Virginia Early Intervention System for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families - Annual Performance Report

Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Annual Performance Report

July 1, 1996 B September 30, 1997

Welcome to the 1996-1997 annual performance report on Virginia's Early Intervention System for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities and Their Families. This report covers the fifteen-month period of July 1, 1996, through September 30, 1997, highlighting the activities and accomplishments of the System and identifying current challenges. It also contains information about the children served between December 2, 1995, and December 1, 1996, including the numbers served, the settings in which they received early intervention services, and the types of services provided.

This report meets the annual reporting requirements required of lead agencies responsible for administering grant awards under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This report also meets federal requirements for the annual report of the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council.

Table of Contents

Overview of the Virginia Early Intervention System

Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that all children under the age of three with disabilities receive appropriate early intervention services designed to help them attain or retain the capability to function age-appropriately within their environment. Although early intervention services have been provided in the Commonwealth for more than twenty years, Part H of IDEA has in more recent years facilitated Virginia's planning, development and implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. As a result, Virginia's Early Intervention System has evolved from a model of programmatic, single-agency responsibility for service provision to an interagency, shared responsibility for system development and for the provision of direct services. The system supports the inclusion of families, fosters parent-provider partnerships, and promotes the greatest personal outcomes for Virginia's youngest citizens with disabilities while maximizing available resources and minimizing taxpayer expense.

The Code of Virginia, Chapter 47, §2.1-760 through 2.1-768 provides the framework for Virginia's Early Intervention System. This framework is characterized by cooperative efforts at both the state and local levels, and it facilitates information exchange among families, early intervention service providers, state agency representatives, and others working together on behalf of children with disabilities.

At the state level, the Early Intervention Agencies Committee is charged with, among other responsibilities:

• establishing a statewide system of early intervention services in accordance with state and federal statutes and regulations;

• identifying and maximizing coordination of all available public and private resources for early intervention services; and

• developing and implementing formal state interagency agreements that define the financial responsibility and service obligations of each participating agency for early intervention services, establishes procedures for resolving disputes, and addresses any additional matters necessary to ensure collaboration.

The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services (DMHMRSAS) is the lead agency for administering Virginia's Early Intervention System. In addition, eight other state agencies participate in the implementation of Part H:

Department of Health (VDH)

Department of Education (DoE)

Department of Social Services (DSS)

Department for the Visually Handicapped (DVH)

Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)

Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (VDDHH)

Department for the Rights of Virginians with Disabilities (DRVD)

State Corporation Commission (SCC), Bureau of Insurance

The Part H Interagency Management Team, formed in 1993 and comprised of individuals who represent participating state agencies, assists the Early Intervention Agencies Committee with ongoing interagency planning and decision making and addresses issues associated with full implementation of the Virginia Early Intervention System.

The Code of Virginia also establishes the Governor-appointed Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council, an advisory board comprised of parents, early intervention service providers, legislators, health care professionals, and state agency representatives; and the forty local interagency coordinating councils that structure early intervention systems at the local level.

Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council

Members of the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council (VICC) have as their mission:

To advise and offer guidance to the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, the State Lead Agency, in planning the comprehensive system of early intervention services defined in Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and to assure the implementation and evaluation of the coordinated, statewide, interagency multi-disciplinary system of services which enhances the capacity of families to meet the needs of their infants and toddlers with disabilities.

The VICC has been influential in setting priorities for the Virginia Early Intervention System. Resulting from its recommendations have been recent initiatives designed to enhance family involvement in the System, to facilitate greater awareness and appreciation of Part H early intervention services among physicians and other health care professionals, and concerted efforts to respond to managed care issues and their impact on infants and toddlers with disabilities.

The VICC, the Chair of which is a parent of a child with disabilities, meets quarterly and encourages the participation of local interagency coordinating council representatives, families, and early intervention service providers. Meetings for the following calendar year are scheduled at December VICC meetings and advertised in the monthly mailing (disseminated by DMHMRSAS to local councils) and in The Virginia Register. The VICC met five times during this reporting period.

