Home and Community Based Early Intervention Services
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) through the First Steps-Early Intervention
Program seeks competitive written proposals from providers of home and community based
habilitative and rehabilitative pediatric therapeutic services to be provided in accordance with 34 CFR
303 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004 (IDEA) Part C. Acting as the "lead agency"
for the implementation of IDEA Part C, the MSDH through First Steps must assure all infants and
toddlers eligible under the above mentioned Act receive necessary and appropriate early
interventions services to minimize the impact of any developmental disabilities affecting a child
and improve the likelihood of typical developmental outcomes for eligible infants and toddlers.
The MSDH carries out this service delivery responsibility through qualified contractual
providers. The MSDH currently seeks to expand contractual service delivery statewide.
Contractual service providers currently employed by the MSDH carry out evaluation and
assessment activities and deliver pediatric habilitative and rehabilitative services in a
collaborative home and community based model of service delivery consistent with 34 CFR
303.340 Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP).
