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The Florida Senate

2001 Florida Statutes

Section 391.303, Florida Statutes 2001

391.303  Program requirements.--

(1)  Developmental evaluation and intervention services shall be established at each hospital that provides Level II or Level III neonatal intensive care services. Program services shall be made available to an infant or toddler identified as being at risk for developmental disabilities, or identified as medically involved, who, along with his or her family, would benefit from program services. Program services shall be made available to infants or toddlers in a Level II or Level III neonatal intensive care unit or in a pediatric intensive care unit, infants who are identified as being at high risk for hearing impairment or who are hearing-impaired, or infants who have a metabolic or genetic disorder. The developmental evaluation and intervention programs are subject to the availability of moneys and the limitations established by the General Appropriations Act or chapter 216. Hearing screening, evaluation and referral services, and initial developmental assessments services shall be provided to each infant or toddler. Other program services may be provided to an infant or toddler, and the family of the infant or toddler, who do not meet the financial eligibility criteria for the Children's Medical Services program based on the availability of funding, including insurance and fees.

(2)  Each developmental evaluation and intervention program shall have a program director, a medical director, and necessary staff to carry out the program. The program director shall establish and coordinate the developmental evaluation and intervention program. The program shall include, but is not limited to:

(a)  In-hospital evaluation and intervention services, parent support and training, and family support planning and case management.

(b)  Screening and evaluation services to identify each infant at risk of hearing impairment, and a medical and educational followup and care management program for an infant who is identified as hearing-impaired, with management beginning as soon after birth as practicable. The medical management program must include the genetic evaluation of an infant suspected to have genetically determined deafness and an evaluation of the relative risk.

(c)  Regularly held multidisciplinary team meetings to develop and update the family support plan. In addition to the family, a multidisciplinary team may include a physician, physician assistant, psychologist, psychotherapist, educator, social worker, nurse, physical or occupational therapist, speech pathologist, developmental evaluation and intervention program director, case manager, others who are involved with the in-hospital and posthospital discharge care plan, and anyone the family wishes to include as a member of the team. The family support plan is a written plan that describes the infant or toddler, the therapies and services the infant or toddler and his or her family need, and the intended outcomes of the services.

(d)  Discharge planning by the multidisciplinary team, including referral and followup to primary medical care and modification of the family support plan.

(e)  Education and training for neonatal and pediatric intensive care services staff, volunteers, and others, as needed, in order to expand the services provided to high-risk, developmentally disabled, medically involved, or hearing-impaired infants and toddlers and their families.

(f)  Followup intervention services after hospital discharge, to aid the family and the high-risk, developmentally disabled, medically involved, or hearing-impaired infant's or toddler's transition into the community. Support services shall be coordinated at the request of the family and within the context of the family support plan.

(g)  Referral to and coordination of services with community providers.

(h)  Educational materials about infant care, infant growth and development, community resources, medical conditions and treatments, and family advocacy. Materials regarding hearing impairments shall be provided to each parent or guardian of a hearing-impaired infant or toddler.

(i)  Involvement of the parents and guardians of each identified high-risk, developmentally disabled, medically involved, or hearing-impaired infant or toddler.

History.--s. 12, ch. 89-379; s. 25, ch. 91-282; s. 7, ch. 94-140; s. 1040, ch. 95-148; s. 27, ch. 98-288.

Note.--Former s. 383.215(4).