Subject:  Transfer of Records from SPOE Software to Web System
Source:  Mary Corey, Director, Data Coordination
Intended Audience:  SPOEs, Service Coordinators
Date:  August 26, 2005

Q: How should SPOEs transfer annual IFSP information to the web system if the IFSP meeting date and IFSP start date are not the same? 

A:  The web system was designed such that the annual IFSP review meeting date would start a new annual IFSP period.  The primary reason for this is that federal and state regulations require that services be started and delivered in a timely fashion.  If during a meeting, services additions or changes are made, those services need to be in place very soon after the meeting.  Compliance monitoring has been identifying non-compliance when annual meetings are more than 365 days apart rather than looking at start dates of IFSPs. 

That being said, if the SPOE is transferring a child to the web system and has a case where the annual meeting date and the IFSP start date are not the same, the following steps should be taken:

1. Enter the actual meeting date in the meeting planner, realizing that the IFSP period that is created by the system will not match that of the written IFSP.

2. Enter any new authorizations with the start date indicated on the IFSP and the end date no later than the end date of the IFSP period in the system (cancelled or inactive authorizations should NOT be entered in the web system).

3.Document any and all reasons for any discrepancies between the web system and the paper IFSP in case notes.

For future reference, please be aware that in the web system, the annual IFSP meeting date and the IFSP start date are one and the same.  There is no longer a separate meeting date and IFSP start date.  Annual reviews must be held no more than 365 days after the previous initial or annual review meeting date unless there is clearly a parent or child reason for the delay.  Since it is not always possible to hold the meeting exactly one year after the previous initial or annual review, an annual review can be held prior to the end of the annual period, however, it is likely that there will be existing authorizations in place that extend beyond the date of the new meeting.  Note that an annual review meeting held before the end of the annual period will result in cancellation of any authorizations still active.

Please keep in mind that a child’s official early intervention (EI) record is comprised of both paper documents created prior to the transfer to the web system, as well as the web system for any meetings/activities that take place after the transfer to the web system.  Therefore, if the web system doesn’t correspond with historical paper documents, the paper documents will be considered the official EI record.