DMHMRSAS provides staff support to the VICC and its committees. There are four standing VICC Committees:

Family Support and Advocacy - Enhances family participation in and knowledge of Virginia's Early Intervention System

Public Awareness - Increases the visibility of the early intervention system through a variety of family-centered activities, state and local awareness efforts, and the statewide public awareness campaign

Local/Regional Direct Services - Addresses issues related to the provision of direct services

Personnel Training and Development - Develops mechanisms to ensure that Part H highest standards are met by all providers of early intervention services in Virginia

A VICC retreat was held in May 1997, providing an opportunity for members to review the success the VICC has enjoyed during its first ten years and to begin thinking about future activities and challenges. Four special committees were formed as a result of the retreat. Membership and Linkages will work to broaden VICC membership and to develop strategies for including non-VICC members within the committee structure, as well as to improve linkages with other organizations and initiatives. Performance Standards will consider new ways for the VICC to be accountable to itself in fulfilling its mission. An Agencies committee will explore methods for enhancing collaboration at both the state and local levels. And, a Bylaws committee will revise current VICC operating procedures for presentation to the full VICC in 1998.

Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICCs)

The local structure for Virginia's Early Intervention System is provided by forty local interagency coordinating councils (LICCs). LICCs enable early intervention service providers to establish working relationships that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of early intervention services. LICC members include parents, service providers, and local representatives of participating state agencies. Among the many duties of the LICCs in accordance with the Code of Virginia, §2.1-766, are the identification of existing early intervention services and resources, the development of strategies to address any gaps in the service delivery system, and support of service coalitions. The LICCs also develop and implement local policies and procedures in accordance with state and federal statutes and regulations pertaining to Part H.

The broad parameters for Virginia's Early Intervention System have been established at the state level to ensure implementation of federal Part H regulations. Within the context of these parameters, localities determine exactly how their local early intervention systems will look based on local resources and needs. This contributes to the variety found among local systems and encourages creativity when addressing issues that affect local system implementation. LICC diversity is reflective of the state as a whole.

To assist the LICCs in implementing the many requirements of Part H and in identifying how best to do so in relation to local needs and resources, technical assistance is available from the Part H Lead Agency. Technical assistance consultants provide on-site or telephone consultation to LICCs at no cost. Consultants also attend regional LICC meetings as requested to discuss issues, developments, and the progress of Part H implementation. In addition, guidance packages are developed on topics requiring further technical assistance, and written clarification is provided as needed in response to queries from LICCs.

Technical assistance is also available from regional training and technical assistance centers funded and managed by the Virginia Department of Education.

Families

Infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families are the most important members of Virginia's Early Intervention System. In addition to being included in the provision of services to their children, families are actively encouraged to participate in all System levels, whether as members of their LICC, as members of VICC committees, or as knowledgeable experts and resources for other families on the conditions that affect their children. Virginia's Early Intervention System strives to foster and broaden family-provider partnerships in all aspects of Part H planning and implementation, including the provision of training, technical assistance, and direct services.

A number of mechanisms and supports are in place to further enhance family involvement at both the state and local levels. To represent the concerns of families at the state level, a parent of a child with disabilities serves as the State Family Representative to Virginia's Early Intervention System. The State Family Representative is responsible for identifying issues shared by families statewide and bringing those issues to the attention of the Part H Lead Agency, the Part H Interagency Management Team, and the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council. To assist the State Family Representative, five part-time Regional Family Representatives were hired in 1997 through the VICC Family Support and Advocacy Committee. At the request of this committee, in August 1997 the Early Intervention Agencies Committee approved funding to increase the State Family Representative position to full-time; Regional Family Representatives will double the hours contributed to the System from 16- to 32-hours per month beginning in October 1997.

Supports for the State and Regional Family Representatives include flexible work schedules, the ability to work from home, and telecommunications and Internet capabilities which allow them to network with families across the state and nation. The creation and maintenance of these positions has been made possible by a partnership between the Part H Lead Agency and a private, nonprofit agency serving children with disabilities throughout the state.

