State Early Childhood Technical Assistance Systems

South Carolina

• Part C TA System Description
• 1/19/07

Basic design features

The South Carolina Part C TA System is centralized and divided between two main contracts by the Lead Agency, Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC): one contract with the University of South Carolina (USC), Early Intervention Technical Assistance Center (EI TAC), directed by Dr. Karen Long, at Columbia, SC; and the other contract with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), directed by Gilson Capilouto at Charleston, SC and their satellite site in Greenville, SC. Both of these directors are members of the State ICC.

EI TAC provides training and technical assistance, but it is also responsible for staffing the work of the ICC Personnel Committee and responsible for the CSPD requirements of Part C in the state.

MUSC, which is also the pre-service training site for OT, PT and Speech Language Pathology in the state, provides technical assistance related to assistive technology to early intervention providers and families. They also maintain 13 assistive technology equipment loan closets in each Health Department district in the state. Equipment is for temporary loan to Part C eligible children to see if the equipment is appropriate for the individual child. Children age 3-5 can also use this service, but children have to be brought to the central location to try the equipment.

Other agencies providing TA through contract with the Lead Agency are Family Connections, Inc. and Pro Parents, the Parent Training and Information (PTI) project in SC. Family Connections provides one-on-one support for families through 30-35 paid parents and through a large statewide annual conference. Pro Parents provides on-site and telephone TA on transition for families. They are currently creating a video on transition from Part C to preschool for families and a Family Notebook for families to organize and file their children’s records.

Other TA providers in the state are the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, which provides TA on autism. The Health Department and USC also provide other training opportunities that are relevant to EI.

Federal Part C funds support the TA system. In addition, state funding sources include the Lead Agency, DHEC, and other agencies that serve this population and receive state EI funds such as the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Deaf/Blind program.

Primary clients/recipients of technical assistance services

The primary clients/recipients of TA services include early intervention providers and administrators, local ICCs, parents, professors/deans or institutions of higher education, physicians, and other relevant participants. Clients are not divided into specifically targeted groups; activities are primarily planned to include multiple clients.

There is a high turnover rate of early intervention personnel in the state. Each new employee is expected to attend a 12-day orientation training or may choose pieces of the training which they need. Parents and other service providers, such as early Head Start workers and Mental Health counselors and therapists, may participate also. The full 12 day training includes 1 day on the overview of the system and family supports, 2 days on child development (typical and atypical), another day on atypical development and assessment, another one and a half days on assessment, one day on families and special instruction, one day on IFSP development, one half day on injury prevention, and 4 days on Transactional Intervention Program (TRIP) training which is the model of home-based intervention used in South Carolina. These 12-day training events occur quarterly and represent a major TA activity during the year needed to address the high turnover rate of personnel. New members of the State ICC participate in parts of the orientation in addition to a separate ICC orientation.

Ways technical assistance is provided

TA is most frequently provided through statewide conferences, in-service training courses, topical seminars, on-site consultation to programs, and telephone/email consultation. Model demonstration sites utilized for TA include the assistive technology demonstration labs and special EI TAC projects on using parents as service coordinators.

Print and non-print materials are developed. USC has a Resource Library for birth to three service providers and parents, which has print materials, audio cassettes and videos available. This library can also be accessed through the Internet. Part C, BabyNet; maintains a Web Site (http://www.scbabynet.org) with information on the system and contact information for services. Interactive video is not frequently used although DHEC has a studio and the capacity to use this technology.

TA system operations

Needs are assessed, priorities set and TA activities are planned through the work of the ICC Personnel Committee and its sub-committees on Training, Higher Education, and Early Intervention Task Force. Information from evaluation of TA activities is also used to plan future events. Oversight and supervision for all TA activities is the responsibility of the Part C Coordinator, Kathy Hart.

Evaluation of the TA system

TA providers are required to evaluate all TA activities. Results are synthesized and used for planning TA activities. Lists of attendees are maintained.

Relationship of TA system to the monitoring/supervision of local programs

Most of the service providers in the system are under contract with DHEC. The Part C Coordinator monitors all contracts for compliance. Every contract evaluates its program and services annually or every two years. The Part C system is currently developing a self-assessment process that will be in place by the time federal monitoring occurs.

Relationship of TA system to the state’s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD)

The TA System and state CSPD are essentially the same in SC, as the directors of the TA Contracts are also on the State ICC and its Personnel Committee, which is the CSPD. EI TAC is also responsible for staffing and carrying out the work of the Personnel Committee.

There is an EI credential in SC, which is currently being revised to reflect one level instead of three levels. There are four areas of competency required for the credential including Foundations (basics, child development, etc.), Provision of Services for Children, Understanding and Working with Families, and EI System and Procedures. Training toward the credential is provided through orientation, available training modules, and transcripts. In addition to training, applicants have to be supervised and show that they understand and can apply the content. They are required to have 135 hours of training, 9 credit hours in course work, or 3 years experience. They have a 3- year timeline to complete the requirements for the credential, but efforts are made to assist the new employee in achieving this in the first 3 months of employment. The twelve-day required orientation training meets a large part of the requirements. EI TAC is in charge of the credential program.

Relationship with Section 619 of Part B

For the most part, TA system plans and activities do not involve Section 619 of Part B. There has been training on transition at the local level, which involved both programs. There are 91 school districts in the state with autonomous School Boards and this creates challenges for joint training efforts.

The state is actively involved in implementing First Steps, the Governor’s initiative for all preschool children in the state. A lot of activity involving both Part C and Section 619 is currently going on related to this program.

For further information, contact:

• Cheryl Waller, Director & Interim Part C Coordinator
• Division of Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs
• SC DHEC
• PO Box 101106
• Columbia, SC 29211
• Phone: (803) 898-0789
• Fax: (803) 898-0613
• E-mail: wallercj@dhec.sc.gov
• Web site: www.scdhec.net/health/mch/cshcn/programs/babynet/
• Kristie K. Musick, Director
• TECS: Team for Early Childhood Solutions
• Center for Disability Resources
• University of South Carolina
• Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
• Columbia, South Carolina 29208
• Phone: (803) 935-5242
• Fax: (803) 935-5300
• E-mail: kkmusic@gwm.sc.edu
• Web site: http://uscm.med.sc.edu/tecs/index.htm