Criteria for Eligibility for VR Services - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 33
About This Presentation
Title:

Criteria for Eligibility for VR Services

Description:

Work is valuable for everyone ... Corrective surgery. Therapeutic treatment. Prosthetic and orthotic devices. Eyeglasses and visual services ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:46
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 34
Provided by: davi894
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Criteria for Eligibility for VR Services


1
The Basic Public Vocational Rehabilitation
Process
Presented by Cheryl Bates-Harris and David Hutt,
NDRN
2
Congressional Findings
  • Work is valuable for everyone
  • Individuals w/ disabilities experience staggering
    levels of unemployment
  • Individuals with disabilities have demonstrated
    ability to achieve gainful employment
  • Provision of workforce investment activities and
    VR services can enable individuals with
    disabilities to pursue meaningful careers.

3
State VR Program
  • Each State and Territory of the United States has
    a public VR system designed to assess, plan,
    develop and provide VR services to eligible
    individuals with disabilities, consistent with
    their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
    abilities, capabilities, interests and informed
    choice.

4
Policy of the United States
  • That Individuals with Disabilities be provided
    the opportunities to obtain gainful employment in
    INTEGRATED settings.
  • Individuals are to be ACTIVE and FULL partners in
    the VR process making meaningful and informed
    choices.

5
Referral
  • A referral is defined as any individual who has
    applied to or been referred to the VR agency by
    letter, by telephone, by direct contact, or by
    any other means, and for whom the following
    minimum information has been furnished (1) name
    and address, (2) disability, (3) age and sex, (4)
    date of referral, and (5) source of referral.

6
Applicant
  • As soon as the referred individual signs a
    document requesting vocational rehabilitation
    services, the person is designated as an
    applicant.
  • There is no residency requirement other than the
    individual be present in the state.
  • Eligibility must determined within 60 days unless
    there are unusual or unforeseen circumstance.

7
Criteria for Eligibility for VR Services
  • 1) Physical or Mental Impairment which is a
    substantial impediment to employment.
  • 2) Individual needs Vocational Rehabilitation
    services to prepare for, secure, retain, or
    regain employment.
  • 3) Individual can benefit from Vocational
    Rehabilitation services (this is presumed).

8
Criteria for Eligibility for VR Services
(continued)
  • Special Rule for Social Security Disability
    (SSDI) and Supplement Security Income (SSI)
  • SSDI and SSI Recipients are . . .
  • Presumed to have a physical or mental impairment
    which is a substantial impediment to employment
    (criteria 1).
  • Presumed to need vocational rehabilitation
    services to prepare for, secure, retain, or
    regain employment (criteria 2).

9
Eligibility for VR Services - Order of Selections
  • If a state VR agency cannot provide the
    full-range of VR services to eligible
    individuals, the agency may establish an order of
    priority.
  • The order of priority developed by the state VR
    agency must be based on the severity of the
    disability, such that the most significantly
    disabled are provided VR services first.

10
Eligibility for VR Services - Order of
Selections (continued)
  • The state criteria for who is considered most
    significantly disabled must follow general
    federal requirements.
  • The criteria may not be based on
  • The type of disability.
  • The anticipated costs or the type of VR services
    an individual may need.
  • Individual characteristics such as age, race,
    etc.
  • The type of employment the individual may seek.
  • The income of the individual, or his or her
    family.

11
Determination Cannot Benefit From VR Services
  • If an individual meets the other criteria for
    eligibility (criteria 1 and 2), he or she is
    presumed to be able to benefit from VR services
    (criteria 3).
  • The state VR agency can overcome this presumption
    by showing by clear and convincing evidence the
    individual could not become employed even with VR
    services.

12
Determination Cannot Benefit From VR Services
(continued)
  • The state VR agency must do the following to
    overcome the presumption
  • Conduct realistic trial work experiences with the
    individual to assess his or her abilities,
    capabilities, and capacities to work.
  • In some cases, VR must conduct an extended
    evaluation to see if the individual can benefit
    from VR services by providing those services to
    determine if the services will help.

13
After Eligibility the Individualized Plan for
Employment (IPE)
  • Critical document that outlines the individuals
    employment goal and the services the state VR
    agency will provide.
  • The IPE is not a contract (there is no
    entitlement to state VR services), but the
    document may have significant weight if
    disagreements occur.

14
Individualized Plan for Employment (continued)
  • Components of the IPE
  • An employment outcome or goal what the
    individual wants to do.
  • Services required to achieve the goal and those
    services the VR agency will provide.
  • VR and the individual eligible for services must
    both agree on 1 and 2, and sign the IPE.

15
Individualized Plan for Employment the
Employment Outcome (continued)
  • The employment outcome must be based on the
    unique strengths, resources, priorities,
    concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and
    informed choice of the individual.
  • In other words, the outcome must be
    individualized.

16
Individualized Plan for Employment the
Employment Outcome (continued)
  • What if the individual does not know what type of
    employment they want?
  • The VR agency must conduct an assessment to
    determine the strengths, resources, priorities,
    concerns, abilities, capabilities, and
    interests of the individual.

