The Illinois Early Intervention Training Program provides training opportunities for early intervention professionals in Illinois. We are a program of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago funded through a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services Bureau of Early Intervention.
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Quotes...
In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings. ~ Ann Landers
!!!Upcoming Conference!!! NEW As of May 6, 2008!!! Please join us for the “Supporting the Social-Emotional Development of Children Birth to Five” Symposium in collaboration with the Chicago Easter Seals and the Department of Children & Youth Services on Friday, June 13, 2008
from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at the Ramada Inn, 4900 So. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois. Seats are limited so register early! The Registration Deadline is June 6, 2008. Click here
REGISTRATION FORM to download the registration form.
NEED CREDIT FOR AN ACTIVITY??? Beginning November 1, 2004 ALL requests for Early Intervention contact hours for activities not preapproved by the Illinois Early Intervention Training Program must submitted with the
EI TRAINING ACTIVITY CREDIT REQUEST FORM if you are an individual, or
REQUEST FOR EI CREDIT PRE APPROVAL FORM if you are a sponsoring organization. PLEASE NOTE: APPROVAL MAY TAKE UP TO 30 BUSINESS DAYS.
Recent News:
DHS UPDATES: For up to date "Important News" from the Illinois Bureau of Early Intervention go to
Early Intervention Important News on the Provider Connections website.
TRAINING UPDATE: NEW As of April 22, 2008!!! Beginning March 1, 2008, all new bi-lingual interpreters enrolling to bill Early Intervention must complete EI Systems Overview Training, Interpreter Training, and pass an oral/written proficiency examination prior to applying to enroll with the Central Billing Office. By September 1, 2008, all currently enrolled bi-lingual interpreters must also complete the Interpreter Training as well as pass the oral/written proficiency examination in order to continue their enrollment. The oral/written proficiency examination will be provided at a cost of $130 to each provider. Click on <
"Interpreter Testing/Training" to find out more about registering for tests and training and for more information. We also have a <
"Frequently Asked Questions" document to help guide you through the process.
TRAINING UPDATE: NEW As of December 28, 2007!!! An online Autism course is now available through the Illinois EI Training Program. Click on
"REGISTER NOW" to register for this training and for more information.
DHS UPDATE: NEW As of January 28, 2008!!!As of March 1, 2008 all Early Intervention providers will have to have an NPI number to receive payment for services billed to the Illinois Early Intervention System. Please refer to the January 24, 2008,
DHS Memo for further information.
DHS UPDATE: NEW As of August 15, 2007!!!The
Proposed Amendment to Part 500 - Early Intervention Program Rule is available for review and public comment. If you have comments on the proposed ammendment, send your comments in writing to: Tracie Drew, Chief,
Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Administrative Rules and Procedure, 100 S. Grand Ave., East - 3rd Floor, Springfield, IL 62762.
DHS UPDATE: NEW As of August 8, 2006!!! Please note
"Change in procedure to bill transportation services (7/06)" AND please take the time to review
CFC Outcomes Q & A which addresses many of the common questions related to determining child outcomes.
DHS UPDATE: NEW As of July 19, 2006!!! In an effort to increase claims processing accuracy and efficiency, all claims received at the Early Intervention Central Billing Office on September 18, 2006 or later must either be submitted electronically for Qclaims processing or typewritten if submitted on paper. Please review the
July 19, 2006 Memo for additional details.
TRAINING UPDATE: NEW As of April 20, 2006!!! Beginning April 17, 2006 the following
policy change will take effect. Early Intervention (EI) service providers are encouraged to participate in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings for children on their caseload in order to facilitate a smooth transition from the Part C EI service system to the Part B Early Childhood (EC) special education service system. When a child’s IEP meeting occurs prior to his/her third birthday, attendance at the meeting by a provider on the child’s IFSP team is considered a billable service.
Until now IEP meeting attendance was considered a direct service and, therefore, billable to private insurance, if applicable. Effective immediately, IEP meeting attendance will be considered a billable service under IFSP Development time, which includes other planning services such as periodic IFSP review, provider-to-provider consultation and attendance at Transition meetings. Services included under the definition of IFSP Development are not billable to private insurance.
