Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Early Intervention Reform Redux, Accomplishing by Regulation What Wouldn't Fly as Legislation

Subject: IAC Action Alert!!!  Preserve Parent Choice in Early Intervention - Speak out against the "Arms Length" proposed regulations

Dear All:

The State Department of Health has proposed regulations preventing the same agency from providing the evaluation, service coordination, and services in the Early Intervention Program.  Parents will no longer be able to have the same agency provide both the evaluation and services to their children except in rare circumstances deemed necessary by the commissioner.

Please ask your families to send a letter to the Governor and the Department of Health speaking out on this unnecessary measure.  Click the link below to go to our website where a letter and addresses are available.  Email or printed letters are available.

The letters need to be sent prior to Monday, October 22, 2012.

http://capwiz.com/iacny/home

Any questions, please contact me.  Thank you!

Winifred S. Schiff
Associate Executive Director for Legislative Affairs
INTERAGENCY COUNCIL of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc.
150 West 30th Street,  15th floor
New York, NY  10001
wini@iacny.org
www.iacny.org

This 'arms length' requirement is something I spoke about at the March 2012 Manhattan DD Council Legislative Breakfast, because it was embedded in a number of reforms that were part of the Executive Budget being presented to the NYS Legislature.  This measure was rejected as part of that process, and it is coming back again in the form of regulation at the agency level.


If your family received EI services, please write and address how a mandated jump from evaluation agency to service agency might have affected your experience.

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