Northern California HERC

The Childrens Developmental Services Agency (CDSA) is one of a statewide network of 17 regional agencies that provide interdisciplinary early intervention supports and services through the North Carolina Infant Toddler Program to infants and toddlers, birth to age three, and their families identified as at risk for or experiencing developmental delays. The CDSA is the local lead agency for the Infant Toddler Program (ITP) in North Carolina, a federally mandated program under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The ECU Greenville CDSA is a part of the ECU Brody School of Medicines Department of Pediatrics and contractually serves as the primary portal of entry for the North Carolina Infant Toddler Program for seven counties in the eastern region of the state: Pitt, Martin, Bertie, Hyde, Beaufort, Greene and Wayne.

The Early Intervention Medical Therapeutic Specialist participates as a member of the multidisciplinary early intervention team which supports the needs of young children referred to the CDSA and their families, assuring the provision of one or more of the nineteen (19) services and supports required by the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)- Part C. The primary purpose of the position are to provide comprehensive developmental assessment and evaluation, service planning, direct interventions in their area of specialty, and consultation/technical assistance to young children referred, their families, caregivers, team members and service providers within the ITP CDSA network. The Early Intervention Medical Therapeutic Specialist is responsible for: providing eligibility evaluations using standardized testing methods; developmental assessments of strengths and needs; written reports of results with suggested strategies which respond to the goals and priorities of the family; consultation/teaching within area of expertise with families, providers, and service coordinators relative to the outcomes and activities agreed upon on the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP); and direct therapeutic interventions with children and caregivers within specialty area when a CDSA network provider is unable to meet the needs as outlined on the IFSP. The Specialist may be assigned the responsibility of Service Coordination for select families as needed. This position may provide supervision and consultation to less experienced Specialists and Service Coordinators, service providers within the community, and/or Students and Volunteers.

TRAINING and LEADERSHIP - 10% - The Specialist provides training and competency-based educational opportunities to Service Coordinators, other Specialists, community service providers, community stakeholders and families/caregivers to develop and enhance skills and competencies relevant to enhancing outcomes for children, birth to three, and their families. This includes consultation regarding selection and use of appropriate resources, toys, activities, approaches to best practice for early intervention, therapeutic activities for infants and toddlers, uses/need for assistive technology devices, and other relevant child development topics. The Specialist provides education and consultation to provider agencies in the catchment area, as requested, to promote integration of services, enhance quality of services, support the appropriate quantity and frequency of services and supports, as well as to support the education of family and caregivers. As needed and appropriate, Specialist may serve in a team leadership capacity in order to mentor and coach other Specialists and Service Coordinators serving children and families within a specific geographical area. Educational responsibilities could include workshops, speaker series, guest lecture, etc., as well as supervised field training for undergraduate and graduate level students in a variety of disciplines.

THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION / TREATMENT SERVICES - 30% - The Specialist provides both direct and consultative therapeutic interventions and treatment services to enrolled children and families, within their specific area of expertise and/or license/certification. Consultative treatment / interventions are provided, when selected, to family members, caregivers, community care providers, and other adults responsible for the routines-based outcomes found on the Service Delivery Page of the IFSP. Therapeutic interventions, treatment and consultative services occur in a variety of settings including the home, child care and other community settings. Intervention and treatment services focus on improving functional activities of daily living, and instructing family members and caregivers in techniques that promote their ability to enhance the childs development, within the priorities and goals chosen by the family. Treatment and consultation includes strategies and activities designed to be imbedded into the daily routines of the child and family and include educational approaches with the family/caregiver. The Specialist will monitor the childs progress and the familys concerns and modify techniques/strategies as needed. The Specialist will recommend appropriate adaptive equipment or assistive technology, instruct family/caregiver in its use, and monitor progress, as appropriate within the Specialists area of expertise. Therapeutic intervention services, whether direct or consultative, provided by the Specialist, will address the specific family-driven outcomes identified on the IFSP. The Specialist will communicate regularly with the family, Early Intervention Service Coordinator and other team members to address progress and changing needs, as well as participate in IFSP Reviews, as needed. The Specialist provides consultation to other members of the IFSP team, to develop strategies and enhance attainment of specific IFSP outcomes for children and families enrolled. The Specialist formulates written treatment plans, pre-certification requests, progress reports and billing documentation in accordance with the ITP Medicaid Guidelines, NC ITP Policies and Procedures, ECU CDSA Policies & Practices, and the policies of other 3rd party payers.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND OTHER DUTIES - 5% - Maintains client records in accordance with CDSA/ITP standards. Attends scheduled staff meetings and completes required daily/monthly accountability activities (e.g., time and travel, billing sheets). Follows departmental, division and agency policies and procedures. May serve on local, regional or state level committees and boards as approved. Attends trainings or professional development events to maintain licensure/certification and to stay current on recommended practices. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Other Duties - 5% - The Specialist may provide service coordination to select children and families referred to the CDSA. Service Coordination activities meet the guidelines outlined in the NC Infant Toddler Handbook. Performs other related duties as assigned.