TRAINING UPDATE: NEW As of March 24, 2006!!! Beginning April 1, 2006 a maximum of 5 hours of EI Video credit may be used for every 30 hours of continuing education submitted for renewal and/or core knowledge area documentation purposes. Any videos completed prior to April 1, 2006 may be used even though they may exceed the 5 hour maximum.
To help providers and applicants meet their credentialing goal, the
Illinois Early Childhood Intervention Clearinghouse has worked with the Early Intervention Training Program to identify approximately 175 recent videos at the Clearinghouse that are now approved for credit hours.
While providers cannot utilize video-based training for all of the hours, they can apply for credit for at least some of the required hours.
DHS UPDATE: NEW As of March, 10 2006!!! Informational Notice to Providers Regarding EI Service System Outcomes
All states receiving federal Part C funds are undertaking efforts to assess the effectiveness of the supports and services provided through the Part C Early Intervention
Services System. The purpose of these efforts is to establish reliable data that will allow local, state and federal early intervention systems to make informed decisions regarding
system development initiatives and demonstrate accountability and efficacy. The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has
identified three outcomes that are designed to assess the extent to which young children are able to actively and successfully participate in their families and their communities.
These outcomes are:
• Children have positive social-emotional skills (including positive social
relationships;
• Children acquire and use knowledge and skills (including early
language/communication); and
• Children use appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.
Beginning as early as March 15, 2006 in select pilot areas, and statewide on March 27, 2006, IFSP teams will use current evaluation/assessment information, including formal
assessment findings, parent input, observation and clinical judgment to rate each child’s functioning related to these three outcomes in comparison to their same-age peers. An
entry rating will be obtained during the initial IFSP meeting and annually, thereafter. An exit rating will be completed within 90 days of transition at age three. Ratings will be
captured in Cornerstone and will print as part of the Levels of Development section of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Click on the following links to preview the
Levels of Development section of the IFSP that will contain the new rating scale and the
Instructions for Completing the Child Outcomes Summary .
An online training module for providers and other stakeholders is now available. To access this module, please click on "Upcoming EI Training Calendar" and search for "Other" events. The module will be the first one listed for this search.
In addition, Illinois EI Training Program staff will be available to provide inservices
and other informal training opportunities locally upon request. If you are interested in learning more about this initiative, including the process by which
the outcomes were determined, the method(s) by which states will be reporting findings to OSEP, and/or resources and research related to child and family outcomes, please
visit the Early Childhood Outcome Center’s website at
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/index.cfm. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Department of Human Services’
Bureau of Early Intervention at 217/782-1981.
As of March, 7 2006!!! IMPORTANT NOTICE: New IFSP Development Billing Codes Several IFSP development procedure codes, which have been used by the Early Intervention
Program to authorize and pay for services, have been deleted or definitions changed in the new 2006 CPT and HCPCS code manuals. The Early Intervention Program has identified new
codes for these services. On February 23, 2006, new authorizations to provide Early Intervention services will reflect the new codes. Existing authorizations will not be replaced and
the Early Intervention Central Billing Office (CBO) will continue to process claims using the old IFSP development procedure codes listed on existing authorizations.
Although it is not required, providers who want to begin using the new codes may do so as of February 23, 2006, by visiting the CBO web site at
http://www.eicbo.info/ for a Billing Code
Cross Walk Table that lists both the current and the new IFSP development procedure codes. Once the current authorizations which contain the old codes expire, the CBO will no longer be
accepting the old codes. If you out-source your claims for billing purposes to another entity such as a Clearinghouse or billing agent, please share this information notice with that entity.
If you have questions about this notice, please call the CBO Call Center at 800/634-8540.
As of January, 2006!IMPORTANT NOTICE: Insurance Billing for Developmental Therapists Effective immediately the policy mandating private insurance billing by Developmental Therapists (DTs) is rescinded. Any outstanding insurance claims submitted during July 1, 2005 through January 4, 2006, may be billed to the Central Billing Office.
The Department of Human Services Part C State Performance Plan is posted for public input. If you have comments on the plan, send your comments in writing to the Bureau of Early Intervention, 222 S. College, 2nd Floor, Springfield, Illinois 62704. All comments must be received by February 2, 2006.
The following four memos to providers were issued in September 2005:
"Provider Information Notice For
Interpreters - 09/12/05"
AND
"Questions & Answers-Illinois Evidence-Based Practices In Natural Environments" .
