January 2010, Volume VIII, Issue II
Printable version (pdf)
In This Issue
- Spotlight On Success: Tell Us Your Success Story
- Training Program Launches A New Website
- From Provider Connections' Online News...
- CBO Website, Now, More User Friendly
- Seven Key Principles: Looks Like / Doesn't Look Like
- Save the Date
- Pointers for Parents...Tip Sheet: Fuss Management - Comforting the Irritable Child
- EI Resources
Spotlight On Success: Tell Us Your Success Story
Our featured, 'Spotlight On Success' stories have become a favorite piece of the EI Training News. In a field where progress can often be slow, your successes, big and small, are of great inspiration to many. To keep this feature alive, the EI Training Program is looking for stories of how early intervention works with children and families and of the providers that make it work.
Do you have a particular intervention strategy children and families respond favorably to, sparks hope, and/or drives positive results? Has a child or family you work with reached a new or first milestone? Have you or your team overcome any specific challenges in your routine or work with families? Are you part of or witness to a group or individual who continually goes above and beyond what is expected to benefit children, families and/or providers in early intervention? Tell us your story. We are listening and would like to share.
When telling your story, consider the following: Who is the story about? What prompted you to use a particular strategy/intervention described in your story? What
strategy/intervention did you use? Who was involved in making decisions and using the strategy/intervention? What was the positive outcome(s)? Where there challenges? If so, what did you do to make the strategy successful?
Your story can be as short or as long as necessary to tell it. Submit your story to:
Illinois EI Training Program
7550 West 183rd St
Tinley Park, IL 60477
OR
Via e-mail to: tburke@illinoiseitraining.org
OR
By Fax to: (708) 444-8470
Training Program Launches A New Website
On January 1st, the Training Program went live with a new website that offers a calendar of training events easier to navigate with extended search options, easier to access resources and a new feature page, 'New to EI'.
Upcoming Events are the focal point of the Home Page with the next 10 events on the training calendar highlighted 0n the center of the page. Click on any event title and you are taken to its event page of details including registration information and EI credential credit. To the right of the brief Welcome statement is the current calendar month. Scroll forward or backward to a month/year and click on any date- a list of training events posted for that day appears. As in the featured upcoming events, click on any event title to get further information about that event. By now you will have noticed that some event titles have a little "Look What I Can Do" logo after them. These events are sponsored by the Illinois EI Training Program and in most cases offer online registration. Events without the 'Look What I Can Do" logo are those events reviewed by the Training Program, approved for EI credit, and posted as a service to EI providers looking for additional continuing ed. opportunities. Online registration through the EI Training website is not available for these events; however, registration information is posted. Click on the event title for details. To search more extensively for training events, past and upcoming, select the 'Training" option from the menu bar located beneath the Home Page header. Search options include event title, partial (one or more words) or the complete title, OR topic selection ( assessment, atypical development, intervention, typical development, or working with families), OR region ( Cook County, Northern Illinois, North Central Illinois, Central Illinois, or Southern Illinois), OR date range.
Select the 'Resources' option from the menu bar and you will find a list of recommended EI Resources that includes a short description of the resource with a link to it's website. The 'Links' box leads to additional resources.
Created for those considering a career in Illinois Early Intervention or actively seeking an EI credential, the 'New To EI' page offers informational resources and instructions on credential requirements.
User accounts are required to register online. Accounts existing on the old EI Training website will be carried over to the new site. New users will need to create an account and are prompted to do so when logging in to register for an event. Users are identified by their e-mail address; therefore, the system will recognize only one user for each e-mail address. The training data connected to this site is efficiently processed when users manage their own registration accounts. The Training Program recommends providers reluctant to use their personal e-mail accounts for registration to create one via any one of the free internet services (hotmail, g-mail, yahoo, etc.) for registration purposes.
This website has been designed with the EI Provider in mind. User friendly and with room for expansion, it is the hope of the Training Program that you will find, www.illinoiseitraining.org, to be a useful tool in your early intervention practice.
From Provider Connections' Online News...
Are You Actively Providing Services?
Are you aware that IL Early Intervention has a process in place to inactivate providers who are not actively providing services? Rule 500 directs the Department of Human Services to terminate a provider's enrollment and/or credential for failure to bill for services for more than 12 consecutive months.
