SERVICE POLICY GUIDELINES
PREVENTION AND PRENATAL DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES
Tri-Counties Regional Center is committed to the prevention of developmental disabilities and to the minimization of the impact of disability through prevention activities and prenatal diagnostic services.
Tri-Counties Regional Center may provide, or authorize funding for, prevention activities and prenatal diagnostic services for individuals and their families and for individuals who are at high risk of giving birth to a child with a developmental disability. In particular, Tri-Counties Regional Center will refer at-risk babies or toddlers to the Prevention Resource and Referral Services (PRRS) program operated by the local Family Resource Centers in each county for children under the age of three years who are found not eligible for the Early Start Program, but who need developmental monitoring for high risk factors that could result in a developmental disability.
Consideration for funding requires a clinical determination that there is a substantial risk and that the service has a high likelihood of preventing a developmental disability or of reducing the impact of a developmental disability. These activities and services, to the extent feasible, will be provided by appropriate generic agencies including, but not limited to, county Department(s) of Health, perinatal centers and genetic centers.
Prior to the authorization of regional center funding, an exploration of the availability of private, personal, or generic resources will be exhausted. Tri-Counties Regional Center will ensure that prevention activities and prenatal diagnostic services are to be funded from regional center purchase of service funds only when funding for these services is not available from local generic agencies including, but not limited to: Medi-Cal; California Children’s Services; any other public funding source; and/or, private insurance.
Tri-Counties Regional Center will not authorize funding of any prevention activity or prenatal diagnostic service that is considered experimental, optional, or elective in nature. The expected result of the provision of any prevention activity or prenatal diagnostic service is the prevention of developmental disabilities and/or the minimization of the impact of disability. The provision of prevention activity or service must be both clinically and fiscally an effective use of public funds.
Exception Policy:
Tri-Counties Regional Center recognizes that some individual needs are so unique that they may not be addressed in this Service Policy and may require an exception. Such requests for an exception to a Service Policy will be made through the Planning Team process.
Clarification of Terms:
Prevention activities and prenatal diagnostic services involve measures intended to avert the occurrence or minimize the impact of the effects of a developmental disability. Prevention activities and prenatal diagnostic services are directed at both the individual and the community in general. These activities and services take place on a variety of levels including: public information about risk factors associated with pregnancy; prenatal diagnosis; and, genetic counseling.
Approvals:
