Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia May 2024 Update

Infant & Toddler

Connection of Virginia

May 2024

PART C UPDATES

May is #EarlyInterventionAwarnessMonth.

Did you know the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia annually provides early intervention services for approximately 21,000 infants and toddlers living with developmental delays or disabilities? Learn more at itcva.online.”

Compliance Indicators Measurement and Verification (CIMV)

As an early intervention practitioner in Virginia, you are surely aware that states and territories participating in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are required to provide timely IFSP development, direct services and transition activities for all eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.

These measures of timeliness are collectively known as compliance indicators and included in each state’s or territory’s annual performance report. A state’s performance on each of these indicators—along with performance on federally-specified results indicators—directly influences the state’s annual determination: Meets Requirements (MR); Needs Assistance (NA); Needs Intervention (NI); or Needs Significant Intervention (NSI). Read More:

Compliance Indicators Measurement and Verification

TRAC-IT Need To Knows

The ITCVA website has a page dedicated to TRAC-IT. There you will find updates, webinars and helpful samples and documentation tools. Keep an eye on the email section for the most up to date information.

TRAC-IT SUPPORT:

Email: VATRACITSUPPORT@ssg-llc.com

Phone: (804) 508-7229

https://www.itcva.online/trac-it

State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP)

ITCVA is committed to supporting the social-emotional needs of children and families. The ultimate goal of the current SSIP is to improve the percentage of infants and toddlers who substantially increase their rate of growth in the area of positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships) by the time they exit early intervention.

Check out meeting minutes for the current workgroups brainstorming sessions for supports, strategies and services.

To view the most current SSIP:

SSIP-2: The Plan

(Updated for 2024)

SSIP Update: Screening and Assessment Recommendations

The two stakeholder work groups looking at screening and assessment of social-emotional development and screening and assessment of family factors related to social-emotional development have delivered their recommendations to the state office. State staff will be reviewing and considering those recommendations in May, so watch for more information and opportunities for input coming soon!

Pyramid Model Framework

Minnesota Shares its Success.

PEARSON EARLY LEARNING CENTER within Shakopee Public Schools in Shakopee, Minnesota is in its eighth year of implementing the Pyramid Model for Promoting the Social and Emotional Outcomes of Young Children. Pearson Early Learning Center serves 431 young children and their families. Pearson began this work to ensure they had the capacity to promote the social, emotional, and behavioral skills of all children in the program.

Minnesota Pearson Early Learning Center PMF Success

2024 Family Survey

Timelines for conducting the 2024 family survey are as follows:

Flyers begin mailing - 3/1

Samples for the fliers, survey and cover letter can be found on our website on this page https://www.itcva.online/itcva-resource-library under Family Survey

Wave 1 begin mailing - 3/29-4/5

For families who have included their email address, the survey will be emailed directly to them. For the rest of the families the survey will be mailed to the address supplied. Languages included in this years survey include Arabic, Mandarin, Farsi, Korean, Urdu and Vietnamese languages.

Wave 2 begin mailing - 4/19-4/23

Families who did not respond to the first round of surveys will receive a second copy of the survey to increase the overall response rate.

Calls begin to localities with less than 15 completes - 5/14-5/21

These calls are intended to increase each systems survey response to have a representative sample.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Project PIRR Grant Funding Opportunity

M.Ed. in Special Education, Early Childhood concentration

VCU has funding to support students in the master's program for Early Childhood Special Education or Social Work. Individuals can enroll in the ECSE master's program that leads to VDOE Birth-5 Special Education licensure, which of course is also accepted for developmental service providers in EI. For social work students, they must demonstrate an interest in working in early childhood.

Courses are held online via zoom. There is an information session scheduled for Tuesday, April 9 at 4:30. The link to register for the information session is: https://connect.soe.vcu.edu/register/SPEarly24

SOE Project PIRR Grant Handout

LEADERSHIP IN EARLY INTERVENTION

Human-Doing Vs. Human-Being

By Tracy Walters

As I reflect on what I have learned from working with E.I. Practitioners in the field there is a long running list in my notebooks and in my head. This year Part-C is running a Pilot in two Regions of the State, Chesapeake and Central, this Pilot is focused on the embedding Reflective Supervision into Early Intervention. This month the discussion was about pregnancy and how a family’s birthing experience, PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) experience, developmental delay, or diagnosis will impact the child and family’s experience. Why is this important in E.I.?

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A GEM YOU MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN?

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED?

WHAT'S COMING

UP NEXT?

Meaningful Moments Podcast,Episode 8

Caring Across Colors: Bridges to Understanding

Pyramid Model Framework webinar:

What does the Pyramid Model Framework mean? What will it mean in your work as a Virginia Early Interventionist? Learn about the work of the SSIP Pyramid Model Framework Workgroup. Learn about implementation plans and receive new professional development resources to get started.

May & June Talks on Tuesday series: AAC in the EI Setting.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Employment Opportunities page on the ITCVA website receives nearly 5,000 visits each year!

Practitioners: Early intervention needs you! Influence the future of infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities and their families by putting your skills and expertise to work today! Please visit the Employment Opportunities page on the ITCVA website for links to current job openings.

LSMs and local contracted agencies: Let us help connect you to qualified applicants! Are you a Local System Manager (LSM) or the director of an agency that contracts with one or more local early intervention systems in Virginia? Are you looking to find qualified applicants to fill vacant positions? Please visit our Employment Opportunities page for instructions on how to submit a job posting.

ITCVA DIRECT ACCESS

INFANT & TODDLER CONNECTION OF VIRGINIA

Looking for the most up-to-date version of the Part C Practice Manual...upcoming meeting dates...or even a new career opportunity? You'll find plenty of helpful information on the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia's early intervention website! Be sure to visit and bookmark i tcva.online.

MEDICAID ENROLLMENTS

If you have questions about enrollments for children with Medicaid please

contact Keisha White at keisha.white@dbhds.virginia.gov.

EARLY INTERVENTION CERTIFICATION

For questions about intial certification of practitioners, contact Anne Brager- 804-664-2462.

For questions about re-certification of practitioners, contact David Mills • 804-317-7776

For questions related to completing the online application, contact VATRACITsupport@ssg-llc.com or from 8AM-5PM ET by calling 804-508-7229.

PART C STAFF DIRECTORY

Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia is part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services

https://www.itcva.online/itcva-staff-1

1220 Bank Street, 9th Floor, P.O. Box 1797, Richmond, Virginia 23219-1797

Main Office: (804) 786-3710 • Main Fax: (804) 371-7959

DMAS RESOURCES

DMAS Early Intervention Support

For specific Medicaid questions related to billing and supports for Early Intervention, please use these emails:

M4EarlyIntervention@dmas.virginia.gov:

CCCPlusEarlyIntervention@dmas.virginia.gov

Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia

1220 Bank Street

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 664-2462