$0 Out-Of-Pocket Cost — 100% Funded via Regional Center Check Eligibility

The Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center guide

We may not be the Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center, but we are the best darn guide that exists for it.

Map of Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center's area and its two offices The shaded area is Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center's area: Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Pasadena and central Los Angeles, from Hollywood to downtown. Pins mark its two offices, on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles and in Glendale. San Fernando Valley Burbank La Cañada Flintridge La Crescenta Pasadena Hollywood Silver Lake Downtown LA Wilshiremain office Glendaleoffice Data: DDS, © OpenStreetMap contributors

How do I reach Lanterman?

Lanterman has two offices: its main office on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, and one in Glendale. The main line works for both. Most things get done by phone or email. Lanterman’s own website is lanterman.org.

Main office

Wilshire office

3303 Wilshire Blvd., First Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 383-1300 Mon to Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Directions
Second office

Glendale office

611 N. Brand Blvd., 6th Floor
Glendale, CA 91203
(213) 383-1300 Mon to Fri, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Directions

Have an older address? Lanterman didn’t move. On Wilshire, reception is now on the first floor, not Suite 700. In Glendale, the office moved up to the 6th floor from Suite 200.

An emergency after hours, on a weekend or a holiday? Call (213) 383-1300 and follow the recording. Leave a message, and the person on call will call you back within an hour.

Not with Lanterman yet? Call the intake line at (213) 252-8610. Here’s how it works.

How do I contact my Lanterman service coordinator?

Your service coordinator is your person at Lanterman. Together you make your plan, and they line up the services in it.

  • Email for everyday things.Lanterman staff emails end in @lanterman.org. Search your inbox for it to find your coordinator’s address. Lanterman says email is a good way to handle anything that isn’t urgent.
  • Call (213) 383-1300.Coordinators try to call back by the end of the next business day. Don’t know who yours is? Tell the operator the client’s age and city, and they’ll send you to the right team.
  • Can’t wait?Press 0 on your coordinator’s voicemail. Or call (213) 383-1300, press 0, and ask for the Officer of the Day.
  • Want a different coordinator?Talk to the regional manager for your team. By law, a coordinator stays only when everyone agrees.

What does Lanterman pay for?

Lanterman pays for help that lets a person with a developmental disability live a fuller life. Anything it pays for must be part of your plan. That plan is your IPP.

  • Adaptive skills trainingA professional visits your home to teach daily skills, like dressing or cooking, so they can handle more by themselves.
  • RespiteTime off for you. Another person takes over the care for a few hours.
  • Behavior servicesSupport when behavior gets in the way at home or in public.
  • Day programsAdults spend the day learning, practicing skills and being with friends.
  • Help living on your ownRegular help so an adult can keep their own place running.
  • Social recreation and campFun outings, sports teams and summer camp.
  • RidesA way to get to programs, for people who can’t get there alone.
  • DiapersOnce a child is 3 or older.

Lanterman pays last. Insurance, Medi-Cal, IHSS and your school district come first when they should cover something.

Can Lanterman pay for someone to teach life skills at home?

Yes. It’s called adaptive skills training. A professional comes to you and works on the skills your family chooses, like getting dressed, using the toilet, cooking or taking the bus. Children, teens and adults can all get it. Ask your service coordinator to add it to your IPP. Here’s how to ask.

This is what we do at Levi Life Skills, for families with NLACRC, Westside Regional Center and ELARC. We’re not in Lanterman’s area yet, so your service coordinator can help you find someone near you.

How do I become a Lanterman client?

Lanterman serves people of every age with developmental disabilities who live in its area. It costs nothing to find out if you qualify.

Age 3 or older

  • Autism
  • Epilepsy
  • Cerebral palsy
  • An intellectual disability
  • Something close to an intellectual disability, or that calls for the same help

It started before age 18 and is expected to keep going. It makes 3 or more parts of daily life much harder, such as self-care, language, learning or getting around.

Under 3

Babies and toddlers with a delay, a disability or a condition likely to cause a delay can get Early Start. Call (213) 252-8610 or email referrals@lanterman.org. Lanterman decides within 45 days.

What happens

  1. Call or email intake.Call (213) 252-8610 or email referrals@lanterman.org. Share your name, phone and address, the person’s name and birth date, and why you’re reaching out.
  2. An intake specialist calls you back.They call within 24 hours. If Lanterman can help, they set up a meeting and any tests needed. You pay nothing.
  3. Lanterman decides.It has 120 days from your first contact. A 3- or 4-year-old can qualify for now, even without a diagnosis.

Who qualifies, explained further: our eligibility page.

What if Lanterman says no?

If Lanterman turns down a service, or cuts or ends one, it must tell you in writing. That letter is a Notice of Action. You can appeal.

60 daysfrom the day the notice comes, to ask for an appeal.
30 daysto appeal and keep your services going until it’s decided. Appeal before the change begins.
  1. Ask for the appeal.Your notice tells you how. You send it to the state’s Department of Developmental Services, not to Lanterman.
  2. Choose one or more ways to settle it.An informal meeting, mediation or a hearing.
  3. Get the result.It should wrap up within 90 days, unless the date gets moved.

Disability Rights California can help you appeal. Its help is free.

Where do parents go for support?

Koch-Young Resource Center. Lanterman runs this resource center for families, with a spot at each office. It has a help line, a library and more than 25 support groups, many in other languages. Call (213) 252-5600, email kyrc@lanterman.org, or read about it.

Quick answers

What does FDLRC stand for?

Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center. Most people just say Lanterman.

Is it the same as the Lanterman Act?

No, but both are named for the same man. Frank D. Lanterman was a California lawmaker. The Lanterman Act, the state law that promises services to people with developmental disabilities, is named after him. So is this Regional Center.

Is Lanterman in Pomona?

No. The Lanterman Developmental Center in Pomona was a state facility, and it closed years ago. Most of Pomona is served by the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center. See our SG/PRC guide.

Which areas does Lanterman serve?

Hollywood, Wilshire and central Los Angeles, plus Glendale, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and Pasadena. The edges can be tricky, so check any address with our Regional Center lookup.

Is the San Fernando Valley with Lanterman?

Burbank is. Most of the rest of the Valley is with NLACRC. See our NLACRC guide.

Can I get an interpreter?

Yes. Call (213) 383-1300. The phone menu offers Spanish, and it can connect you to an interpreter for Korean, Armenian, Russian, Cantonese, Tagalog or Mandarin, day or night. Lanterman also provides interpreters at IPP meetings and can translate your IPP.

Levi Life Skills teaches daily living skills at home for families with NLACRC, Westside Regional Center and ELARC. We’re not Lanterman, and this isn’t Lanterman’s website. We checked each fact here on Lanterman’s own website and the state’s. Something out of date? Email levi@levilifeskills.com.