Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
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* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
d. 2. E. Cooperative Agreements with Private Nonprofit Organizations
Current Narrative:
ARS’s standard procedures for external Employment First private non–profit and public VR service providers and CRPs are standards of compliance ensuring VR consumers achieve acceptable outcomes related to employment. The procedures for a CRP to be accredited as a vendor and to maintain accreditation are:
(1) The CRP submits a vendor application documenting required experience in working with consumers with disabilities and employers. (2) ARS reviews the application to assure ARS requirements are met, and submits a certificate and agreement documents to the ARS Commissioner for signature. (3) The CRP is required to sign certification agreement documents assuring the ARS requirements as a vendor will be met. (4) Once accredited, ARS provides a current vendor packet and provides training to the entity, as needed. ARS informs the ARS district manager and the VR counselors of the vendor. (5) The VR counselor refers the consumer to the CRP and monitors the consumer’s progress. (6) A VR counselor liaison is assigned to each CRP and provides monthly reports to the appropriate ARS personnel. (7) ARS case review personnel from Program Planning, Development and Evaluation perform a standardized audit of CRP consumer files to ensure training criteria is met, the CRP demonstrates acceptable consumer progress/plans, appropriate documents are in the file, and the amount billed meets accepted guidelines of cost to value. CRP personnel files are reviewed to assure performance standards are acceptable and staff training requirements are met.
ARS will initiate new cooperative agreements focused on moving CRPs from fee for service to performance based outcomes.
ARS, in partnership with the Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, will establish pilot projects focused on transitioning from facility based services to community based services.