Provider Connections periodically receives information from the Central Billing Office that includes provider names and the payee for which they have had no activity for a least twelve months. Provider Connections identifies the provider to check his or her payee status. If the provider is currently enrolled for more than one payee, only the payee for whom the Central Billing Office has identified is inactivated. If the provider is enrolled for only the payee noted from the Central Billing Office, then the credential of the provider is also placed on inactive status. Providers cannot hold an inactive status without current enrollment with the Central Billing Office.
Provider Connections notifies all providers/agencies of their inactive status. Notifications identify the payee name and tax identification number along with the discipline for which the provider is credentialed.
A provider whose credential is inactivated, but the credential expiration date is still valid needs only to submit the Central Billing Enrollment application to re-activate their credential. The credential expiration date will remain the same and all credential renewal requirement will need to be met as usual. Providers are not responsible for documenting OPD meeting during the inactive period. If the credential expires, providers have one year to re-activate the credential by meeting the renewal requirements which will include submitting a CBO enrollment application will all renewal materials. If an expired credential lapses for more than twelve months, the provider will apply to Provider Connections as a new provider and is required to meet any new credential criteria.
Common Credentialing Issues
- New applicants will receive a fingerprint form from Provider Connections after the application has been reviewed and all requirements have been met.
- Fingerprint forms are available in the renewal application download. Fingerprints do not need to be completed prior to sending in your renewal application.
- Please take your fingerprint form with you to the live scan vendor of your choice. Electronic results are sent to Provider Connections.
- The renewal application should reach Provider Connections 60 days prior to your inactive date. Provider Connections does not accept renewal applications more than 90 days in advance.
- Provider Connections does not accept CANTS forms without a renewal application. Please do not send them separately.
CBO Website, Now, More User Friendly
The CBO's website, www.eicbo.info, is set up in response to the most common questions and issues addressed by the Early Intervention Central Billing Office and the Cornerstone Call Center from Early Intervention Providers, Child & Family Connections Agencies, and Early Intervention Program Participants. The most important and relative information is kept current and easily available on the Home Page of the website. There are also specific pages targeted to each group of users providing information and links to resources, documents and forms relative to that group.
The newest feature of the website is the Provider Question and Answer Page in which frequently asked questions of the month are addressed and posted. The direct link to this page is: http://www.eicbo.info/providers/QandA.htm.
To better manage its large volume of calls, the CBO asks that you please check the information posted on the website before you make your call to CBO. Odds are you will find what you are looking for there.
Seven Key Principles: Looks Like / Doesn't Look Like
The fifth of seven excerpts, this document, developed by the Workgroup on Principles and Practices in Natural Environments (February, 2008) elaborates on seven key principles identified by work group members listing the concepts underlying the brief statements. Each principle also has descriptive statements illustrating what the principle should "look like" in practice. There are also descriptions of what it "doesn't look like" because often those practices are still being used. While the work group offered much input, no attempt was made to reach consensus. The statements are simple examples and many others could be added. This document may be particularly useful as training material.
5. IFSP Outcomes must be functional and based on children's and families' needs and priorities.
Key Concepts:
- Functional outcomes improve participation in meaningful activities.
- Functional outcomes build on natural motivations to learn and do; fit what's important to families; strengthen naturally occurring routines; enhance natural learning opportunities.
- The family understands that strategies are worth working on because they lead to practical improvements in child & family life.
- Functional outcomes keep the team focused on what's meaningful to the family in their day to day activities.
| This principle DOES look like this |
This principle DOES NOT look like this |
| Writing IFSP outcomes based on the families' concerns, resources, and priorities |
Writing IFSP outcomes based on test results |
| Listening to families and believing (in) what they say regarding their priorities/needs |
Reinterpreting what families say in order to better match the service provider's (providers') ideas |
| Writing functional outcomes that result in functional support and intervention aimed at advancing children's engagement, independence, and social relationships |
Writing IFSP outcomes focused on remediating developmental deficits |
| Writing integrated outcomes that focus on the child participating in community and family activities |
Writing discipline specific outcomes without full consideration of the whole child within the context of the family |
| Having outcomes that build on a child's natural motivations to learn and do; match family priorities; strengthen naturally occurring routines; enhance learning opportunities and enjoyment |
Having outcomes that focus on deficits and problems to be fixed |
| Describing what the child or family will be able to do in the context of their typical routines and activities |
Listing the services to be provided as an outcome (Johnny will get PT in order to walk) |
| Writing outcomes and using measures that make sense to families; using supportive documentation to meet funder requirements |
Writing outcomes to match funding source requirements, using medical language and measures (percentages, trials) that are difficult for families to understand and measure |
| Identifying how families will know a functional outcome is achieved by writing measurable criteria than anyone could use to review progress |
Measuring a child's progress by 'therapist checklist/observation' or re-administration of initial evaluation measures |
*Seven Key Principles: Looks like/Doesn't look like, can be found in its entirety at http://www.nectac.org/topics/families/families.asp.
