Act Rights
Individual Budget Rules
Person-Centered Planning
Regional Center Procedures
IPP & IEP Advocacy
Adult Transition Program Specialist
Service Provider Vetting
Korean Family Navigation
Legal Document Assistance
Immigration Consulting
Notary Experience

Information for referrals and partners

Shared by a community partner?

A clear next step after a referral

If a Regional Center, family resource center, school or transition team, FMS, or community organization shared PathBridge with you, start here. You remain free to compare Independent Facilitators or ask your service coordinator about available support.

1

Understand the IF role

Use the free English, Korean, or Spanish guide to understand SDP, participant direction, budgets, spending plans, FMS, and what an IF can and cannot do.

2

Compare fit

Ask about training, participant-led decisions, service scope, Regional Center and FMS experience, communication in your preferred language, written terms, and costs within your budget.

3

Choose your next step

PathBridge supports families throughout California in Korean and English, with other languages supported, regardless of Regional Center or school district.

English IF checklist Spanish IF checklist Korean IF checklist Request a free consultation

A shared link or referral does not mean that the referring organization, Regional Center, DDS, SCDD, school, or FMS endorses or selected PathBridge Solutions. PathBridge is an independent business, and families retain their right to choose.

pathbridgesolutions.com/#referred · info@pathbridgesolutions.com · (714) 485-6108

Free Transition Planning Updates

Receive practical bilingual information about the transition to adult life for people with disabilities, life after school, and SDP. No spam — just useful updates from PathBridge Solutions.

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