The continuing development of the Family Support and Information Network remains a priority for the State Family Representative and the Regional Family Representatives. This network serves to increase family awareness and participation in the activities of local interagency coordinating councils and to link families with one another so that no family experiences alone the feelings associated with learning of and coping with a child's disability. Two tools developed by the VICC Family Support and Advocacy Committee for reaching out to families are utilized statewide: "Family Matters", a newsletter written by parents for parents, is included in the Part H Lead Agency's monthly mailing to localities; and "The Welcome Book", a collection of materials for families new to Part H.

The family representatives report that localities are utilizing a variety of strategies for including families in local planning activities and trainings. All LICCs have parent representation, and a growing number have personnel serving specifically as parent support resources. In addition, localities are providing ever more opportunities (e.g., seasonal picnics, monthly pizza gatherings, and "Parents' Night Out" activities) for families to gather and share their experiences or to take advantage of respite care. Recognizing the importance and value of the knowledge many parents and family members of Part H "graduates" possess, many LICCs actively seek to retain these individuals on their local councils.

Early Intervention Services

In Virginia, a child and family are eligible to receive Part H early intervention services if the child is developmentally delayed or has a diagnosed physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in delay. If found eligible via a multi-disciplinary evaluation and assessment by two or more professionals and the child's family, then the following services are provided:

• The development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) which involves negotiation among team members, including the family, regarding outcomes and services that meet developmental needs of the child and needs of the family in enhancing its child's development.

• Service coordination to assist and enable eligible children and their families to receive the rights, procedural safeguards, and the services that are needed.

• Mediation and due process, available if family members and early intervention service providers disagree as to eligibility or appropriate services.

• IFSP services, as determined necessary by the IFSP team to meet the IFSP outcomes, such as:

  • assistive technology

  • audiology

  • family training, counseling and home visits

  • health services

  • medical services (for diagnostic and evaluation purposes only)

  • nursing services

  • nutrition services

  • occupational therapy

  • physical therapy

  • psychological services

  • respite care

  • social work services

  • special instruction

  • speech-language pathology

  • transportation

  • vision servicies

The type and level of early intervention services needed (and therefore listed on the IFSP) are determined on an individual child and family basis by negotiation among all team members.

A multi-disciplinary evaluation/assessment, the development of an IFSP, service coordination, and, if ever needed, mediation and due process, are provided to all eligible children and families at no cost. Fees are charged for all IFSP services. These fees may be paid for by Medicaid, private insurance, and/or family fees based upon ability to pay mechanisms (e.g., sliding fee scales) utilized in each locality. No child or family, however, may be denied services based on inability to pay.

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Annualized Child Count

The annualized child count is a count of all children receiving Part H early intervention services between December 2nd of one year and December 1st of the following year. The total number of children served between December 2, 1995, and December 1, 1996, (N=4,430) represents an increase of 6.0% over the total served during the previous 12-month period.

It is estimated that 9,189 children under three years of age and their families are eligible to receive Part H early intervention services in Virginia each year.

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December 1st Child Count

The December 1st count (a count of all children receiving Part H early intervention services on December 1st of each year) provides an indication of the number of children within the Virginia Early Intervention System on any given day. It is anticipated to reach 7,200 when all eligible children have been identified. The December 1, 1996, count in Virginia was 2,194.

In addition to the numbers of children receiving services, a variety of information is collected on December 1st, such as the settings in which early intervention services are provided, the types of services provided, and types of diagnosed handicapping conditions affecting children within the Virginia Early Intervention System. This information provides an indication of the progress of system implementation.

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Part H Early Intervention Services

This chart presents the percentage of children in the December 1st, 1996, child count (N=2,194) receiving specific Part H early intervention services as identified on the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). For example, 51.05% of the children receiving services under Part H as of December 1, 1996, had physical therapy services identified as a service on their IFSPs.

Nationwide, trends indicate that children potentially eligible for Part H early intervention have become and will continue to be more medically involved. That is, they are likely to have more complex medical and developmental issues. Due to advancements in medical technologies, greater numbers of children are surviving with more serious diagnoses. In addition, technology has increased the survival rate of premature infants (including those born earlier and with more medical complications). The need for early intervention services will most certainly continue to increase.