Save the Date
4th Annual "Empowering Professionals" Conference:
Eye to Eye...Insights into Intervention
Pre-registration is required for this one day conference featuring a Keynote Presentation by Dr. Ken Moses, PhD. Dr. Moses has devoted his career to working with the issues of growth in light of profound loss, particularly in relation to the losses experienced by parent of children with disabilities. A nationally renowned speaker, author and clinician, his keynote, entitled Understanding & Engaging Stressed & Stressing Parents: An 'insightful' guide for Early Intervention Professionals, will explore, define and address the dynamics of parental grieving in ways designed to help professionals constructively engage grieving parents while maintaining their own boundaries and integrity.
Friday, March 6, 2010
8:30am-4:00pm
Prairie State College
Business & Community Education Center
202 S Halsted Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
Registration fee includes continental breakfast, lunch, and vendor expo.
To register, or for additional information please visit www.illinoiseitraining.org or call toll free 866/509-3867, ext 253.
Pointers for Parents...Tip Sheet: Fuss Management - Comforting the Irritable Child
You are out in public with your toddler when the whining starts. Don't panic! When you take a calm, problem-solving approach, you can help your child learn to calm himself when he is irritable.
Look for what's making your child irritable and try a 'quick fix.'
- She's uncomfortable. She may be hungry, thirsty, tired, cold hot, or need a bathroom. You might help her adjust clothing or diapers, seat belts, or straps. Feel her hands, feet and face to see if she needs a jacket on or off. Offer a snack and some water, or stop for a full meal. Make a bathroom stop and change wet or dirty diapers as soon as possible.
- He's tired or coming down with an illness. He may sleep if you can help him get comfortable. If not, say, "I know you're tired. You'll be able to sleep soon." Hug him, sing to him, or tell a story.
- She's overwhelmed by crowds, new places, or wanting things she can't have. Find a quiet place to help her 'collect herself'. Reassure her: "There's a lot going on here, but we're safe and we'll be done before lunch." Talk about things she enjoys: "You want those toys and you don't like to here me say No, but we can talk about what you like about them." A little positive attention can lighten her mood.
- He's worried because you seem stressed. I you're tense, try to relax. Tell you child how you feel: "This place is too much for me, too. I'm glad we'll be home soon." You might quietly sing songs you both enjoy. Make silly faces together or talk in funny voices.
- She's bored. Try giver her some jobs: "Please help me find a box of your cereal." or "Are you muscles strong enough to carry this for a minute? Let's try." If she must stay in a care seat or stroller, draw pictures in the air with her or direct her attention to what's going on around you. Hand her a book or a toy. Talk with her about fun things to do later.
Keep in mind that your child does not enjoy fussing.
- Remind yourself that he prefers to have a good time with you. He just doesn't know how to do that at the moment.
- Speak to him in a friendly voice. Count to 10 first, if you must!
Additional resources with more information about helping children who are irritable:
The Illinois Early Learning Project and the Illinois EI Clearinghouse offer an extensive collection of Tip Sheets, family resources on a wide variety of topics on the development and health, parenting and care, and early learning of young children. Available online through, http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/ OR www.eiclearinghouse.org. The opinions, resources and referrals provided in the Tip Sheets are intended for informational purposes only and are not to be considered or used as a substitute for medical advise, diagnosis or treatment. Parents are advised to seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with questions regarding their child's health or medical conditions.
EI Resources
Illinois Department of Human Services Bureau of Early Intervention
Provider Connections
Illinois Early Intervention Clearinghouse
Hearing and Vision Connections
Early Intervention Monitoring Program
Early Intervention Central Billing Office
