[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 34, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 34CFR303.23]

[Page 185-186]
 
                           TITLE 34--EDUCATION
 
              CHAPTER III--OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND
            REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 
PART 303--EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS WITH DISABILITIES--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 303.23  Service coordination (case management).

    (a) General. (1) As used in this part, except in Sec. 303.12(d)(11), 
service coordination means the activities carried out by a service 
coordinator to assist and enable a child eligible under this part and 
the child's family to receive the rights, procedural safeguards, and 
services that are authorized to be provided under the State's early 
intervention program.
    (2) Each child eligible under this part and the child's family must 
be provided with one service coordinator who is responsible for--
    (i) Coordinating all services across agency lines; and
    (ii) Serving as the single point of contact in helping parents to 
obtain the services and assistance they need.
    (3) Service coordination is an active, ongoing process that 
involves--
    (i) Assisting parents of eligible children in gaining access to the 
early intervention services and other services identified in the 
individualized family service plan;
    (ii) Coordinating the provision of early intervention services and 
other services (such as medical services for other than diagnostic and 
evaluation purposes) that the child needs or is being provided;
    (iii) Facilitating the timely delivery of available services; and
    (iv) Continuously seeking the appropriate services and situations 
necessary to benefit the development of each child being served for the 
duration of the child's eligibility.
    (b) Specific service coordination activities. Service coordination 
activities include--
    (1) Coordinating the performance of evaluations and assessments;
    (2) Facilitating and participating in the development, review, and 
evaluation of individualized family service plans;
    (3) Assisting families in identifying available service providers;
    (4) Coordinating and monitoring the delivery of available services;
    (5) Informing families of the availability of advocacy services;
    (6) Coordinating with medical and health providers; and
    (7) Facilitating the development of a transition plan to preschool 
services, if appropriate.
    (c) Employment and assignment of service coordinators. (1) Service 
coordinators may be employed or assigned in any way that is permitted 
under State law, so long as it is consistent with the requirements of 
this part.
    (2) A State's policies and procedures for implementing the statewide 
system of early intervention services must be designed and implemented 
to ensure that service coordinators are able to effectively carry out on 
an interagency basis the functions and services listed under paragraphs 
(a) and (b) of this section.
    (d) Qualifications of service coordinators. Service coordinators 
must be persons who, consistent with Sec. 303.344(g), have demonstrated 
knowledge and understanding about--
    (1) Infants and toddlers who are eligible under this part;
    (2) Part C of the Act and the regulations in this part; and
    (3) The nature and scope of services available under the State's 
early intervention program, the system of payments for services in the 
State, and other pertinent information.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1432(4))
    Note 1: If States have existing service coordination systems, the 
States may use or adapt those systems, so long as they are consistent 
with the requirements of this part.
    Note 2: The legislative history of the 1991 amendments to the Act 
indicates that the use of the term ``service coordination'' was not 
intended to affect the authority to seek reimbursement for services 
provided under Medicaid or any other legislation that makes

[[Page 186]]

reference to ``case management'' services. See H.R. Rep. No. 198, 102d 
Cong., 1st Sess. 12 (1991); S. Rep. No. 84, 102d Cong., 1st Sess. 20 
(1991).

[58 FR 40959, July 30, 1993. Redesignated at 63 FR 18294, Apr. 14, 1998]