Opportunity Overview
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is maintaining an open provider-enrollment opportunity for the Mississippi First Steps Early Intervention Program. The official MSDH OpenGov project index lists 2025-REQ-458, Early Intervention Service Provider Enrollment, as Open, released September 8, 2025, with a due date of June 1, 2027 and no addenda currently listed. The official public index does not display a closing clock time or time zone, so Atlas does not infer one.
Who MSDH Is Seeking
MSDH’s official Early Intervention provider page states that First Steps is seeking contractual pediatric Speech-Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Special Instructors to provide multidisciplinary evaluations and developmental services to eligible infants and toddlers and their families. Service Coordinators are also sought for family case management.
Qualifications and Registration
The current First Steps Provider Enrollment Manual requires an early-intervention provider to hold a current Mississippi license or credential for the provider’s discipline and maintain it throughout the service agreement. Providers must meet First Steps entry-level personnel standards and required training expectations. The enrollment process requires registration as a vendor with the State of Mississippi, PayMode registration for direct deposit, review of the Service Provider Agreement, conflict-of-interest disclosures, organization and service-provider information, a current Form W-9, and any applicable PERS retiree determination documentation. MSDH reviews the package and, if approved, routes the Service Provider Agreement for electronic signature.
Services and Reimbursement
First Steps operates under Part C of IDEA for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Services may include assistive technology, audiology, family training and counseling, health and medical services, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology and other IFSP-authorized early-intervention services. Reimbursement is tied to services authorized through the child’s Individualized Family Service Plan and applicable First Steps reimbursement rules rather than a fixed grant ceiling.
Submission and Contact
Provider agreements are processed through the MSDH/OpenGov procurement system. The official Early Intervention program contact is 1-800-451-3903. Providers should use the current Provider Enrollment Manual, Service Provider Agreement and reimbursement-rate documents as controlling program materials. Official procurement index: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/embed/msdh/project-list?departmentId=all&status=all
Atlas Analysis
N9+ Fit Score: 7/100. First Steps includes health and medical services and permits appropriate uses of technology in team-based early intervention, but this provider-enrollment vehicle is primarily for qualified licensed service providers. Atlas has not verified N9+ acquisition or platform fees as reimbursable First Steps services, so N9+ should not be forced into a provider agreement.
Atlas Opportunity Score: 90/100 for qualified Mississippi pediatric therapy and early-intervention providers. The long enrollment window and statewide need make this a strong provider-network opportunity for appropriately licensed SLP, PT, OT, developmental-specialist and service-coordination organizations. Dr. Miltie, LLC and QC Healthcare are not being represented as direct eligible providers because the required Mississippi discipline-specific licenses, personnel standards and First Steps enrollment qualifications have not been verified.
Last verified: September 19, 2026.