Visiting, Scheduling, & Attendance Expectations

Scheduling Visits

1. Home visits are scheduled in advance and at a time mutually agreed upon by the provider and family, and taking into consideration the Individualized Family Service Plan frequency.

2. Providers are responsible for clearly communicating:

• Date and time of the visit

Location or service setting

3. Visits must be scheduled to align with:

• IFSP service frequency, intensity, and duration

• Timely service delivery and continuity, as required under Alaska EI/ILP standards

4. Standing or recurring appointments may be used when they support family preference, consistency, and IFSP implementation

5. If FSC occurs at a visit, document this within the daily note under the FSC tab.

Confirming visits

1. Providers make reasonable efforts to confirm scheduled visits prior to the appointment (typically the day before or day of the visit).

2. When confirming visits, providers will use clear language that reflects the confirmation of visit in a voicemail message, text or call (e.g., “we are scheduled to meet at 10:00 and will see you then”) rather than phrasing that invites cancel (e.g., “I’m calling to confirm, do you still want a visit?”), which may be interpreted as provider-initiated cancellation.

• A lack of response from the family does not constitute a cancellation in most cases (see repeated cancels/no shows below).

3. Confirmation efforts support family engagement and do not replace the provider’s obligation to make good-faith efforts to deliver home-based services.

Attending Scheduled Visits

Providers are expected to attend scheduled visits—this demonstrates compliance with Alaska EI/ILP expectations regarding timely service delivery and good-faith implementation of the IFSP.

1. Providers are expected to attend all scheduled visits unless the family directly cancels or reschedules.

2. Providers should not independently cancel visits based solely on:

• No response to confirmation attempts (see repeated cancels/no shows below)

• Assumptions regarding family availability

3. If the provider arrives at the scheduled visit and the family cancels at the door, the visit will be documented as a cancel by family.

4. If the provider arrives at the scheduled visit and the family is not present, the visit will be documented as a family no-show.

Move to Telehealth/Remote for Weather or Illness

1. When weather is severe and the agency requires visits to shift to telehealth or remote services, providers will:

Contact families to inform them that the agency has moved visits to telehealth/remote.

• Families may complete visits online, except for evaluations and consultations.

• Consultations that are not an evaluation may be moved to telehealth if they are part of a regular coaching session.

• If families are offered telehealth and decline, the visit is documented as CXF.

2. When families and/or providers are mildly ill but still able to participate online, providers will offer telehealth as appropriate.

• Visits may be completed online, except for evaluations and consultations.

• Consultations may be moved if they are part of a regular coaching session.

• If families are offered telehealth and decline, the visit is documented as CXF.

Note: evaluations are not completed remotely. Any exception to this must be reviewed with a team manager prior to the requested exception.

Repeated Cancels and No-Shows

Exceptions to the above practice must be discussed with your manager, due to a need to demonstrate due diligence and meet family rights under IDEA. However, it is important to address where there is a pattern of missed visits occurring:

1. Providers must follow-up with the family and potentially their team manager to problem-solve, identify and address barriers to family participation.

2. Strategies may include:

• Requiring same-day confirmation when appropriate

• Revisiting scheduling needs or service times

• Adjusting visit frequency or format consistent with the IFSP

• Involving a supervisor or service coordinator

• For OCS enrolled children—engage the worker

3. Any changes to service delivery must be documented and, when applicable, reflected in the IFSP or service coordination notes, consistent with Alaska EI/ILP requirements.

What to do when families are not engaged in services?

See Safeguards sections for 10-day and 30-day letters and duties.