Megan Vinh, Sara Doutre, and Anne Lucas. Presentation adapted from presentation developed by Sharon...
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Megan Vinh, Sara Doutre, and Anne Lucas Changes to the Alaska Part C Policies and Procedures
Megan Vinh, Sara Doutre, and Anne Lucas. Presentation adapted from presentation developed by Sharon Walsh for the IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association
Presentation adapted from presentation developed by Sharon
Walsh for the IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association and the
Division of Early Childhood Council for Exceptional Children
Special Thanks
Slide 3
Introduction IDEA Part C Regulations Program and Service
Components (Screening, Evaluation and Assessment, IFSP) Transition
Finance Other changes and additions Group Discussion Resources
Agenda
Slide 4
Who we are? What were we asked to do? How did we ensure
usability? Introduction
Slide 5
Final regulations were published in Federal Register September
28, 2011 Became effective October 28, 2011 New regulations must be
implemented by July 1, 2012 Written policies and procedures must be
in place July 1, 2013 Public comment and hearings required IDEA
Part C Regulations
Slide 6
Slide 7
Informed Clinical Opinion Family Assessment IFSP Content IFSP
Service Other Services Natural Environments Transition Child Find
Primary Referral Sources Referral Definition of Evaluation
Evaluation Procedures Timelines Evaluation Definition of Assessment
Key Changes
Slide 8
Pre-referral Public Awareness (pg. 10) Child find (pg. 10, 52)
Referral (pg. 57) Post-referral Evaluation and assessment (pg. 60)
Development, review & implementation of IFSPs ((pg. 65) Program
and Service Components
Slide 9
Requires rigorous standards to appropriately identify children
to reduce need for future services (pg. 52) Added programs for
coordination of child find efforts (pg. 53) Home visiting Child
Protection and Welfare including CAPTA Family Violence Prevention
and Services Act Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI)
Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Child Care Changes to
Child Find
Slide 10
Added CAPTA language with clarification that intent is not to
include siblings of child, but only child substantiated (pg. 57)
Requires referral as soon as possible, but in no case more than 7
days, after the child has been identified (pg. 57) Referral
Slide 11
Emphasis on word include (pg. 57) Added: Public agencies and
staff in the child welfare system, including child protective
services and foster care Homeless family shelters Domestic violence
shelters and agencies Primary Referral Sources
Slide 12
Retains 45 day timeline from date the lead agency or EIS
provider receives a referral to the IFSP meeting (pg. 59)
Establishes two circumstances in which 45 day timeline would not
apply: (pg.60) Child or parent is unavailable due to exceptional
family circumstances Parent has not provided consent despite
documented repeated attempts Timeline
Slide 13
An evaluation is required unless eligibility has been
determined through review of records (pg. 63) If child is found
eligible, the following are required: (pg. 63) Multidisciplinary
assessment of child (including review of evaluation results,
observation, etc.) (pg. 64) Family-directed assessment of the
family (using assessment tool and interview with those family
members who elect to participate) (pg. 64) Evaluation and
assessment must be conducted in native language unless clearly not
feasible (pg. 65) Evaluation
Slide 14
Used by qualified personnel when conducting evaluation and
assessment Used as independent basis to establish a childs
eligibility even when instruments do not establish eligibility In
no event may ICO be used to negate the results of evaluation
instruments Informed Clinical Opinion (pg. 2)
Slide 15
The determination of appropriate setting for providing early
intervention services to an infant or toddler with a disability,
including justification for not providing a particular early
intervention services in the natural environment for that infant or
toddler with a disability must be Made by the IFSP Team (which
includes the parent and other team members) Consistent with
provisions in 303.13(a)(8), 303.26, and 303.126; and Based on the
childs outcomes that are identified Additional IFSP NE Language
(pg. 22)
Slide 16
Adds and services to steps Confirmation that child find
information (notification) about the child has been transmitted to
the LEAand with parental consenttransmission of additional
information needed by the LEA to ensure continuity of services from
the Part C program to the Part B program, including a copy of the
most recent evaluation and assessments of the child and the family
and most recent IFSP... Identification of transition services and
other activities that the IFSP Team determines are necessary to
support the transition of the child IFSP Transition Language (pg.
