Service coordination is a critical part of the early intervention system. To support the important work of service coordinators in Virginia, resources, information, and training opportunities related to providing service coordination will be posted here.
For more information about Virginia’s service coordination training program and to register for upcoming trainings, visit the Kaleidoscope: New Perspectives in Service Coordination page.
Virginia's comprehensive system of personnel development includes mechanisms to assure a basic level of competency for initial early intervention certification as well as continued development of expertise through the certification requirements and trainings offered under the auspices or approved by of the Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia.
All early intervention practitioners are required to meet Core Competencies 1.0 through 9.4 in order to provide supports and services to children and families.
In addition to meeting Competencies 1.0-9.4, service coordinators are required to meet competencies 10.0-10.7.
Service Coordinator Responsibilities
Infant & Toddler Connection of VA
This document outlines the specific service coordinator responsibilities listed in the VA Practice Manual for each step in the early intervention process.
VA's Integrated Training Collaborative
Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU
This practice guide describes nine coaching practices service coordinators can use to help families participate in the early intervention process, share information, access resources, and solve problems. To learn more, consider completing the online course, Yes, Service Coordinators Can Use Coaching!, which is available on the VA Early Intervention eLearning Center site (scroll down to find the course under Ongoing Professional Development Courses).
How Your Service Coordinator Can Help You
I&TC of Arlington
This one-page handout can be used to help families identify who their service coordinator is and what roles he/she plays in early intervention supports and services.
Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators
Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators (A Closer Look at KSSC Infographics)
Workgroup on Recommended Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators
National Service Coordination Leadership Institute Group
DEC Service Coordination Community of Practice
This document was designed to build awareness of the foundational knowledge and skills that are necessary for quality service coordination in early intervention. It outlines six specific knowledge or skill indicators and supporting abilities that all service coordinators need when supporting families and working as team members. A self-assessment is also available to help programs and service coordinators reflect on the knowledge and skill indicators.
Monthly Medicaid Contact Form for Service Coordinators
Infant & Toddler Connection of Alexandria
This form was created to help service coordinators gather information during regular contacts with families. Information that can be documented with this form includes service coordination goals addressed, child progress, health and medical updates, changes in familly routines, coaching/service delivery updates, and family satisfaction. (Please note that a monthly contact is not a state requirement but is a local requirement in some systems. Check with your local system manager about local requirements.)
Service Coordination Activity Note – Templates
I&TC of the Rappahannock Area
These templates can be adapted for any local system and have been approved by the VA Part C office as meeting requirements for service coordination contact note documentation.
Service Coordination in Early Intervention - Division for Early Childhood and IDEA Infant & Toddler Coordinators Association Joint Position Statement (external website)
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council of Exceptional Children
This joint position statement and executive summary acknowledge the importance of early intervention (EI) service coordination and recognize the expertise and needs of the professionals who provide this service. This statement includes a call to action and information about knowledge, skills, beliefs, expertise, roles, and responsibilities of service coordinators. The statement also includes a specific guidance document, Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators, which can also be accessed separately.
Supporting Families In Early Intervention
VA's Integrated Training Collaborative
Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU
There are 3 Virginia organizations who serve families (for FREE) at every stage, including the EI years. This handout provides helpful links to reach those organizations.
Bruder, M. B. (2010). Coordinating services with families. (external website) In. R. A. McWilliam (Ed.), Working with families of young children with special needs, (93+). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Click this link for a lengthy excerpt from the chapter above which includes information about service coordination in early intervention.
Bruder, M. B., & Dunst, C. J. (2008). Factors related to the scope of early intervention service coordinator practices. Infants & Young Children, 21(3), (external website) 176-185.
The study investigated the influence of the model of service coordination, the length and frequency of service coordination contacts, and the helpgiving practices used by service coordinators on service coordination practices, such as IFSP oversight, coordination with other services, provision of information to families, etc.
Dunst, C. J., & Bruder, M. B. (2006). Early intervention service coordination models and service coordination practices. (external website) Journal of Early Intervention, 28(3), 155-165.
This article presents information about three different models of service coordination (dedicated and independent, dedicated but not independent, and blended) and nine different service coordination practices. Strengths and limitations of the different models are discussed.
The Many Facets of Service Coordination (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU
This module is designed to orient new service coordinators to important facets of their work, including ensuring team collaboration, coordinating and monitoring EI service delivery, and accessing community resources. All new service coordinators must complete this module as part of the EI certification process.
