NEW YORK – In New York, 70,000 babies and toddlers rely on therapy to walk and talk, but nearly a dozen families and therapists tell CBS News New York services to help these children have stalled.
They blame a new state database called the Early Intervention (EI) Hub, which launched Oct. 15. This is where providers enter data about children, approve services and make payments.
An online petition titled “Help Address Critical Issues Impacting Early Intervention Services in New York State” has nearly 12,000 signatures on Change.org.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health acknowledged “some initial difficulties as these types of platform transitions are always difficult,” but said: “There has been no service disruption.”
The state acknowledges that some are not getting paid, and says it is reducing checks for providers who request it.
EI Hub is “a disaster,” says service coordinator
“Children’s data is missing… We can’t send each other paperwork,” said Kimberly Torello, coordinator of the early intervention service. “We knew from the start that the hub would be a disaster.”
Torello says she traveled to Albany two years ago to train for the hub. As a coordinator who links families to services, she spends hours on site. She shared screenshots of the system problems.
“The therapists are ready to start, but we can’t get the authorizations approved because of minor glitches in the system,” Torello said.
“Was the old system broken?” asked researcher Mahsa Saeidi.
‘No. Never,” Torello said.
“These children will not get this time back”
Samantha Reyes’ 2-year-old son Shakir has been diagnosed with autism. To help him, Reyes enrolled him in New York’s Early Intervention Program. She says he has been evaluated and paired with a behavioral therapist.
“It has been approved since September,” Reyes said.
But that therapist is on hold.
“It brings a lot of stress because you want your child to succeed in everything. I want him to achieve every milestone he has achieved, but he can’t because I don’t get any help,” Reyes said.
Shakir’s speech therapist continues the sessions, but says she has not been paid.
“I can go work in a hospital, I can go work in private practice. But these kids don’t get this time back,” said speech-language pathologist Stefanie Burgio.
Mahsa Saeidi
