SD27 - Barriers to the Development of Locally Designed Community-Based Systems of Early Intervention Services


Executive Summary:
The Early Intervention Task Force met six times during the first year of the study. The Task Force heard presentations on prevention and early intervention theory, reviewed budgetary and program information, received public testimony, visited programs in a variety of community settings, discussed policy concerns, and considered recommendations for legislation to respond to barriers localities face in developing and supporting early intervention services and programs.

On the basis of its findings, the Commission on Youth offers the following recommendations in the areas of Legislative Revisions and Executive Branch Actions:

Recommendation 1:

Amend the Code of Virginia to include a standard definition of "prevention" and "early intervention" (in addition to the required relevant federal mandates) as related to the (i) Comprehensive Services Act State Trust Fund, (ii) Child Welfare Services System, and (iii) Council on Coordinating Prevention.

Recommendation 2:

Request the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources, Education, and Public Safety, review existing prevention and early intervention programs and develop suggestions for streamlining administrative structures without reducing service capacity and report to the Early Intervention Task Force by November 15, 1995.

Recommendation 3:

Amend the Comprehensive Services State Executive Council responsibilities to include (i) development of incentives for local planning and coordination of comprehensive services to children, youth, and their families, (ii) development and dissemination of a state annual progress report and plan for comprehensive services to children, youth, and families by January 1 of each year, and (iii) coordination of discretionary prevention and early intervention grant programs sponsored by the participating child serving agencies.

Recommendation 4:

Discretionary grant programs administered by child-serving agencies should adopt a bottom-up process of developing statewide plans in which local communities have a .structured role for having input into the goals and program models applicable for funding.

Recommendation 5:

Request the Secretaries of Health and Human Resources, Education, and Public Safety assess the feasibility of developing common regional structures.

Recommendation 6:

Request the Comprehensive Services State Executive Council update the prevention and early intervention funding profile and distribute it to Community Policy and Management Teams and members of the General Assembly on an annual basis.