Family Link

Family Link assisted the New Jersey Department of Health in the implementation of the New Jersey Early Intervention System area including Essex, Union, Morris, Warren and Sussex Counties providing services and supports to 3,277 families.Family Link partnered with 5 Service Coordination Units to ensure access for families to the IDEA entitlements of: Child Find, Evaluation/Assessment, Service Coordination, IFSP development and Procedural Safeguards.Family Link also collaborated with 32 Early Intervention Programs to ensure the timely and appropriate implementation of IFSP services.Of the 13,644 families with active IFSPs on December 1, 2022 in NJEIS, 3,277 (24.02%) reside within the Family Link region.The Family Link SPOE department completed 6,371 referrals. Spoe SCs enter all new referrals in the Early Intervention Management System and assign the appropriate Targeted Evaluation teams. Follow up was provided to families as needed to ensure compliance with Federal and State rules and regulations. All activities related to referral are logged directly into the EIMS data system by the Spoe SC. Family Support Specialists contacted approximately 427 Primary Referral Sources (PRS) during FY2022. The PRS were notified that EI was open and operating and information such as the NJEIS Poster, 3-Ways EI Services are Provided poster, NJEIS Developmental Checklist were disseminated via Constant Contact. FS also participated in virtual community stakeholder meetings and/or provided Welcome to EI presentations.For FY2023, FS will continue to release Outreach Information through social media and Constant Contact. Additional outreach efforts were made targeting, EC Providers, LEAs, Head Start and Social Service programs during FY2021 by contacting, then emailing referral information and/or providing a Welcome to EI virtual webinar. Family Link will continue to target communities FY2023 that are underserved through primary referral sources to increase potentially eligible children birth to age 1 by:Developing relationships with targeted Healthcare/Pediatric practice Including different outreach materials to targeted Healthcare/Pediatric practices(including free developmental screening resources, articles on Early Intervention). Offer a virtual Welcome to EI presentation to staff.Early Childcare Providers include information on child development, what happens to a caregiver when they learn of their childs developmental concern and/or disability in the Welcome to EI PPT and how to talk to caregivers about developmental concerns.Family Link developed the FLREIC website (www.familylinkreic.org) during FY2021 and continues to maintain it. It comprises resources and information on child development, including social/emotional development. It also has information on the importance of play and articles from professional organizations on the topic.FLREIC, through its relationships with community partners, linked their websites and resources to the FL website. It has information and links to Ages & Stages questionnaire, Central Intake (home visitation), libraries (social opportunities, including virtual venues), local and state mental health resources, Children's System of Care and more.Data Analyst: Collected and analyzed all regional data including: referral data, Initial evaluation rates, initial eligibility rates (daily, weekly, monthly), service location distribution rates, Exited children by reason, NJEIS Funnel (inquiries, referrals, evaluations, eligibility, IFSP), Spoe RE-referrals, written translation requests, PSO Compensatory Service hours awarded, and other reports as requested.* Training and Technical AssistanceTraining and Technical Assistance: Facilitated 26 regional meetings including 10 Provider Meetings, 6 Service Coordination Meetings, 6 TET meetings and 4 County Meetings to support the region through system changes and reinforce policies and procedures established by DOH. Topics included: Eligibility via Informed Clinical Opinion, definition of Developmental Intervention, Early Intervention Management System (EIMS), revised NJEIS Policies and Procedures, discussing subcontracting for EIPs and providing progress notes to families.Conducted data analysis on the following outcomes:1. Practitioners need opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and reflect on family engagement practices via Community of Practice groups2. Practitioners need additional guidance in use of ongoing assessment to monitor development.3. Practitioners need ongoing, reflective learning opportunities to support the implementation of evidence based practices in their work with families.Family Support:Family Support was pleased to announce that Karen Loaiza was promoted to the role of Family Support Coordinator. While she is still defining her role, she has had a busy and productive first year including mailing of EI posters, developmental checklists, magnets and book marks to 24 local organizations, Placed 77 social media posts, created 15 constant contact posts, delivered 72 goodie bags families and participated in 8 EI week presentations to families= 6 in person and 2 virtual on the topics of Hearing Loss, Early Literacy, Feeding, Baby Signs, Challenging Behaviors and Story time.Hearing Consultant Initiative: The Hearing Consultant Initiative is funded through collaboration between the New Jersey Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs (EHDI) and the NJEIS. The role of the hearing consultant is to contact newly referred EI families with children with hearing loss (with family permission) to discuss communication options, amplification technologies and address any questions related to the specific hearing loss affecting their child. The hearing consultant also participates in the Family Information Meeting (FIM) with the ongoing Service Coordinator and family via Go to Meeting technology to assist with preparing for the IFSP meeting. During fiscal year 2022, the hearing consultants have supported 136 families of children with hearing loss and their service coordinators.