Impartial Hearing Order Implementation

The Office of the General Counsel's Special Education Case Management, Impartial Hearing Order Implementation Unit (“IU”) and the Division of Financial Operations, Payables Office are responsible for ensuring the implementation of all impartial hearing orders.  If you are an attorney, parent or parent advocate seeking assistance in getting an Impartial Hearing Order implemented, the below resources are available for your review.  

Implementation Overview and Payment Process

The implementation payment process occurs through three-steps between two offices as follows:

Office of the General Counsel – Special Education Case Management - IU   

  1. The Compliance Team reviews orders and creates action items for the NYCPS, outlining whether the NYCPS is required to provide a NYCPS program or service or to pay for a privately provided program or service.
  2. The Account Management Team verifies vendor information and supporting documents and sets the funding parameters for private programs and services. This administrative function is commonly referred to as the "authorization" process. This team also handles payments for tuition and reimbursements. All attorneys and parent advocates have an assigned Account Specialist on this team. 

Division of Financial Operations - Payables Office

  1. The Division of Financial Operations - Payables Office Team receives vendor invoices and processes payments for privately provided services based on the funding parameters authorized by the Account Management team in IU.

The Help Us, Help You/Payment and Authorization Guide is a step-by-step guide through the authorization process. It provides guidelines for submitting documents to IU. It standardizes practices, and the documents needed for the implementation of services and programs awarded at impartial hearings that are provided by independent providers.

If you have questions regarding:

  • reimbursements or direct payments to a private school, or
  • seeking to implement an order awarding funding for a private service provider, please email IUAuthorization@schools.nyc.gov. 

If you are an attorney or attorney advocate, please be sure your assigned Account Specialist is copied on any communications with IUAuthorization@schools.nyc.gov. If you do not know your assigned Account Specialist, please contact IHOIUManagers@schools.nyc.gov for confirmation. 

Implementation of NYCPS Services and Programs  

The IU Compliance Team also supports the implementation of orders requiring NYCPS to provide an NYCPS program or service across NYCPS offices responsible for their implementation. 

If you have questions regarding the status of services provided directly by NYCPS pursuant to Impartial Hearing Orders, such as:

  • Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings,
  • class placements,
  • issuance of Related Services Authorizations (RSA),
  • evaluations to be conducted by NYCPS staff, 

You may submit your inquiries to IHOIUManagers@schools.nyc.gov. The subject line of the email must include the student's name, NYCID number (OSIS), and impartial hearing case number.  

Unrepresented Families

We are here to support you. If you have an impartial hearing order that requires implementation, please email IU as described above and include “PRO SE Request” in the subject line so we can ensure customized support. Please also include the IHO case number and student name in the subject line.

Private Schools and Independent Service Providers

As noted in the Implementation Overview and Payment Process above, private schools or Independent Service Providers providing services to students pursuant to Impartial Hearing Orders (aka “vendors”) require authorization in our system by IU’s Account Management team prior to the issuance of payments. Upon authorization, vendors receive an email notification that details the parameters of the authorized funds.   

Authorized Cases: If you have received an authorization email for the period in which you seeking payment for services rendered on a given case (e.g. SETSS/related services/evaluations/Applied Behavioral Analysis), you should submit invoices to: IHServiceInvoices@schools.nyc.gov.  
Please refrain from submitting invoices to this inbox if you have not yet received an authorization email notification. 

Tuition payment inquiries for authorized cases should be sent to: IUTuitionPayments@schools.nyc.gov. 

Not Yet Authorized Cases: If you have not received an authorization email for the period in which you are seeking payment for services rendered, the parent or their representative should email the assigned Account Specialist with a copy to IUAuthorization@schools.nyc.gov. 

Before contacting us, the parent or their representative should confirm there is an Impartial Hearing Order that awards the service and the service period for which payment is sought. 

Leadership

  • Sha-Keya Flenory, Senior Co-Director of Compliance and Community Support and Engagement, IU
  • Patrick Sullivan, Senior Co-Director of Account Management, Tuition and Reimbursements, IU
  • Norman Johnson, Team Lead, Division of Financial Operations - Payables Office

Forms

Trainings

Last updated: October 2024