What to Expect when Working with Vocational Rehabilitation

1. What to Expect when Working with Vocational Rehabilitation An Overview of Vocational Rehabilitation November 07, 2012 Steve Etheridge, MSVR, CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Indiana

2. AgrAbility Mission • “ The vision of AgrAbility is to enable a lifestyle of high quality for farmers, ranchers and other agricultural workers with disabilities so that they … continue to succeed in rural America.” • Success includes gainful employment in production agriculture, related occupations, access to appropriate assistive technology and evidence-based information related to the treatment and rehabilitation of disabling conditions.

3. The Purpose of Vocational Rehabilitation • “The purpose of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program is to empower individuals with disabilities, particularly individuals with significant disabilities, to achieve high quality employment outcomes to which they aspire and that are consistent with their unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice.” • 34 CFR 361.50: Written Policies Governing the Provision of Services for Individuals with Disabilities

4. Federal Mandate • Rehabilitation Act of 1997 as amended in 2001 • Any state that submits to the Secretary a State plan eligible to get funding • 78% Federal and 22 % State match for funding • Available in all 50 states distributed across each state

5. Vocational Rehabilitation Mission • To serve eligible people with disability in obtaining and retaining employment that is commensurate with abilities, interests and limitations. • Meeting individual rehabilitation needs of each person • Managing financial resources that are necessary and reasonable

6. VR Process Flow

7. Additional Status Codes

8. Eligibility for Services • To be eligible for VR services an individual must • Have a physical or mental impairment which, for such an individual, constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment • Require VR services • Will benefit from these services to successfully obtain and retain employment

9. Types of Services

10. Types of Services

11. Types of Services

12. IPE drives services

13. Assessment Examples • Current academic skills, how one learns best and psychological well being • Functional capacity evaluation • Hearing evaluation • Seating and positioning evaluation • Assistive technology evaluation • Vehicle or home modification evaluation

14. IPE Mandatory Components • Description of the specific employment outcome • Description of the specific rehabilitation services • Timeline for achieving employment outcome and the initiation of services • Description of the vendors chosen by the consumer to provide services • Description of criteria to evaluate progress toward goal • Terms and conditions of the IPE (responsibilities)

15. 26 Closure • Consistent with the individual’s abilities, interests and limitations • Can include self-employment, telecommuting, business ownership • Job is in integrated environment (not in isolated environment or sheltered workshop) • After 90 days of status 22 • At or above federal minimum wage income