Part VIII. Dispute Resolution
12VAC35-225-380. Notification of complaint resolution options.
A. The department shall ensure the availability of procedures for resolving complaints through mediation, an administrative complaint, or a due process hearing.
B. The service coordinator shall inform the child's parent of all options for resolving complaints by providing written and verbal information that explains the options and the procedures for each and shall provide the parent with a contact at the department who can assist the parent in filing a complaint.
Statutory Authority
§ 2.2-5304 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 27, 2016.
12VAC35-225-390. Mediation.
A. Mediation shall be voluntary on the part of all parties; shall be available at any time to parties to disputes involving any matter under Part C, including matters arising prior to the filing of a due process complaint; and shall not be used to delay or deny a parent's right to a due process hearing.
B. The department shall maintain a list of individuals who are qualified mediators and knowledgeable in laws and regulations relating to the provision of early intervention services and shall select mediators on a random or rotational basis.
C. An individual who serves as a mediator shall not be an employee of the department, a local lead agency, or an early intervention service provider that is involved in the provision of early intervention services or other services to the child and shall not have a personal or professional interest that conflicts with the person's objectivity. A person who otherwise qualifies as a mediator shall not be considered an employee of the department, a local lead agency, or an early intervention provider solely because he is paid by the agency to serve as a mediator.
D. The department shall appoint a trained and impartial mediator within five days of receiving the request for mediation.
E. Each session in mediation shall be scheduled in a timely manner and shall be held in a location that is convenient to the parties involved in the dispute.
F. Mediation, including a written mediation agreement reflecting agreements reached by the parties to the dispute, shall be completed within 15 calendar days of the receipt by the department of notice that both parties have agreed to mediation. If resolution is not reached within 15 days, the department shall inform the parents in writing that they may request a due process hearing.
G. Extensions of the 15-day timeline may be granted for good cause. If there is a simultaneous request for mediation and a due process hearing, an extension shall not result in a violation of the 30-day timeline for completion of the due process hearing.
H. If the parties resolve the dispute through the mediation process, the parties shall execute a legally binding agreement that sets forth the resolution, states that all discussions that occurred during the mediation process are confidential and may not be used as evidence in any subsequent due process or civil proceeding, and is signed by both the parent and a representative of the local lead agency or early intervention service provider who has the authority to bind that agency.
I. The department shall bear the full cost of the mediation process.
Statutory Authority
§ 2.2-5304 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 27, 2016.
12VAC35-225-400. Due process hearing.
A. Due process hearings shall be available to the parent of any child referred to the local early intervention system to resolve complaints regarding an early intervention provider's proposal or refusal to initiate or change his child's identification, eligibility determination, or placement or to the provision of early intervention services to the child or family.
B. The department shall arrange for the appointment of an impartial hearing officer within five days following receipt of a request for a due process hearing. The due process hearing officer shall:
1. Not be an employee of the department, a local lead agency, or an early intervention service provider involved in the provision of early intervention services or the care of the child. A person who is otherwise qualified shall not be considered an employee of the department, a local lead agency, or an early intervention provider solely because he is paid by the agency to implement the due process hearing procedures;
2. Not have a personal or professional interest that conflicts with his objectivity in implementing the process;
3. Have knowledge about the provisions under Part C and the needs of and early intervention services available for children with disabilities and their families;
4. Listen to the presentation of relevant viewpoints about the due process complaint;
5. Examine information relevant to the issues;
6. Seek to reach a timely resolution of the due process complaint; and
7. Provide a record of the proceedings, including a written decision.
C. The due process hearing shall be carried out at a time and place that is reasonably convenient for the parent.
D. Any parent involved in a due process hearing shall have the right to:
1. Be accompanied and advised by counsel and by individuals with special knowledge or training with respect to early intervention services for children with disabilities;
2. Present evidence and confront, cross-examine, and compel the attendance of witnesses;
3. Prohibit the introduction of any evidence at the hearing that has not been disclosed to the parent at least five days before the hearing;
4. Obtain a written or electronic verbatim transcript of the hearing at no cost to the family; and
5. Receive a written copy of the findings of fact and decisions at no cost to the parent.
E. The due process hearing shall be conducted and a written decision shall be mailed to all parties within 30 days of receipt by the department of the parent's request for a due process hearing. The hearing officer may grant a specific extension of the timeline at the request of either party.
F. Any party aggrieved by the findings and decision issued pursuant to a due process hearing shall have the right to bring a civil action in Virginia or federal court.
G. During the pendency of any proceeding involving a due process complaint, unless the local lead agency and the parent of the child agree otherwise, the child shall continue to receive the appropriate early intervention services in the setting identified in the IFSP for which the parent has provided consent. If the due process complaint involves an application for initial services, the child shall receive those services that are not in dispute.
