Understanding Regional Center Purchase of Service (POS) and Authorizations

If you receive services through a Regional Center, you've probably heard the term "Purchase of Service" or seen the abbreviation "POS."

You may also hear people talk about authorizations.

These terms can sound complicated, but they describe an important part of how Regional Center-funded services are arranged and delivered.

Understanding the basics can make it easier to follow what happens after a service is identified through your Individual Program Plan (IPP) and know what questions to ask along the way.

Here are ten things individuals and families should know about Purchase of Service and authorizations.

1. What Does Purchase of Service Mean?

Purchase of Service, commonly called POS, refers to services funded by a Regional Center.

Regional Centers help individuals access different services and supports based on their individual needs and IPP goals.

Depending on the person, these may include services such as:

Not every person receives the same services, and receiving Regional Center services does not mean someone automatically receives every type of support.

Services are identified through the person-centered planning process based on the individual's needs, preferences, circumstances, goals, and available resources.

The important starting point is not simply asking which services exist. It is understanding what the individual wants to accomplish and what support may help them move toward those goals.

2. Your IPP Helps Guide Services and Supports

Your Individual Program Plan is an important part of determining the services and supports you need.

During the IPP process, you and your planning team discuss things like:

This person-centered approach helps connect services to meaningful outcomes. Someone who wants to live more independently, for example, may need support developing cooking, budgeting, transportation, safety, or household skills.

Another individual may already manage those areas independently but need support with employment, community participation, organization, or another goal.

When a Regional Center-funded service is agreed upon through the planning process, additional steps may be needed to arrange and authorize that service.

The IPP helps establish the plan. The authorization is one part of putting an approved Regional Center-funded service into action.

3. What Is an Authorization?

An authorization is the Regional Center's approval for a provider to deliver an approved service.

Depending on the service, an authorization may include information such as:

Providers rely on authorization information when delivering and billing for Regional Center-funded services.

That means a provider may have completed an intake and be ready to work with an individual but still need the appropriate authorization before the Regional Center-funded service can move forward.

This is one reason it helps to understand where you are in the process. If services haven't started, the issue may be provider availability, intake, staffing, an authorization, or another step.

You don't need to understand every administrative detail, but knowing what an authorization does can help you ask more useful questions when something is pending.

4. An Authorization and a Referral Are Not the Same Thing

These two terms are sometimes confused.

A referral helps connect an individual with a potential provider. An authorization approves the Regional Center-funded service that the provider will deliver.

For example, your Service Coordinator may send a referral to a Supported Living Services provider after SLS has been identified through your planning process.

The provider may then:

The provider may also need time to determine how support will be delivered and what staffing or scheduling will be needed.

The authorization is a separate part of the process. Understanding that difference can help when you're trying to determine why a service hasn't started yet.

If you're unsure, ask whether the referral has been sent, whether the provider has accepted it, and whether the authorization is complete.

5. Providers Must Meet Regional Center Requirements

Regional Centers generally purchase services from providers that have completed the appropriate vendorization process.

Vendorization is the process used to determine whether a provider meets applicable requirements to provide Regional Center-funded services.

Being vendored does not mean a provider is automatically assigned to every individual who needs that type of service. It also doesn't mean every provider will be the right fit for every person.

Individuals and families may still need to consider which available provider best understands the individual's needs, preferences, communication style, goals, and desired level of independence.

When speaking with a potential provider, ask how they approach person-centered planning, skill-building, communication, and changes in support needs.

For Supported Living Services and Independent Living Services in particular, the provider's approach matters. Effective support should help individuals develop skills and do more for themselves whenever possible, rather than creating unnecessary dependence.

Choosing the right provider remains an important part of turning an authorization into meaningful support.

6. The Amount of Service Should Connect to Individual Needs

Services should not be viewed as one-size-fits-all.

The amount and type of support an individual needs can depend on many factors.

These might include:

Two people receiving the same type of service may have very different support needs.

One person may need substantial assistance learning to maintain a home, manage money, prepare meals, and navigate the community. Another may already complete many of those tasks independently but need focused support in only a few areas.

Needs can also change over time. As someone learns new skills, they may need fewer prompts or less direct assistance with certain tasks. A new job, move, health concern, or loss of a natural support may create additional needs somewhere else.

Person-centered planning means looking at the individual rather than assuming everyone needs the same amount or type of service.

7. Authorizations May Have Specific Time Periods

An authorization may cover a particular period of time.

That doesn't necessarily mean the individual's goals or needs disappear when that period ends. Services may be reviewed as part of ongoing planning to determine whether they continue to meet the individual's needs and IPP goals.

If you're unsure about an authorization, ask your Service Coordinator:

It is especially important to ask questions if you receive information that doesn't match what you understood during the planning process.

Keeping your own copy of service information and important correspondence can make these conversations easier. You can refer to what you received rather than trying to remember details from a previous meeting or phone call.

Understanding the basic terms of a service can help you recognize when something may need clarification.

8. Changes in Services Should Be Discussed

Support needs can change over time.

Someone may become more independent in one area while needing additional support somewhere else.

Life changes can also affect services.

Examples include:

For example, an individual who learns to prepare meals independently may need less direct assistance with cooking but want to focus more attention on budgeting, transportation, employment, or community involvement.

