Step 2: Your Initial Service Coordinator

One of the first persons you will meet in the EIP is your Initial Service Coordinator (ISC). Your ISC will talk with you about your concerns for your child’s development. She or he will answer any questions you have about the EIP.

The ISC will also:

• Review your family’s rights and make sure you understand them;
• Talk with you about your child’s evaluation for the EIP, and how this evaluation will determine if your child is eligible to receive services through the EIP;
• Give you the list of evaluators in your county and help you pick one that will meet your child’s and family’s needs;
• With your permission, help arrange for your child’s evaluation;
• Help you arrange for transportation to your child’s evaluation, if you need it;
• Attend your child’s evaluation if you wish;
• Inform you that, in NYS, EI services must be provided at no cost to your family. However, NYS’s system of payment for the EIP includes the use of public insurance (such as Medicaid and Child Health Plus) and private insurance (such as United Healthcare and others) for reimbursement of EI services;
• Collect information and documentation about your child’s insurance coverage, including public and private insurance. This information includes: the type of insurance policy or health benefits plan, the name of the insurer or plan administrator, the policy or plan identification number, the type of coverage in the policy and any other information needed to bill your insurance; and
• Explain your rights and responsibilities regarding your family’s health insurance, and answer your questions about the protections the law provides for family insurance benefits.

If your child’s evaluation shows that she or he is eligible for the EIP, your ISC will:

• Answer your questions about the EIP;
• Set up a meeting to work on your Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP);
• Help you understand what this meeting will be like, who else must be there, and who can be invited;
• Explain how your health insurance can be used and that early intervention services will be at no cost to you;
• If your child is uninsured, the ISC is responsible for assisting you in identifying and applying for benefit programs for which your family may be eligible, including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and Social Security Disability Income, however, you are not required to enroll in order for EIP services to be provided;
• Obtain information about the status of your family’s private insurance coverage and Medicaid status; • Help you resolve any problems that might come up – including disagreements about the service(s) you and your child might need;
• Give you information on other programs and services which can help your family, including, the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) eligibility and available programs and services;
• Discuss with you and your child’s evaluators whether your child is potentially eligible for programs and services under the OPWDD; and • With your consent, notify the appropriate OPWDD contact person of the potential eligibility of your child for OPWDD programs and services. If you are interested, your service coordinator will help you make a referral to OPWDD.

If the evaluation shows that your child is not eligible for the EIP, your ISC will tell you about other services that may help. If you disagree with the evaluation findings, you can appeal the decision. You may review the section on “Your Rights as a Parent in the Early Intervention Program” to see the options you have, if you disagree with the evaluation findings.

Information provided by the New York State Early Intervention Program