You can get an ICF/DD program plan template from two places. DDS gives a free, optional template on its website.1 DirectCare sells complete example documents for California ICF/DD-H and ICF/DD-N homes: the ICF/DD Program Plan for $499, and the ICF/DD-N Program Plan Plus for $899, which adds an example medication training plan and an example attendant training plan. Both are editable Word documents.
01 · Free template or full example The DDS template gives you headings. Our document gives you the words.
DDS says its template is optional and only helps you start the plan.1 The DDS reviewer measures your plan against a separate checklist. The ICF/DD-H checklist alone asks for eight sections and nine attachments, and DDS does not accept the package until every item is present.2
| DDS template | ICF/DD Program Plan | ICF/DD-N Program Plan Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $499 | $899 |
| Section headings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Complete example text for each section | No | Yes | Yes |
| Example medication training plan | No | No | Yes |
| Example attendant training plan | No | No | Yes |
| Format | Word | Editable Word | Editable Word |
02 · What is inside Every section the reviewer looks for, already written.
The ICF/DD Program Plan covers the sections that a California program plan needs:
- Philosophy and goals, and admission and discharge criteria
- Client assessment and the pre-admission evaluation process
- Interdisciplinary team structure and responsibilities
- Individual Service Plan (ISP) development and implementation
- Program elements: habilitation, communication, sensory and mobility training
- Nursing care activities and health services, with ICF/DD-N content marked
You edit the document so it describes your home: your residents, your staff, your consultants and your schedule. A plan that a reviewer can tell was copied gets sent back. The example shows you the depth DDS expects. The facts must be yours.
03 · Training plans The medication training plan is a separate document, with its own reviewer.
DDS asks for the medication training plan as a separate Word document, with its own checklist. A DDS nurse consultant reviews it.2 For ICF/DD-N homes, DDS publishes a separate ICF/DD-N medication training plan checklist and the DS 1853 form for the attendant training program.3
The ICF/DD-N Program Plan Plus gives you a complete example of both. Use it when you write the plans for your own home and your own staff.
04 · Not an IPP form A facility program plan is not an individual program plan, and the difference matters.
Owners often search for an "individual program plan template." The facility program plan is a different document. It describes how your home runs and how your team will write each resident's plan. DDS asks you to define the terms in the program plan: state rules use Individual Service Plan (ISP), federal rules use Individual Program Plan (IPP), and the regional center also writes an IPP under the Lanterman Act.2
Our documents are for the facility program plan. We do not sell IPP software. If you want help with resident plans, data sheets or digital records, that is consulting work, and our guide on individual program plans shows what surveyors test.
05 · How to buy Buy on the home page, and download it right away.
Checkout is on the home page, with Stripe. You agree to the Terms of Use before you pay. The license covers one facility or organization. All sales of digital downloads are final.
06 · Questions What buyers ask before they pay.
Where can I get a program plan template for an ICF/DD home in California?
DDS offers a free, optional program plan template on its website. DirectCare sells complete example program plans for ICF/DD-H and ICF/DD-N homes: the ICF/DD Program Plan for $499, and the ICF/DD-N Program Plan Plus for $899 with example training plans.
Is your program plan the same as the free DDS template?
No. The DDS template is a format with headings. Our document is a complete written example that follows the DDS checklist. You edit it so it describes your own home.
Where can I get a medication training plan for ICF/DD-N staff?
The ICF/DD-N Program Plan Plus from DirectCare includes an example medication training plan and an example attendant training plan for ICF/DD-N homes. DDS publishes the checklist that a DDS nurse consultant uses to review the plan.
Is this an individual program plan (IPP) template?
No. It is a facility program plan, the document DDS approves before CDPH issues a license. It explains how your team will write each resident's individual service plan, but it is not a form for one resident.
Will the program plan guarantee DDS approval?
No. DDS decides. The document gives you a complete starting point, but you must edit it so every fact describes your home, your staff and your consultants.
Can DirectCare customize the program plan for my facility?
Yes. Custom program plan work is a consulting service. Book a free consultation and we will scope it with you.
Want the program plan written for your home?
We can write or review the full DDS package with you: the program plan, the nine attachments and the training plans. The first conversation is free.
Notes and sources
- DDS ICF/IID Program Plan Template page: the template format is optional and is intended only to assist with the development of an ICF/DD-H or ICF/DD-N program plan. dds.ca.gov ↩
- DDS ICF/DD-H Program Plan Instructions and Checklist, revised September 2025: required sections, attachments 1 to 9, the separate medication administration training plan and checklist reviewed by a DDS nurse consultant, and the ISP and IPP terminology section. PDF ↩
- DDS forms, checklists and regulations for ICF program plans, including the ICF/DD-N medication training plan checklist and form DS 1853, Training Program for ICF/DD-N Attendant. dds.ca.gov ↩
Product contents as listed on the DirectCare home page. DDS requirements change; check the current DDS checklist before you submit.