27)
Slide 17
Slide 18
Includes timelines for ONE notification of children who may be
eligible for special education (pg. 25) Includes option for an
opt-out policy Requires notification to LEA and SEA (pg.25)
Clarifies transition plan is not separate document part of IFSP
(pg.27) Requires interagency and intra-agency agreements (pg. 24)
Transition conference must meet IFSP requirements (pg.26)
Transition (pg. 24)
Slide 19
Transition Plan must be developed in the IFSP not fewer than 90
days and at the discretion of all parties, not more than 9
monthsbefore the toddlers 3 rd birthday (pg. 27) Transition
Plan
Slide 20
No fewer than 90 days before 3 rd birthday, if child may be
eligible for preschool services under Part B, must notify SEA and
LEA of the child. (pg. 25) If Part C eligibility is determined more
than 45 days but less than 90 days before 3 rd birthday, and child
may be eligible for preschool, must notify SEA and LEA as soon as
possible after determining eligibility. (pg. 25) If child is
referred fewer than 45 days before 3 rd birthday, and child may be
eligible for preschool with parental consent, must notify SEA and
LEAno eligibility determination for Part C required. (pg. 26)
Transition Notification to SEA and LEA
Slide 21
For a child who may be eligible for preschool services under
Part B: Not fewer than 90 days, but more than 9 months prior to the
childs third birthday With the approval of the family, must convene
conference with Lead agency, family, LEA For other children, the
lead agency with approval of family, must make reasonable effort to
convene a conference with family and other appropriate providers of
service Transition Conference (pg. 26)
Slide 22
If a child who previously received early intervention services
under Part C is found eligible for preschool services under Part B,
Alaska will offer parents the choice of: (pg. 28) The extended IFSP
option- the child and family would continue to receive early
intervention services with an education component that promotes
school readiness and incorporates preliteracy, language, and
numeracy skills through IFSP; or Special education preschool
services through and individualized IEP as a student with a
disability Extended IFSP option applies to children with
disabilities at age three until the beginning of the school year
following the childs third birthday. (pg. 28) Extended IFSP
Option
Slide 23
Slide 24
Cannot require parent to enroll in Medicaid or other public
insurance program (pg. 97) Need consent to use Medicaid if parent
not already enrolled or will incur any cost (pg. 97) Requires
written notice if state wants to use Medicaid including consent to
release personal information to Medicaid agency (pg. 98) Requires
consent for use of private insurance each time consent for services
is required (pg. 99) Finance Provisions
Slide 25
Consent is required if-- Decrease available lifetime coverage
or any other insured benefit for child or parent under program
Result in the childs parents paying for services that would
otherwise be covered by the public benefits or insurance program
Result in any increase in premiums or discontinuation of public
benefits or insurance for child or childs parents or Risk loss of
eligibility for child or childs parents for home and
community-based waivers based on aggregate health-related
expenditures Use of Public Benefit: (pg. 97)
Slide 26
Consent does not apply if private insurance statute provides:
Use of private insurance does not count towards or result in a loss
of benefits due to annual or lifetime health insurance coverage
caps for infant/toddler, parent, or childs family members covered
under insurance policy Use of private health insurance does not
negatively affect availability of health insurance to
infant/toddler, parent, or childs family members covered under
insurance policy, and insurance coverage may not be discontinued
for these individuals due to use of insurance to pay for services
and Use of private insurance can not be the basis for increasing
insurance premiums of infant/toddler, parent, or childs family
members covered under insurance policy Private Insurance (pg.
99)
Slide 27
Requires parents get copy of family cost participation policies
and procedures, identifying potential costs that parent may incur
(pg. 99) Co-pays, deductibles and premiums are family costs (pg.
99) Prohibits disproportionate family cost related to public and
private insurance (pg. 101) Cannot be charged more than the actual
cost of services (pg. 101) Finance Provisions
Slide 28
Alaska has established, consistent with 34 CFR 303.13(a)(3) and
303.203(b), a System of Payments for early intervention services
under Part C of IDEA, including a schedule of sliding fees required
to be paid under for services in which the infant or toddler with a
disability or childs family is enrolled, that meets the
requirements of 34 CFR 303.520 and 303.521 Finance (pg. 90)
Slide 29
Slide 30
the lead agency must conduct its own child count or use EIS
providers to complete its child count. If the lead agency uses EIS
providers to complete its child count, then the lead agency must:
(pg. 111) Establish procedures to be used by EIS providers in
counting the number of children with disabilities receiving early
intervention services Establish dates by which those EIS providers
must report to the lead agency to ensure that the State complies
with 303.721(a) Obtain certification from each EIS provider than an
unduplicated and accurate count has been made Data Reporting
Slide 31
What requirements are you excited to implement within your own
program? What changes may be required to successfully implement
these new requirements? What supports are needed to implement the
changes to Alaskas Policies and Procedure? Discussion Activity
Slide 32
Alaska Infant Learning Program (Public Comment Page)
http://dhss.alaska.gov/ocs/Pages/infantlearning/reports/default.aspx
Overview and Discussion of 2011 Part C Regs:
http://osep-part-c.tadnet.org/materials IDEA 2004 Building the
Legacy (Regs, resources): http://idea.ed.gov/part-c/search/new ITCA
Regs Webpage (Side-by-Side, PPTs)
http://www.ideainfanttoddler.org/regulations.htm Resources