CHAPTER 688 Guidelines for Referral

CHAPTER 688 GUIDELINES FOR REFERRAL Student Profile Corresponding DESE Disability Category Transitional Agency  Student is in the custody of or has an “open case” with  All except blindness or deaf/blind DCF (Department of Children & DCF. (e.g., not codes 02,04 or 09, which Families)  Exception: if the student is blind, s/he would be referred to would be sent to one of the disability (Area Office) the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB). agencies below) Mass.gov/eohhs/gov/department s/dcf  Intellectual disabilities (ID)  Code 01-Intellectual DDS (Department of  Student may have ID coupled with other disabilities  All other codes must be coupled with Developmental Disabilities)  Students living in a pediatric nursing facility may be 01 except Autism (Area Office) referred to DDS.  Code 11 –Autism Mass.gov/eohhs/gov/department  Autism  Code 13 –Developmental delay s/dds  Developmental delay* *evidence of intellectual disability should also be present  Registered with MCB  Code 04 Sensory/Vision Impaired or MCB (Massachusetts Commission  May have blindness coupled with other disabilities such as Blind for the Blind) emotional disturbance, deafness, or intellectual  Code 09-Sensory Deaf/Blind (Springfield Office)  All other codes if coupled with 02 and Mass.gov/eohhs/gov/department is registered with MCB s/mcb  Serious and long-term mental illness that has resulted in  Code 05-Emotional DMH (Department of Mental functional impairment that substantially interferes with or  All other codes if coupled with 05 Health) limits one or more major life activities.* (Area Office) *Serious and long-term mental illness is a disorder of thought, Mass.gov/eohhs/gov/department mood, perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs s/dmh judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, and that results in an inability to meet the ordinary demands of life. See: Interpretive Guidelines for Determining Service Authorization, www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dmh/services/interpretive-guidelines.doc  Specific learning disabilities; Health related disabilities;  Code 03-Communication MRC (Massachusetts Rehabilitation Communication disabilities (Vocational Rehabilitation  Code 06-Physical Commission) Services)  Code 07-Health (Central Office: Anne Spector,  Traumatic Brain Injury (SHIP/Statewide Head Injury  Code 08-Specific Learning Disabilities Statewide 688 Coordinator) Program )  Code 10-Multiple Disabilities 600 Washington Street  Physical disability with mobility impairment (Independent  Code 12-Neurological Boston, MA 02111 Living Program) (Codes 11 and 13 may apply if no Mass.gov/eohhs/gov/department diagnosis of ID is present) s/mrc NOTE: Students receiving residential services at the time of 688 referral should not be referred to MRC unless specifically directed by the Bureau of Transitional Planning (BTP).  Deaf/use of American Sign Language (ASL); hard of  Code 02 – Sensory/Hearing Impaired MCDHH (Massachusetts hearing; or Deaf Commission for the Deaf and Hard AND of Hearing)  Unable to sustain independent competitive employment (Springfield Office)  Unable to complete postsecondary education/training Mass.gov/eohhs/gov/department without substantial assistance s/mcdhh

If it cannot be clearly determined which agency is appropriate, school districts should send the 688 referral and complete referral package to: Bureau of Transitional Planning, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, One Ashburton Place, Room 1109, Boston, Massachusetts 02108 5/3/16