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First Steps: Service Coordinator
Unit II Lesson 2: Selecting providers
Once a child has been approved for services the service coordinator has a number of responsibilities. With the family the service coordinator will: use the matrix to find providers for services, determine the types of services needed, review natural environments for the family and maintain records of each decision. Following is a description of each step.
On-going Service Coordinator
1. The family selects their Service Coordinator through a review of the Service Provider Matrix.
2. The Service Coordinator ensures that families receive timely and accurate information about their options during the IFSP development and implementation process.
Provider Matrix
1. With the assistance of the Service Coordinator, the family selects provider(s) from the Service Provider Matrix for the agreed upon IFSP services.
2. The Service Matrix must be explained to families, and assistance provided to access information to ensure that the family can choose appropriate providers based upon their personal criteria.
Selection Process
1. Using the Service Matrix, families select service providers for IFSP services.
2. Families will want to consider any special skills or training of the provider, their availability, and the variety of locations for service delivery.
3. Location of service delivery is a team decision reflecting a variety of factors including the child and family's typical routines and activities.
4. The Service Coordinator should not guide or otherwise
influence the family's choices. The family should be informed that they may change their provider selection at any point in time by contacting their Service Coordinator.
5. If the family does not select a provider in a timely manner, the Service Coordinator needs to make a selection in order to keep the process moving.
Natural Environment
1. Parents must select a provider that will provide services in the Natural Environment identified by the team.
2. If they select a provider that will not go to a Natural
Environment and there is another provider available who will, the parent must select the Natural Environment provider or the parent can refuse the service.
Provision of services
1. The primary role of the Service Coordinator is to ensure that the IFSP is implemented, monitored, reviewed and evaluated.
2. Regular, on-going contacts with service providers to ensure the child/family are receiving the specified services, check the progress toward meeting the IFSP outcomes, and collect required data.
3. IFSP service providers are required to submit quarterly progress reports to the Service Coordinator.
4. In addition, regular, on-going contacts with the parents (at least once a month) are required to ensure that the child and family are receiving the service documented in the IFSP and to determine if there are any questions, problems, or a need for the IFSP team to meet to discuss changes.
Maintaining Early Intervention (EI) record
1. Another important role of the Service Coordinator is to promptly and accurately report IFSP information to the SPOE so that authorizations for services can be processed in a timely manner by the CFO.
2. Assisting the SPOE in maintaining the early intervention (EI) record includes sending copies of correspondences, releases, notices and consents, and IFSPs. In addition, they must inactivate children who have exited First Steps by sending the Inactivation and Change of Information form to the SPOE as soon as possible.
Reviewing the forms:
Click onthe URL below for the EI form -
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/FirstSteps/pdfs/Forms/FSchang_inactivfrm.pdf
Click on the URL below to go to the Provider Service Matrix available on the First Steps web page.
http://www.eikids.com/mo/matrix/default.asp