The presence of an engaged service coordinator who understands the role and skillfully conducts the  many responsibilities of the position ensures a well-coordinated approach to EI service delivery. It is widely acknowledged in the EI field that families have the right to high-quality, individualized EI services; our field must commit to including service coordination in this acknowledgement by ensuring that the professionals who provide this service receive the attention, understanding, respect, and resources they need and deserve. (DEC and ITCA, 2020, p 10)

Wow. This quote is from the summary of the Service Coordination and Early Intervention – Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and IDEA Infant & Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) Joint Position Statement which was recently released in December 2020. It’s a powerful message for our field that’s intended to help us leave behind the unfortunate idea of service coordinators as simply paper pushers. It signals to leaders, administrators, and team members, including families, that service coordinators (SCs) are vitally important professionals who play key roles in the delivery of quality early intervention (EI). It’s about time. I’m proud to have been a part of the development of this statement and eager to spread the word.

A Joint Call to Action

The statement was written, reviewed, and finalized as a collaboration between DEC and ITCA. It represents the voice and beliefs of EI professionals from multiple disciplines who are members of DEC and Part C coordinators across the country. Together, these groups came to the conclusion that we needed a strong Call to Action in support of service coordinators and specific information about the knowledge, skills, beliefs, expertise, roles, and responsibilities of professionals who provide service coordination to encourage consistency across our field.

What Can You Do?

Let’s break down the four recommendations in the Call to Action and consider how to move the dial forward.

#1: States and local programs should review and align current competencies to the indicators in the Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators (KSSC) document.

In an appendix, the KSSC outlines six knowledge and skill areas that are essential for service coordinators, including: infant and toddler development, family-centered practices, leadership and teaming, coordination of services, transition, and professionalism. Take some time to read it and compare it to guidance or competencies your program uses when hiring and training SCs. If you don’t have program-level competencies, consider adopting these.

#2: Leaders who hire, supervise, and mentor service coordinators must have a thorough understanding of the expertise and needs of these professionals. This understanding is essential to ensure that compensation aligns with the level of responsibility expected of service coordinators. Service coordinators also should have appropriate administrative support, reflective supervision, and resources to successfully manage the workload, navigate changes in policies and procedures, and, most importantly, partner with families.  

This recommendation focuses on leadership and administrative support, which traditionally varies greatly across EI programs. If you are a leader, be honest with yourself and reflect on what you understand. Can you specifically explain what the SCs in your program do and what they need? If you find holes in your knowledge or how your program functions, make a plan to address them starting today. A few ideas:

• Ask your SCs what they need and how your program can meet this recommendation, then work together to set goals.
• Schedule regular meetings with service coordinators to touch base, identify needs, and collaborate toward goals.
• Provide specific info about policy changes and what they mean. Invite input and be flexible when you can.
• Check in regularly about workloads.
• Be available for regular planned and unplanned reflective supervision.

#3: States and programs must consider multiple factors when determining workload size to ensure that service coordinators can manage the roles and responsibilities outlined in this joint position statement. The factors to consider include (1) the number of families served per service coordinator, (2) the varying levels of need experienced by families, (3) the model of service coordination implemented in the state/program, (4) the need for administrative support and supervision, and (5) the level of responsibility, educational background, and any specific expertise required of service coordinators in a given state or program.

This recommendation strongly encourages programs to use a multi-factorial view when determining workloads for service coordinators, rather than simply relying on “caseload” numbers which often fail to reflect the complexity and individualized nature of the work. If you are a leader, take a hard look at how your program operates, check in with your staff, and make adjustments to make the work more manageable. If you are a service coordinator, examine your workload and talk with your supervisor about what is going well and where you need support. Bring your creative ideas to the meeting and work together to tackle this recommendation. You might not be able to change the number of referrals coming in, but there are often smaller changes that can be made to improve the situation.

#4. Additional research is needed to identify recommended practices specific to service coordination, which could be guided by the KSSC document. Research also needs to address how these practices would be implemented with families and how service coordinators would be trained to use these practices during preservice and inservice training.

This might sound like a recommendation for academics, but academics need EI programs to work with to conduct research. Reach out to your local university to initiate conversations about research and service coordination. Encourage faculty to share the position statement with their students. Building partnerships with faculty not only benefits the students you may share during field placements, but could also have a positive impact on the field if you work together to learn more about best practices.  

I encourage you to take the time to read the full position statement and share it (or the Executive Summary) with at least two other people. Share it with your staff or with colleagues, other SCs, contractor agencies, leadership, families, and higher education faculty. Start thinking about how you can use it in your program or state.

Let’s answer the call for action by dedicating some intentional time and energy to our service coordinators. They deserve it.

How can you use the position statement in your program? Who will you share it with?

