Section 480-1-006 - REFERRAL Referrals may be made by anyone who suspects a developmental delay in an infant or toddler no more than seven days after a child has been identified by a primary referral source. This includes referrals on behalf of children who have medically complex needs that have impact on their development; Indian infants and toddlers with disabilities residing on a reservation geographically located in the state; infants and toddlers with disabilities who are homeless, in foster care, and wards of the State; and infants and toddlers with disabilities who are the subjects of substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect, or are identified as directly affected by illegal substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure.
006.01PRIMARY REFERRAL SOURCES. Primary referral sources include, but are not limited to, hospitals, physicians, parents, child care programs and early learning programs; public health facilities; other social service agencies; public agencies and staff in the child welfare system, including child protective services and foster care; homeless family shelters; domestic violence shelters and agencies; and other health care providers.006.02REFERRAL TRANSFER. Upon receipt of a referral, the school district or approved cooperative must immediately transfer the referral information to the agency responsible for providing services coordination in the planning region.006.03SERVICE COORDINATION BEGIN DATE. A child age birth to three and the child's family referred to the Early Intervention Program may immediately begin receiving services coordination, regardless of whether the child has been verified as eligible for early intervention services. This initial eligibility remains in effect until the family is informed of the results of the multidisciplinary evaluation team (MDT) evaluation. The initial need for services coordination is jointly determined and documented by the family and the services coordinator.006.04SERVICE COORDINATION AGENCY REQUIREMENTS. The services coordination agency must: (A) Accept referrals from any source;(B) Document the date of referral and gather general demographic information about the child and family; and(C) Assign a services coordinator who will be responsible for: (i) Contacting the family within seven calendar days of the receipt of the referral to set up a face-to-face meeting at a time and place mutually agreed upon; and(ii) Completing the face-to-face meeting within seven calendar days of the initial contact, unless the family requests a delay. The face-to-face meeting must include: (1) Providing written notice and obtaining written consent for the child's initial screening and evaluation;(2) Continuing to work with the family, according to the family's needs and wishes until a decision is made as to the eligibility of the child; and(3) Notifying the referral source of the referral outcome, with the permission of the family.480 Neb. Admin. Code, ch. 1, § 006
Adopted effective 10/3/2021