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Early intervention service coordination is a mandated service under
Part C of
IDEA,
provided at no cost to families.
Service coordination is defined as an active, ongoing process that assists and enables
families to access services and assures their rights and procedural safeguards.
Service coordination defined under
IDEA
-- The definition
of service coordination and a description of responsibilities and activities
of service coordinators are available at 34
CFR 303.23.
Service Coordination Systems
Within the parameters of IDEA's
regulations, states have much discretion in developing their service
coordination system. States and communities have different approaches
or models of service coordination. Service coordinators may be "dedicated",
meaning that service coordination is their only role. In a "blended" or primary
service provider model, all of the professionals on the Early Intervention team
may perform the functions of service coordination for their assigned families in
addition to providing a specific EI service. Service coordination caseloads vary
according to the different models, and whether or not there are standards or
maximum limits.
See Part C Service
Coordination: State Policies and Models  (PDF: 176kb) for more information.
This document describes the different state approaches to service coordination.
States have defined competencies, certification and training for various
professionals who perform the service coordination functions. Several states'
early intervention websites offer further information. The states listed
below serve as examples, but as more information is becoming available on-line,
other states may also have materials of interest.
Information about service coordination in your state is available from
the state Part C Program
Coordinator
Research and Training Center on Service Coordination
The Research and
Training Center is a national initiative to examine the status of service
coordination for children with disabilities and their families receiving early
intervention services under Part C of
IDEA.
Based on the Research and Training Center's recent research on perceived outcomes of early
intervention, ERIC has prepared a
News Brief -- What Do Professionals and Parents Want
from Early Childhood Services?
Care Coordination: Integrating Health and Related Systems of Care for
Children With Special Health Care Needs
Young children with disabilities often have many medical issues and it is essential
to link the care systems of early intervention, education and health. The medical
philosophy and practice of family-centered care parallels family-centered practices
in early intervention. There is also a parallel emphasis on care coordination and
service coordination in order that families can easily access integrated services
and community supports.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides a policy brief with
descriptions of role of families and primary care pediatricians and
recommendations for assuring quality care coordination. Use the link below
to go the AAP policy statements. Enter the key words: "care coordination"
in the search engine to locate the policy statement.
Within the National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special
Needs (National Center) a training program has been developed for primary care
physicians, pediatric office staff, child health advocates, allied health care
professionals, and parents of children with special needs. The medical home training
program focuses on how to ensure that children with special needs have a medical
home (care that is accessible, family-centered, continuous, comprehensive,
coordinated, compassionate, and culturally competent) in changing health care
environments.
Training Resources
The Early Childhood Connections
(Colorado) Web Site of Colorado's Service Coordination Core Training Program was developed to
provide essential information and preferred practices in service coordination.
Web resources include core content of 9 modules, PowerPoint files, facilitator guides,
participant hand-outs, references and ordering information for audio/video resources.
Early Steps Training
is being developed by Children's Medical Services, Department of Health -
Florida's Part C Program. Two of 7 modules are currently (March 2006)
available on-line. Completing the training and/or passing the cumulative exam
are required for all First Steps providers.
Maryland's Early Childhood Tutorial -
The purpose of the tutorial is to provide an up-to-date, evidence-based
training resource for early intervention and special education
administrators, providers, and families. Three modules on Evaluation and
Assessment, the IFSP and Transition, include legal requirements, essential
content, reflection and activities and recommended readings with annotations.
Missouri's First Steps Training Modules -
These courses are designed to give providers new to the program skills for
working with families in their natural environment. In addition to a
statement of beliefs and principles of the Early Intervention System,
courses include Orientation, Evaluation and Assessment, and IFSP Outcomes
in Natural Environments. Two additional courses are "underconstruction",
Transition and a specialized module on Service Coordination.
This guide is a self-study resource for service coordinators
(PDF: 3,332kb) that contains guidelines about eligibility requirements and coverage of health
plans and other funding sources throughout New Mexico.
Partners on a Journey of Hope:
Tennessee's Early Intervention Service Coordination Training - Ten modules
provide core required training for TN's service coordinators. Each module
includes trainer guides and materials. Throughout the training, service
coordinators are asked to complete specific assignments that are kept in a
portfolio in order to document their efforts and competencies. The modules
include a variety of learning activities including: lecture, outside reading
assignments, videos, child case scenarios, field observations, site visits,
interviews, pre-and post-tests, worksheets, web research, and case file
reviews.
Fundamentals of Service Coordination for the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program -
Fundamentals of Service Coordination is an electronically-based learning
module for new and veteran service coordinators in Birth to 3. Service
coordinators must be well-trained, well-informed and have a variety of
skills. This training provides users with the latest resources, practical
strategies, articles for study, references to the law, discussion questions
and hands-on activity suggestions related to the service coordinator's role.
Learners will have the opportunity to read case-based scenarios and apply
what they have learned.
An Outcomes-Based Approach to Evaluating Service Coordination Models,
Richard Roberts, 2004
This is the final report of the three-year study entitled An Outcomes-Based
Approach to Evaluating Service Coordination Models
(PDF: 221kb) . The purpose of the study was to investigate three
commonly used Part C service coordination models, examining the degree to which
services are delivered efficiently, including a cost analysis, as well as their
effect on child and family outcomes. The goal of this project was to identify
those service coordination strategies that best support system efficiency
and child and family quality of life and developmental outcomes.
Links on this site are verified monthly. This page content was last updated on 02/29/2008 CF.
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