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Section 1: Introduction to Service Coordination
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- what early intervention is
- the foundations of early intervention,
- national and state perspectives on service coordination
- service coordination, then and now
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Section 2: EI in Illinois
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- the relationships built with families
- the partners within the Illinois Early Intervention (IL EI) system
- the ways families connect to the IL EI system
- the data system for record keeping in IL EI
- the family rights and privacy practices
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Section 3: Intake and Family Assessment
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- the goals and purpose behind the family-professional partnership
- how to prepare for the initial intake visit, including making first contacts, scheduling intake and preparing information for the visit
- the expectations for the intake visit, such as sharing the EI philosophy and publications, gathering information and starting conversations with families
- the regulations involved with family assessment
- the importance and impact of family assessment
- how to introduce the RBI and gain consent
- the interview skills necessary to conduct the RBI and family assessment
- how to document intake activities, the RBI summary and family assessment both on paper and electronically
- the activities and information from intake that get recorded in Vstone
- the post-intake activities for a service coordinator, such as identifying and scheduling evaluators, sharing information, handling authorizations, and insurance benefit notification
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Section 4: Illinois System of Payments
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- the fund sources for Illinois EI
- an overview of private insurance which includes information on the following:
- utilizing private insurance
- benefit verification
- insurance expectations
- insurance impact on family fee
- insurance waivers
- public insurance (All Kids) including how to inform and gather consent from families with public insurance
- insurance and family fees, including relevant consent forms, the calculation and collection of family fees, as well as services subject to fees and/or insurance.
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Section 5: Evaluation, Assessment and Eligibility
Service coordinators develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- the importance of evaluation/assessment in early intervention
- the roles and responsibilities service coordinators fulfill with the coordination and completion of evaluations/assessments
- the role of the multidisciplinary team and evaluation teams
- approved evaluation/assessment instruments and the service coordinator’s role in reviewing evaluation/assessment reports
- Illinois early intervention eligibility criteria
- procedures for eligibility determination including annual eligibility re-determination and what happens when a child and family are found ineligible
- expectations for documenting eligibility in the electronic and permanent record
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Section 6: IFSP Preparation & Meeting Facilitation
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- the purpose of the IFSP meeting, the components of the IFSP document and IFSP preparatory activities including the following:
- Preparing the IFSP document
- Required forms and consents
- Insurance and family participation fee preparation activities
- effective meeting facilitation, including the role of the facilitator as well as techniques for facilitating teaming and overcoming facilitation barriers
- the importance of upholding family’s rights to communicate and understand in their native language which includes the role of the interpreter and translator
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Section 7: IFSP Development
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- the importance of their role as they stage for the family and IFSP team members during IFSP meetings
- effective strategies for engaging in meaningful team discussions around
- family priorities
- levels of development
- child outcomes
- IFSP outcomes
- the service plan
- IFSP meeting essentials and post IFSP meeting activities including documentation, required forms and consents, meeting authorizations, and IFSP reports
- Self-preservation techniques and CFC supports they may consider utilizing before, during and after an IFSP meeting
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Section 8: IFSP Implementation
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on:
- the policies, responsibilities, and collaboration required for service coordination when implementing IFSP meetings
- discerning what is covered and not covered by Early Intervention (EI) services
- knowing how to authorize ongoing services
- understanding the use of IFSP development time
- the role and responsibilities of the service coordinator as a leader in monitoring the IFSP
- the importance of self-care and managing multiple projects and responsibilities
- the ability to organize and prioritize responsibilities any given day, week, or month
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Section 9: Transition, Exit Meetings and Case Closure
Service coordinators can expect to develop and/or expand knowledge on the following:
- Transition procedures and activities including the following:
- Options for transition
- Roles and responsibilities of service coordinators and local education agencies
- The role families and providers play and how to partner with them during transition
- Special timelines such as summer birthdays and late referrals
- How, when and where to document child outcome data during exit meetings when a family voluntarily withdraws from EI or upon review in an IFSP review
- Transfer and record closure, including what to do when a family moves from one area of the state to another (in-state transfer) and how to help a family transition to another state’s EI system when they move out of state
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