County staff outline early intervention services for children 0–3 and funding structure

County staff from the Mental Health, Early Intervention and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (MHIDDEI) department gave an overview of the county’s Early Intervention program, which provides assessment and therapy services to children from birth to age 3 and their families at no cost to eligible families.

Stacy Brookins, MHIDDEI administrator, and Jen Halbecker, Early Intervention program specialist, told commissioners the program is an entitlement overseen by the state Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL). Brookins said funding comes from Department of Human Services early-intervention allocations, Medical Assistance, and the Infant Toddler Families (ITF) waiver for children with higher needs. Halbecker explained that the ITF waiver covers services not paid by Medical Assistance and that families receiving waiver services must have Medical Assistance.

Officials said the county currently contracts with 14 provider agencies and serves roughly 500 children across Franklin and Fulton counties. Services commonly provided include special instruction, speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy; visits are tracked in 15-minute billing units and most providers bill on a fee-for-service basis. Brookins described the program’s family-guided, routines-based coaching model, where specialists work with caregivers in daily routines to transfer skills so families continue practices when therapists are not present.

County staff described operational requirements: initial contact and assignment to a provider must occur within 14 days of referral; providers submit invoices through the state’s Promise billing system by the 15th of the following month; and the county uses a time-study process to allocate administrative costs. Halbecker noted contracted interpretation services that cover more than 50 languages accompany therapists to visits as needed.

Commissioners and staff discussed funding and county contribution levels. County staff stated a county match exists; Halbecker said Franklin County’s match is approximately 9 percent. Commissioners thanked staff for outreach efforts to hospitals and families and for work that supports parents whose children receive early diagnoses in the NICU.

County staff said the program’s administrative oversight and the provider network aim to ensure timely access to evaluation and services and to limit county-level financial exposure by using available state and waiver funding.

Speakers quoted on the record included Stacy Brookins and Jen Halbecker, who each provided program and funding details on the record.