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- 2 <br />2. The area mental health center target population for child service <br />coordination is the group of children served through Early Childhood <br />Intervention Services, Developmental Day Care, the mainstreamed program <br />options, and therapeutic preschools. Similarly, area mental health <br />centers should determine as soon as possible which of these children <br />are covered by Medicaid. <br />3. Under the proposed service coordination system, each child will have <br />only one service coordination agency at any one time. Likewise, <br />Medicaid will not accept service coordination reimbursement claims from <br />two agencies for the same period of time. <br />Therefore, we are requesting that each health department contact the <br />area mental health center that serves its county for the purpose of <br />both agencies sharing the names of children they currently serve in the <br />relevant programs. (Since it is in the interest of families to avoid <br />duplication of services, and since there is a division -level agreement <br />in this regard, it is permissible to share this information without <br />formal consent.) <br />4. For children covered by Medicaid currently being served by both <br />agencies, a decision must be made regarding which agency should bill <br />for the service. Decision - making regarding which agency is the most <br />appropriate service coordination agency for an individual child /family <br />will be an important part of the training workshops. <br />In the interim, we recommend that, as a general rule, the area mental <br />health centers bill for those children currently served by both <br />agencies. This is because they will be serving a generally smaller <br />proportion of the target population, and those children /families they <br />do serve are served rather intensely. <br />In each case, however, the individual decision regarding each <br />child /family should be made by the relevant agencies, and the <br />preference of the family should always be the ultimate factor in the <br />decision. <br />We realize that the commencement of Medicaid billing before the service <br />coordination system is formally implemented might introduce some confusion. <br />However, local agencies have requested the opportunity to begin earning <br />reimbursement, and the need for additional resources in this regard is <br />obvious and immediate. <br />If you should have questions regarding this matter, please feel free to . <br />contact us. Tom can be reached at (919) 733 -7437; Maurice can be reached at <br />(919) 733 -3654. <br />cc: Dr. Ann Wolfe <br />MCH Regional supervisors <br />MaryAnne Mastrianni <br />Jerry Wilkinson <br />Dr. Patricia Porter <br />Regional DD Coordinators <br />Susan Robinson <br />Lynn Stelle <br />Julie Burton <br />q <br />