H. Costs for due process hearings shall be equally shared by the local lead agency and the department. The costs shared include expenses of the hearing officer (i.e., time, travel, secretarial, postal, and telephone expenses), expenses incurred by order of the hearing officer (i.e., independent educational evaluations, deposition, or transcript), and expenses for making a record of a hearing (i.e., hearing tapes).
I. The department shall not be responsible for expenses incurred for witnesses, except where hearing officers subpoena witnesses on their own initiative, or for the parent's attorney fees.
Statutory Authority
§ 2.2-5304 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 27, 2016.
12VAC35-225-410. Administrative complaint.
A. An individual or organization, including those from another state, shall have the right to file an administrative complaint with the department alleging that the local lead agency, an early intervention service provider, or participating agency has violated a requirement of Part C.
B. The department shall widely disseminate to parents and other interested individuals, including parent training and information centers, protection and advocacy agencies, and other appropriate entities the procedures for filing and resolving administrative complaints.
C. An administrative complaint shall be made in writing to the department, allege a violation that occurred not more than one year prior to the date the complaint is received by the department, and include the following:
1. A statement that the department, local lead agency, or early intervention service provider has violated a requirement of Part C;
2. The facts on which the statement is based;
3. The signature and contact information for the complainant; and
4. If alleging violations with respect to a specific child, (i) the name and address of the child; (ii) the name of the early intervention service provider serving the child; (iii) a description of the problem, including facts related to the problem; and (iv) a proposed resolution to the problem to the extent known and available to the complainant if there is one at the time the complaint is filed.
D. The party filing the complaint shall forward a copy of the complaint to the local lead agency or the early intervention service provider serving the child at the same time the party files the complaint with the department.
E. Within 60 days after a complaint is received, the department shall:
1. Carry out an independent onsite investigation, if the department determines that an investigation is necessary;
2. Give the complainant the opportunity to submit additional information, either orally or in writing, about the allegations in the complaint;
3. Provide the local lead agency, other participating agency, or early intervention service provider with an opportunity to respond to the complaint within 10 days by providing a proposal to resolve the complaint and an opportunity to voluntarily engage in mediation;
4. Review all relevant information and make an independent determination as to whether the local lead agency, other participating agency, or early intervention service provider is violating a requirement of Part C; and
5. Issue a written decision to the complainant that addresses each allegation in the complaint and contains findings of fact and conclusions and the reasons for the final decision.
The final decision may include recommendations for technical assistance, negotiations, and corrective actions to achieve compliance, as well as timelines for completion.
If, in resolving an administrative complaint, the department finds a failure to provide appropriate early intervention services then the final decision shall address the corrective actions appropriate to address the needs of the child who is the subject of the complaint and his family, such as compensatory services or monetary reimbursement, and appropriate future provision of services for all children with disabilities and their families.
F. The 60-day timeline for resolving an administrative complaint may be extended only if exceptional circumstances exist with respect to a particular complaint or the parent (or individual or organization) and the local lead agency, other participating agency, or early intervention service provider involved in the complaint agree to extend the timeline to engage in mediation.
G. If the administrative complaint received by the department is also the subject of a due process hearing or contains multiple issues of which one or more are part of that due process hearing, the department shall set aside any part of the complaint that is being addressed in the due process hearing until the conclusion of the hearing. Any issue in the complaint that is not part of the due process hearing shall be resolved using the 60-day time limit and the administrative complaint procedures.
H. If an issue is raised in a complaint that has previously been decided in a due process hearing involving the same parties, the hearing decision shall be binding, and the department shall inform the complainant to that effect.
I. A complaint alleging the local lead agency's, other participating agency's, or early intervention service provider's failure to implement a due process hearing decision shall be resolved by the department.
J. A final decision of the department pursuant to this section shall be a final case decision that may be appealed pursuant to the Virginia Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia).
Statutory Authority
§ 2.2-5304 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 27, 2016.
12VAC35-225-420. Appeal to the Department of Medical Assistance Services.
A. In addition to the dispute resolution options described in this chapter, Medicaid or FAMIS recipients seeking to contest service decisions shall have the right to file an appeal with the Department of Medical Assistance Services pursuant to federal and state Medicaid law. If the individual is enrolled in a Medicaid managed care organization or "MCO," the internal appeal process for the Medicaid MCO must be exhausted or deemed exhausted before appealing to the Department of Medical Assistance Services. Appeals to the Department of Medical Assistance Services are separate from the dispute resolution options available under this chapter and shall comply with applicable Department of Medical Assistance Services' regulations.
B. A notice of action meeting federal and state requirements must be issued to the individual explaining the basis for the action and the right to appeal.
C. Families shall follow all applicable Department of Medical Assistance Services requirements when filing an appeal.
Statutory Authority
§ 2.2-5304 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 32, Issue 10, eff. February 27, 2016; amended, Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 17, eff. May 28, 2021.