Medically Complex Children and Youth Guidebook


Emergency Response and Priority Levels

The SC will offer assistance to all participants, parent(s), and/or responsible party(ies) to establish an Emergency Response Plan.

  • Emergency management and response materials should be given to each participant, parent(s), and/or responsible party(ies). The SC will offer assistance with the completion of an emergency management plan. The plan will be reviewed with the participant, parent(s), and/or responsible party(ies) annually and documented in the Safety section of the SCA.

When an emergency such as a natural disaster or terrorism event occurs, the SC may be directed to contact participant, parent(s), and/or responsible party(ies) whose care may have been compromised as soon as possible after the event to assess for unmet needs. The phone contact will be documented in the SHCN Information System.

Each service coordination or paid service enrolled participant shall have a priority level assignment. Based on professional judgment, the SC will assign a priority level for each participant with a corresponding entry on the Enrollment screen in the SCHN Information System. Priority levels are reviewed and updated annually due to changing circumstances. Priority levels will be documented in the Safety section of the SCA. SC’s may assign a higher priority level than the definitions indicate; this requires justification in the progress note and/or SCA. The definition for each level is: 

Level 1 

  • MFAW (All)
  • Electronic Dependent (vent, 1x daily use of electronic device, i.e., vent, suction, 
  • nebulizer, Chest Physio Therapy [CPT] vests) 
  • PDN (20-24 hours any given day of the week)

Level 2 

  • PDN (Not included priority #1)
  • Electronic Dependent (Less than daily) 

Level 3 

  • PCA (participants that do not meet Level 1 or Level 2 criteria) 

Level 4 

  • All other HCY Categories (ST SNV, LT SNV)
  • CYSHCN (Enrolled in service coordination or paid services) 
  • ABI (Enrolled in service coordination or paid services) 
  • HCY (Enrolled in service coordination) 

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