Tag: care coordination

Related Services in School and Beyond can Support a Child’s Development and Learning

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

A Brief Overview

  • At school, related services help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help and support. Options for related services are described in state law (WAC 392-172A-01155).
  • If a child with public health insurance needs specific therapies to meet medical needs, their insurance company is obligated to support those needs. Medical necessity is described in state law (WAC 182-500-0070).
  • Sometimes a service meets educational and medical needs. In those situations, the school might bill Medicaid directly, with parent permission. Families can learn more about School-Based Health Services (SBHS) and ask if their school is participating in this optional program.
  • Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) issued guidance in August 2022 to clarify that all parts of a student’s IEP begin with the start of school unless an IEP team has agreed to shift something to meet a student-centered need. Schools may not delay the start of related services for their own reasons related to scheduling or resources.
  • For federal information about the range of options for related services provided by the school, see parentcenterhub.org.

Full Article

Children with disabilities have a range of needs that may be educational, medical, or both. As they grow, develop, and learn, those needs can shift. How family, school, and medical providers respond can impact how much progress the child makes in their emerging skills. This article includes information to help families understand how therapeutic services may be provided at school or elsewhere.

What are related services?

Schools call services that lie outside the scope of traditional teaching “related services.” Another term is “ancillary services.” Related services help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help and support.

Therapies for disabilities that impact physical movement or speech are common. Transportation provided through the special education system also is a common related service. Less common in Washington State are in-school mental health services or counseling for behavioral health conditions. Various possibilities are listed in state law (WAC 392-172A-01155). Here are examples from the Washington Administrative Code (WAC):

  • Occupational, Physical, Speech Therapies
  • Counseling
  • Psychological Services
  • Behavioral Services
  • School Social Worker
  • Special Transportation
  • Parent Training

What does parent training mean?

Notice that the final option on this list is parent training. This service might mean the school helps parents understand the special needs of their child or something about their child’s development. Through the related service of parent training, the school can teach family members to help their child practice emerging skills when they’re at home.

Who provides a related service, and who pays?

A related service may be provided by any professional who is trained to assess and/or serve a specific need for a child with a disability condition that affects their learning or development.

When therapeutic services are paid for through medical insurance, they generally must meet a standard of being “medically necessary.” Keep reading for more information about therapeutic services available through the medical system.

Services are provided at school when they are determined to be “educationally necessary.” In those cases, the school district is responsible for payment.

Sometimes a service is both medically and educationally necessary. Sometimes schools seek parent consent to bill the student’s insurance to fund all or part of a related service. Washington State’s Health Care Authority (HCA) manages a program to reimburse schools for services provided to students who are eligible for Apple Health when those services are delivered as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Tip: See HCA’s website page about School-Based Health Services (SBHS) and consider asking your school if they are participating in this optional program. The guidebook includes information about allowable services. Note that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is explicitly excluded as a reimbursable service through the state’s SBHS program. Most other therapeutic options are reimbursable, including a range of mental health services.

A related service might be part of evaluation

Sometimes a related service is needed to assess a student because school staff do not have the expertise to properly understand a disability condition in order to make service recommendations. “Medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes” are written into federal law (IDEA Section 1432) as something an IEP can provide.

Keep in mind that special education evaluations must be comprehensive, in order to identify all of a child’s special education and related service needs, not just those that relate to the IEP eligibility category.

Families can seek an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) if they disagree with the methods or conclusions of a school district special education evaluation. PAVE provides an article and sample letter for requesting an IEE.

Related services support FAPE

The federal law that governs special education services is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The IDEA makes clear that its list of related services (see below) includes possibilities and options but does not include every related service a student might need. Other therapeutic services might be included in the IEP if they are educationally necessary.

Access and equity are protected by various educational and civil rights laws; anything that helps a student access school-related opportunities can be included as part of a student’s services. Extracurricular activities and school-sponsored sports count.

An IEP is a written commitment for the school to serve a student’s educational needs. Educational needs might be academic, social-emotional, or something else.  They might have to do with how the student functions or adapts to the environment of school.

Educational needs are determined through a comprehensive evaluation and a collaborative process that includes family, school staff, and anyone else with knowledge of the student and their disability-related needs. If an IEP team decides that a service is necessary for the student to access their right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), then the school district is responsible to deliver those services.

IDEA does not expressly require that the IEP team include related services personnel. However, if a particular need or related service is discussed in an IEP meeting, it would be appropriate for the provider to attend. IDEA states that, at the discretion of the parent or the public agency, “other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child, including related services personnel as appropriate” may be part of a child’s IEP team.

School-based related services might include, but are not limited to:

  • speech-language pathology and audiology services
  • interpreting services
  • psychological services
  • physical and occupational therapy
  • recreation, including therapeutic recreation
  • early identification and assessment of disabilities in children
  • counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling
  • orientation and mobility services for blindness/low vision
  • medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes
  • school health services and school nurse services
  • social work services in schools
  • parent counseling and training

The national Center for Parent Information and Resources (parentcenterhub.org) provides additional information about each of these possible related services and what they might look like for a student receiving them as part of an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

IEP services start on Day 1 unless the student needs something different

Washington’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) issued guidance in August 2022 to clarify that all parts of a student’s IEP begin with the start of school unless an IEP team has agreed to shift something to meet a student-centered need.