Yes, Service Coordinators Can Use Coaching!
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative
Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU
This course is designed to educate service coordinators and supervisors on how to use coaching practices to help families participate in the early intervention process, share information, access resources, and solve problems. Learners will explore nine coaching practices, which are included in the Coaching Families During Service Coordination: Fidelity Checklist: Fillable. The implementation of these practices will be illustrated with family scenarios and learners will practice using the checklist while viewing video clips of service coordinators engaging parents. For additional information, read Coaching Families During Service Coordination, which is included in the course. To access the course, visit the the VA Early Intervention eLearning Center site and scroll down to find the title under Ongoing Professional Development Courses.
Boundaries and Ethical Considerations in Service Coordination (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Sarah Michaels, LCSW & Amy Sheldon, MEd, MSW, LCSW
Should you RSVP to that birthday party? Is there an appropriate time to click "accept" on that friend request? Is it ever harmful to buy that toy or diaper for a family in need? The nature of our work brings about opportunities to become very closely connected to the families we work with, more so as we enter into the homes of our families. No two relationships are the same, and thusly the line between professional and personal may not be as fixed as we may anticipate. In our conversation, we explore ethical situations that may come up in our work as well as some questions we may consider when it comes to establishing professional boundaries. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Can I Coach as a Service Coordinator? Absolutely! (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Casey Stultz, MAT
Join Casey Stultz and other service coordinators across Virginia in a conversation about coaching. Casey facilitates a discussion about how the characteristics of coaching and reflective questioning may be applied to the various responsibilities that are unique to the role of the service coordinator. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Coaching during Service Coordination: What Does It Look Like? (external website)
DEC Service Coordination Community of Practice
This archived webinar introduces nine practices service coordinators can use when coaching families to participate in the early intervention process, share information, access resources, and solve problems.
Collaborating with Home Visitors (external website)
Early Impact Virginia | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Lisa Denny, MSW
Families receiving early intervention services may also receive supports from early childhood home visiting professionals. Join Lisa Denny from Early Impact Virginia for a conversation about early childhood home visiting in Virginia – learn about home visiting programs, the services they provide, and discuss strategies for effective collaboration between home visiting and EI providers. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
How Do You Do It? Juggling and Overcoming Service Coordination Challenges (external website)
National Service Coordination Training Workgroup
This interactive webinar focused on the joys and challenges of service coordination. Challenges related to juggling the workload and coordinating and collaborating with team members were discussed. Facilitators used scenarios to frame the conversation and invited participants to share strategies to overcome these challenges.
Implementing the 5Rs of Healthy Brain Development (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Lisa Terry, MEd
This archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar addresses how to implement the 5R’s of Healthy Brain Development: Relationships, Responsive Interactions, Respect, Routines, and Repetition using the 5Rs to Healthy Brain Development handout. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Let's Get Real: Overcoming Teaming and Collaboration Challenges (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Cori Hill, MEd
This archived SC Chat webinar discusses 5 aspects of teaming and how they can be used to overcome common challenges faced by service coordinators in early intervention. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Let's Talk TRAC-IT: Tips, Tools, and Questions for and from Service Coordinators (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Stacie Jackson, M.Ed.
Join Stacie Jackson, ITC Staunton-Waynesboro, for a conversation regarding TRAC-IT from the perspective of the Service Coordinator. ITC Staunton-Waynesboro is directly entering info in TRAC-IT while using their agency’s EHR for billing only. This SC Chat might be more helpful for SCs who are already entering data into TRAC-IT, but all are welcome. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
The Role of the Service Coordinator in Building Relationships in Early Intervention
National Service Coordination Training Workgroup
This webinar focuses on the important role service coordinators play in building relationships with families. We will review how strong service coordination practices are reflected in the Mission and Key Principles for Providing Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments and the Division for Early Childhood’s Recommended Practices. With input from the audience, we’ll also discuss strategies service coordinators use to establish rapport, build trust, manage professional boundaries, and gather information from families. To continue the discussion, check out the Follow-Up Reflection Activity and Additional Resources.
