For SDRC Service Coordinators
A Note for SDRC Service Coordinators
This page is written specifically for you, because the families who arrive at Caliminds Launchpad most often arrive because someone like you pointed them in our direction. That matters. We know the trust a referral represents, and we built this page to give you everything you need to feel confident about that trust.
Here is what Caliminds Launchpad actually does, how the funding pathway works, and how to reach Sam directly whenever you want to talk through a specific client situation.
What We Actually Do
Caliminds Launchpad is a dedicated autism business coaching and supported self-employment program based in San Diego County. We work one-on-one with autistic adults and neurodivergent individuals to help them turn their passions, special interests, and creative talents into small, real, sustainable businesses — most of them home-based, most of them centered around things like art, crafts, photography, content creation, or specialty services that match each student's individual interests.
Our students are not launching commercial enterprises. They are building businesses that fit their lives — a sticker shop, a custom portrait business, a photography practice, an Etsy storefront, a freelance writing service, an online art gallery. The scale is small and personal. The impact on the student's confidence, independence, and quality of life is significant.
The Program in Plain Language
The Founder's Mentorship is a six-month, one-on-one program structured into three phases:
Phase 1 — The Foundation (Months 1–2): Discovering or refining the business idea, building the brand, setting up the simple legal and operational basics, and writing a clear, friendly business plan.
Phase 2 — The Build (Months 3–4): Creating the website, social media presence, content library, photography, invoicing, scheduling tools, and the organizational systems the student will actually use.
Phase 3 — The Launch (Months 5–6): Identifying first customers, sending first outreach, completing first sales, and reviewing what the next chapter looks like.
Program delivery:
Weekly in-person sessions (two-hour sessions, two to three times per week), held at client-chosen locations across San Diego County
Between-session support via text and email
Optional monthly written progress summaries for service coordinators and families (with client consent)
Remote video sessions available when in-person travel is not feasible
What Students Have at Program Completion
Every student who completes the Founder's Mentorship leaves with the following documented outcomes:
A live, professionally built website representing the student's business
Active social media presence with initial content and a sustainable content strategy
A small portfolio of brand photography and content assets
A clear written business plan covering niche, audience, pricing, and next steps
Business registration set up the simple way (typically sole proprietor for home-based businesses)
A basic client/customer agreement template ready for active use
An easy-to-use invoicing, scheduling, and communication setup
A confident understanding of how to find and approach customers
Documented completion of at least one real customer transaction
These outcomes are tracked against a written roadmap created in Phase 1 and updated as the student progresses.
What Happens After the Six Months — and Why It Matters for Your Client
This is the part that distinguishes Caliminds Launchpad from typical short-term programs, and we want to be transparent about it because it directly affects how you think about the IPP planning.
The six-month Founder's Mentorship is the foundational program. But almost every student we work with continues into an ongoing coaching relationship after the formal program ends. The reason is simple: most of our students benefit from continued capability-building support as they navigate the actual work of running a real business in the real world.
The continued coaching is focused on building independence, not creating dependency.
We are not running the business for the student. We are continuing to teach them — one session at a time — how to handle more and more of it on their own. Every challenge we work through together builds the skills the student needs to handle the next one with less support. Some students reach the point of needing only occasional check-ins. Some keep meeting regularly for years because the structure helps them thrive. Both outcomes are successful.
The ongoing coaching is IPP-eligible under Supported Self-Employment.
Because the continued work is structured around capability-building, business growth, and increasing independence, it remains a valid IPP goal under Supported Self-Employment after the foundational six-month program ends. We work with you and your client during the final phase of the program to renew or extend the IPP goal and ensure the continued coaching is structured cleanly within the SDP framework.
In practical terms: your client does not face an abandonment cliff at the end of the formal program, and you do not face an awkward conversation with the family about what happens next. The pathway is clear, and continued coaching can be funded through an IPP renewal when the service is progressing well.
In practice, the foundational six months and the continued coaching that follows are best understood as one progressive, multi-stage Supported Self-Employment journey — with the initial program establishing the business and the renewal stages focused on deepening the client's independence as the business matures.
Funding and Billing
For Self-Determination Program Clients
Caliminds Launchpad is fully accessible right now for any of your clients enrolled in the SDP. The billing process is straightforward:
Step 1: Add "Supported Self-Employment Coaching" as an IPP goal at the next review, or via interim amendment if timing matters.
Step 2: Sam prepares a service agreement directly with the client's Financial Management Service.
Step 3: Caliminds Launchpad invoices the FMS directly for each completed session. There is no out-of-pocket cost to the client or family, and no administrative burden on you.
Sam is happy to speak directly with you, the FMS, and the family before any commitment is made — to walk through the process and answer questions in real time.
IPP Language You Are Welcome to Use
"Supported Self-Employment Coaching: individual one-on-one mentorship toward the development and launch of a self-directed micro-business, including business planning, brand development, digital skills, business registration support, client acquisition, and ongoing capability-building."
For IPP renewals covering the post-program coaching phase:
"Continued Supported Self-Employment Coaching: ongoing one-on-one capability-building support for an established self-employed neurodivergent founder, focused on growing independence as a business owner through real-world problem-solving, skill development, and strategic planning."
Sam can provide written documentation of specific skills addressed in each program phase to support your IPP preparation whenever you need it.
For Clients Not Currently in the SDP
We are actively working toward broader SDRC vendorization to extend access beyond the Self-Determination Program. If you have a client who would benefit from our services and is not currently in the SDP, please contact Sam directly. He will work with you to identify the most direct available pathway.
Communication and Progress Reporting
You should never have to chase a provider for updates. Here is what to expect:
Monthly written progress summaries with the client's consent — covering specific skills developed, milestones reached, and objectives for the following month. Written in plain language and formatted for easy inclusion in your case documentation.
Real-time availability by phone, text, or email whenever something needs to be discussed. If a client is having a difficult stretch, if a goal needs adjusting, or if you have a question about how the program is going, Sam responds directly — usually within the same business day.
Collaborative goal adjustment if a student's needs evolve mid-program. The roadmap is updated and the next progress summary reflects the change clearly.
If there is anything specific you typically need from providers that is not listed here, just ask. We are happy to adapt to whatever documentation rhythm works best for your caseload.
A Direct Message From Sam
I have real respect for the work you do. You are navigating an enormously complex system while holding genuine responsibility for the outcomes of the people you serve — and you are doing it for many clients at once. My goal is to make working with Caliminds Launchpad one of the easiest, most transparent, and most reliable provider relationships you have.
If you are considering whether to refer a client to us, or if you simply want to learn more about what we do before making any decision, I am genuinely happy to have that conversation. A short phone or video call is often the best way to figure out together whether a specific client is a good fit.
Reach me directly:Email:sam@calimindslaunchpad.comPhone / Text: (619) 877-5020