Golden Gate Regional Center (GGRC): San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin

Which GGRC office do I call?

What does Golden Gate Regional Center do?

• Adaptive skills trainingShort-term teaching of one skill at a time, by someone with a master’s degree or supervised by one. GGRC sets the hours by how long the skill takes to learn.
• RespiteSomeone takes over the care so you get a break. A points chart sets 48 to 120 hours every 3 months. With hard behavior, parents take a class first.
• Behavior helpPrograms that train parents and target specific behaviors. GGRC pays for intensive autism help before age 3. After that, school and insurance come first.
• Camp and social activitiesGGRC can pay for camp, activities and lessons, or pay you back. It can’t make you use IHSS or trade respite hours first.
• DiapersOver age 3, after Medi-Cal, in generic brands. Under 3, when money is tight.
• GPS trackerA GPS device or monitoring plan for a child with a history of wandering off.
• Independent living skillsTraining for adults 18 and older, up to 80 hours a month.
• Travel trainingLearning to ride public transit. Rides for a child need proof the family can’t drive.

GGRC is the payer of last resort. If insurance, Medi-Cal, IHSS, the school or another program covers it, your social worker has to send you there first.

Who qualifies for GGRC, and how do I apply?

Step by step

1. Send the form, or leave a message.GGRC’s online application is being fixed. Email the intake form (or the Early Start form) to intake@ggrc.org, or call (888) 339-3305 and leave a message.
2. An Intake Specialist calls.They learn about your needs and ask for records, an application and consent forms. Then an Assessment Social Worker sets up a home visit.
3. GGRC decides.You hear within 120 days. If your family member qualifies, the first plan is written within 60 days.

More about who qualifies: our eligibility page.

Golden Gate Regional Center questions

How do I reach my GGRC social worker?

• Email first.GGRC invites families to email their social worker with questions or problems. Email leaves a record of what you asked and when. Social workers may also text you about meetings.
• No set reply time.GGRC doesn’t post how fast social workers answer. Its website contact form says to expect an answer in 5 to 7 business days, so write to your social worker directly.
• Ask for the Officer of the Day.If your social worker isn’t available, GGRC says to call your county’s office and ask for the Officer of the Day.
• Find the supervisor’s name.GGRC posts an organization chart that lists every social worker under their supervisor, and each county’s manager. Call the supervisor if a request is stuck.
• Write it all down.GGRC’s Early Start packet tells parents to note the dates of their calls and what they were told. Keep doing that at every age.
• A social worker who fits.The state’s guide on GGRC’s site says you can ask for a new one who is right for you. GGRC also has staff who speak Spanish, Tagalog, Mandarin and Cantonese.

How do I get adaptive skills training through GGRC?

1. Email your social worker.Say you’d like adaptive skills training from Aldera, and copy team@aldera.org. Here’s an email to send. Pick the skill that matters most right now.
2. Name the skill.GGRC’s rule is one specific skill at a time. The team sets the hours by how long that skill should take to learn.
3. Look for start and stop dates.GGRC gives each approval a start date, a stop date and a progress check. You can ask for the next skill after that.
4. We come to you.Once GGRC approves it in writing, we meet your family member at home and begin.

GGRC’s rule asks for a master’s degree, and every Aldera professional has one. If a provider still has to be found, the plan should show an estimated start date.

How do I get my family member’s GGRC file?

• Ask your social worker, in writing.Name the reports you need, and say if you’d like to pick them up or get them by email or mail.
• 3 business days.GGRC must let you see the file within 3 business days. In Early Start, a copy is due within 5 business days.
• At 18, a release.Once your child turns 18, they sign a Release of Information so GGRC can talk with you, unless you’re their conservator.
• For IHSS.The county asks for its SOC 873 health form from a licensed professional. It must also accept an IPP or other papers with the same facts. See how a parent can be the paid IHSS worker and how many hours IHSS can give.

How do I get school help in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin?

1. Ask in writing.Email the principal and ask for a special education assessment, with your reasons. You don’t have to wait for a student study team meeting first.
2. 15 days for a plan.The district has 15 days to send an assessment plan. You get at least 15 days to decide.
3. 60 days after you sign.Testing and the IEP meeting must be done within 60 days of your signed consent.
4. Invite your social worker.GGRC says to ask your social worker to the IEP, and again when you plan for life after school.
5. Turning 3.The transition meeting happens after 27 months and at least 90 days before the third birthday. GGRC also checks again then to see if your child still qualifies.

Special education offices in GGRC’s three counties

• San Francisco UnifiedEmail your school’s principal. The Office of Special Education is at (415) 759-2222. For ages 3 to 5, contact the preschool assessment unit at (415) 401-2525, ext. 1101, or ecreferrals@sfusd.edu.
• San Mateo County SELPACovers every district in the county. Write to your district, or email selpa@smcoe.org or call (650) 802-5588.
• San Mateo-Foster City School DistrictCall the district office at (650) 312-7700. Preschool intake: (650) 312-7755.
• Redwood City School DistrictCall the Department of Special Education at (650) 482-2258, or your school.
• Marin County SELPACovers every Marin district, from birth to 21. Call (415) 499-5850.
• San Rafael City SchoolsFor a preschooler, contact the district’s bilingual community liaison at (415) 485-1719, ext. 7238. Bring two proofs of address and a birth certificate. Special education: (415) 492-3529 for elementary, (415) 492-3223 for high school.

Every district follows the same state timelines. IEP services end at a diploma or age 22, so invite your social worker to that transition planning too.

Where can GGRC families get help from other parents?

• San Francisco: Support for Families.Free information and parent-to-parent support for families of children with any disability. Call (415) 920-5040 or email info@supportforfamilies.org.
• San Mateo: Family Resource Center by AbilityPath.In Burlingame. Call (650) 259-0189 or email info@smcfrc.org.
• Marin: Matrix Parent Network.In San Rafael. Call (800) 578-2592 or email info@matrixparents.org.