According to OSPI, “School districts are reminded that they cannot arbitrarily determine when special education and related services will begin or schedule them to begin after the start of the school year for some providers.”

OSPI’s guidance references a parent complaint and the state’s decision that schools cannot delay the start of certain services because of provider availability or district scheduling preferences. If it’s in the IEP, then the school is responsible to provide the service on all scheduled days that the student attends school. If services aren’t provided as scheduled by the IEP, then the IEP team can discuss how and when the student will receive compensatory services to make up the missed time.

Families have the right to file a complaint with the state if the school does not fully serve their student’s IEP. One option is the community complaint: PAVE provides a video describing that process. Another option is Due Process. The Procedural Safeguards describe all dispute resolution options that are free for families and protected rights under federal and state laws. 

Options for therapeutic services through the Medicaid system

If a child needs specific therapies to meet medical needs, their insurance company is obligated to support those needs. For children younger than 21 with Medicaid (Apple Health in Washington), medical necessity is determined through assessments that are a protected benefit called Early Screening and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT). This screening process is overseen by the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).

For help navigating complex medical issues, families can request case management from their insurance provider. Calling the number on your insurance card and asking if there a form for requesting case management is a way to begin. Sometimes a case manager is automatically assigned if claims become complex and expensive.

Medical criteria are different than school criteria. While school-based services are built to support a student’s educational access, EPSDT determinations are made to support safety and health in the home and community. Here are examples:

  • Physical Therapy (PT) at school might support adapted physical education (PE) or help the student navigate the school building or curriculum. Outside of school, PT can support navigating the home, community, recreational activities, and more.
  • Speech/language services at school are tailored to help the student achieve goals on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) or access their curriculum. Outside of school, speech/language services can expand to support communication for daily living and might be paired with Occupational Therapy (OT), for example, to work on feeding issues, sensory aversions, breathing challenges, alternative communication systems, and more.

Services to support access to school, home, and community might intertwine, and the school district might choose to bill Medicaid for reimbursement, with the family’s signed consent.

TIP: If the school is going to bill insurance, families may want to find out if the insurance company has a reimbursement limit for the service. If the child is getting a similar service in and out of school, care coordination is important to make sure all the services will be paid. Insurance may be willing to pay for more services if it’s clear which are for school-based needs and which are medical. Those details also may be important to note if services are denied and the family wants to appeal the denial through a medical or special education complaint option.

What meets the standard of medical necessity?

The Washington Administrative Code (WAC 182-500-0070) describes medical necessity. If a service is likely to prevent, diagnose, or treat an identified condition that is causing major life impacts, then it may meet the standard. The WAC says medical necessity is:

“…a term for describing requested service which is reasonably calculated to prevent, diagnose, correct, cure, alleviate or prevent worsening of conditions in the client that endanger life, or cause suffering or pain, or result in an illness or infirmity, or threaten to cause or aggravate a handicap, or cause physical deformity or malfunction.”

The same WAC goes on to say that all federally funded insurance is obligated to pay for a service if it’s the most reasonable option available to serve the need. That standard is met when:

“There is no other equally effective, more conservative or substantially less costly course of treatment available or suitable for the client requesting the service.”

The same WAC also explains that a chosen course of treatment might mean a choice to track a condition through observation or offer no treatment. The WAC says:

“For the purposes of this section, ‘course of treatment’ may include mere observation or, where appropriate, no medical treatment at all.” 

A medical specialist, therapist, or pediatrician might assess the child to determine whether a specific service is medically necessary. In some situations, a case manager from the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) may make the determination.

What about private insurance?

Families with insurance through an employer or the healthcare exchange will need to ask their provider for specific information about what therapeutic services are covered. A company’s human resources department is another place to ask about coverages and whether there is a choice of health plan with more allowable options. School-based services may be the only option for some, as medical parity laws do not protect all possible therapeutic services.

Here are a places to get support in understanding your health plan and navigating access to services:

Insurance denials for employer-based plans can be appealed through:

PAVE’s Family to Family (F2F) Health Information Center provides additional information and resources through it’s website, Family Voices of Washington. Click Get Help at wapave.org to request individualized support.

Tips to Organize Your Child’s Medical and School Documents

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

A Brief Overview

  • Keeping track of important documents for your child’s health can save you time and give you less stress.
  • Take advantage of technology! If you choose to build a digital storage system, integrating it with your smart phone will make it easy to share information on-the-go with doctors, day care providers, school staff, and other professionals.
  • Plan a grab-and-go handout, notebook, or phone app to make it easy to find and share critical information during an emergency.
  • Read on for information about how to get started!