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Primary Service Settings

Virginia remains committed to providing early intervention services to all eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families in natural environments (settings that are natural or normal for the child's age peers who have no disability), including the home and community settings. The provision of Part H early intervention services in natural environments increases family participation in the therapies that enhance the well-being of their children. By learning the techniques utilized by trained therapists, families are able to continuously provide the types of assistance needed to continue the development and rehabilitation processes most beneficial for their children. Furthermore, providing services in natural environments has also been shown to be cost-effective, in that overhead and administrative costs can be minimized when services are provided in non-clinic type settings.

Approximately 77% of the children and families receiving Part H services in Virginia on December 1, 1996, (N=2,194) had as their primary service setting either their homes or early intervention centers/classrooms.

Per Virginia's definition of eligibility, one way by which infants and toddlers are eligible to receive Part H early intervention services is by having a diagnosed handicapping condition (a physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay.) Such diagnoses must be made by a qualified professional (e.g., a physician). Presented above are diagnosed handicapping conditions of children with open IFSPs on December 1, 1996. (The numbers reported here reflect a duplicated count since some children may have been reported with more than one condition.)

 

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Specific Diagnosed Handicapping Conditions

Per Virginia's definition of eligibility, one way by which infants and toddlers are eligible to receive Part H early intervention services is by having a diagnosed handicapping condition (a physical or mental condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay.) Such diagnoses must be made by a qualified professional (e.g., a physician). Presented above are diagnosed handicapping conditions of children with open IFSPs on December 1, 1996. (The numbers reported here reflect a duplicated count since some children may have been reported with more than one condition.)

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Use of Federal Part H Funds -- October 1995 - September 1996

More than 90% of Virginia's federal Part H allocation is disseminated to the forty LICCs annually. The funds received by localities are used to support local council operations, administrative costs, development and implementation of Part H systems components, and the provision of Part H direct services (as payor of last resort). LICCs budget approximately three-quarters of their Part H funds for the provision of direct services to infants, toddlers and families. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and special instruction continue to receive the highest allocation of local Part H funds.

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Part H Early Intervention, Private Insurance, and Managed Care

Ensuring that infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families receive Part H early intervention services within an expanding managed care environment continues to be a priority for the Virginia Early Intervention System.

Medallion II, Virginia's mandatory managed care program, has been implemented in one region of the state (Tidewater), with further expansion planned for 1998. Since initiation of the original contract with the Tidewater region in 1996, DMHMRSAS and DMAS have worked together to enhance contract provisions related to Part H services. For example, HMOs will be required in new regional contracts to identify and refer potentially-eligible infants and toddlers to the Virginia Early Intervention System. In addition, DMHMRSAS compiled information in 1997 regarding Part H early intervention guidelines and systems requirements. DMAS has made this information available to potential contractors and has expectations that HMOs will have sufficient qualified early intervention service providers within their networks. In 1996-97, DMHMRSAS and DMAS continued to develop relationships with Medallion II providers and to educate them about Part H early intervention services and the needs of infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

Action taken by the 1997 Virginia General Assembly amended the Code of Virginia, Chapter 468, §2.1-20.1, relating to health and related insurance for state employees, to include coverage for early intervention services.

The [Virginia State Employees Health Benefits] plan shall include coverage for early intervention services. For the purposes of this section, "early intervention services" means medically necessary speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and assistive technology services and devices for dependents from birth to age three who are...eligible for services under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. ' 1471 et seq.). Medically necessary early intervention services...shall mean those services designed to help an individual attain or retain the capability to function age-appropriately within his environment, and shall include services which enhance functional ability without effecting a cure.

This legislation [HB2716] also stipulated that coverage cannot be denied due to the existence of preexisting conditions, and the cost of early intervention services cannot be applied to lifetime insurance caps.

