Western Region Transition Planning
Home > Health & Legal Care > UIC DSCC
2815 West Washington, Suite 300
Box 19481
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9481
Phone: (800) 322-3722
http://www.uic.edu/hsc/dscc/index.htm
The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is the Illinois Title V agency that provides care coordination for children birth to 21 years with special health care needs and their families.
Services available: DSCC offers care coordination to all medically eligible children and youth. DSCC helps the family to arrange, coordinate and, when eligible, pay for specialized medical treatment. Diagnostic evaluations may be available at no cost. DSCC administers a Home and Community Based Services Medicaid Waiver program for children who are medically fragile/technology dependent. If eligible for this program, services include shift nursing, respite, medical equipment, supplies and more. DSCC care coordination teams assist youth/families in many different areas of transition with an emphasis on health care transition. Resource and referral information is available to interested parties.
Eligibility: Illinois resident, age-birth through 21 years, with an eligible medical condition. Financial assistance for specialized medical care is available to those meeting certain criteria. Examples of medical conditions that may be eligible are heart defects, hearing loss, orthopedic conditions, neurological conditions, certain birth defects, urinary impairments, eye conditions, disfiguring defects like cleft lip/palate, speech conditions requiring medical/dental care, hemophilia and cystic fibrosis.
Application: Regional offices throughout the State serve the communities. Applications are available on line at www.uid.edu/hsc/dscc or by contacting any regional office. If using the online application, it must be printed off, signed and faxed or mailed to DSCC. Interested parties may call 1-800-322-3722 to ask questions or request an application.
Required documentation: DSCC reviews medical reports to determine if a child/youth has an eligible medical condition. A plan of treatment for the eligible medical condition will be obtained from a DSCC approved managing specialist to verify the condition is chronic (expected to persist for at least 6 months) and amenable to treatment (i.e., that treatment produces a desirable effect on the eligible impairment which can be measured and shown to exceed that which would have occurred as the result of time, expected growth or maturation) Families complete the DSCC application, provide information about their health insurance, and authorize release of information. If requesting help paying for medical care, families need to also complete the financial section of the application.
Referral: DSCC accepts referrals from families, friends, agencies and providers. Care coordinators also refer families to other public and private agencies as requested to further support the special needs of the child/youth. DSCC has gathered a wealth of information on transition resources that are available on our web page at: http://internet.dscc.uic.edu/dsccroot/parents/transition.asp
DSCC Transition Services: Transition anticipatory guidance is shared with youth and families to facilitate assessment and transition planning. DSCC’s anticipatory guidance tools/materials provide information, resources, strategies and skill building activities in the areas of health care, education, finances, living arrangements, social recreational opportunities, and employment. A Resource List with contact information for the service area of each regional office including Centers for Independent Living, Division of Developmental Disabilities: Independent Service Coordination, Division of Rehabilitation Services, Illinois Employment Training Centers, Local Transition Planning Committees (TPCs), Social Security Administration Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWIC), Parent Training and Information Centers and the Next Steps Program is available in each regional office to facilitate referrals to transition services throughout Illinois.
DSCC Individualized Service Plan (ISP): An Individualized Service Plan (ISP) is to be completed for every child/youth in the program by the identified and accountable care coordination team, family and child/youth. The transition ISP is to be initiated when the youth reaches age 14. Goals and outcomes will be documented in the plan. ISPs are reviewed with the youth/family every 6 months and updated at least annually.