Service Providers
Nursing Services
Nursing services may be provided by a medical doctor (MD), doctor of osteopathy (DO), certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP), registered nurse (RN), or licensed practical nurse (LPN).
Occupational Therapy Services
Occupational therapy evaluation services must be provided by a licensed occupational therapist. Occupational therapy treatment services must be provided by a licensed occupational therapist or a licensed occupational therapy assistant supervised by a licensed occupational therapist.
Orientation and Mobility Services
Orientation and mobility services must be provided by a an individual who possesses the following:
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- Pennsylvania Department of Education teaching certification in Visually Impaired
- Professional certification from the Association for the Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP).
Personal Care Assistant Services
A personal care assistant must be a high school graduate or have a GED. She/he must also have a current certification in first aid and CPR. These certifications must be maintained during employment.
Physical Therapy Services
Physical therapy evaluation services must be provided by a licensed physical therapist. Physical therapy treatment services must be provided by a licensed physical therapist or a licensed physical therapist assistant supervised on-site by a licensed physical therapist. Direct supervision means the individual must be on the premises to provide assistance when needed.
Psychological Services
Psychological services must be provided by a psychologist who meets one of the following credential requirements:
- License in Psychology as issued by the State Board of Psychology
- Pennsylvania Department of Education certified psychologist.
Social Worker Services
Social work services must be provided by a licensed social worker or licensed professional counselor.
Speech, Language, and Hearing Services
If a speech/language pathologist does not possess a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association or a license in speech pathology issued by the State Board of Examiners in Speech, Language, and Hearing, the service provider may participate in the SBAP if she or he meets all of the following:
- Possesses a master's degree in speech/language pathology or a master's equivalency with 36 credits, at least 30 of which are at the graduate level, from a university approved to offer graduate credits:
- At least six credits must be in speech disorders
- At least six credits must be in language disorders
- At least six credits must be in audiology
- The remaining 18 credits must be in speech/language courses
- Has documentation of 18 hours of direct on-site observation by her/his supervisor and documentation of 18 other contacts, such as telephone conversations, records reviews, IEP reviews, video observations of therapy, etc.
- Holds certification by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in speech/language pathology and has at least one year of supervised work experience in the field of speech/language pathology
Note: PDE-certified audiologists and speech pathologists who are working in the same building under the direct supervision of a qualified audiologist or a speech pathologist must obtain a supervisory signature on all their School-Based ACCESS Program Service Description Slips and Professional Services Logs.
Teacher of the Hearing Impaired Services
A qualified teacher of the hearing impaired may participate in the SBAP if she or he possesses any of the following:
- Pennsylvania license as a teacher of the hearing impaired
- Current professional certificate issued by the Council of Education of the Deaf (CED)
- Master's degree, from an accredited college or university, with a major in teacher of the hearing impaired or a master's equivalency as indicated below:
- 39 graduate semester hours
- 12 hours in curriculum and instruction
- 12 hours in language and communication
- 3 hours in foundations
- 3 hours in speech science and audiology
- 9 hours among the above-listed areas or other course work related to teaching of the hearing impaired
- 1 year of supervised experience as a teacher of the hearing impaired
- 18 hours of direct, on-site supervision and at least 18 additional contacts related to the job IEP reviews, telephone conversations, etc.
Evaluations and Assessments
Psychological Evaluations/Assessments
Prior to placing a student in special education, an evaluation or assessment occurs. Usually, a psychologist completes an evaluation. Concerning psychological evaluations or assessments, if an evaluation or assessment does not lead to placement in special education and creation of an IEP, the evaluation or assessment is not billable. When an evaluation or assessment leads to determining a need for special education and creation of an IEP, the time spent completing the evaluation/assessment is billable. Time billed includes both direct and collateral activities. The maximum billable hours for any psychological evaluation/assessment is 20 hours. The date of the IEP is used as the service billing date.
Other Professional Evaluations/Assessments
Other therapists, as well as professional nurses, may complete evaluations/assessments to determine the need for medical/mental health-related services. As long as a student is determined to meet special education criteria, and an IEP is written which lists at least one medical/mental health-related direct service, the evaluation/assessment is billable.