Service Coordination and Early Intervention: A National Recognition of Importance and Respect (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Dana Childress, PhD
This archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar introduced the new DEC/ITCA Joint Position Statement: Service Coordination and Early Intervention and invited participants to think about how to use the statement in their work. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Service Coordinators Are Experts Too! (external website)
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) 2021 Annual Conference
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) 2021 Annual Conference Building on the DEC/ITCA Joint Position Statement on Service Coordination and EI, this session highlights the expertise of service coordinators (SCs) in coordinating the EI process, facilitating teams, and encouraging active family participation. SC-specific training resources will be shared to help individuals and programs support the unique role of these professionals. Click here to review the session handouts: Note-taking Form and DEC/ITCA Joint Position Statement: Service Coordination and Early Intervention.
This session was presented/recorded during the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) conference. For more information about the next upcoming conference, visit the DEC website.
Service Coordination For Children in Foster Care and Active CPS Cases (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Jada Capers, Amanda Howard
We discuss providing early intervention services to children in foster care. Topics include teaming with biological parents, foster parents, and social workers.
Service Coordination Matters – A Web Conversation to Recognize What You Bring to the EI Team (external website)
DEC Service Coordination Community of Practice
This archived webinar introduces the new Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Service Coordination Community of Practice (SC CoP) and discusses how service coordination is reflected in the DEC Recommended Practices.
Supporting Families Well: Collaborating with Families for whom English is a Second Language (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Dana Childress, PhD and Anita Perry
In this archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar, Anita Perry, an experienced service coordinator from the Infant & Toddler Connection of Richmond, shares her knowledge, experience, and passion for supporting families who are English language learners. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Telepractice vs In-Person Service Coordination (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Cori Hill, MEd
This archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar has fellow Service Coordinators share their experiences about providing services in a hybrid environment while maintaining effective Natural Learning Environment Practices. They also share what supports have been more helpful and what they would need moving forward as we adjust to the “new normal.” Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
What Do the New Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators Mean for Me? (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Cori Hill, MEd
This archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar provides an overview of the new Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators (KSSC) document which is designed to provide awareness of the foundational knowledge and skills that are necessary for quality service coordination in early intervention. Click hereto complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
What Parents Wish Service Coordinators Knew: Rights, Waivers, and Transitions (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Cori Hill, MEd and Erin Croyle
This archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar encourages service coordinators to consider a parent’s perspective on rights and procedural safeguards, Medicaid waivers, and transitions. Erin Croyle from the Center for Family Involvement provides a parent’s perspective and shares her insights during this chat. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Who's at the Door? Building Relationships with Families from the First Visits (external website)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Joshirlon Capeheart and Dana Childress, PhD
In this archived Service Coordination (SC) Chat webinar, you will hear from JoShirlon Capeheart, an experienced service coordinator from the Infant & Toddler Connection of Norfolk, as she shares her insights, strategies, and ideas for helping families understand how early intervention works, how she builds rapport and gathers information from families during first visits, how she has adapted her practices during tele-intervention, and how she builds relationships with families in challenging situations. Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Your Powerful Role in the Child Outcomes Summary Process
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
Presented by Lisa Terry, MEd
This archived Service Coordination (SC) Chats webinar addresses tools for success related to the Child Outcomes Summary process and strategies service coordinators can use when preparing families, facilitating the assessment process, and supporting family engagement.
Click here to complete a survey and obtain a certification after watching this webinar.
Be sure to check out the many tools available on the Tools of the Trade page, especially those under the Tools for Service Delivery tab. You’ll find many tools for service coordinators, including timeline calculators, checklists for the EI process and managing documentation, flowcharts, tracking charts, etc.
Coaching Families During Service Coordination: Fidelity Checklist: Fillable
VA's Integrated Training Collaborative
Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU
This checklist can be used to determine if service coordinators are using nine coaching practices with fidelity while helping families participate in the early intervention process, share information, access resources, and solve problems. To learn more about these practices, consider reading Coaching Families During Service Coordination and completing the online course, Yes, Service Coordinators Can Use Coaching!, which is available on the VA Early Intervention eLearning Center site (scroll down to find the course under Ongoing Professional Development Courses).
Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators Self-Assessment
Workgroup on Recommended Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators
National Service Coordination Leadership Institute Group
This tool can be used to help service coordinators and program leaders reflect on the six knowledge and skill areas addressed in the Knowledge and Skills for Service Coordinators (KSSC) document, which is included in the Service Coordination in Early Intervention DEC/ITCA Joint Position Statement.
Learning Bytes about Service Coordination
Learning bytes are brief learning activities that supervisors, faculty, or other leaders can use to facilitate professional development with staff and students. These activities are designed to be of short duration and include instructions, handouts, links, worksheets and answer keys (as needed) to help you facilitate the activity with small or large groups. The learning bytes below focus on topics related to service coordination. Visit the Learning Bytes page to review or download the learning bytes or look for additional activities.
Orientation to Coaching and Natural Learning Environment Practices for Service Coordinators
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
This document outlines a 4-meeting orientation process that supervisors and mentors can use with EI service coordinators to prepare them to monitor service delivery and implement coaching and natural learning environment practices with families.
Procedural Safeguard Flowchart
Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia
This flowchart provides guidance about which procedural safeguard forms are required at each step in the early intervention process.
Tracking Charts/Spreadsheets
These resources are designed as templates that service coordinators and others can use to track important dates, timelines, and activities during the EI process.
Discussing Jake’s Progress (Coaching Example) (YouTube, video)
Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities/VCU
This video features Nosheen, a service coordinator with the Infant & Toddler Connection of Fairfax-Falls Church in Virginia, using coaching practices with Mia, Jake's mother, as they discuss concerns about progress. To see the same scenario in which the service coordinator is not using coaching practices, watch Discussing Jake's Progress (Non-Coaching Example).
Discussing Leisel’s Communication Device (Coaching Example) (YouTube, video)
Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities/VCU
This video features Christina, a service coordinator with the Infant & Toddler Connection of Fairfax-Falls Church in Virginia, using coaching practices while meeting with Benea, Leisel's mother. To see the same scenario when coaching practices were not used, watch Discussing Leisel's Communication Device (Non-Coaching Example).
How Do You Use Coaching as a Service Coordinator? – Melissa’s Perspective (YouTube, video)
How Do You Use Coaching as a Service Coordinator? – Morlinda’s Perspective (YouTube, video)
Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities/VCU
These videos feature two service coordinators with the Infant & Toddler Connection of Fairfax-Falls Church describing how they use coaching during service coordination.
What is the Goal of Service Coordination? – Melissa’s Perspective (YouTube, video)
What is the Goal of Service Coordination? – Morlinda’s Perspective (YouTube, video)
Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities/VCU
These videos feature two service coordinators with the Infant & Toddler Connection of Fairfax-Falls Church describing the goal of service coordination in early intervention.
The Importance of Service Coordination - Charlie House (YouTube, video)
Hear how one father describes the support his family received from their service coordinator and the importance of this support to his family.
How Service Coordinators Support Service Providers (YouTube, video)
Laura, a developmental services provider from the I&TC of Norfolk, describes the important role service coordinators play in supporting service providers on the IFSP team.
Laura Describes her Role as an Early Intervention Service Coordinator (YouTube, video)
VA’s Integrated Training Collaborative | Partnership for People with Disabilities
In this video, Laura, an early intervention service coordinator, describes her role and how she supports families.
Making Access Happen – Authentic Assessment Support Videos (external website)
MSDE, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services
Johns Hopkins University/Center for Technology in Education
Visit this site to view videos about elements of the EcoMap, the Routines-Based Interview, and the development of functional outcomes.
Setting the Stage for FGRBI – The Role of the Service Coordinator (external website)
Family Guided Routines Based Intervention
Florida State University and Iowa’s Early ACCESS System
Service coordinators play a vital role in supporting families in Early ACCESS. Watch as some of Iowa's service coordinators describe how they set the stage for families beginning intervention by describing FGRBI and by supporting families to identify key routines and priorities.
Research and Training Center on Service Coordination (external website)
The Research and Training Center on Service Coordination was a five-year project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. The goal of the center was to examine the status of service coordination for children with disabilities and their families receiving early intervention services under Part C of IDEA. Newsletters and other free publications can be accessed on this site related to the research findings of this project.
Service Coordination Community of Practice (SC CoP) (external website)
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
The Service Coordination Community of Practice (SC CoP) was created to recognize the value of service coordinators and give these important early intervention team members a professional home. The SC CoP offers service coordinators the opportunities to network with others across the nation, share SC-related resources and tips, and learn about topics relevant to providing high quality service coordination. Visit the site to join the CoP listserv and access resources such as archived webinars.
Service Coordination under IDEA (external website)
Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center
This resource page includes information related to the provision of service coordination in early intervention. Visit this page for a variety of resources.