Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Division 15 - Children and Family Services › Rule 016.15.13-001 - Changes to POLICY II-I: Early Intervention Referrals and Services

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
EXCERPT, DIVISION OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES POLICY
				& PROCEDURES MANUAL
POLICY ll-l: EARLY INTERVENTION REFERRALS AND
				SERVICES
04/2013
For children who have or are at risk of a developmental delay,
				appropriate early intervention services are essential. Early intervention
				services are designed to lessen the effects of any potential or existing
				developmental delay. Ultimately early intervention services help the child
				learn and reach his or her individual potential with the support and
				involvement of the child's family, as appropriate, it is important for such
				services to begin as early as possible and for biological parents to be
				involved in decisions related to early intervention services.
REFERRALS TO DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FOR EARLY
				INTERVENTION SERVICES SCREENING
When a child maltreatment investigation involving any children
				in the home under the age of three is initiated, the Division will consider
				referring as appropriate all children in the home under the age of three to the
				Division of Developmental Disabilities Services' (DPS) Children's Services for
				an early intervention (i.e., First Connections; this program is not the same as
				the waiver program) screening in an effort to enhance the well-being of these
				children. Any children under the age of three involved in a substantiated case
				of child maltreatment (regardless of whether all of the children are named as
				alleged victims) must be referred to DPS Children's Services for an early
				intervention screening if not already referred while the investigation was
				pending. This will not only ensure DCFS compliance with the Child Abuse
				Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) regarding substantiated cases of child
				abuse and neglect involving children under the age of three, but will further
				promote the well-being of this population.
DPS Children's Services will screen all of the children under
				the age of three who have been referred to First Connections to determine their
				need and eligibility for early intervention services. If the results of the
				screening determine that a child will benefit from DPS early intervention
				services, the person serving as the parent (e.g., biological parent in a
				protective services case; other Individual legally caring for the child
				involved in a protective services or foster care case including foster parents)
				must consent to allow his or her child to participate before services are
				initiated.
For children under the age of three, eligibility for PPS
				Children's Services will be determined by a screening assessment to determine
				the need for additional evaluations (if a child referred to DPS Children's
				Services is within 45 days or less of his or her third birthday, then PPS
				Children's services may forward the referral to the Arkansas Department of
				Education, Special Education (Part B)).
If warranted, a developmental evaluation for children under age
				three will be completed in the areas of cognition, communication,
				social/emotional, physical, and adaptive as available and appropriate. Based
				upon the developmental evaluation results, a speech, occupational, and/or
				physical therapy evaluation may be conducted as available and appropriate. All
				evaluation results as well as medical information, professional informed
				clinical opinion(s), and information gathered from biological parents and DCFS
				will be utilized to determine early intervention eligibility.
While a referral for early intervention services is encouraged
				for all children under three when an investigation is initiated and is required
				for children under the age of three in substantiated cases of child
				maltreatment, a referral for early intervention services on behalf of any child
				suspected of having a developmental delay or disability may be sent at any
				time.
DPS EARLY INTERVENTION INDIVIDUALIZED FAMILY
				SERVICE PLANNING
If a child is determined to be eligible for services and the
				person acting as a parent on behalf of the child (e.g., biological parent
				involved in a protective services case; other individual legally caring for the
				child in a protective services or foster care case including foster parents)
				consents to services, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meetings will
				be held to develop an appropriate service plan for the child. IFSP activities
				and services must be added to the child's case plan.
Adult participation in the IFSP meetings and related
				decision-making on the child's behalf is required. If the child is involved in
				a protective services case or if a child in foster care has a goal of
				reunification, the child's biological parent(s) should be invited and
				encouraged to attend the IFSP meetings to make decisions related to
				individualized Family Service Planning and early intervention services for his
				or her child.
However, another adult who is legally caring for the child on a
				daily basis may serve in place of the biological parent if:
A. The court orders that the child's
			 parent/guardian shall have no involvement in the child's educational Planning;
			 or,
B. The child's parents cannot
			 be located; or,
C. The goal is not
			 reunification for those children involved in foster care cases.