Full Article

Care planning and a well-organized system to keep track of important documents can save time and create comfort during uncertain times. This article provides some tips for building a “care notebook,” which might be a three-ring binder, an accordion file, or a portable file box—whatever makes sense for your organizational style and the types of materials you need to sort.

A portable Care Notebook can include the most current versions of medical and/or school documents, while older files can be archived separately. Here are some examples of formal documents you might organize:

  • Medical paperwork: diagnoses, assessments, surgeries, medications, provider contacts
  • School paperwork:  Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 Plan, assessments, meeting notifications, progress notes, correspondence, telephone logs
  • Personal care notes: hygiene routines and concerns, food preferences and issues, sleep schedules and challenges
  • Community access: transportation needs, hobbies, clubs, activities

Click to print out the infographic above

Consider what else to include, such as business cards and contacts, a call log, a calendar, emergency/crisis instructions, prescription information, history, school schedule…

Each primary category can be a section of a large notebook or its own notebook. Consider how portable the notebook needs to be and where you might take it or share it. Will the size and shape be practical for where you plan to go? Do you need more than one notebook or system?

One way to make the most current medical information more mobile is to use an app on your phone or tablet. Here are two options:

  • Specifically for an iPad or iPhone and available through Apple, My Health Tracker was developed through Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston University.
  • Available for android phones through Google Play, MyCookChildren’s provides categories and ways to take pictures of documents and/or store information that you enter.

Both mobile apps help you track medication, care needs, illnesses, and appointments. Having this information in one place is especially helpful when you are working with specialists and medical providers from different medical groups that use different calendar and records systems.

Another way to maintain records and information is to create a digital “notebook” on a personal computer. You might build folders just like you would in a physical notebook. Dr. Hempel Digital Network provides 10 health-record applications with options that combine electronic medical records with telehealth capabilities. Other applications work with cellular phones. Here are three: MTBC PHR, Medical Records, and Medfusion Plus.

Keep emergency information handy and easy to clean

A small “on the go” handout might be helpful for critical care appointments or emergencies. A laminated handout or a page tucked into a protective sleeve will be easier than a large notebook to disinfect after being in public. Depending on a child’s needs, caregivers might create multiple copies or versions of an on-the-go handout for easy sharing with daycare providers, school staff, babysitters, the emergency room, camp counselors or others who support children.

Key information for a quick look could include:

  • medications and dosages
  • doctors and contact information
  • emergency contacts—and whom to call first
  • allergy information
  • preferred calming measures
  • Plan for a caregiver’s illness

Another pull-out page or small notebook might include specific instructions about what to do if a caregiver gets sick. These questions could be addressed:

  • Who is the next designated caregiver?
  • Where can the child live?
  • What are specific daily care needs and medical care plans?
  • Is there a guardianship or a medical power of attorney?
  • Are there any financial or long-term plans that need sharing?

Step-by-Step Instructions

Building a Care Notebook does not have to be daunting. Most people start small and try different approaches until they find the best fit.  Here are a few ideas to start the process:

  • Choose a holding system that makes sense for your organizational style: notebook, accordion file, small file box, or a primarily digital system with limited “to-go” handouts.
  • Identify and label the document sections by choosing tools that fit your system: dividers, clear plastic document protectors, written or picture tabs, color coding, card holders for professional contacts, a hierarchy of folders on your computer…
  • Include an easy-to-access calendar section for tracking appointments.
  • Include a call log, where names are recorded (take time to spell full names correctly!) and phone numbers of professionals. Take notes to create a written record of a conversation. It is also practical to send a “reflective email” to clarify information shared in a call, then print the email, and tape it into the call log to create a more formal written record of the call.
  • A separate sheet of easy-reference information can be used to share with a caregiver in a new situation, such as daycare, doctor, camp, or a sleepover. Mommies of Miracles has an All About Me template that serves this purpose.
  • When appropriate, invite the child to participate.

Tools to help you begin

Quick and easy forms can help you start. Here are two options:

  1. Medical Home Portal Care Notebook and it comes in both English and Spanish
  2. Individual Healthcare and Emergency plans from PACER Center

Guidance to help build a more comprehensive care notebook is available from Family Voices of Washington. Printable forms can be done in stages and updated as needed to slide into a notebook or filing system. The templates include pull-out pages for Emergency Room or Urgent Care visits and forms to help organize medical appointments.

A child’s medical providers might help write a care plan and can provide specific contact information, medication lists and emergency contact procedures for each office. A school can provide copies of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a Section 504 Plan, an Emergency Response Protocol, a Behavior Intervention Plan or other documents. If a child is in state-supported daycare (on location or in-home), staff can provide forms for emergency procedures and contacts.

You will thank yourself in the future!

Having information organized and ready can make it easier to apply for public services through the Social Security Administration, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) or others. For military families, a Care Notebook can make transitions and frequent moves easier to manage.

