(a) The Legislature finds and declares that meeting the needs and honoring the choices of persons with developmental disabilities and their families requires information, skills and coordination and collaboration between consumers, families, regional centers, advocates and service and support providers.

(b) The Legislature further finds and declares that innovative and ongoing training opportunities can enhance the information and skills necessary and foster improved coordination and cooperation between system participants.

(c) The department shall be responsible, subject to the availability of fiscal and personnel resources, for securing, providing, and coordinating training to assist consumers and their families, regional centers, and services and support providers in acquiring the skills, knowledge, and competencies to achieve the purposes of this division.

(d) This training may include health and safety issues; person-centered planning; consumer and family rights; building circles of support; training and review protocols for the use of psychotropic and other medications; crime prevention; life quality assessment and outcomes; maximizing inclusive opportunities in the community; how to communicate effectively with consumers; and developing opportunities for decisionmaking.

(e) Whenever possible, the department shall utilize existing training tools and expertise.

(f) Each training module shall include an evaluation component.

(g) The department shall establish an advisory group, consisting of consumers, family members, regional centers, service providers, advocates and legislative representatives. The advisory group shall make recommendations for training subjects, review the design of training modules, and assess training outcomes.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 310, Sec. 31. Effective August 19, 1998.)