Special Education. caretaker relatives enroll children in their care into Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus!

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1 Special Education Newsletter Boulder County Healthy Kids Initiative can help caretaker relatives enroll children in their care into Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus! It s a wonderful and noble gift to assume caretaker responsibilities for your grandkids, nieces, nephews or any other related child. At the same time, it s important to remember that taking care of a child can have big financial impacts on a family. Food, after school care and health insurance are expensive and can be very difficult to afford. Fortunately if you are a caretaker there are valuable resources available to help you, including Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+). Medicaid and CHP+ are free or low-cost health insurance plans that offer many benefits including: well-child and doctor visits, sports physicals, immunizations, hospital services, prescriptions, mental and behavioral health services, and dental and vision care. Children living with an adult caretaker relative (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) are typically eligible for one of these health insurance programs and the income of the relative(s) is exempted when determining if a child is eligible. If you are taking care of a child under the age of 19 who needs primary or secondary health insurance, please contact your SVVSD Medical Programs Specialist at to start the application process. Inside this edition: Twice Exceptional Learners Project 2 Peak Parent Center - Free Webinars 3 Medical Consent Information 4-5 SPECIAL EDUCATION: EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN Students with disabilities will have reasonably calculated academic growth, guided by defensible, student centered IEPs that are developed from individual student data and collaboratively created with all stakeholders who have developed meaningful, trusting relationships focused on the student.

2 Gifted Services - Twice Exceptional Learners Project In collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education, St. Vrain Valley School District and the GT Department was invited to participate in a pilot project focusing on the needs of Twice Exceptional Learners. Twice Exceptional Learners are students who are both gifted and have a learning disability. Currently, fifteen professionals make up the group from SVVSD which includes classroom teachers, coordinators, interventionists, school psychologists, and behavior specialists. During year one of the two year project, building understanding and capacity through coursework and targeted workshops including specific case studies will be the focus. Year two will provide the team with an opportunity to discuss district specific needs and actions, which may include creating a Twice Exceptional Team or targeted professional development for teachers and district staff members. The participants in this pilot program will determine the most effective course of action. The time commitment for this project is intense, and we are thankful for everyone s work on behalf of our students. Photo by: Jack Greene of Jack Greene Photography Additional Resources: Colorado Department of Education Gifted and Talented: Parent Corner Myths of Gifted Education DJst-y_ptI Tapping the Potential of a Twice Exceptional Student: One mother s story Conflicting Strengths and Challenges for Twice Exceptional Learners Source: CDE Twice Exceptional Course 1 Strengths: superior vocabulary highly creative resourceful curious imaginative questioning problem solving ability sophisticated sense of humor wide range of interests advanced ideas and opinions special talent or consuming interest Challenges: easily frustrated stubborn manipulative opinionated argumentative sensitive to criticism inconsistent academic performance difficulty with written expression lack of organization and study skills difficulty with social interactions

3 Free Webinars For Families and Educators Join PEAK Parent Center as we present a series of webinars for parents and educators. Join us for all or just the ones that interest you the most. Space is limited, so please register online and you will receive a confirmation with directions for the webinar. Coming Soon: Evening IEP Series Look for information coming soon at: Trainings.asp Lunchtime IEP Training Series Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 12-1 pm (MST) Preparing for the IEP Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 12-1 pm (MST) Content of the IEP Wednesday, March 4, 2015, 12-1 pm (MST) Implementation and follow up of the IEP This webinar series will explore: Basics of IDEA 2004 specifically related to IEPs Evaluation/Consent for Services Eligibility Communication before the IEP IEP Team members SMART goals Accommodations and modifications Implementation Progress Monitoring Resolutions Under IDEA Great Series! To sign up online go to: or call PEAK Parent Center or

4 COLORADO SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM PARENT S GUIDE What is the School Health Services Program? The program allows school districts to seek reimbursement from Medicaid for IEP services provided in schools. Districts receive partial reimbursement for health and medical IEP services provided to Medicaid eligible students. Districts are required to use funds for additional or enhanced health and health related services for all students. What IEP health services are reimbursable through Medicaid? Health and health related services outlined in the IEP. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech language therapy, orientation/mobility/ vision services, psychological/counseling/social work services, nursing services, personal care services and specialized transportation. Why are school districts requesting Medicaid reimbursement? Federal special education laws require districts to provide IEP services including health services to students. Federal law also allows school districts to seek reimbursement for health services provided to Medicaid eligible IEP students. In Colorado the funds are used to provide enhanced health and health related services to all students. Services include vision/hearing screenings, outreach to the uninsured to provide assistance with obtaining insurance, additional nursing hours and much more. How do school districts use the money they receive from Medicaid? Colorado law requires reimbursement funds be used to provide enhanced health and health related services to all district students. Services include: additional nursing support, medical supplies and equipment, mental health support services for students The School Health Services Program is a joint effort between the Colorado Department of Education and Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

5 and families and access to vision/dental/mental health services to uninsured students. Contact the district Medicaid coordinator for details concerning your district. I am concerned about confidentiality. Who can see my child s health information if I allow my school district to seek reimbursement for IEP services provided to my child? Two laws determine who can see student health records. Federal privacy laws state only school health service providers, your child s doctor, district Medicaid billing agent and Colorado s Medicaid Agency will see your child s school health records. Will Medicaid services my child receive outside the school district be affected? No. IEP health services provided by the district and reimbursed to the district do not affect your child s lifetime Medicaid benefits. Students can receive health services at school on the same day they receive services outside of school. Program Contact: Jill Matthews, Senior Consultant Colorado Department of Education mathews_j@cde.state.co.us Program Contact: Shannon Huska, School Health Services Program Administrator Department of Health Care Policy and Financing shannon.huska@state.co.us Medicaid Consent What is it, and what does it mean to me? At every IEP meeting parents/guardians are asked to sign a Medicaid consent form to bill for services. Too often, consent is refused without the proper knowledge of what that actually means. The Colorado Department of Education (CDE), and the Department of Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF), created this information sheet for parents and guardians. Hopefully, this will answer any questions you may have regarding the Medicaid consent. It is our hope to receive consent for each student on an IEP. If you have any questions, please call or me at formby_melissa@svvsd.org Thank you, Melissa Formby Medicaid Specialist, St. Vrain Valley School District