N.Y. Public Health Law 2551 – Coordinated standards and procedures
§ 2551. Coordinated standards and procedures. 1. The state early intervention service agencies shall jointly establish coordinated standards and procedures for:
Terms Used In N.Y. Public Health Law 2551
- Coordinated standards and procedures: means standards and procedures developed by state early intervention service agencies pursuant to section twenty-five hundred fifty-one of this title. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
- Council: means the early intervention coordinating council established under section twenty-five hundred fifty-three of this title. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
- Early intervention services: means developmental services that:
(a) are provided under public supervision;
(b) are selected in collaboration with the parents;
(c) are designed to meet a child's developmental needs in any one or more of the following areas:
(i) physical development, including vision and hearing,
(ii) cognitive development,
(iii) communication development,
(iv) social or emotional development, or
(v) adaptive development;
(d) meet the coordinated standards and procedures;
(e) are provided by qualified personnel;
(f) are provided in conformity with an IFSP;
(g) are, to the maximum extent appropriate, provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings where children without disabilities would participate;
(h) include, as appropriate:
(i) family training, counseling, home visits and parent support groups,
(ii) special instruction,
(iii) speech pathology and audiology,
(iv) occupational therapy,
(v) physical therapy,
(vi) psychological services,
(vii) case management services, hereafter referred to as service coordination services,
(viii) medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes, subject to reasonable prior approval requirements for exceptionally expensive services, as prescribed by the commissioner,
(ix) early identification, screening, and assessment services,
(x) health services necessary to enable the infant or toddler to benefit from the other early intervention services,
(xi) nursing services,
(xii) nutrition services,
(xiii) social work services,
(xiv) vision services,
(xv) assistive technology devices and assistive technology services,
(xvi) transportation and related costs that are necessary to enable a child and the child's family to receive early intervention services, and
(xvii) other appropriate services approved by the commissioner. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541 - Evaluator: means a team of two or more professionals approved pursuant to section twenty-five hundred fifty-one of this title to conduct screenings and evaluations. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
- Municipality: means a county outside the city of New York or the city of New York in the case of a county contained within the city of New York. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
- State early intervention service agencies: means the departments of health, education and social services and the offices of mental health and alcoholism and substance abuse services and the office for people with developmental disabilities. See N.Y. Public Health Law 2541
(a) early intervention services and evaluations;
(b) child find system and public awareness program; and
(c) programs and services, operating under the approval authority of any state early intervention service agency, which include any early intervention services or evaluations.
2. Such coordinated standards and procedures shall be designed to:
(a) enhance the objectives of this title, including the provision of services in natural environments to the maximum extent possible;
(b) minimize duplicative and inconsistent regulations and practices among the state early intervention service agencies;
(c) conform, to the extent appropriate, to existing standards and procedures of state early intervention service agencies; and
(d) ensure that persons who provide early intervention services are trained, or can demonstrate proficiency in principles of early childhood development.
3. Coordinated standards and procedures may include guidelines suggesting appropriate early intervention services for enumerated disabilities that are most frequently found in eligible children.
4. Coordinated standards and procedures may encompass or allow for agreements among two or more such agencies.
5. Any standards promulgated by regulation or otherwise by any state early intervention service agency governing early intervention services or evaluations shall be consistent with the coordinated standards and procedures.
6. In the event of an inability to agree upon any coordinated standard or procedure, any state early intervention service agency may refer the issue to the early intervention coordinating council for its advice with respect to the standard or procedure which the council shall provide to the early intervention service agencies affected by the issue. The commissioner, after obtaining such advice, shall adopt an appropriate standard or procedure, provided however, that the commissioner may adopt an interim standard or procedure while awaiting such advice.
7. The early intervention service agencies, in consultation with the director of the budget, shall, where appropriate, require as a condition of approval that evaluators and providers of early intervention services participate in the medical assistance program.
8. The coordinated standards and procedures shall permit such evaluators and providers of services to rely on subcontracts or other written agreements with qualified professionals, or agencies employing such professionals, provided that such professionals perform their responsibilities in conformance with regulations of the commissioner and that providers and evaluators fully disclose any such arrangements, including any financial or personal interests, on all applications for approval.
9. Coordinated standards and procedures may identify circumstances and procedures under which an evaluator or service provider may be disqualified under this title, including procedures whereby a municipality may request such disqualification.