Section 500.45  Regional Intake Entities

The Department will assure the designation of regional intake points as necessary to accomplish consistent System intake and service coordination throughout the State.  The regional entity shall be the contracted entity responsible for implementation of the EI Services System within its designated geographic area.  The regional entity shall:

a)         Participate in public awareness and child find activities by disseminating information to primary referral sources and working with local interagency councils.

b)         Provide adequate accessible and secure space/facilities to store permanent EI records and to house staff.

c)         Select, train and supervise qualified staff to carry out the following tasks within the System specified time frames:

1)         Receive referrals.

2)         Provide service coordination as defined in Section 500.55(l).

3)         Develop, maintain and process the permanent EI case record in accordance with policies set forth by the Department.

4)         Provide information about the EI Services System, including rights and procedural safeguards and available advocacy services, to families and initiate intake with parental consent.

5)         Comply with family fee and public and private insurance policies and procedures as set by the Department.

6)         Monitor that the Part C funds are the "payor of last resort" to the extent allowed by law.  This includes assistance in accessing resource supports, including but not limited to the Division of Specialized Care for Children (Title V) and, with the parent's or guardian's informed consent, Medicaid (Title XIX), the State Child Health Insurance Program (Title XXI), and private insurance.

7)         Be knowledgeable of and comply with all applicable federal and State laws, guidelines, procedures, rules, regulations, and executive orders applicable to its activities, including, but not limited to:

A)        The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  The United States Department of Education regulations for the EI program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (34 CFR 303) and the Illinois EI Services System Act [325 ILCS 20].

B)        The federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g, 1232h)  and the United States Department of Education implementing regulations (34 CFR 99) and the Illinois School Student Records Act [105 ILCS 10].

C)        The Americans With Disabilities Act (42 USC 12131-12134).

D)        The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act  and the regulations promulgated under that Act (45 CFR 160, 162 and 164) regarding transactions, privacy and security.

d)         Maintain a directory of non-EI financial resources and support services for use with families.

e)         Assist families in accessing non-EI financial resources and support services by making appropriate referrals while the child is enrolled with the EI Services System and at transition.  Children found ineligible should be offered referrals for non-EI community resources prior to case closure.

f)         Maintain administrative and programmatic contact with all EI service providers in the service area.

g)         Participate in routine monitoring and technical assistance activities as required by the Department, including on-site monitoring, data collection and reporting obligations, record reviews, financial audits, complaint investigations, and consumer satisfaction surveys.

h)         Enroll as an "All Kids agent" in order to complete the All Kids application as authorized under Section 22 of the Children's Health Insurance Program Act.

i)          Facilitate IFSP team discussions for every child to determine his/her status relative to each of the federal Office of Special Education Program's (OSEP) identified child outcomes and document the rating in the statewide data system. 

(Source:  Amended at 38 Ill. Reg. 11086, effective May 12, 2014)