Ohio Department of Health Ohio.gov

Help Me Grow Service Coordinator Credentials

Overview

Service Coordinators must meet requirements to apply for the Service Coordinators Credential within one calendar year after initial date of employment.

The Service Coordinator credential will be issued by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) when the service coordinator meets the following requirements:

  • Minimum of an associate’s degree from an accredited college or university in a major field of study related to early childhood
  • Attendance at all required training in-service sessions (see Training and Development, Required Training)
  • Completion of the skills inventory with a clinical supervisor’s approval

Renewal of the Service Coordinator credential will be granted upon application to ODH with documentation of completion of 20 hours of continuing education units as approved by Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Ohio Counselor and Social Work Board, Ohio Board of Nursing, a certificate of attendance from trainings or workshops sponsored by ODH/Bureau of Early Intervention Services (BEIS), or any conference/in-service in a related field of study. (See Credential Renewal.)

Questions about credential eligibility can be directed to Wendy Grove, Training Supervisor at wendy.grove@odh.ohio.gov or Rosa Johnson, Executive Secretary at rosa.johnson@odh.ohio.gov.

Training

Every Help Me Grow service coordinator who applies for the credential or the provisional must attend all required training sessions within the first year of employment as a service coordinator.

Required trainings include:

  • Help Me Grow System: The Basics
  • Home Visiting Best Practices/Service Coordination
  • Individualized Family Service Plan
  • Infant Toddler Development (PAT or postsecondary class in Child Development also meets this requirement)
  • Keys to Care giving (NCAST or Infants Can’t Wait also meets this requirement)
  • Screening

NOTE: The Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Early Intervention Services reserves the right to require additional trainings, workshops, etc. for credentialing purposes.

Demonstration of Skills

Every Help Me Grow service coordinator who applies for the credential or the provisional must demonstrate competencies and be properly qualified in the following content areas:

  1. Infant/Toddler Growth and Development
  2. Help Me Grow Part C Eligibility/Screening/Evaluation/Ongoing Assessment
  3. Family and Community Relationships
  4. Service Coordination
  5. IFSP Development/Monitoring of Services
  6. Legislation/Policies/Program Administration
  7. Professional Development

NOTE: A “properly qualified” service coordinator can demonstrate a minimum of 90% competency in each competency area.

Application for Credentials

Applying for the Service Coordinator Credential involves:

  1. Completion and submission of the application by the service coordinator to the Ohio Department of Health
  2. Verification by the clinical supervisor that the service coordinator meets education requirements, has completed training, and achieved at least 90% competency on the skills inventory

This page last updated on 4/11/08.