(a) Upon receipt of the written request for mediation, the service agency shall be given five working days to accept or decline mediation.

(b) If the service agency declines mediation, the notice of that decision shall be sent immediately to the claimant, his or her authorized representative, and the director of the responsible state agency.

(c) (1) If the service agency accepts mediation, the service agency shall immediately send notice of that decision to the claimant, his or her authorized representative, and the director of the responsible state agency.

(2) Within five calendar days after the receipt of the notice of the service agency’s decision regarding mediation, the responsible state agency or the designee of the responsible state agency shall notify the claimant, his or her authorized representative, and the service agency of the information applicable to voluntary mediation specified in Section 4711. The mediation shall be held within 30 days of the date the hearing request form is received by the service agency, unless a continuance is granted to the claimant at the discretion of the mediator.

(3) A continuance granted pursuant to paragraph (2) shall constitute a waiver of medicaid home and community-based services of the participant’s right to a decision within 90 days of the date the hearing request form is received by the service agency. The extension of time for the final decision resulting from the continuance shall only be as long as the time period of the continuance.

(d) Mediation shall be conducted in an informal, nonadversarial manner, and shall incorporate the rights of the claimant contained in paragraphs (1), (3), (4), and (5) of subdivision (f) of Section 4701.

(e) The State Department of Developmental Services shall contract with the mediators that meet the following requirements:

(1) Familiarity with the provisions of this division and implementing regulations, familiarity with the process of reconciling differences in a nonadversarial, informal manner.

(2) The person is not in the business of providing or supervising services provided to regional centers or to regional center consumers.

(f) During the course of the mediation, the mediator may meet separately with the participants to the mediation, and may speak with any party or parties confidentially in an attempt to assist the parties to reach a resolution that is acceptable to all parties.

(g) The mediator shall voluntarily disqualify himself or herself and withdraw from any case in which he or she cannot be fair and impartial. Any party may request the disqualification of the mediator by filing an affidavit, prior to the voluntary mediation, stating with particularity the grounds upon which it is claimed that a fair and impartial mediation cannot be accorded. The issue shall be decided by the mediator.

(h) Either the service agency or the claimant or his or her authorized representative may withdraw at any time from the mediation and proceed to a fair hearing.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 416, Sec. 10. Effective January 1, 2001.)