A well-established organization system also can help a child transition toward adult life. Easy access to a list of accommodations can ease that first meeting with a college special services office or provide a key set of documents for requesting vocational rehabilitation/employment supports. Easy access to key medical records can be the first step to helping a child learn what medications they are taking and advocate for an adjustment with an adult provider

Additional resources for long-term planning include:

Adolescent Health Care Act Provides Options for Families Seeking Mental Health and Substance Use Help for Young People Resistant to Treatment

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

A Brief Overview

  • The Adolescent Behavioral Health Care Access Act, passed into law by the Washington Legislature in 2019, gives parents and providers more leverage in treating a young person who will not or cannot independently seek medical help for a behavioral health condition.
  • The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) hosts website links with information about the law, which allows Family Initiated Treatment (FIT). The landing page includes an email address: hcafamilyinitiatedtreatment@hca.wa.gov.
  • Access to FIT is a topic of the state’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group. CYBHWG supports several sub-work groups, including one focused on school-based services and suicide prevention. Information about group membership, public meetings, resources, events and training is available on the HCA website.
  • If a person ages 15-40 is newly experiencing psychosis, Washington offers a wraparound-style program called New Journeys. This website link includes access to a referral form.

Full Article

Getting mental health help for a youth in crisis can be complicated, frustrating, and frightening.

Mental Health America ranks states based on the incidence of mental illness and access to services. The 2022 youth rankings list Washington 39th in the nation. Various measures indicate a high prevalence of major depression, substance use disorder, and/or emotional disturbance as a category of disability on the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Barriers to treatment consider insurance as well as availability of services.  

Sometimes a barrier to treatment involves a complicated balance of youth autonomy and parental responsibility. The most severe psychiatric conditions often include a symptom called anosognosia, which blocks the brain’s ability to see the impairment or understand why professional help could be of benefit. In youth whose brains are still forming, symptoms that impact insight and choice-making are particularly problematic.

New Journeys is an option when psychosis is present

Sometimes anosognosia co-occurs with psychosis, which indicates a person has lost touch with reality. Delusions and hallucinations may be present. If a person is newly experiencing psychosis, Washington offers a wraparound-style program called New Journeys: This link provides access to information for clients and families and includes an online referral form.

Causes of psychosis are the subject of ongoing research, but some theories suspect the brain is trying to make sense out of a world that does not make sense. Synapses fire errantly, and the brain tries to organize them into stories to calm itself. Synaptic loops get built during these firestorms of neural activity, and the stories that emerge become reality to the person whose brain is narrating the experience, even if they are untrue or grounded in false perceptions. Choice-making in the empirical world is often compromised.

Family education about psychosis is an aspect of New Journeys, which is for youth and adults ages 15-40 who have experienced psychotic symptoms for more than or equal to 1 week and less than or equal to 2 years. Staff from the University of the Washington contribute support to the state’s New Journeys program, which is offered in various but not all regions of the state.

University staff also support a program called Psychosis REACH, which provides evidence-based skill-building for relatives and friends of individuals with psychotic disorders. The practices are based in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The program’s website includes information about training opportunities and resources.

Age of Consent in Washington is 13

In Washington State, the age of medical consent is 13. That means that a person 13-17 years old can independently seek medical treatment, without the consent or knowledge of parents.

Age of consent laws also have meant that Washington youth could say no to behavioral health treatment, regardless of whether parents and providers agreed that such treatment was necessary to protect the safety and well-being of the adolescent. Exceptions are made when there is a threat of imminent danger or grave disability due to psychiatric deterioration. Read on for more information about involuntary treatment/commitment.

The Adolescent Behavioral Health Care Access Act, passed by the Washington legislature in 2019, gives parents and providers more leverage when a young person is struggling with behavioral health and does not independently engage with treatment. The law allows parents/caregivers to bring a youth, ages 13-17, to a provider for evaluation without requiring consent from the youth.

The law includes elements introduced by the state Senate and House of Representatives, which originally titled the bill as HB 1874. In 2020, passage of HB 2883 added residential treatment as an additional option under Family Initiated Treatment (FIT).

The law does not limit an adolescent’s ability to initiate treatment on their own.

Parents have felt shut out of their teenager’s care

A January 8, 2020, article in Crosscut profiles several families impacted by the new law. “Until the new law,” the article states, “parents often were shut out of their teenager’s care and treatment plans and couldn’t push a teen toward necessary outpatient or inpatient care without their consent.”

Passage of FIT marks a win for the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, which studied and reviewed recommendations from a stakeholder advisory group authorized by the 2018 legislature. Final language in the law was impacted by family members, youth, clinicians, hospital staff and many others who met dozens of times.

“Parent” is broadly defined, and information sharing is more open

Under the law, the definition of parent is expanded to include a wide range of family caregivers, guardians and others who have authority to initiate treatment. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW 9A.72.085) provides standards for “subscribing to an unsworn statement” that can apply to a caregiver initiating treatment. 

The law enables providers to share information with parents without an adolescent’s consent, if the provider determines that information sharing with family is in the best interests of the adolescent patient. A list of information-sharing guidelines is included below.

Note that parents retain the right to make medical decisions for children younger than 13, and adults 18 and older are responsible for medical decision-making if there is no guardianship.