Similar legislation [HB2715] was also introduced during the 1997 Session that would have extended these same benefits to all privately insured infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The bill was not passed, but rather referred to the Special Advisory Commission on Mandated Health Benefits. To assist the Commission, DMHMRSAS prepared a report on the potential impact of HB2715 based on data collected from LICCs on current private insurance reimbursement. HB2715 did not receive the support of the Commission (by a vote of 6-4); supporters have indicated that a similar bill will be introduced during the 1998 General Assembly Session.

At the request of the General Assembly, DMHMRSAS and DMAS prepared a joint report on maximizing federal Medicaid funds for early intervention services. The report highlights the need for a centralized data system across all participating state agencies that can be used to identify which funding sources are being used to cover Part H services. The report also recommends the development of a work group to examine strategies for enhancing and integrating existing approaches for Medicaid coverage of Part H services, and development of collaborative strategies for educating families and providers about the Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment Program (EPSDT). The House Joint Subcommittee Studying Early Intervention in Virginia will review the report findings and make recommendations in the latter part of 1997.

The Part H Interagency Management Team's Managed Care Workgroup continues to follow statewide developments in managed care and to explore strategies for responding to related issues affecting service access. Plans for 1997-98 include three regional meetings for early intervention providers on managed care. These meetings will enhance understanding of federal and state requirements for Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement; familiarize participants with the pre-authorization process, documenting medical necessity, and developing claims and appeals; and explore strategies for broadening revenue bases and strengthening public/private partnerships.

 

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Procedural Safeguards

Virginia's Part H Early Intervention System is committed to ensuring that families eligible to receive services are informed of their rights within the system. Parents rights and procedural safeguards workshops were revised in 1997 and have been presented to service coordinators throughout the state.

Two important documents pertaining to procedural safeguards were completed and disseminated statewide beginning in 1996: "A Notice of Infant/Toddler and Family Rights Under the Part H Program for Early Intervention Services" and "Strengthening Partnerships: A Guide to Family Rights in the Virginia Part H Early Intervention System". Both documents are available in English and Spanish through the forty LICCs. DMHMRSAS is currently exploring the need for offering these and other documents in additional languages.

Operational procedures regarding administrative complaints, due process hearings and mediation have been implemented. No administrative complaints nor any requests for due process hearings and/or mediation were received during the reporting period.

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Monitoring and Evaluation System Development

The Virginia Early Intervention System is continuing its development and implementation of a statewide monitoring and evaluation system capable of generating performance and outcome data for Part H early intervention. The monitoring and evaluation system will enhance accountability at both the state and local levels. Furthermore, Virginia's local monitoring system will provide accurate, current and relevant information to be used in ensuring that federal requirements are met in every locality. It will also be used to make essential improvements in local service delivery systems. While one purpose for the monitoring system is to achieve minimum federal standards, a significant additional purpose is to improve our early intervention system and to join families in obtaining desired outcomes for every child.

A task force comprised of LICC and state agency representatives, families, and early intervention service providers was formed in 1997 to assist with local monitoring system development and implementation issues. An initial step has been the drafting of performance indicators derived from Part H of IDEA regulations, Virginia's policies and procedures for Part H, and other sources. The master list of indicators is intended to reflect the entire Part H delivery system at the local level. Information will be gathered at the local level from several sources including individual family records, a statewide survey of every family, administrative records, and interviews with family members, staff and council members. For some sets of indicators, local councils will be encouraged to use information sources and collection methods that suit their particular needs and strengths. For other sets of indicators, the nature of the information may require a standard source and method for all localities.

The monitoring system will be implemented using a self-study approach; each locality, including representation and support from all participating Part H agencies, will be asked to conduct a comprehensive monitoring process on its own. The local self-study team will use a master list of performance indicators and recommended data collection methods developed by the task force. All localities will have the opportunity to conduct a thorough self-study prior to any on-site review. The results of each locality's self-study will be reviewed by the locality's self-study team first. A local system improvement plan will be developed by the local review team to respond to the needs and strengths identified.

A state review team will then examine each locality's results and its improvement plan. The state review team will also conduct an on-site visit to examine a sample of family records and other data, make programmatic recommendations, and develop a plan for addressing ongoing technical assistance needs. Follow up technical assistance will be provided to assist localities in making improvements and changes.

