§ 2550 — Responsibilities of lead agency

§ 2550. Responsibilities of lead agency. 1. The lead agency is\nresponsible for the general administration and supervision of programs\nand activities receiving assistance under this title, and the monitoring\nof programs and activities used by the state to carry out this title,\nwhether or not such programs or activities are receiving assistance made\navailable under this title, to ensure that the state complies with the\nprovisions of this title.\n 2. In meeting the requirements of subdivision one of this section, the\nlead agency shall adopt and use proper methods of administering the\nearly intervention program, including:\n (a) establishing standards for evaluators, service coordinators and\nproviders of early intervention services;\n (b) approving, and periodically re-approving evaluators, service\ncoordinators and providers of early intervention services who meet\ndepartment standards; provided however that the department may require\nthat approved evaluators, service coordinators and providers of early\nintervention services enter into agreements with the department in order\nto conduct evaluations or render service coordination or early\nintervention services in the early intervention program. Such agreements\nshall set forth the terms and conditions of participation in the\nprogram. If the department requires that such providers enter into\nagreements with the department for participation in the program,\n"approval" or "approved" as used in this title shall mean a provider who\nis approved by the department in accordance with department regulations\nand has entered into an agreement with the department for the provision\nof evaluations, service coordination or early intervention services. The\ndepartment shall use best efforts to ensure provider capacity in the\nearly intervention program.\n (c) monitoring of agencies, institutions and organizations under this\ntitle and agencies, institutions and organizations providing early\nintervention services which are under the jurisdiction of a state early\nintervention service agency;\n (d) enforcing any obligations imposed on those agencies under this\ntitle or Part H of the federal individuals with disabilities education\nact and its regulations;\n (e) providing training and technical assistance to those agencies,\ninstitutions and organizations, including initial and ongoing training\nand technical assistance to municipalities to help enable them to\nidentify, locate and evaluate eligible children, develop IFSPs, ensure\nthe provision of appropriate early intervention services, promote the\ndevelopment of new services, where there is a demonstrated need for such\nservices and afford procedural safeguards to infants and toddlers and\ntheir families;\n (f) correcting deficiencies that are identified through monitoring;\nand\n (g) in monitoring early intervention services, the commissioner shall\nprovide municipalities with the results of any review of early\nintervention services undertaken and shall provide the municipalities\nwith the opportunity to comment thereon.\n 3. The commissioner, through a comprehensive system of personnel\ndevelopment, shall promote the availability of qualified personnel to\nprovide evaluations and early intervention services to eligible children\nand their families.\n