WV BTT - New Practitioners

Information for Newly Enrolled Practitioners

Congratulations!

We are excited to have you as part of the WV Birth to Three System’s team. As WV Birth to Three enrolls individuals with different educational backgrounds and experiences, it is very important to provide you with ongoing information and support on providing family-centered early intervention services in the context of each child and family’s everyday routines, and activities within their home and community. We also want to provide you with information that you will need to stay current with WV Birth to Three policy and procedures.

The following is a step-by-step guide to getting started. You may click on the topics below to quickly take you to the information you wish to review. As you proceed, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to call your Regional Technical Assistant for answers. They are more than happy to assist you.

Personnel Standards and Ongoing Credential Requirements

Each state participating in Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA) must establish personnel standards to assure persons providing early intervention services are adequately trained and prepared to meet the unique needs of eligible infants and toddlers and their families.

For more information on the WV Birth to Three Personnel Standards and ongoing credential requirements, please refer to the following links:

Understanding Your Roles and Responsibilities on the WV Birth to Three Team

When you enroll in WV Birth to Three, there are certain fundamental roles and responsibilities that you have based on whether you are enrolling as a Service Coordinator or as a Direct Service Practitioner.

Part C of IDEA describes the following general responsibilities for a Service Coordinator:

Assisting parents of eligible children in gaining access to early intervention and other services as identified on the Individualized Family Service Plan;
Coordinating the provision of early intervention and other services (such as medical services other than diagnostic purposes) that the child needs or is being provided;
Facilitating the timely service delivery of available services; and
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.

For more information on the roles and responsibilities of the Interim and Ongoing Service Coordinator, refer to the Technical Assistance Bulletin - Understanding the Different Roles of the Interim and Ongoing Service Coordinator in the WV Birth to Three System .

As described in Part C of IDEA, all direct early intervention practitioners have the following responsibilities:

Consulting with parent, other service providers, and representatives of appropriate agencies to ensure effective provision of services in that area;
Training parents and others regarding the provision of services;
Participating in the multi-disciplinary team's assessment of a child and the child's family, and in the development of integrated goals and outcomes for the IFSP.

For more information on the roles and responsibilities of the Direct Service Practitioner, refer to the following Technical Assistance Bulletins:

Documentation Basics and Training

As the old adage goes, if it is not written, it did not happen. Appropriate documentation of your services and supports is essential to the effective provision of WV Birth to Three services. Your documentation also supports your billing to WV Birth to Three. It is recommended that you attend the Overview of WV Birth to Three Documentation Training within three months of enrollment. Before you visit your first family, you will need to order your Intervention or Service Coordination Activity Notes. Service Coordinators will also need to down load all the forms you will need for the provision of services.

Organization Tips

Having good organizational skills assists you in assuring that you will accomplish the tasks that you want to complete each and every day. Surprisingly, having good organizational skills also helps you to lead a more balanced and less stressful life.

WV Birth to Three offers quarterly conference calls to the field on many topics including how to be an effective, organized Service Coordinator. The following links were designed as part of the conference call series for Service Coordinators but are nice resources for all practitioners in the WV Birth to Three System.

Taking Care of Yourself

Your health, safety and well-being are important to WV Birth to Three. Check out these links for tips for home visiting, reducing the spread of germs and other wellness ideas.

Family-Centered Practices

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) has published a series of documents based on a national workgroup's consensus on the key principles and practices for providing early intervention services in natural environments.