17
Individualized Plan for Employment (continued)
  • Be provided in the native language or mode of
    communication of the individual.
  • Be reviewed (at least) on an annual basis by the
    individual and a qualified rehabilitation
    counselor, and if necessary, amended if there are
    substantive changes in the employment outcome,
    the services to be provided, or the service
    providers.

18
What Services Can the VR Agency Pay For?
  • Any service necessary to assist in preparing
    for, securing, retaining, or regaining an
    employment outcome that is consistent with the
    strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
    abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed
    choice of the individual
  • Each VR agency has established procedures related
    to the authorization of services

19
What are Some Specific Services?
  • Assessments to determine eligibility and needs
  • Counseling, guidance, and job placement services
  • Training, and purchase of tools, materials, and
    books
  • Maintenance for costs incurred during
    rehabilitation

20
Services (continued)
  • Diagnosis and treatment of physical or mental
    impairments to reduce or eliminate impediments to
    employment when comparable benefits are not
    available. These may include
  • Corrective surgery
  • Therapeutic treatment
  • Prosthetic and orthotic devices
  • Eyeglasses and visual services
  • Diagnosis and treatment for mental or emotional
    disorders

21
Services (continued)
  • Transportation including training, vehicle
    modification and/or purchase
  • Personal assistance services while receiving VR
    services
  • Interpreter services, readers, rehab teaching OM
    services
  • Occupational licenses, tools, equipment, initial
    stocks and supplies

22
Services (continued)
  • Technical assistance for self employment
  • Rehabilitation technology
  • Transition services for students with
    disabilities
  • Supported employment
  • Services to family members to assist a person
    with disability achieve an employment outcome
  • Post-employment services necessary to assist an
    individual to retain, regain, or ADVANCE in
    employment. (PD 97-04)

23
Financial Need Criteria
  • Generally There is no requirement that a state
    consider financial need when providing VR
    services.
  • However, if a state VR agency chooses to
    establish a financial needs test, it must
    establish written policies which govern the
    determination of financial need and identify the
    specific VR services that will be subject to the
    financial needs test.

24
Comparable Services Benefits
  • Comparable services and benefits means services
    that are provided or paid for in part or whole by
    other Federal, state, or local agencies and are
    available to the individual at the time needed to
    further the progress of the individual toward
    achieving his/her identified employment outcome.

25
Comparable services benefits
  • VR is considered payer of last resort
  • if another agency refuses to provide service, VR
    is responsible for obtaining those services
    pending resolution with that agency
  • Specific language prevents VR from paying for
    higher education until maximum efforts have been
    made to secure grant assistance from other
    sources

26
The Employment Outcome
  • The emphasis of the VR agency must be on
    integrated employment.
  • Employment in a sheltered workshop may be an
    employment goal, but it must be the informed
    choice of the individual and consistent with the
    abilities of the individual.
  • The setting needs to be included in the IPE.

27
If Circumstances Change Changes to the IPE
  • Change the IPE including the employment or
    services to be provided by VR.
  • Any changes must be signed by both the individual
    and the state VR agency.

28
If Problems or Disagreements Occur
  • Disagreements can occur over
  • Determination one is not eligible for services.
  • Order of Selection category.
  • Employment outcome/goal.
  • Services the VR agency will provide.
  • Closure of VR case.
  • Other issues.

29
If Problems or Disagreements Occur (continued)
  • Free services available to assist with resolving
    disagreement with VR available in every state and
    territory
  • Client Assistance Program (CAP) - available to
    all applicants for and eligible recipients of VR
    services.
  • Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of
    Social Security (PABSS) available to
    beneficiaries of SSDI and recipients of SSI who
    face barriers to employment, including problems
    obtaining VR services.

30
The Required Process When A Disagreement Occurs
  • Informal review of the problem with the VR agency
    (voluntary)
  • Negotiation/Mediation (voluntary)
  • Administrative Hearing
  • Must request within a time period set by each
    state.
  • Hearing must be held within 60 days of request
    unless everyone agrees to extend.
  • Decision must be made within 30 days of the
    closing of the hearing.
  • Review in Federal or State Court

31
The Required Process When A Disagreement Occurs
(continued)
  • Most disagreements do not go to an administrative
    hearing and even fewer go to federal or state
    court.
  • The CAP program attempts to settle disagreement
    through meeting and negotiations with VR, though
    ultimately the individual decides whether to
    accept or reject any agreement.

32
Whats Next?
  • Ready for employment - Clients have completed
    preparation for employment and are ready to
    accept a job but have not yet been placed
  • In employment - clients have been begun
    employment and will be monitored for 90 days to
    ensure adequacy of employment in accordance with
    the needs and limitations of the individual.
  • Post employment services are available if needed.

33
Questions??
  • Contact your local CAP agency.
  • Information can be found at http//www.ndrn.org/a
    boutus/PA_CAP.htm
  • Thank you all for joining us!
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com