005.18.37-10. School-Based Day Treatment Programs Guidelines.
AR ADC 005.18.37-10Arkansas Administrative Code
Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.37-10
005.18.37-10. School-Based Day Treatment Programs Guidelines.
A. Day Treatment is the most intensive non-residential program that can be provided over an extended period of time. School-based day treatment permits access to community-based mental health services in conjunction with and integrated into the child's educational program. Day Treatment brings together at one site, and in a coordinated manner, a broad range of services designed to strengthen individual and family functioning, and prevent youngsters from requiring more restrictive services.
B. A student identified as eligible for special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed to meet his unique needs. This IEP is designed to provide special education and related services necessary for the student to benefit from his education, and is to be implemented in the least restrictive environment determined to be appropriate by an IEP Team. For some students, the least restrictive environment for implementing an IEP is an approved school-based day treatment program.
B. A student's treatment team should be representative of a multidisciplinary, community-based approach combining educational and mental health elements and other services as needed, which may include social work, psychological testing, and case management. An appropriately credentialed mental health professional is an integral part of an effective school-based day treatment program. This treatment team will be responsible for designing behavior support plans.
C. A school-based day treatment program shall operate consistent with State standards for length of instructional day. However, the length of time a student will participate is based upon the individual student's needs. For students identified as eligible to receive special education services, such participation is determined in accordance with an IEP.
1. Each school-based day treatment classroom will maintain a staff to student ratio of 1 to 3. No classroom shall exceed nine students per classroom, which requires a ratio of three adults to nine students. The 1:3 classroom shall utilize, at a minimum, the services of one (1) full-time teacher and one (1) full-time paraprofessional. In the day treatment model, additional staffing would include a full time mental health paraprofessional.
See self-contained classroom requirements in Section 17.00 of the document Special Education and Related Services: Procedural Requirements and Program Standards (ADE, 2000).
1. The instructional program should be designed to address a student's social, psychological, educational, and vocational needs. Important aspects of the instructional program include, at a minimum, a curriculum that accommodates students according to their needs; appropriate sequences of activities designed to facilitate learning; an environment which provides positive behavioral supports; and the provision of a social skills component. A close relationship between the instructional program and the clinical program is demonstrated through the integration of clinical treatment into the student's instructional day.
2. Interventions and goals will vary according to the ages and needs of the students. The program should be designed to enable these students to experience success in academic and social endeavors. The degree to which each student will participate in the general education program will be determined by the Treatment Team/IEP Team. Participation in the “mainstream” will assist students in maintaining ties to the general school program/community and facilitate interaction/integration.
c. The certified/licensed instructor will develop the instructional plan for each student. For students with disabilities determined eligible under the IDEA, this will include the formal review and/or revision of the IEPs. Instructional plans of students not eligible under the IDEA, but who are determined eligible for this program in accordance with DSM-IV-R criteria, must be reviewed and revised on a schedule similar to that used in the review and revision of IEPs.
Personnel responsible for case management shall assure that students receive services needed, that all assessments are coordinated, that plans are based on these assessments and executed by brokering necessary services, that adequacy of services is reviewed through student progress, and that cooperation among agencies providing services is achieved. Providers of targeted case management services must meet requirements established by the Arkansas Medicaid Program to qualify for Medicaid reimbursement.
The need for individual and/or group therapy shall be determined by the treatment team and provided by a mental health professional. For students identified as eligible for services under the IDEA, any therapies addressing individual and/or family needs will be considered a component of the school-based day treatment program and not a related service. Family therapy based on family needs and issues will be offered to the student and his family. The treatment team will determine the frequency and intensity of sessions.
Treatment personnel will be systematically included in classroom activities for program integration.
Consistent with special education regulations, parents must have the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of their child's educational program. In addition, mental health standards provide that family needs and strengths should be considered as services are developed and provided for students with emotional problems. Moreover, research has shown that working with the family can positively impact the student's in-school behavior. Maximum parental and family involvement, therefore, must be a goal of day treatment. Each program should convey that family participation is both desired and expected.
Family involvement is promoted through setting clear expectations for such involvement during the intake process and during conferences in which the treatment plan and the educational program are updated. Additional opportunities for family involvement may include family counseling, parent training and family support groups. In-home counseling and contact through case managers may be used to ensure family participation.
A planning and implementation team representing all participating agencies must be formed at the local level to develop and implement the school-based day treatment program.
City and county officials who may be considered as possible resources to assist the school-based day treatment program staff with funding, provision of related services, transportation, materials, volunteers, community public relations and awareness are
The provision of school-based day treatment services is a cooperative effort between a local school district and mental health service providers. Therefore, the planning and implementation team, which includes representatives of the participating agencies and/or organizations, will define roles and responsibilities of each agency/organization. In a school-based program, however, the local school superintendent retains administrative responsibility for final decisionmaking.
Any student can be deemed eligible for day treatment if the following criteria are met
A primary diagnosis of substance abuse or developmental disability does not, in and of itself, qualify a student to participate in a school-based day treatment program. However, this is not to exclude a student who has a dual diagnosis of substance abuse or developmental delay and otherwise meets the eligibility criteria.
A. Eligible students with disabilities under the IDEA who are receiving special education and related services in an approved school-based day treatment program in accordance with their IEPs may be counted on the December 1 child count to generate federal special education funds. [Student(s) must have an IEP and be receiving special education and related services on December 1.]
C. State funding for education is based on an amount per student referred to as the Base Local Revenue per Student. These dollars incorporate previous funding for special education. Thus, for a district to establish a day treatment program, it will need to restructure its state/local expenditures for special education and related services.
D. In accordance with § 17.06 of the regulations in the document, Special Education and Related Services: Procedural Requirements and Program Standards (ADE, 2000) districts may include a limited number of students who are not eligible under the IDEA, but who have been properly diagnosed with emotional disturbance and who need school-based day treatment services. These students may NOT be counted in the December 1 child count for federal funds.
E. A school district which is enrolled as a Medicaid provider for speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and targeted case management may bill Medicaid for the provision of these services to Medicaid eligible students who are in the day treatment program. If the district chooses not to enroll as the provider, it may seek an enrolled provider for these services, which would then bill Medicaid.
F. The mental health providers working with the district in the provision of services in the day treatment program may be eligible to bill Medicaid for certain mental health services. The district and the mental health provider should work together to determine the extent of billing that is available.
G. In some cases, special education and related services provided to a student in the day treatment program may be so costly as to qualify for reimbursement under the category of “catastrophic occurrences.” See Section 24.00 of the document, Special Education and Related Services: Procedural Requirements and Program Standards (ADE, 2000) for details.
Current with amendments received through February 15, 2024. Some sections may be more current, see credit for details.
Ark. Admin. Code 005.18.37-10, AR ADC 005.18.37-10
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