In accordance with RCW 71.34.375, providers are required to provide notice to parents of all available treatment options, including Family Initiated Treatment. The state Health Care Authority provides a fact sheet to clarify those requirements.

Family-Initiated Treatment (FIT)

The FIT law allows a parent/caregiver to escort their adolescent child to certain licensed behavioral health facilities and request that a professional person examine the adolescent to determine whether treatment is medically necessary. That treatment might include outpatient, inpatient, or residential care.

According to the Health Care Authority (HCA), FIT is not a guarantee of immediate services, and no provider is obligated to provide services under FIT. Each provider has processes, procedures, and requirements pertaining to evaluation and admission to services. However, the only reason for not providing services cannot be the youth’s lack of consent (RCW 71.34.600).

If a facility covered by this law does not have a professional person available to perform the examination, the facility is not required to make staff available on demand. Additionally, if the professional determines the adolescent needs in-patient treatment but the facility does not have a bed available, the facility is not required to make a bed available. Included are those facilities that house children and youth under the Children’s Long-term Inpatient Program (CLIP). CLIP beds are generally subject to a waiting list and a multi-step referral process.

According to staff at Washington’s Health Care Authority, staffing shortages and other limitations within the behavioral health system have slowed implementation of the law. Families are encouraged to contact providers before taking an adolescent to a facility to determine if the provider has the capacity or ability to perform an assessment.

FIT in a community setting

If medical necessity is found by an outpatient provider who evaluates a young person brought into care through FIT, the provider is limited to 12 sessions over 3 months to attempt to work with the adolescent. If the young person still refuses to engage with treatment, then the period of Family-Initiated Treatment with that provider ends. The family at that point could seek treatment elsewhere.

State laws continue to encourage autonomy for young people, despite recognition that family involvement is important. According to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 71.34.010):

 “Mental health and chemical dependency professionals shall guard against needless hospitalization and deprivations of liberty, enable treatment decisions to be made in response to clinical needs in accordance with sound professional judgment, and encourage the use of voluntary services. Mental health and chemical dependency professionals shall, whenever clinically appropriate, offer less restrictive alternatives to inpatient treatment. Additionally, all mental health care and treatment providers shall assure that minors’ parents are given an opportunity to participate in the treatment decisions for their minor children.”

For children and youth eligible for Apple Health, Wraparound with Intensive Services (WISe) is Washington’s most intensive outpatient treatment. PAVE provides an article: WISe Provides Team-Based Services for Washington Youth with Severe Behavioral Health Disorders.

The Health Care Authority (HCA) maintains a website page with information about WISe in multiple languages. Families can discuss their options for FIT with WISe staff and HCA leadership.

FIT in a hospital setting

An inpatient or residential facility can detain the adolescent under Family-Initiated Treatment (FIT) if medically necessary for a mental health condition. In these settings, FIT may last up to 30 days. Then the adolescent must be discharged, unless:

  • they agree to stay voluntarily, or
  • a designated crisis responder (DCR) initiates involuntary commitment proceedings

What is required for involuntary treatment?

The Involuntary Treatment Act (ITA) can apply to persons of any age who are determined to be gravely disabled or at imminent risk of harm to self, others, or property. Under Ricky’s Law, community members of any age who are a danger or gravely disabled due to a drug or alcohol problem may be involuntarily detained to a secure withdrawal management and stabilization facility—also known as secure detox.

For substance use disorder treatment, due to Federal Privacy Laws, a parent/caregiver can only provide consent for an assessment. The youth would have to consent to the results of the assessment being shared with their parent/caregiver and volunteer for ongoing treatment if it is deemed medically necessary.

Guidance for Information Sharing

Federal law, 42 CFR Part 2, restricts information sharing related to substance use, and clinicians cannot share that information without a patient’s written consent, regardless of whether the substance use co-occurs with mental illness.

Providers have discretion in determining what information about mental health diagnoses and treatment is clinically appropriate to share with parents of an adolescent 13-17. A provider retains discretion in withholding information from family/caregivers to protect an adolescent’s well-being. In general, however, the Adolescent Behavioral Healthcare Access Act encourages sharing information to support collaboration between the clinical setting and home. Specifically, providers and families are encouraged to discuss:

  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment Plan and Progress
  • Recommended medications, including risks, benefits, side effects, typical efficacy, dosages, and schedule
  • Education about the child’s mental health condition
  • Referrals to community resources
  • Coaching on parenting or behavioral management strategies
  • Crisis prevention planning and safety planning

To support family caregiving for individuals of all ages, the Washington State Hospital Association provides general guidance about exceptions to federal confidentiality laws (HIPAA): Permitted disclosures of mental health information and substance use disorder information without patient consent.

Family Support

For individualized, non-emergency support, please click Get Help and someone from PAVE will contact you. Family Voices of Washington, PAVE’s Family-to-Family Health Information Center, is another place for information and resources.

