FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Hi,
As li parents I just wanted you to know that there are proposed changes to the DOH's plan to approve EI providers that could affect the clinician working with your child. In short the new proposed guidelines want to take away approval of already approved EI providers (i.e. speech, OT, PT, SEIT, etc.) and force them to either increase their EI caseload to attain new approval and/or work under supervision, which should not have to be necessary considering that we are licensed professionals. This could possibly result in losing early intervention providers who can work only part time due to this increase in hours and ultimately decrease the number of EI providers out there. This affects the agencies, the providers and the families because now EI providers are going to have to increase the # of families that they are working with just to keep up with the required number of hours every 5 years to maintain approval. The level of care a family receives should not be judged on the number of billable hours b/c god knows that so much more time and effort goes into working with our families than that. Whether I work 20 hours a week or 10 hours a week doing EI does not make me a better therapist. Its outrageous. I've attached the e-mail sent to me and thought you should know.

Here's the info:
The NYS Early Intervention Program has proposed a change to the EI Provider Approval process that will impact your ability to be an EI provider. The Early Intervention Coordinating Committee will be meeting this Wednesday, 9/17 and this topic will likely be discussed and/or decided by a vote.

The proposed approval will require:
• Reapproval for all EI providers every five years
• Demonstration of a minimum of 1600 hours of work with children with developmental delay aged 0-5 years old, of which 800 must be with children 0-3. (Thqt means 6.5 hours a week of just EI not including our CPSE kids that we work with as well)

Without a letter of approval from the DOH, you will be unable to work as an independent contractor in providing EI services.

You will only be permitted to work as an employee, requiring supervision and being assigned on cases where and when the agency decides.

If you wish to object to this proposed change, you need to contact Brad Hutton, Director of the Early Intervention Program. His email address is [email protected].

Attached are two sample letters which may apply to your situation. Feel free to use them, or to change or write your own letter, expressing your views.

Please email your comments no later than Tuesday 9/16, so your viewpoint can be heard.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

The bulleted points actually look like a good idea to me (as a parent).

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

I actually like the idea of the re-cert and the requirement of working a certain number of hours.

BUT....I do see your point that 6+ hours of EI, not including CPSE kids, is a bit much considering that most sessions are 45 mins.

Now that I think about this 'out loud' ...

most kids get two 45 min sessions a week, some even get 90 mins. That would mean you'd have to maintain 3 to 4 cases of EI. Is that REALLY that much?

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Here's the problem, as a provider you take what's available as it comes in through to the agencies. So lets say I'm a provider who is trying to keep up with that minimum of 6.5 hours per week but the agencies don't have that many EI cases available for me, you still have to make your bread and butter so you have to take on other non-EI cases, but now I'm in jeopardy of losing my approval with the DOH simply because I could not fill up with EI cases. Does that seem fair? From a provider perspective you have to understand that there are times when there are no EI cases available to you. What then? At no fault of your own your approval is in jeopardy. You have good therapistst out there who are being judged by the number of hours that they are putting into EI. And some of them simply can't get enough "EI" hours/cases in the areas we serve to fill that up. In addition now we have to sacrifice the number of CPSE cases we can take on in order to keep up with the EI hours. It seems an imbalance to me. Don't forget as professionals NY state requires us to maintain continuing education units that need to be constantly up to date in order to continue to practice.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Can you please post a link to your source.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

The notice states ages 0-5. Why can't cpse kindergarteners fill up to 800 hours? Aren't they 5? And I thought CPSE started at 3?

I'm not trying to argue, I'm trying to help you

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

The OP is now an "invalid user"?

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

I don't live in NY, so the "way we do things" down here in MD is different. But, one issue that I see is that part-timers would be unable to take on EI cases.

Last year, I worked 2.5 days in an elementary school. I then decided to pick up an extra day working with EI. I picked up 4 kids who were owed back services due to an extreme shortage of speech pathologists.

If we had what was being proposed, I would not be considered an "approved service provider" because I was only giving 4 hours a week of service to these children. In fact, I likely would not have been approved to even START working with these little ones because I didn't have the "required hours" to be approved in the first place- even though I have the license and credentials (and training).

Considering the enormous progress these kids made in the 4 months I served them- NOT getting services would have been detrimental.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

As a supervisor of EI providers, trust me - supervision is NOT a bad thing. Licensed or not, an outside view is more beneficial for the child to address behavior issues, programming that is not always appropriate for the child, and have someone to oversee the entire program.

Any educator needs to provide proof of continuing ed and maintain their cert every few years. EI isn't independent of that....

Some EI programs have been appalling and inappropriate for the child. These changes are not bad things at all. In any job we have to provide a specific hours of service. A good provider is a good provider, plain and simple!

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

What the H?

There are 2 brand new posters with the same issue?

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Posted by Porrruss

The OP is now an "invalid user"?

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Posted by DancinBarefoot

Posted by Porrruss

The OP is now an "invalid user"?

Usually means and Ron has deativated the account.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Posted by lipglossjunky73

Posted by DancinBarefoot

Posted by Porrruss

The OP is now an "invalid user"?

Usually means and Ron has deativated the account.

But why would an invalid user come on or a ad post abut EI issues? Weird....

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Bizarro

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

I'm an EI provider working part time through the agencies, and I don't think supervision is a bad thing in any way shape or form. If you are working for good EI agencies and on a solid team you are getting that input from the service coordinator, team members and parents working together. Requiring a provider to work a minimum number of hours is not beneficial here thats not the way to go about getting better services. I try not to overload myself as a provider with too many clients because I'm not chasing the dollar I really want to help the families I work with and I spend alot of non billable hours researching how I can best help them. In addition I'm a mom whose trying to work and stay with my kids part time what if I go out on maternity leave? Do I lose my approval? I'm still a licensed professional according to NYS.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

i havent heard anything about this and i am very active in the special ed community.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Message edited 9/13/2008 11:01:10 AM.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Hi Guys,
Sorry for the confusion. I'm caponemiller and I changed my screenname this morning b/c its part of my address and I didn't want to get the info crossed or jeopardize my personal info so I changed. I've been recieving e-mails like the one metioned abover from the local LI agencies such as Little angels center, NYTPS inc. Bilinguals, etc. since the start of the summer. When I saw the e-mail this morning I panicked and thought parents and prof. would be interested in knowing about it. Sorry for the confusion.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Yeah, sorry about that. I'm actually trying for the second and a mom of a little 2 year old boy named Braedon.

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

Re: FYI to Parents receiving early intervention services

I recieved several e-mails today about this issue.

I see why you are upset about the changes proposed, but I just don't think parents see it the same way as SE providers. It will only affect children if in a few years there is a shortage of EI providers. I think the training and supervision is great. I keep up with all of my mandatory training anyway. BUt I know alot of us will be affected by the minimum requirements. SOme great pt service providers may have to move on to other things or stick to CPSE. That's life.