The task force is considering a four-year implementation schedule. Ten LICCs would be scheduled to participate in the monitoring process each year. Thus, each LICC would be asked to participate in a formal monitoring process once every four years. Councils will be encouraged, however, to conduct self-initiated monitoring processes more often.

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Family Satisfaction

In 1995 a survey of family satisfaction was conducted statewide. Responses were received from approximately 1,200 families (30%) receiving services under Part H of IDEA. Results of the survey indicate that children in need of Part H early intervention services are being identified early (roughly 70% are beginning to receive services before their first birthday). Furthermore:

• Families consistently indicated that they feel listened to and respected, that they are part of the team which identifies the needs of their children, and that their desired goals and outcomes are included on the family's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

• A comprehensive system of services is being offered, and the majority of families feel that they are receiving all of the services they need.

• Families like Virginia's Part H early intervention system. The opinion expressed by families regarding the early intervention program in Virginia is quite high: 84% of survey respondents rated their experience as 8 or higher (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being "great").

• The family satisfaction survey has been redesigned based on feedback from families, service providers, local councils, and state and local program administrators from throughout Virginia. The revised survey will be piloted in late 1997 and early 1998, with full statewide implementation to occur shortly thereafter.

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Local Continuous Improvement

In keeping with the Commonwealth's priority to enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of all service delivery systems, the Virginia Early Intervention System is promoting local continuous improvement (LCI) efforts that include reform principles from other initiatives and national early intervention trends that have proven to be effective. LCI is critical: As the number of children identified as eligible for Part H continues to grow, it is of ever-increasing importance to ensure service efficiency and resource availability. System efforts focus on increasing the use of a community-based resource model of service delivery that recognizes and utilizes natural and informal resources within communities, promotes consumer-driven early intervention practices, and encourages collaboration, family empowerment and choices.

Planning and development activities related to LCI are underway. A task force, formed in 1997, is working to develop a framework for field testing LCI strategies. These field tests, designed to assist localities in better utilizing existing funding and community supports in order to extend services to an even greater number of children with disabilities, are scheduled to be implemented in 1998. Recognizing the importance of this activity, the Early Intervention Agencies Committee agreed in 1997 to allocate funding for the development and implementation of LCI efforts.

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Upcoming Activities

A variety of activities are planned for Virginia's Early Intervention System during 1997-98 participation in the federal Part H program.

Central Directory

The Virginia Early Intervention System continues to operate First Steps, a toll-free telephone number (800-234-1448) which families, early intervention service providers, and others can access to request information about services and resources in their local areas. The Part H Interagency Management Team is exploring options for expanding access to the central directory and plans to implement enhancements in 1998.

Public Awareness

Localities throughout Virginia have employed a number of strategies for increasing awareness of the Virginia Early Intervention System in their communities. Efforts to enhance Virginia's statewide, coordinated public awareness campaign is underway with guidance from the VICC Public Awareness Committee. A catalogue of local public awareness materials has been completed and will be shared with LICCs in Fall 1997.

Child Find

Infant identification and tracking is one of Virginia's mechanisms for meeting federal child find requirements. The Virginia Department of Health's High Priority Infant Tracking Program (HPITP) is designed to identify infants and toddlers at risk for poor health and developmental outcomes and refer infants and their families to appropriate community services, including referral to localities for the determination of eligibility for Part H services. The HPITP is currently operating in five hospital facilities [four Neo-Natal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and one newborn nursery]. Nine health districts have been participating in the follow-up aspect of the program. Plans are to incorporate the program in every birthing facility using the Virginia Information SystemsBIntegrated On-Line Network (VISION) as a statewide initiative for the At-Risk Children's Program.

An in-depth study is planned for 1998 to evaluate the data collected during the development and implementation of the HPITP by the Virginia Department of Health. Activities will include an evaluation of at-risk indicators and a retrospective review of the data collected. An At-Risk Child Work Group will be formed to review data findings and to make recommendations to strengthen child find activities and Virginia's definition of eligibility.

