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Requirements for Multidisciplinary Agencies

The following minimum requirements must be demonstrated by a provider agency to be enrolled in First Steps.

Multidisciplinary agencies must:

  • Register the business with the Indiana Secretary of State
  • Be in good standing with Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Indiana Department of Revenue
  • Maintain enrollment with a minimum of ten** First Steps providers within each service area. Of the ten providers, two must be from each of the following disciplines:
    • Developmental therapy
    • Occupational therapy
    • Physical therapy
    • Speech therapy (specifically SLP)

**Providers enrolled with a multidisciplinary agency and counted as part of the minimum providers for the agency, MUST be working as at least .25 FTE.

  • Have the ability to obtain and provide all other required services through employment, written agreement or contract with the exception of Service Coordination 470 IAC 3.1-1-26
  • Successfully demonstrate the ability to bill insurance and/or documentation of satisfactorily completing approved Third Party Liability (TPL) training
  • Have a physical location of business accessible and open to the public at least five days per week during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m – 5 p.m.)
  • Have an agreement to work within specific service areas to ensure that all areas of the state have adequate access to services
  • Have a quality assurance structure with written policies and procedures to meet all contractual obligations, including but not limited to compliance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
  • Have established procedures to ensure quality fiscal controls and billing, with knowledge of coding and therapy terminology
  • Have a structure that provides staff support, continued education and mentoring for providers, with a clear line of authority and supervision of compliance of guidelines and quality of work, defined as:

Documentation

  • Ensure face-to-face sheets used by all providers meet state requirements.
  • Maintain original billing documentation in a central and secure location.
  • Monitor face-to-face sheets to ensure completeness, appropriate use of ICD-10 codes, and justification of services billed.
  • Track submission of progress reports to ensure timeliness, use of correct format, and justification of service level provided.
  • Assist providers with completion of enrollment, credential, and re-credential paperwork.  Credentialing records should be kept on file with the agency.

Training / education

  • Provide mentoring for new and inexperienced providers.
  • Monitor provider compliance with enrollment, initial, and annual training requirements.
  • Provide state-directed trainings within a specified time frame.
  • Conduct semi-annual trainings related to service delivery topics.
  • Educate providers regarding written SPOE procedures for the respective service area.
  • Communicate expectations for appropriate service levels, including clear guidelines for reduction and discharge.

Quality assurance

  • Maintain regular communication between a designated agency supervisor and SPOE to discuss and resolve concerns and issues.
  • Participate on the Local Planning and Coordinating Council (LPCC).
  • Establish plan for measuring family satisfaction with service provision.
  • Review levels of service provision at least quarterly and provide feedback, when appropriate.
  • Present a concrete plan for ensuring that services are available in all parts of the service area, including remote and historically underserved areas
  • Maintain written procedures for compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
  • Implement corrective action plans and subsequent monitoring for providers who are found to be out of compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, or any IDEA Part C laws, rules, and policies, including the First Steps policy manual.

Designate a single agency administrator for communication with state employees and contractors regarding complaints and other quality issues.