In addition to PAVE, here are places for family support:

  • COPE (Center of Parent Excellence) offers support group meetings and direct help from lead parent support specialists as part of a statewide program called A Common Voice.
  • Family, Youth, and System Partner Round Table (FYSPRT). Regional groups are a hub for family networking and emotional support. Some have distinct groups for young people.
  • Washington State Community Connectors (WSCC) sponsors an annual family training weekend, manages an SUD Family Navigator training, and offers ways for families to share their experiences and support one another. With passage of HB 1800 in 2022, WSCC is working with the Health Care Authority to build a statewide website (Parent Portal) to help families navigate behavioral health services.
  • Healthy Minds Healthy Futures is an informal network of family caregivers on Facebook. The group advocated for Family Initiated Treatment (FIT) and is part of the work to build the Parent Portal website.

Additional Resources

The  Health Care Authority (HCA) provides a range of information about behavioral health services for children and youth, including this downloadable resource: Parent’s Guide to Family Initiated Treatment.

Families can direct specific questions to: hcafamilyinitiatedtreatment@hca.wa.gov. Please note that this business email is not intended for crisis response.

An agency called CaseText organizes links related to Family Initiated Treatment for direct access to various statutes.

Technology Provides Options for Medical Care from a Distance

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

A Brief Overview

  • During the coronavirus pandemic and statewide stay-home orders, some providers are offering online appointments. This article includes information about access to telehealth and how to prepare for a virtual visit.
  • Federal privacy laws have been relaxed during the shutdown to allow more opportunities for on-screen healthcare. Washington’s telemedicine parity law was updated by the 2015 legislature. Those updates went into effect in 2017 (SSB 5175).
  • Generally, military families with TRICARE and families with state insurance, Apple Health, have coverage for medically necessary services provided through telemedicine.
  • A 6-minute video tutorial from the Hawaii Department of Health provides information about what to expect during a telehealth session.
  • Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is providing free cell phones and minutes to low-income families through a federal program called Lifeline. State-specific information about this option is available from the Health Care Authority.
  • See Links to Support Families during the Coronavirus Crisis for additional resources.

Full Article

Families staying home during the coronavirus pandemic need new ways to access medical care. Onscreen appointments—telehealth, telemedicine, teleintervention, telepsychiatry—meet some needs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (hhs.gov) in early March 2020 relaxed legal requirements related to confidentiality in order to support the delivery of telehealth services while families shelter in place. Roger Severino, director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued the following statement: “We are empowering medical providers to serve patients wherever they are during this national public health emergency. We are especially concerned about reaching those most at risk, including older persons and persons with disabilities.”

The federal guidance refers to confidentiality rules under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The HHS website states that OCR will use discretion and relax compliance under HIPAA if services are delivered in good faith:

“During the COVID-19 national emergency, which also constitutes a nationwide public health emergency, covered health care providers subject to the HIPAA Rules may seek to communicate with patients, and provide telehealth services, through remote communications technologies.  Some of these technologies, and the manner in which they are used by HIPAA-covered health care providers, may not fully comply with the requirements of the HIPAA Rules.”

Washington State has grown telehealth since 2015

Even before social distancing requirements, virtual appointments for diagnoses and treatments that don’t require direct physical examination have gained popularity. Before COVID-19 took hold, Washington’s 2020 legislature passed HB 2728 to support further development of children’s behavioral health services delivered through telemedicine.

In order to meet needs in some rural communities and underserved fields, such as psychiatry, Washington’s telemedicine parity law was updated by the 2015 legislature. Those updates went into effect in 2017 (SSB 5175).

The law enables providers to seek reimbursement for most services provided virtually if those same services would be covered by insurance if they were delivered in person. The law defines telemedicine as “the delivery of health care services through the use of interactive audio and video technology, permitting real-time communication between the patient at the originating site and the provider, for the purpose of diagnosis, consultation, or treatment.”

Telephone (“audio only”) services or provider guidance by facsimile (FAX) or email may not be covered. Families can check with their insurance carrier to make sure an appointment would be covered if video could fail during the appointment or is unavailable because of a technology complication.

Generally, telemedicine is covered by insurance if:

  • The payor would cover the service if it was provided in-person, and the service can reasonably be provided without direct contact.
  • The health care service is medically necessary.
  • The service is recognized as an essential health benefit under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Individual providers create their own policies about whether they provide services electronically, and the parity law doesn’t guarantee equal reimbursement. Washington is part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, making it easier for providers to get licensed in multiple states and provide services to a broader clientele, including through telemedicine.

Families with Medicaid in Washington State, which is called Apple Health, can find information related to telehealth from the Health Care Authority. In keeping with federal guidance, Medicaid in general is reimbursing telehealth services at the same rate they would reimburse in-person services during the pandemic.

TRICARE expands options for military families, including ABA

TRICARE provides coverage for medically necessary telemedicine visits from providers who offer that service. Preventive health screenings, psychiatric care and medication consultations are examples of appointments that are most easily held virtually. Depending on the TRICARE plan, an authorization or referral may be needed.

In addition, TRICARE is extending telehealth for families who access Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and are enrolled in the Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) March 31- May 31, 2020. This temporary extension includes ABA support to parents/caregivers, and the services don’t require the child to be present at the telehealth appointment.

