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4. Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Targeted Case Management Services
4.1 Overview
ECI Targeted Case Management services are provided to Medicaid-eligible children who have been determined to be eligible for ECI services by the ECI program providers. ECI Targeted Case Management services help eligible children and their families get needed medical, social, educational, developmental, and other appropriate services. Services include a comprehensive needs assessment, development of a care plan, referral and related activities, and the coordination, monitoring, and follow-up activities that are necessary to meet the needs of the child.
The Texas ECI Program is available statewide to families of children who are birth through 35 months of age and who have disabilities or developmental delays. The state agency responsible for ECI services is DARS. DARS contracts local ECI programs to take referrals, determine clients' eligibility for ECI, and provide services, including case management services, to ECI-eligible children.
ECI programs use evaluations and assessments to determine eligibility. Children are eligible for ECI if they are birth through 35 months of age and meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Developmental delay-A delay in the development of cognitive, motor, communication, social-emotional, or self-help skills.
•Atypical development-Patterns of development that are unusual or different from their peers, including unusual sensory-motor or language patterns, auditory impairments, and visual impairments.
•Medically diagnosed condition that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay-Diagnoses that have a high probability of resulting in developmental delay include, but are not limited to, Down syndrome and spina bifida.
Families and professionals work together to develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and a Case Management Care Plan (CMCP) for appropriate services that are based on the unique needs of the child and the child's family.
Other ECI services include physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy; vision services; audiology services; developmental services; nutrition services; psychological services; social work; family education and training; counseling; behavioral intervention; health services; transportation; and assistive technology.
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