The post Call to Action! Service Coordination and Early Intervention – DEC/ITCA Position Statement appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.

Alice (service coordinator) joins Jodie (therapist) on an intervention visit to see Max and his mother. When they walk into the home, Jodie reminds Max’s mother that Alice is here and says, “She’s just here to do the paperwork.” Alice keeps the smile on her face as she greets the family, but inside is cringing and thinking, “Wait, did she really just say that?!”

Ever Been in Alice’s Shoes?

Ever had a moment like this during a visit? Maybe a colleague described your job in a less-than-professional light? Or a parent introduced you to someone else in a way that left you feeling like he or she really didn’t understand what you do? Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence for many service coordinators when their team members struggle to understand their role or the importance of service coordination.

Understanding the Service Coordinator’s Role

Service coordinators are valuable team members who lead early intervention (EI) teams. They bring unique expertise to the team that is often misunderstood. It is easier to recognize how a physical therapist brings expertise about motor development or how a speech-language pathologist brings expertise in communication. We tell families all the time that they bring expertise about their child, their daily routines, and how their family works. Because the role of service coordinator is unique to EI, it can be less obvious what that role brings. Other team members may see the service coordinator as primarily a “paper-pusher” responsible for documentation and getting forms signed. (In fact, many service coordinators have reported this.) Or, perhaps, families may see the service coordinator as the voice on the phone who calls each month to ask how things are going. If that is all they see or hear, then you can undersatnd how it can be hard to really understand the role of a service coordinator and the value in this work. Because the service coordinator role is less familiar, it’s really important for program supervisors, and service coordinators themselves, to help others understand what they do.

Tips for Helping Others Understand the Value of Your Role

Make Sure YOU Know Your Own Value – If you are a service coordinator, make sure you can articulate what you bring to the team. Write it down. Come up with a phrase you can use when faced with situations like the one described above. Embrace your role and its importance. What you think about yourself will shine through, especially when you first meet parents (PDF, New Window) and other team members. Here’s how Alice explained her role when she first met Max’s family:

Example: I’m your service coordinator, which means I am the person who will guide you through the early intervention process. I’m also a resource for you when you want to learn about what’s available in the community to help you and your child. I make sure that your EI services are addressing what’s important to you. I’ll check in regularly to see how things are going and I’m here for you to ask questions anytime.

If you’re the supervisor, make sure you can explain the roles of all of your staff and that you educate new staff, contractors, and community partners so they understand the value of all team members.

Explain Your Role Using the Three Family Outcomes – I heard this tip on a service coordination webinar and it’s a great one. Describe your role to families and others in terms of the three Office of Special Education (OSEP) family outcomes, which include helping families: 1) know their rights; 2) effectively communicate their child’s needs; and 3) help their child develop and learn. Here’s another example of how Alice could explain her role using the family outcomes:

Example: It’s my job to make sure you are aware of your rights as a parent involved in our program. I am also here to help you communicate with the rest of the team anything you want to share, including what you think your child and family need, what’s important to you, and what you would like to accomplish by being in our program. We will work together, with other members of your EI team, to make sure you are learning ways to encourage your child’s development throughout the day.

Speak Up and Share Your Value – Don’t be afraid to speak up and share your value. Try not to take it personally when someone incorrectly explains what you do; most likely, the jab was unintentional. If you find yourself in Alice’s shoes, speak up! Use a friendly, professional tone of voice and remind the provider and family of what you do. When you speak up, you educate everyone present, which can be a wonderful thing. Here’s what Alice could say in this situation:

Example: Yes, we do have some paperwork to do but I’m here for more than that. I’m looking forward to seeing how Max is doing with learning to sit up on his own. I also love seeing how physical therapy is going and talking with you both about any updates or changes needed to Max’s IFSP. I’m responsible for making sure that EI services are working for your family and that you are getting what you and Max need. If there are any questions, I’m here to help with that too.

Show Your Value – This is an important one. Demonstrate the value you bring to the team, to the visit, and to any interactions with the family and other team members. Be fully present when joining visits. Get involved, share ideas, make observations, and offer feedback. This always needs to be balanced with avoiding “taking over” or disrupting the visit, but you have valuable insight to share. You know about child development too. You are an expert in the EI process. You demonstrate your value when you actively participate, guide the EI team, and do what you say you will do, meaning that you follow through on your commitments. What you do, as well as what you say, shapes what others know about your work!

How do you share and show your value as a service coordinator?

How would you handle the situation described above? What would you do or say to help your team members understand your role?

Share you insights in the comments below!

Check out these two videos about the importance of service coordination:

How Service Coordinators Support Service Providers

The Importance of Service Coordination

The post Service Coordinators: Speak Up and Share Your Value! appeared first on Early Intervention Strategies for Success.