How do I prepare for a telemedicine appointment?

Before services are rendered, providers are required to seek informed consent from patients and/or legal guardians and to provide information about how the technology works and how privacy is protected. Electronic signatures are generally acceptable, particularly as the state requires social distancing. The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) provides a downloadable guidebook about telehealth. 

Prepare for a routine check-up like you would if you were visiting the clinic: Write down questions and concerns, including any changes related to health or medication. A visual tutorial, created by the Department of Health in Hawaii, walks through the different types of telehealth and what someone might expect.

If you suspect COVID-19, carefully document symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provide a COVID-19 screening tool. Be sure to note anything about the illness or its possible treatment that might be affected by a disability condition.

If testing is prescribed, a drive-through testing site may be suggested. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) affords individuals the right to accommodations when accessing what is publicly available. The Northwest ADA Center provides guidance about drive-through testing, specifically addressing topics related to blindness, deafness or wheelchair access, for example. Prepare for the telehealth appointment with any questions related to drive-through testing and disability, if that topic might come up.

What if I don’t have internet or a cell phone?

Families who do not have internet at home may be able to get service for free or low cost because of the pandemic. Some internet providers offer free internet for a limited time, based on income. Internet Essentials from Comcast and Charter Communications are examples. Their services are based on income, and students with free and reduced lunches are among those who may qualify.

Washington’s  Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is providing free cell phones and minutes to low-income families through a federal program called Lifeline. State-specific information about this option is available from the Health Care Authority.

How can I plan for an in-person doctor visit or emergency?

Children with complex medical needs may still need an in-person doctor visit for some conditions. General guidance is to call ahead if there is concern that anyone in the family might be ill so medical staff can take precautions to protect everyone from exposure to illness. In many locations, individuals are screened and checked for fever before they enter the facility.

For a medical emergency, prepare to offer first-responders clear information about the nature of the emergency. If a member of your household has a chronic condition that may create an urgent care situation, prepare a handout with basic information in advance. PAVE’s article about a Care Notebook might help. Because personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, gowns) are in short supply, responders will send minimal staff for less urgent circumstances. If the situation is clearly life or death, a larger team may suit up with personal protective equipment in order to help.

Many dental offices have closed, although some may remain open for emergency procedures. Call ahead: Schedules and policies are changing rapidly.

Caregivers of children with complex needs face additional challenges

Being the caregiver for a child with significant medical needs adds additional layers to current circumstances. Here are questions some will face:

  • Is my child’s medical need worth the risk of exposure to a hospital setting?
  • What are the short-term and long-term considerations in changing the plan for care during this time of national crisis?

The answers obviously are personal and different for every family’s circumstances.

While facing tough choices and uncertain times, your self-care is critical, and PAVE offers an article with ideas just for you. Of course, start with the basics: breathe with intention, nourish your body and seek points of fun and connection each day. Staying connected to a child’s care team can help, so you’re already in touch if there’s an emergent medical situation.

PAVE’s Family-to-Family Health Information Center continues to provide information for families and caregivers of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs in Washington State. Fill out a Helpline Request Form at wapave.org for individualized assistance.

Collaboration on Many Different Levels

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

This article was submitted by a parent that receives services from the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) to share her experiences with other parents.

Check out DSV’s website by cliking here

By Emily Coleman

My son, Eddie, was born 10 ½ years ago with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.  I learned quickly that I needed caring professionals to surround us and help us determine the best way to educate our son. I realized that without people who really knew blindness in our lives, we would be at a loss. From the beginning of his life, collaboration became not only important, but a lifeline. It also inspired me to get further involved in the field of blindness as an educator.

For the past few years, I’ve been working as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) in Eastern Washington through the WA State School for the Blind’s Outreach program.  While working in multiple districts, I was able to collaborate closely with students, parents, and a variety of educators.  As a parent of a child who is blind, I learned quickly that everyone brought something unique to the “table” when discussing Eddie. As a TVI, I learned that was true for all children who are blind/visually impaired (B/VI).

Last spring, I moved into the position of Outreach Director at the WA State School for the Blind (WSSB) and WA State Vision Consultant with WA Sensory Disability Services (WSDS). In this new role, I’ve been able to take collaboration to a whole new level.  I’ve had the opportunity to work outside of my family, and my region, and learn from professionals around the state. It’s been a fast-paced adventure that I’ve enjoyed every day.

When I agreed to take this new position, I had to really think about the role WSSB and WSDS play and how I can best serve their missions and the students who are B/VI in our state. I obviously don’t know everything in regards to educating children who are blind…and I never will. As a parent, and as a teacher, I sought out the expertise of others and guidance through collaboration. This drive to collaborate to best serve kids is also shared by WSSB and WSDS, and so I knew that we were on the same page.

WSSB provides support to students via an on-campus program, but also supports students regionally via technology consultation, distant-education courses, online resources, professional development, contracted services, and more…including assistance with birth-through-3 services statewide. WSDS provides many of those same things, but also works in collaboration with the Deaf-Blind Project, Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss http://www.cdhl.wa.gov, WSSB, and other agencies, including DSB.

