Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A.
Personnel
requirements.
(1) Early intervention
services shall be delivered by qualified personnel. Personnel shall be deemed
"qualified" based upon the standards of their discipline and in accordance with
these regulations and shall be supervised in accordance with these
regulations.
(2) Individuals who
hold a professional license or certificate from an approved field as identified
in this rule, and provide services in that discipline, do not require
certification as a developmental specialist. However, individuals who hold a
professional license or certificate in one of these fields and who spend sixty
percent or more of their time employed in the role of developmental specialist
must obtain certification as a developmental specialist.
(3) Personnel may delegate and perform tasks
within the specific scope of their discipline. The legal and ethical
responsibilities of personnel within their discipline cannot be
delegated.
B.
Qualified personnel may include individuals from the following
disciplines who meet the state's entry level requirements and possess a valid
license or certification:
(1)
audiology;
(2) developmental
specialist;
(3) early childhood
development and education;
(4)
education of the deaf/hard of hearing;
(5) education of the blind and visually
impaired;
(6) family therapy and
counseling;
(7)
nutrition/dietetics;
(8)
occupational therapy (including certified occupational therapy
assistants);
(9) orientation and
mobility specialist;
(10) pediatric
nursing;
(11) physical therapy
(including physical therapy assistants);
(12) physician (pediatrics or other medical
specialty);
(13) psychology
(psychologist or psychological associate);
(14) social work;
(15) special education; and
(16) speech and language pathology.
C.
Certification of
developmental specialist.
(1)
Certification is required for individuals providing early intervention services
functioning in the position of developmental specialist.
(2) A developmental specialist must have the
appropriate certificate issued by the New Mexico early childhood education and
care department in accordance with the developmental specialist certification
policy and procedures.
(3) The term
of certification as a developmental specialist is a three-year period granted
from the date the application is approved.
D.
Reciprocity of certification:
An applicant for a developmental specialist certificate who possesses a
comparable certificate from another state shall be eligible to receive a New
Mexico developmental specialist certificate, at the discretion of the New
Mexico early childhood education and care department.
E.
Certification renewal: The
individual seeking renewal of a developmental specialist certificate shall
provide the required application and documentation in accordance with policy
and procedures established by the FIT program.
F.
Agency exemptions from personnel
certification requirements.
(1) At its
discretion, the FIT program may issue to an early intervention provider agency
an exemption from personnel qualifications for a specific developmental
specialist position. The exemption shall be in effect only for one year from
the date it is issued.
(2) An
exemption from certification is for a specific position and is to be used in
situations when the early intervention provider agency can demonstrate that it
has attempted actively to recruit personnel who meet the certification
requirements but is currently unable to locate qualified personnel.
(3) Early intervention provider agencies
shall not bill for early intervention services delivered by a non-certified
developmental specialist unless the FIT program has issued an exemption for
that position.
(4) Documentation of
efforts to hire personnel meeting the certification requirements shall be
maintained.
G.
Family service coordinators.
(1)
Family service coordinators shall possess a bachelor's degree in health,
education or social service field or a bachelor's degree in another field plus
two years' experience in community, health or social services.
(2) If an early intervention provider agency
is unable to hire suitable candidates meeting the above requirements, a person
can be hired as a family service coordinator with an associate of arts degree
and at least three years' experience in community, health or social
services.
(3) Early intervention
provider agencies may request a waiver from the FIT program, to hire family
service coordinators who do not meet the qualifications listed above but do
meet cultural, linguistic, or other specific needs of the population served or
an individual who is the parent of a child with a developmental delay or
disability.
(4) All individuals
must meet all training requirements for family service coordinators in
accordance with FIT program standards within one-year of being hired.
H.
Supervision of early
intervention personnel providing direct services.
(1) Early intervention provider agencies
shall ensure that developmental specialists and all other direct providers of
early intervention (employees and subcontractors), and family service
coordinators receive monthly planned and ongoing reflective
supervision.
(2) The early
intervention provider agency shall maintain documentation of supervision
activities conducted.
(3)
Supervision of other early intervention personnel shall comply with the
requirements of other appropriate licensing and regulatory agencies for each
discipline.