California Children’s Services
California Children
Services Program (CCS) is a statewide program that arranges, directs,
and pays for medical care, equipment, and rehabilitation, when these
services are authorized by the program.
CCS Program
Information
Services are
available for children and adults under 21 years of age with medical
and program eligibility. As a dependent county, San Benito County does
the program eligibility and the CCS state regional office does the medical eligibility and case management.
Requirements:
- Under 21 years of age.
- Must be a resident of San Benito County.
- Family income of less than $40,000 as reported as the adjusted gross income on the state tax form; or the out-of-pocket medical expenses for a child who qualifies are expected to be more than 20 percent of family income;
- If a child has a medically eligible condition and has full scope Medi-Cal or Healthy Families Insurance they also qualify, or
- Child is adopted, or
- Some therapy services may be available without financial qualification.
CCS Enrollment and Referrals
Anyone can refer a child to CCS including a parent.
To contact your local CCS Program, call 831-637-5367 or email us.
Medical Therapy Program (MTP)
The Medical Therapy
Program is a special program within California Children’s Services
(CCS) that includes Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy
(PT) for children with eligible conditions. Therapy services are
provided at rehabilitation units located in public schools. These
units are called "Medical Therapy Units" (MTU).
To contact your local MTU, call 831.637.1989 or email MTU Reception.
Medical Therapy Program (MTP) Services
The child’s physician always requests services and provides
prescription for the management of the child's therapy needs in conjunction with the OT and PT evaluations.
Evaluations are completed on the child and reviewed with the physician
and parents to develop a Medical Therapy Plan tailored to the child's
specific therapy needs. OT and/or PT is approved and prescribed by the
physician and are provided at the MTU.
Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy (OT) is therapy provided for the main purpose of
improving self help skills or Activities of Daily Living (ADL). OT
uses many ways to improve the dysfunction that causes impairment in
ADLs, such as playing with play dough to increase finger strength to
allow a child to be able to manage pants snaps.
The therapy is provided by a trained Occupational Therapist who has at least received a Bachelors degree, graduated from an approved School of Occupational Therapy, and has a license from the State of California to provide Occupational Therapy.
Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy (PT) is therapy provided for the main purpose of
improving mobility and ambulation. PT may provide exercises on a large
ball to increase trunk control and overall strength to allow a child
to walk either unassisted or with crutches.
The therapy is provided by a trained Physical Therapist who has at least received a Bachelors degree, graduated from an approved School of Physical Therapy, and has a license from the State of California to provide Physical Therapy.
Other Expectations
Periodic evaluations are completed by the MTP team consisting of a
physician, OT, and PT, and are discussed with the parents.
Home exercise programs and home evaluations are conducted by OT and PT
to assess accessibility and adaptive equipment needs.
Meetings are held with parents and child and rehabilitation equipment
specialists to obtain appropriate specialized equipment such as
wheelchairs, bathroom equipment, and braces.
MTP therapy staff attend Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
meetings to represent the medical therapy services need of the child
and to make sure school personnel are aware of the services provided
by the MTP.
Advice and help are provide by MTP therapy staff to assist teachers
and other school staff in developing plans to meet the child's
accessibility issues and other concerns related to function in the
school.
Newborn Hearing Screening Program
The California Department of Health Services (DHS), Children's Medical
Services Branch (CMS) has implemented a statewide comprehensive
Newborn Hearing Screening Program. The NHSP helps identify hearing
loss in infants and guide families to the appropriate services needed
to develop communication skills.
The incidence of permanent significant hearing loss is approximately
2-4 per every 1000 infants. It is the most common congenital condition
for which there is a screening program. It is estimated that the
Newborn Hearing Screening Program will identify 1200 infants with
hearing loss each year.
The major focus of the program is to assure that every infant who does
not pass a hearing test is linked quickly and efficiently with the
appropriate diagnostic and treatment services and with the other
intervention services needed for the best possible outcome. Recent
research shows infants with hearing loss, who have appropriate
diagnosis, treatment and early intervention services initiated before
six months of age, are likely to develop normal language and
communication skills.