The combined knowledge and experience in WA State is substantial, and collaborating is an effective way to serve kids and move them towards greater independence. I invite you to reach out to me as a parent, educator, or consultant if you have questions or concerns regarding your own child or a student who is B/VI. Whenever possible, I’ll be a gateway to other professionals and further expertise, through the act of collaboration.

Emily Coleman

emily.coleman@wssb.wa.gov

 

When your loved one has to be admitted to the hospital

Posted on by Nicol Walsh

When your loved one has to be admitted to the hospital, it can be scary, stressful, and at certain points very overwhelming not only for you, but also for the person needing the health care.  What I have learned after caring for my son who was born at 26 weeks and experiences hydrocephalus (cerebral spinal fluid does not drain properly and requires a shunt to drain the fluid to his peritoneum) is that when he is in the hospital, I never leave him alone.  I have always been deeply involved in his health care, much to some nurses’ and doctors’ irritation…  However, after what we have experienced in the hospital, I believe it is vital that your loved one has an advocate to ensure the best care possible is delivered and also to help when a nurse or certified nursing assistant can’t get to the room quick enough to assist.  For example, if your loved one is receiving intravenous antibiotics, which can cause explosive diarrhea or potentially life threatening allergic reactions, sometimes it can take 5 – 15 minutes for someone to respond to a call button. By that time the situation can be much worse if your loved one is alone.

During one hospitalization, my son developed Red Man Syndrome, which is a sudden allergic reaction to vancomycin.  One minute he looked fine and literally two to three minutes later, he was red from his chest up to his forehead.  After pushing the call button and waiting one minute with no response, I ran to the nurses’ station, where no one was there, found a nurse down the hall and demanded to have the IV stopped.  The nurse had the nerve to argue with me that she didn’t think my son was having an allergic reaction.  I demanded again to have the IV stopped and for her to call the doctor.  While she was calling the doctor, I googled allergic reactions to vancomycin and discovered Red Man Syndrome where 47% of people receiving IV vancomycin develop the allergy.  When the nurse came back, I showed her the information and she was shocked.  I’ve even had to ask phlebotomists (technicians who draw blood) to put gloves on before they take blood or start an IV on my son.

The unfortunate reality of what happens in hospitals is that many staff are overwhelmed, may have had a mediocre education, or perhaps chose health care for less than authentic reasons.  I have witnessed nurses purposely medicate a loved one in order to make their day more manageable.  I have personally experienced less than adequate health care while hospitalized for preterm labor and miscarriage, and I look back now realizing that these events occurred while I was alone.

Here are some helpful hints to prepare for a potential hospitalization:

Do your homework about your local hospitals. The Joint Commission is an independent, non-profit organization that accredits and certifies over 20,000 health care facilities in the nation.  They have an online “Quality Check” tool where you can see how your local hospitals are rated (http://www.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx). Another safety rating organization called the Leapfrog Group is composed of a group of large employers that came about to discuss how they could work together to use the way they purchased health care to have an influence on its quality and affordability.  They collect data on hospitals all over the nation and produce a Hospital Safety Survey that consumers can check (http://www.leapfroggroup.org/).

Evaluate your doctors and health care staff.  Do they listen?  Do they respond in a timely manner?  Do they treat you with respect and compassion?  Do they empower you to manage your own health care?  Are they open to holistic options and discuss the importance healthy nutrition and exercise?

Empower yourself with information about any diagnosis your loved one may experience, treatment options, and any local, state or national organizations specializing in that health condition.  Your state Family to Family Health Information Center can help you with that (http://www.familyvoices.org).  PAVE supports the WA State Family to Family Health Information Center and you can contact Jill McCormick, the Program Director at JMcCormick@wapave.org .

One of my colleagues at PAVE shared this helpful hint:  Have an overnight bag packed and in the trunk of your car because you never know when you might have a medical emergency with a loved one.

Establish a local network of friends and family members who can support you when you need a break.

Ask questions to medical staff about what drugs or procedures are being used, why, and any side effects.  Insist they wash hands when they come in the room or use gloves.  Understand there is a reason it is called “the practice of medicine.”

Use medical alert bracelets to identify allergies, implanted devices or diagnoses.  These tools can be vital in alerting emergency personnel if you or your loved one is unconscious.

Complete your own advance directive and help your loved one complete it as well.  After experiencing the tragic death of my mother who did not have an advance directive, my sister and I had to witness her suffer because her husband insisted on ineffective life support.  My son and I have completed ours and we carry them with us.

According to the Leapfrog Group, “there are more deaths in hospitals each year from preventable medical mistakes than there are from vehicle accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS.”  During my son’s last hospitalization in 2012, my father who was, at the time, CEO of Providence Alaska Medical Center, leaned over to me while we were in the emergency room and whispered, “Don’t leave him alone.”  So I didn’t. And I will not. Not for as long as I live.