WA State Autism Center of Excellence (COE) Certification Training

University of Washington experts provide the Autism Center of Excellence (COE) trainings through a contract with the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA).

The next scheduled training is Friday, September 14 2024.
Register: https://redcap.link/AutismCOEsept2024

We anticipate the training after that to be November or early December 2024.   If you would like to be put on the list of people interested in learning when the next training date is decided, please email Kate Orville, Training Coordinator at orville@uw.edu .

Purpose of the COE Training

• To increase the number of qualified clinicians (COEs)  who can appropriately diagnose children and youth with autism who have Medicaid insurance in Washington State.
• Help children and families access needed services as appropriate, including writing a Medicaid/Apple Health prescription for Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). COE required for Managed Care Organization (MCO) prescription approval.

Who is Eligible to Become a COE for Washington State

• The HCA determines which primary care and other clinicians  can become COEs. Neurologists, psychiatrists, clinical PhD/PsyD psychologists and developmental/behavioral pediatricians are automatically recognized.
• Additionally, other primary care providers can take the COE certification training and then attest as a COE.  Eligible categories include:  medical physicians working in primary care, specialty physicians, ARNPs and pediatric naturopaths. Physician Assistants (PA-C) whose supervising clinician is a COE are eligible as of Jan 1, 2023. You must serve or plan to begin serving children and youth under 21 with Medicaid to become a COE.
• As of Oct 17, 2019 , an autism diagnosis from a COE provider (except for naturopath physicians and PA-Cs) can also be used by a family for Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) eligibility.
• Anyone involved in the the autism evaluation and follow up support for children and youth with autism with Medicaid insurance is welcome to participate in the training regardless of eligibility to become a COE.  There are limited spaces available for clinicians from other parts of the country not serving Washington children.

What the Training Covers

• Evaluation and diagnosis of children exhibiting signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and determining which evidence –based treatments, including ABA, are likely to be helpful for individual children
• Community and Washington state resources for children and youth with autism and their families
• The lived experience of autism from autistics and family members- what they would like you as a health care professional to know
• How to write an approved prescription for ABA treatment
• Billing
• Paperwork and process to complete to become a HCA recognized COE after the training