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Consists of two programs the Early Intervention Program and the 3-5 Preschool
Program. The County is responsible to coordinate services and evaluations to
children birth to 5years old who are suspected and/or have developmental delays.
Rensselaer County contracts with professional therapists to conduct services
such as but not limited to speech, physical, occupational, vision, hearing, psychological
counseling, transportation and family training. There is no cost to the parents
for either program but the county will bill families Third Party Insurance and
Medicaid to offset the cost of the program.
EARLY INTERVENTION
Program Objectives for the Early Intervention Program:
To administer the Early Care Intervention Program and implement NYS Laws, Rules
and Regulation governing this program in Rensselaer County. New York State Legislation
is very clear and specific regarding the services this municipality is mandated
under Section 2541 of Chapter 428 of the Laws of 1992; to provide early care
intervention services to all children in Rensselaer suspected of having a delay
or disability with no cost to the families. The primary focus of this program
is to be family centered and provide services in natural settings whenever appropriate.
Major program responsibilities are:
- To conduct outreach services to all service
providers/day care centers in Rensselaer County through presentations and
Information meetings with their directors
and staff;
- To provide an Initial Service Coordinator to all families identified;
- To
arrange and participate in appropriate screening and/or evaluations of children;
- To
provide transportation for all children/families when necessary;
- To coordinate
and participate in Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP);
- To arrange and
monitor needed services to children;
- To conduct ongoing service coordination
in order to meet all of the family’s
identified needs;
- To bill third party insurance, Medicaid and State Department
of Health for all services provided.
Website: http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/eip/index.htm
Child Find:
Child Find is a program which provides eligible children, ages birth to three,
and their families referral to services in the community and assistance with
establishing ongoing health care that includes developmental surveillance. Your
local county, along with your child’s pediatrician, will track your child’s
development up to age 30 months. Should a delay in development be identified,
a referral for further evaluation and possible services can promptly be made
to your county’s Early Intervention Program. There is no cost to families
for any of these services.
What services will you receive?
Your pediatrician will be asked to assess your child’s development at regularly
scheduled well-child appointments. Your county’s CHILD FIND staff will
work with the pediatrician to track this information. The CHILD FIND staff is
also available to assist you with other related issues as needed, such as obtaining
information on child development, finding a pediatrician, and enrolling in health
insurance.
Who is eligible?
Families of children who meet the New York State Department of Health criteria
for being “at risk” for developmental delay are eligible for this
program. New York State requires providers of services to infants, toddlers,
and their families to refer all children identified “at risk” for
developmental delay to this tracking program, unless you object to this referral.
Child Find is a cooperative effort involving:
- You and your baby
- Your local public health nursing service
- Your health care provider
- The New York State Department of Health In Rensselaer County, this program
is offered through the Nursing Division of the Rensselaer County Department
of Health. Please feel free to contact
us with
any questions at: 270-2655.
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3-5 PROGRAM
Depatmental Functions:
The law requires that Rensselaer County:
- Enter into contracts with approved providers;
- Provide payments to approved
providers, evaluators, and transporters;
- Assign a person to participate
as a member of the CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education). There
are 16 CPSE’s in Rensselaer County;
- Provide or arrange for transportation
in accordance with bidding procedures pursuant to Section 103 of the General
Municipal Law;
- Maintain a list of related service providers;
- Reimburse school districts
for allowable CPSE administrative costs; and
- The Department bills Medicaid
and State Education Department for all services provided.
Program Objectives:
Chapter 243 of the Laws of 1989 removed Family Court’s responsibility for
the provision of special education services for children with special needs ages
three to five. The Board of Education of each school district is responsible
for the provision of special education services and programs to eligible preschool
children, in accordance with the provisions of Subdivision Two of Section Four
Thousand Four Hundred One of Article 89. Services are to be delivered in the
least restrictive environments.
The approved costs for a suspended or identified preschooler with a disability
are charged to the municipality, for which the State reimbursement rate is currently
59.5%. This program is available to all preschool age children in Rensselaer
County, and at no cost to their families.
Website: http://usny.nysed.gov/programs.html
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CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS
This is
a State Tracking System to identify gaps in the services for Children With Special
Health Care Needs. Rensselaer County will input information from
a family of a child who has health cares not met by any program. The State collects
this information to better identify services not being offered to these families.
The County also will help find other resources for the family to use.
CSHCN are those children (0-21) who have or are suspected of having a serious
or chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who
also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that requires
by children generally.
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