If for one of the reasons listed above or if for any other
				reason the biological parent(s) is unable or unwilling to attend IFSP meetings
				and make the decisions related to early intervention services for his or her
				child, one of the following may serve as the parent to make decisions regarding
				early intervention planning and services for the child (provided the court has
				not issued a no contact order for the person selected to act in place of the
				parent):
A. Foster parent;
B. Guardian, generally authorized to act as
			 the child's parent (but not the state if the child is a ward of the state;
			 i.e., FSW may act as the liaison between DPS and the parent or surrogate
			 parent, but the FSW may not be the sole contact and/or decision-maker for a
			 child);
C. An individual otherwise
			 acting in place of a biological parent (e.g., grandparent, step-parent, or any
			 other relative with whom the child lives);
D. An individual who is legally responsible
			 for the child's welfare;
For any individual serving in place of the parent In the
				child's early Intervention process, support in the form of DPS Surrogate Parent
				Training is available but not required. The local DPS Service Coordinator or
				designee can assist in coordinating the PPS Surrogate Parent Training. After an
				individual has completed the PPS Surrogate Parent Training, they may serve as a
				surrogate parent for any child.
However, an appointed PPS certified surrogate may be assigned
				by the lead agency to represent the child during the IFSP if there is no adult
				(as listed in items A-P above) available to represent the interests of the
				child. An appointed PPS surrogate parent is generally the least preferred
				option since this person does not have daily interaction with the child-
				Furthermore, a DPS certified surrogate parent will usually only be appointed in
				the event that the child's parent, foster parent, etc. is unable or unwilling
				to participate in the child's early intervention process and IFSP
				meetings:
In any situation in which an individual other than the
				biological parent (e.g.; foster parent, relative, etc.) is acting on behalf of
				the child, that Individual will be discharged when the child's biological
				parent is ready and able to resume involvement.
REFERRALS FOR FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
				DISORDERS (FASD) SCREENING
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders is an umbrella term used to
				describe the range of effects or disorders that can occur in an individual
				whose mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy. All caretakers involved in the
				delivery or care of infants must contact DHS regarding an infant born and
				affected with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). In addition, DCFS FSWs
				and Health Service Workers will refer children who have known prenatal alcohol
				exposure and exhibit FASD symptoms and/or behaviors to the DCFS FASD Unit for
				an FASD screening. The FASD screening will help determine if early intervention
				services specific to FASD are needed.
In order to conduct an effective FASD screening, the FSW and/or
				Health Service Worker will gather information regarding the child's in utero
				and birth history. Depending on the information collected and the results of
				the screens, a referral for an FASD diagnosis may be provided. If a child is
				diagnosed with FASD, the following services may be offered to the
				family:
* Referral to DPS (early intervention or DPS waiver), if
				applicable and available
* Referral to specialized day care, if applicable
* Referral to FASD family support group (available to
				biological, foster, and adoptive families), if available
* FASD parenting classes (available to biological, foster, and
				adoptive families)
A plan of safe care must also be developed for any infant born
				and affected with FASD who is referred to the Division by a healthcare provider
				via the Child Abuse Hotline. See Policy ll-D and Procedure II-D6 for more
				specific information regarding healthcare providers reporting infants born with
				or affected by FASD.
PROCEDURE II-I1: DDS Early Intervention Services
				Referrals
04/2013
When children under the age of three are involved in a
				substantiated case of child maltreatment, but a case is not opened, the
				investigator will:
A. Provide an
			 overview of the benefits of early intervention services to the
			 parent/guardian.
B. Make a referral
			 to DDS for each child in the home (victims and non-victims) under age three.
1) Complete form DHS-3300 available in CHRIS.
a) The DHS-3300 can be accessed in the
			 Information and Referral Screen.
b)
			 When the button "DCO-3350/DHS-3300" is selected, a dialogue box will open so
			 that staff can select the form to be completed.
c) Select the "OK" button to open the
			 DHS-3300.
d) Select "Developmental
			 Disabilities" as the Receiving Agency.
e) Select "Other" in the "Services Requested
			 and Codes" section and enter "Early Intervention Screening Referral" in the
			 specification box.
f) Note in the
			 comments box that a case will not be opened, so DCFS will have no further
			 involvement.
g) Complete the
			 remainder DHS-3300 with as much information as possible.
i. At minimum, the child's name, child's date
			 of birth OR Social Security number, and FSW contact information must be
			 entered.