The opposite can also happen. A change in health, housing, employment, or family support may create needs that weren't present when the existing service was originally planned.

If your current services no longer reflect your needs, contact your Service Coordinator and explain what has changed.

Don't assume you have to wait until your next annual meeting to start the conversation.

9. Ask Questions if Something Doesn't Match What You Expected

If you receive information about an authorization that doesn't seem to match what was discussed during your planning process, ask questions.

You might say:

Try to identify the specific part that seems different. Is it the provider, type of service, amount of service, start date, or another detail?

Being specific can help your Service Coordinator understand the question and explain what happened.

You don't need to understand every Regional Center term immediately. You do need enough information to understand the services you are receiving and participate meaningfully in decisions about them.

If the first explanation doesn't make sense, ask again.

10. Keep Your IPP and Service Information Together

Keeping your Regional Center documents organized can make it much easier to understand your services.

Consider keeping copies of:

You may also want to keep a simple timeline of referrals, provider contacts, intake meetings, authorizations, and service start dates.

Organization can be especially helpful when you're receiving several different services or working with multiple providers. Months later, you may not remember exactly when something was discussed or who was responsible for the next step.

You don't need a complicated system. The goal is simply to have enough information available to understand what has happened and what is supposed to happen next.

If you have questions later, you'll have the information you need in one place.

Remember: Services Should Support Your Goals

Purchase of Service and authorizations may sound administrative, but they are ultimately connected to something much more important: the individual's goals, needs, and daily life. Regional Center services are not meant to exist simply because a service is available or because a certain number of hours have been authorized.

Services should connect directly to the outcomes identified through person-centered planning and help support meaningful progress over time. That means looking beyond the name of a service and understanding what the support is actually intended to accomplish.

A service might help an individual:

The important question isn't only how many hours were authorized. It is also what those hours are intended to accomplish and whether the support being provided is actually helping the individual make progress toward their goals.

Two people may receive the same type of service but use that support very differently because their needs, abilities, and priorities are different. For one person, Supported Living Services may focus heavily on cooking, budgeting, maintaining an apartment, and learning to manage household responsibilities. For another, the priorities may be transportation, employment, community participation, health routines, safety, or building stronger decision-making skills.

The way support is provided matters too. If a staff member completes every task for an individual, the immediate need may be addressed, but the individual may have fewer opportunities to learn. Whenever appropriate, services should create opportunities to practice skills, make choices, solve problems, and gradually take on more responsibility.

Progress may also look different from person to person. Someone may learn to complete an entire task independently, while someone else may learn to complete several steps with fewer reminders or less assistance. Both can represent meaningful progress when the support is connected to the individual's abilities and goals.

That is why person-centered planning matters. Services should reflect the individual and continue to evolve as their life changes. The purpose is to provide the right support at the right time so the individual can continue building skills, participating in their community, making meaningful choices, and working toward a safe and increasingly independent life.

A Helpful Tip

Whenever a new Regional Center-funded service is being arranged, keep a simple list of questions with you. Understanding the details at the beginning can make it much easier to follow the process and know when you may need to check in.

Ask:

You may not need to ask every question every time, but knowing what to ask can help you understand where things stand and identify which part of the process may still be pending.

For example, if a provider hasn't contacted you yet, you can ask whether the referral was sent. If you've completed intake but services haven't started, you can ask whether the authorization is in place. If an authorization doesn't seem to match what you understood from your IPP meeting, ask your Service Coordinator to explain it.

Once services begin, continue paying attention to the connection between the authorization, the service being delivered, and the goals you are working toward.

Being an active member of your planning team means understanding your services, asking questions when something is unclear, and speaking up when something doesn't seem to match your needs or goals.

We're Here to Support You

At New Beginnings for Exceptional People, we believe individuals and families should understand not only what services they receive, but how those services connect to their goals.

Terms like Purchase of Service, authorization, referral, service code, and vendorization can feel complicated at first, but each represents a different part of moving from a plan on paper to actual support in everyday life.

Your IPP identifies your goals and support needs, while referrals help connect you with providers that may be able to meet those needs. The provider then learns about the individual, their goals, preferences, routines, strengths, and areas where support may be needed. When the necessary steps are complete, services can move from planning into practice.

But beginning services isn't the end of the process. Once support is in place, individuals, families, providers, and Service Coordinators should continue paying attention to whether it is working as intended.

For Supported Living Services and Independent Living Services, successful support should remain focused on helping the individual build skills and maintain as much independence as possible. Staff should understand what the person wants to accomplish, where assistance is needed, what the individual can already do, and where there are opportunities for growth.

Your Service Coordinator remains an important resource throughout this process. If you're unsure whether a referral has been sent, an authorization has been completed, a service is still pending, or something doesn't match what you understood during your IPP meeting, ask. If a service has started but isn't meeting your needs, communicate that too.

Understanding the POS and authorization process gives individuals and families another tool for staying involved in those decisions. The goal isn't to become an expert in Regional Center terminology or paperwork. It is to understand enough to ask informed questions, follow what is happening with your services, and participate meaningfully when decisions are being made.

At the end of the day, an authorization is a mechanism for providing support. What matters most is what that support helps the individual accomplish in everyday life.