AND
"Important Provider Notice Regarding
Natural Environments - 07/01/05"
AND
"Important Notice to Providers Regarding Updates to Policy
and Procedures - 07/01/05" .
BILLING AND INSURANCE QUESTIONS: NEW!!! The presentation
"Billing and Insurance Use in Early Intervention" is now avialable for viewing online. Note that there are fifteen additional slides at the end of the presentation which address the most frequently asked questions which came up during the presentation of this workshop statewide in May and June 2005.
Please visit
the DHS Website at www.dhs.state.il.us/ei/ to view the official DHS responses to questions from the Illinois Interagency Council on Early Intervention related to insurance payments for Developmental Therapists.
The
Pathways Awareness Foundation is the newest link on this site. Established in 1988, Pathways Awareness Foundation is a national
non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the gift of early detection and the benefit of early therapy for infants and
children with physical movement differences. Please take the time to visit this site and view their videos and download their resources related to physical development in infants and toddlers.
NOTICE: Provider Directive Regarding Changes in Policies and Procedures and the Early Intervention Service Provider Agreement
Time Allowed for Submitting an Invoice of Charges for Services:
Formerly, the Early Intervention Service Provider Agreement required that all providers of Early Intervention services “Submit to the DHS CBO an invoice of charges for services no later than nine months following the service delivery date or the receipt of the insurance EOB.” Early Intervention Program changes, which have been posted and go into effect on July 1, 2005, have resulted in a change to all current and new Early Intervention Service Provider Agreements, resulting in a reduction in the amount of time allowed to submit an invoice of charges for services. The guidance now requires that, for dates of service on or after July 1, 2005, providers “Submit to the DHS CBO an invoice of charges for services no later than 90 days of the date of service or the receipt of the last communication from the insurance company.”
Liability Insurance for Interpreters and Deaf Mentors:
Interpreters and Deaf Mentors who do not provide hands-on services to Early Intervention-eligible children, shall not be subject to the requirement to maintain liability insurance as set forth in paragraph 23 of the Agreement for Authorization to Provide Early Intervention Services (“Agreement”) to which it is attached. However, Interpreters and Deaf Mentors who do not maintain such liability insurance hereby agree as follows:
DHS assumes no liability for the actions of the Provider, Provider Agency and their agents, employees and contractors, including but not limited to negligent acts and omissions, in the performance of duties as described under the Agreement. The Provider and Provider agency shall indemnify, hold harmless and defend DHS against any and all liability, loss, damage, costs or expenses, including attorney’s fees, arising from any and all acts performed under the agreement, including but not limited to intentional torts, negligence or breach of terms of the Agreement, with the exception of acts performed in conformance with an explicit, written directive from the DHS.
MENTOR PROGRAM TAKING NEW APPLICANTS: The Illinois EI Training Program is accepting applicants for its project focusing on mentoring opportunities for EI providers. If you are interested in being a mentor please fill out a
Mentor Application . Our initial pool of mentors is talented, committed, and enthusiastic, and looking for new members as we move forward with this exciting professional development opportunity.
We are looking to add mentors who have experience, knowledge and a desire to share their time and insight with others. Those wanting to request a mentor should fill out a
Mentor Request Form . Those applicants who are not matched up with a mentor in this phase will be kept in reserve as new opportunities arise. Another possibility may be that additional training workshops could be offered if requests for a topic area are identified that cannot be met through the Mentor Program at this time.
Applicants who are able to be matched with a mentor will be asked to attend a one day workshop that will provide an overview of the process as well as information on how this mentoring experience will impact the work you do with families. You will receive notification of the status of your application along with any follow-up information within 30 days of your application.
If you have additional questions please don’t hesitate to contact Amy Cocorikis at 866-509-3867 or acocorikis@ucpnet.org.com. An
OVERVIEW OF THE MENTORING PROGRAM is available which describes the specifics of the program.
EQUIPMENT NEEDS??? Do you have any durable medical equipment such as wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes, commodes, car seats, positioning devices? If you no longer need this equipment and if it is clean and good working order, please donate it to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago. We will post it on our new website,
Infinitec DME so it can be used by a child with disabilities. For more information, contact Matina Travis at 708/444-2836, extension 10.
EI Provider Poll 1
The following survey will help us determine the feasibility of providing online training opportunities to providers in the Illinois EI System.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey.
