15th ANNUAL EARLY HEARING DETECTION & INTERVENTION MEETING
March 13-15, 2016 • San Diego, CA
3/15/2016 | 3:45 PM - 4:15 PM | Topical Session 8 | Pacific Salon 6/7 | 1 - EHDI Program Enhancement
The Adoption & Implementation of Telehealth by a Statewide Part C Early Intervention Program
The state of Colorado, like many states, faces a shortage of qualified early intervention service providers. As in many other states, Colorado’s geography presents barriers to providing EI services in the home. To address these challenges, the Early Intervention Colorado (Part C) program undertook an initiative to explore the use of telehealth to address these challenges. The statewide initiative has a systematic plan that incorporates an exploration of current research findings, adherence to principles of evidence-based practice, and implemenation of appropriate provider training.
The presenters address ways to impact systems at the federal and state levels. This includes a description of the infrastructure analysis that was conducted to determine drivers for scaling up the use of telehealth as a sustainable service delivery method. A task force was established that included stakeholders from several agencies. The intent of the task force was to develop policies and procedures for statewide implementation of telehealth.
Two of the presenters provided initial training for providers in a pre-designated pilot site. Those attending the training included providers and administrators from for-profit agencies and the statewide program serving infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing, HIPAA and FERPA compliance officers, and researchers. This initial training generated interest and moved forward the initiative to adopt telehealth. Once telehealth is initiated as an acceptable service delivery option, more training will be offered to providers delivering services in the State.
The current shortage of qualified early intervention providers is apparent. Research supports the effectiveness of telehealth. This presentation will share the approach taken by one state’s Part C program to adopt telehealth as a service delivery option for all children with disabilities.
This presentation is supported, in part, by an NIH study.
- participants will be able to develop a systematic approach to the adoption of telehealth that is suitable to their resident state
- participants will be able to identify the stakeholders in their state who could participate in the adoption of telehealth
- participants will be able to identify barriers and opportunities for the implementation of telehealth
Presentation:
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CART:
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Presenters/Authors
Beth Cole
(Primary Presenter), Colorado Department of Human Services, beth.cole@state.co.us;
Beth Cole is the Fiscal Accountability Manager for Early Intervention Colorado, the early intervention (Part C) program at the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood. Prior to coming to work for the State, Beth was the Part C Coordinator in a local Part C program for seven years. Previous work experiences include serving as a Part C service coordinator and leading a local parent advocacy organization. Beth has a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University and is currently in a doctoral program for early childhood leadership at the University of Colorado Denver. She has two adult children, one of whom has a diagnosis of autism. She uses her experience as a parent, as well as an early childhood professional, to help improve supports and services for Colorado families.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
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ASHA DISCLOSURE:
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Arlene Stredler-Brown
(Co-Presenter), University of Colorado, arlene.brown@colorado.edu;
Arlene Stredler-Brown, PhD, CCC-SLP provides consultation and technical assistance to programs working with infants, toddlers, and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing in the United States and internationally. She has graduate degrees in Speech/Language Pathology, Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and a doctoral degree in Special Education. Current research focuses on telepractice; she is the co-investigator for a Phase II Clinical Trial funded by the National Institutes of Health to study services delivered to young children who are deaf via telepractice. Since retiring from her position as Director of the Colorado Home Intervention Program (CHIP), Dr. Stredler-Brown continues to work with initiatives promoting evidence-based early intervention practices, the measurement of effective intervention and education options, and the use of individualized assessments and treatments. She publishes regularly on these topics. Dr. Stredler-Brown works as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Diane Behl
(Co-Presenter), NCHAM, diane.behl@usu.edu;
Diane Behl is a Senior Faculty member at the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management. She facilitates telehealth learning communities and is a co-investigator for cost-effectiveness studies. She has expertise in evaluating the effectiveness of service coordination provided via Part C Early Intervention and Maternal and Child Health programs.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Kristina Blaiser
(Co-Presenter), Idaho State University, Kristina.Blaiser@isu.edu;
Kristina Blaiser, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is
an assistant professor of Speech-Language Pathology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Idaho State University-Meridian. Dr. Blaiser has extensive experience leading early childhood education programs and evaluating the outcomes of children who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing. Her research interests include program evaluation and graduate training related to assessment and early intervention practices of children who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing. Dr. Blaiser’s recent work has focused on using telehealth to support families in early intervention. Kristina is the Program Development Manager for ASHA SIG 9: Hearing Loss and Hearing Disorders in Childhood, has served as a consultant for the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM), and is Vice President for the OPTION Schools network.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Sharon Ringwalt
(Co-Presenter), Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, sharon.ringwalt@unc.edu;
Sharon Ringwalt currently serves as a Technical Assistance Specialist at the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center; State TA Liaison for the IDEA Data Center and as liaison between the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs and Part C programs through the Centers for Disease Control and Intervention (CDC). She provides TA to state early intervention and preschool programs around: reporting quality data; developing and implementing effective and efficient accountability and improvement systems to ensure compliance and improve results; and use of implementation science concepts to improve systems and scale up evidence-based/recommended practices to improve results for children and families. Additional areas of expertise comprise: communication development and disorders, including language delays and disorders, early literacy, and newborn hearing screening and intervention; screening, evaluation and assessment of young children, including public awareness and primary referral sources; and, interagency coordination, including State and Local Interagency Coordinating Councils.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
Receives Salary for Employment from Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.
Dinah Beams
(Co-Presenter), Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind, dbeams@csdb.org;
Dinah Beams has an M.A. from the University of Colorado and a B.S. from Southern Methodist University. She is the Program Coordinator for the Colorado Home Intervention Program (CHIP) with the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind. Responsibilities in this position include coordinating services for families with newly-identified children; hiring and training providers; supervision; curriculum and program development; and system building. Previous experience includes working as an Outreach Specialist for Beginnings for Parents of Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Raleigh, North Carolina and as both a classroom and an itinerant teacher in Colorado. Dinah is the author of the CHIP Parent Manual and the Curriculum for Sign Language Instructors, and co-developer of materials for the Integrated Reading Project (IRP), part of Colorado’s Early Literacy Development Initiative for young children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
ASHA DISCLOSURE:
Financial -
No relevant financial relationship exist.
Nonfinancial -
No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.