The North Los Angeles County Regional Center guide
We may not be the North Los Angeles County Regional Center, but we are the best darn guide that exists for it.
How do I reach NLACRC?
Call the office for your area. You can ask for your service coordinator there, too. Most things can be done by phone or email, so you may never need to go in. NLACRC’s own website is nlacrc.org.
Main office, Chatsworth
9200 Oakdale Ave., Suite 100Chatsworth, CA 91311
Santa Clarita office
25360 Magic Mountain Pkwy., Suite 150Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Lancaster office
43850 10th St. WestLancaster, CA 93534
After hours or on a weekend? For anything urgent, call (818) 778-1900. A live person answers, day or night.
Old address? NLACRC used to be on Sherman Way in Van Nuys, and on Gingham Avenue in Lancaster. Both offices moved. Use the addresses above.
Is there a Santa Clarita Regional Center? No. The Santa Clarita office is part of NLACRC.
Not with NLACRC yet? Call intake at (818) 778-1900. Here’s how it works.
How do I reach my service coordinator?
Your service coordinator is your main person at NLACRC. They help plan your services. They also ask NLACRC to pay for them.
- Email them. It leaves a record.NLACRC emails end in @nlacrc.org. Search your inbox for it. Any email from your coordinator will have their address.
- Or call your office.Ask for your coordinator by name. If they don’t pick up, leave your name, your family member’s name and your number.
- Can’t reach them, or don’t know who they are?Call the main line and ask for the On Duty staff. Some families call it the Officer of the Day. They can take your message, help you, and tell you who your coordinator is.
- Want a new coordinator?You can ask for one. By law, a coordinator stays only if everyone agrees. Ask to speak with your coordinator’s supervisor.
What can NLACRC pay for?
NLACRC pays for services for people with developmental disabilities. The services help them learn, grow and live more on their own. A service has to be in your plan first. The plan is called an IPP.
- Adaptive skills trainingA professional teaches everyday skills at home, so they can do more on their own.
- RespiteSomeone watches your family member for a while, so you get a break.
- Behavior servicesHelp with behaviors that make daily life hard.
- Day programsPlaces where adults spend the day learning and doing things.
- Help living on your ownSupport for adults who live in their own place, or want to.
- Social recreation and campClasses, sports and camps.
- RidesTransportation to programs and services.
- DiapersFor children age 3 and older.
NLACRC can’t pay for what someone else should. If a school, insurance, Medi-Cal or IHSS should cover it, they pay first.
If you’re with NLACRC, you qualify for this
It’s called adaptive skills training. A caring professional comes to your home. They teach the skills your family picks, like potty training, getting dressed, cooking, money or riding the bus. It’s for kids, teens and adults.
- A caring professional who comes to you
- Every professional has a master’s degree
- They have 9.3 years of experience, on average
- Matched with someone who has helped people with the same struggle
- NLACRC pays, so your family pays $0
How do I become an NLACRC client?
NLACRC serves people of any age with a developmental disability who live in its area. It starts with a free call.
Age 3 and up
- Autism
- An intellectual disability
- Cerebral palsy
- Epilepsy
- A condition a lot like an intellectual disability, or one that needs the same kind of help
It has to start before age 18 and be expected to last. And it has to make daily life much harder, in at least 3 areas like self-care, talking or learning.
Under age 3
Babies and toddlers with a delay or a disability can get help through Early Start. Anyone can refer a child. Call 1-800-515-BABY, or apply online. It can take up to 45 days to decide.
The steps
- Apply.Call (818) 778-1900, or apply online.
- NLACRC gets to know you.They look at records and may do an evaluation. It’s free. They need your written OK first.
- NLACRC decides.It can take up to 120 days. Kids who are 3 or 4 can sometimes qualify before they have a diagnosis.
More on who qualifies: our eligibility page.
What if NLACRC says no?
NLACRC has to tell you in writing. The letter is called a Notice of Action. You can appeal it.
- Send in the appeal.The notice tells you how. The appeal goes to the state, not to NLACRC.
- Pick how to settle it.You can ask for an informal meeting, mediation, a hearing, or more than one.
- Get a decision.It should end within 90 days, unless it gets put off.
Free help: Disability Rights California helps families with appeals.
Where can parents get free help?
Family Focus Resource Center. It’s a free parent center based at CSUN. It helps families with NLACRC, special education and early help for babies. It has desks inside all three NLACRC offices. Call (818) 677-6854, or see its locations.
Quick answers
What does NLACRC stand for?
North Los Angeles County Regional Center.
Is NLACRC part of the state?
Not exactly. NLACRC is a nonprofit. The state’s Department of Developmental Services (DDS) oversees it.
Can I get an interpreter?
Yes. NLACRC has to talk with you in your language while you plan, and that includes the IPP meeting. You can ask for an interpreter, and for your plan in your language.
Can I record my IPP meeting?
Yes. Tell NLACRC at least 24 hours before the meeting.
Can my IPP meeting be on video?
Yes. Your service coordinator still has to meet the person face to face once a year.
Is NLACRC open on weekends?
No. The offices are closed on weekends and holidays. For anything urgent, call (818) 778-1900. A live person answers.
Levi Life Skills is a provider NLACRC pays for adaptive skills training. We’re not NLACRC, and this isn’t NLACRC’s website. We checked each fact here on NLACRC’s and the state’s own websites. See something out of date? Email levi@levilifeskills.com.