There was applause yesterday as the Department of Education increased proposed payments for skills trainers for special-needs children, but concerns remained over the rates offered for psychiatric care.

The rate changes would affect the professionals who work with about 1,200 children statewide.

One of the state's largest service providers lauded the DOE for raising the proposed rates for skills trainers from $27 to $34.56 an hour, saying this adjustment will allow them to continue offering care to special-needs children.

"The new rates will allow The Institute For Family Enrichment (TIFFE) to retain and train staff and continue to build our capacity and expertise and be a good, solid, strong resource for the DOE," said Jeff Bergbauer, administrative director of the agency, which provides services to about 700 children.

"I'm very glad they came in at a rate that is really the market rate," Bergbauer said. "It's right in there with what it costs providers.

"We're quite happy with the things they've done for the school-based services, and we'd like to see them address the psychiatry services too."

Debra Farmer, educational specialist in the DOE's special education section, said the department set psychiatry services rates at the same level as the Department of Health has set them for their Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division.

"We're keeping with the same rate as CAMHD," Farmer said. "That's the community rate, and we can't outbid our sister agency.

Bergbauer expressed concern that there was no proposal to increase the rate for psychiatrists who define and manage care and medications for special-needs children.

"We've already told the department we won't submit a proposal for these services," he said.

"We'll work in transitioning students back to DOE care, and the DOE is going to have to figure out how they're going to continue to provide care," Bergbauer said.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.