St. Louis Area EIT FAQs

As we move through the transition and training for EIT here in the St. Louis area, we have received many questions and comments from Family Service Coordinators and providers regarding the process. We have collected a number of the most common topics and have included them in this post to share the answers and information with everyone. As we learn more, we will pass the information along to you!




When will Early Intervention Teaming begin in St. Louis and how will referrals be made?

Early Intervention Teams were formed in St. Louis City and North St. Louis County in May of 2010. Those particular teams began taking referrals on July 1 2010. Since that date, all new referrals in St. Louis City and North County have been assigned to an EIT. The teams for St. Charles County, Central-West County, and Southwest County have been formed and will begin taking all new referrals in their areas shortly after January 1, 2011. Once those teams begin taking referrals, all new referrals for the St. Louis Area will be assigned to teams.

Referrals will continue to be assigned daily directly via the SPOE to individual Family Service Coordinators. Following intake, the FSC will contact a provider from their EIT to complete the DAYC as part of eligibility or a needs assessment for IFSP planning.



Who attends the monthly EIT Meetings?

All core members (FSC, OT, PT, SI, ST) must attend their designated EIT monthly meetings in person, or via conference call, on occasion, when not able to be there in person. Ancillary or Specialty providers (Social Work, Nutrition, Hearing, Vision, ABA, etc) are able to attend the monthly meetings but this must be an IFSP team decision and they can only attend the meeting for the time allotted to discuss the child/family they are working with. Family members do not attend the EIT meetings. Core EIT members (except FSCs) will be paid for the time they attend the monthly EIT meetings through a new direct pay process in WebSPOE- no authorizations or claims will be needed. Specialty/Ancillary members will be paid to attend the EIT meeting via the current authorization/claims process. In order to be paid for attending an EIT meeting, non-core members will have to be authorized via the IFSP.



Do I need to attend the monthly meeting if I don't have any children/families to discuss?

Yes, as part of the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that every St. Louis Area EIT member signs, attendance at EIT meetings is mandatory. There are exceptions made for unforeseen circumstances, but otherwise this is a requirement to be on an EIT. In addition to discussing children on your caseload, part of the role of the EIT is to provide support and feedback for the rest of your team members. The discussion at the monthly EIT meetings should involve all team members as this is the best way to share ideas and draw upon each others strengths and experiences. This type of consultation is what makes the EIT model unique as a way to enhance the supports the families actually receive. All core members will be reimbursed for the time they attend the meeting regardless of whether they have children on the agenda to be discussed.



Who decides who will be the Primary Provider? Who makes other service decisions?


The initial IFSP team decides what supports will be needed to support the family in achieving their outcomes. The IFSP team includes the family. In the process of determining the IFSP supports, the team also designates one of the providers as the primary. The specific IFSP team for a family makes all service decisions in the context of IFSP meetings. The larger EIT group does not make these types of decisions. At any time, any member of the EIT could be approached to serve the role of a Primary or Supporting Provider. The frequency of visits for any provider is individualized and determined by the IFSP team based on the unique needs of each family.



What is the role of the Primary Provider?

Primary Providers are responsible for establishing a consistent relationship with the family. Communication and trust are very important in helping families and children achieve their outcomes. The role of Primary is important because they are the main person that the family will see on a frequent basis. Primary Providers will be there during all joint visits from other EIT members- taking in information, helping to ask questions, assisting the supporting provider with information regarding the child and family. The Primary Provider would then follow up with the family regarding what was discussed at any joint visits to see if the family had any questions or how things were going. It would then be the Primary Providers responsibility to bring any family related information to be discussed at the monthly EIT meetings and ultimately bring any ideas back to the family.



What is the role of the supporting provider or joint visitor?

Supporting providers will sometimes be brought in to provide information and support to the family and Primary Provider. At this time, joint visits are authorized to occur at a certain frequency in the IFSP. The Supporting and Primary Providers will need to communicate prior to any joint visits so that there is a clear understanding of the needs of the family and what should be accomplished during that particular joint visit. The Supporting Provider then takes the lead during that particular joint visit to coach the family and primary on any strategies or ideas to incorporate into the family's routine.



So, if they're not core members, how do supports from nutrition, hearing specialists, vision specialists, ABA, social work, etc. work in this model?

When the IFSP team determines a need to bring in a Specialty/Ancillary provider, the goal is that they would still follow the principles of the First Steps philosophy which is building the family capacity to help their child or children learn. This should be accomplished by providing the family with ideas and strategies that are realistic and fit within their daily routines. There should also be opportunities for the Primary Provider to communicate with or even observe visits with Specialty Providers to increase the level of follow through.



What do we need to do to prepare for these monthly EIT meetings? Is there extra work involved?

FSCs will be responsible for scheduling and gathering topics for discussion at the monthly meetings. These meetings should be scheduled on a consistent date, time, and location as to help with overall attendance. Within a week before the meeting, it will be the Primary Providers' responsibility to notify the FSC of any children/families to be on the agenda at the meeting. All providers will still be required to enter progress notes for any child they are authorized to visit. This is helpful in the process of measuring progress, EIT meeting planning, and is also a requirement on the MOU.