Personnel Development, Personnel Standards

The VICC Personnel Training and Development Committee is developing competency statements for an early intervention provider to meet in order to attain an entry-level highest standard, and planning is underway to ensure that personnel employed at a paraprofessional level do meet these competencies.

Cultural Competency

A Cultural Competency Task Force has been formed in order to promote cultural competency in early intervention and early childhood disciplines by linking interested parties to existing cultural competency training groups. An overall goal of this task force will be to increase family involvement, especially families from minority backgrounds, on all levels of early intervention and early childhood activities. The task force plans to promote strategies that have successfully increased family involvement in early intervention systems, especially those that include strategies for reaching traditionally underserved families.

Data Collection

Many of the forty LICCs are participating in the Part H Lead Agency's computerized data collection project, "Babies Count". As expected, the program has decreased the amount of time spent meeting Part H data collection requirements, and it is anticipated that the program will provide a faster return of data results and analysis when utilized for the first time ever by the Part H Lead Agency in early 1998. All LICCs will be using the developed software by mid-1998.

Physician Training

In 1997 the Part H Lead Agency, with guidance from the Part H Interagency Management Team, sought to identify qualified providers of early intervention system training for physicians. In addition to providing intensive training opportunities, strategies for enhancing physician awareness of early intervention services and Part H of IDEA on a less formal basis are also being developed.

 

 

Membership, Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council

Chair - Cherie Rei Takemoto - Parent Legislator

Delegate Mary T. Christian - Virginia House of Delegates

Parent Representatives

John Frederick, Jr.

Kathy Maggio

Rosemary Singleton

Betty Vincent Williams

Personnel Preparation

Helen Bessant Byrd, Ph.D. - Norfolk State University

James Blackman, M.D. - Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center

Willie Bragg, Ph.D. - Virginia Union University

Anne Stewart, Ph.D. - James Madison University

Providers

Gerald Desrosiers - Middle Peninsula/Northern Neck CSB

Kathryn Kerkering, M.D. - Medical College of Virginia

Brenda Laws - Parent Infant Program on the Shore

Barbara Mease - The Children's Center

James Patton - College of William and Mary

Gloria Robinson-Simpson - Norfolk Public Schools

State Agency Representatives

Pat Abrams - Department of Education

Leslie Anderson - Department of Social Services

Anne Colley - State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance

Anita Cordill - Department of Medical Assistance Services

Janet Hill - Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services

Leslie Hutcheson - Department for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing

Elizabeth Hutton - Department of Health

Carolyn Seaman - Department for Rights of Virginians with Disabilities

Glen Slonneger - Department for the Visually Handicapped

As of September 30, 1997

 

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Certification of Annual Performance Report

 

 

 

 

On behalf of the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council (VICC), I certify that the VICC agrees with the information presented in the Commonwealth's Annual Performance Report for FY 1996. The VICC understands that Section 80.40 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), requires that the lead agency prepare and Annual Performance Report containing information about the activities and accomplishments of the fifteen-month grant period, as well as how funds were spent. The VICC has reviewed the Report for completeness of its contents and accuracy.

Cherie Rei Takemoto Date
Chair

 

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Virginia Part H Office Staff

Manager of MR Children and Family Services

Shirley Ricks

Virginia Part H Coordinator

Anne Lucas

Office Services Specialist

Nicole Rada

Technical Assistance Brokers

Beverly Crouse

Mary Ann Discenza

Terri Nelligan

Technical Assistance Consultants

Richard Corbett

David Mills

Kyla Patterson

Wenda Singer

Evaluation and Monitoring

Jeff Harlow

1996-97 Annual Performance Report on the Virginia Early Intervention System

Compiled and Designed by Richard Corbett

Photography by Terri Nelligan and Richard Corbett C with thanks to Western Tidewater ICC

Web layout by David Mills

Funding provided under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, through the United States Department of Education

Print copies of this report may be requested by contacting:

Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services

Early Intervention Office, 10th Floor

P.O. Box 1797

Richmond, Virginia 23218-1797

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