Intake Process
Potential clients may contact us directly to inquire about services or be referred by one of our community partners (Goodhue County Social Services, The Mayo Clinic, Fernbrook, etc.).
Potential clients that qualify for our services (based on age, disability, and insurance) will be placed on the waiting list. The intake process will continue as the clinical team and family have availability. The intake process includes 7 steps (see below).
Potential clients in need of a Comprehensive Medical Necessity Evaluation (CMDE) should review the CMDE Checklist (linked below).
Potential clients who already have a current CMDE will not be required to complete step 2 in the intake process and only the ITP will be developed, reviewed, and approved.
What to Expect
1
Consultation
During the consultation, the clinical team will review your child’s and family’s needs, including the desires you have for your child’s growth and independence. As a part of the consultation, interview questions will be asked that specifically pertain to your child’s strengths and areas for improvement. The consultation includes a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Family Support Specialist. This meeting takes about one hour.
2
CMDE Interview
The CMDE interview is conducted by River City Therapy Center’s Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LCP). The CMDE interview will include gathering a lot of information about your child, family, and background, and will take about one hour. This information may be difficult to answer on the spot, so please refer to the CMDE checklist to prepare the type of information we will be needing.
3
Additional Assessments
After the initial interviews, the clinical team will work with your family to schedule additional observations and assessments. The assessments are scheduled for up to 2 hours at a time and may be scheduled across several days depending on the number of assessments used, your child’s participation, and your child’s level of support needed.
4
CMDE & ITP Development
The LCP will review all the information and documents you have provided and write the report to determine medical necessity for services and the recommended number of treatment hours per week. At the same time, the BCBA will begin to develop your child’s individual treatment plan (ITP).
The time to write these reports takes anywhere from 2-8 weeks after assessments have been completed. The clinical team will communicate with you throughout this process and will be available for any questions. Additionally, we will do our best to complete the reports as quickly as possible without reducing the quality of the reports.
During this time, a coordinated care conference may be held to review recommendations and gather additional information from some of your child’s other providers.
5
Review CMDE & ITP with Caregivers
Once the CMDE and ITP are completed, the clinical team will schedule a meeting with you to review both reports. During this meeting, families are encouraged to ask questions and provide feedback on goals.
6
CMDE & ITP get Approved
If you agree the CMDE accurately reflects your child’s and family needs and the ITP goals match those needs, you will sign the documents, consenting to your child’s treatment. If you do not agree, we will do our best to make changes that accurately reflect and meet your child’s and family needs and gather signatures once completed. The reports are also signed by the LCP and submit to insurance for authorization.
7
Start Date for Services Determined
Once both the CMDE and ITP are signed, a start date for services will be determined. Individual services may be started that day or be scheduled for a later date. Start dates depend on staffing and your family’s schedule. We will do our best to accommodate your child’s start date without compromising the quality of their therapy. Family Skills Training & Support (FSTS) sessions can be scheduled prior to the start of individual services, especially in the case of a delayed start for individual services. We recommend this option to start building a therapeutic relationship and working through home and community-based concerns.