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT - 50% - The Medical Therapeutic Specialist uses a variety of tools, methods and instruments to assess and evaluate the development of infants and toddlers. Assessment includes identifying the relative strengths and needs of the child within each of the five areas of global development: motor/physical, communication, adaptive, cognitive, and social/emotional. The Specialist documents assessment results as a part of the process of developing and/or updating the Individualized Family Service Plan. (IFSP) Evaluation includes using standardized and norm-referenced testing tools, as well as clinical opinion, to determine the significance of developmental delay within each of the five domains of development and thus, determining eligibility and continued eligibility for children referred to the Infant Toddler Program. The Specialist works in collaboration with other CDSA professionals to administer evaluations for infants and toddlers using developmentally appropriate methods and routines based practices. Each Specialist provides input, perspective and analysis of findings to create a combined and integrated verbal and written report used to develop the Individualized Family Service Plan. Specialists work in conjunction with the Service Coordinator and designated family members for IFSP development and monitoring of progress for enrolled children and families. Specialty Evaluations occur as needed to further develop therapeutic intervention plans for supports and services needed to address the family goals and concerns. Specialty Evaluations are administered within Specialists area of expertise and/or license/certification and in accordance with discipline-specific practice guidelines. Results of all assessments and evaluations are documented to reflect a strengths-based perspective and include the cumulative report of parents, caregivers, treating therapists, Service Coordinator and Specialists observations, suggested strategies to reach prioritized goals and developmental impressions. Recommendations offered to the family/team reflect the concerns, priorities and goals of the family, as well as, the strengths and abilities unique to each child within individualized and useful daily routines. The Specialist functions as part of the IFSP Team which includes the family, service coordinator, additional staff as needed and other individuals of the familys choice. The Specialist interprets evaluation results and facilitates understanding of how the childs current skills and abilities may impact daily function, routines, and activities. The Specialist assists the Service Coordinator in developing the IFSP activities, supports and services that meet the outcomes and priorities identified by the family. The Specialist supports the Service Coordinator in the fulfillment of monitoring progress through ongoing developmental assessment for each child and family enrolled and the completion of appropriate assessments as needed to document functional skills of each enrolled child on the Child Outcomes Summary Form at entry to and exit from the program.

The appointment term is 12-month, At Will.

Contingent upon availability of funds.

Bachelors or Masters degree in the therapeutic specialty area to which assigned. Some positions may require additional training, certifications, or licensure in speech pathology, audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, or other fields. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Valid drivers license

Experience with the Birth to Three population, family-directed service provision, home and community-based programming, developmental assessments, and evaluations, as well as therapeutic interventions with young children with disabilities and their families in area of specialty. The ideal candidate will have good verbal and written communication skills.

East Carolina University requires applicants to submit a candidate profile online in order to be considered for the position. In addition to submitting a candidate profile online, please submit online the required applicant documents:

Curriculum Vitae
Letter of Interest
List of Three References (noting contact information)

At the time of employment two to three original letters of reference, official transcripts, a criminal background check, and proper documentation of identity and employability are required. Please be aware, an automatic email may be sent to the individuals entered by the applicant in the References section of the People Admin applicant tracking system. Letters of reference submitted via the PeopleAdmin applicant tracking system will be verified and considered towards meeting this requirement.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.