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. D. Procedures for Outreach to and Identification of Students with Disabilities Who Need Transition Services.
Current Narrative:
• DEED’s VRS and MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions will work together to develop outreach tools related to competitive integrated employment for students with disabilities, parents or representatives of students with disabilities, school personnel, and other community agencies. Materials will include a description of the purpose of the VR programs, application procedures, eligibility requirements, priority for services, and scope of services that may be provided to eligible individuals.
• DEED’s VRS and MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success will work together with LEAs to ensure that outreach and identification of students in need of/ who could benefit from pre-employment transition services takes place statewide.
• In order to provide information to students and their families/ guardians about pre-employment transition services and/or vocational rehabilitation services, DEED’s VRS will be allowed to receive “directory information” from LEAs. In accordance with Minnesota (M.S. 13.32) and federal (20 U.S.C.A. 1232g (5)(A)) laws, “directory information” is defined, in part, as the student’s name, address, telephone listing, and date of birth.
• DEED’s VRS and MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success will work together with LEAs to ensure outreach to: students receiving special education services under IDEA; students receiving accommodations under section 504; students receiving school psychological, health, nursing, or social work services; and other students who have disabilities as defined in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, but who do not receive IDEA services nor have a 504 plan.
• DEED’s VRS will provide outreach to the following school staff to identify students in need of pre-employment transition services and/ or vocational rehabilitation services: teachers/case managers, work coordinators, guidance counselors, school nurses, 504 coordinators, school social workers, alternative learning center staff, principals, school mental health coordinators, and school psychologists.
Coordination and documentation requirements under WIOA Section 511 and 34 CFR 397, Limitations on use of subminimum wage
• DEED’s VRS, in collaboration with MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions will work together with LEAs to ensure that students with disabilities have meaningful opportunities to prepare for, obtain, maintain, advance in, or regain competitive integrated employment, including supported or customized employment.
• DEED’s VRS and MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions will work together with LEAs to ensure that outreach and identification of students with disabilities who are seeking subminimum wage employment in order for them to receive counseling and information and referral related to competitive integrated employment.
• DEED’s VRS will ensure, as appropriate, that students with disabilities that are seeking subminimum wage employment and who have applied for VR services are determined eligible or ineligible for VR services; have an approved IPE; receive pre-employment transition services; and receive appropriate reasonable accommodations and appropriate supports and services, including supported and customized employment services, that assist in obtaining and maintaining a competitive integrated employment outcome.
• DEED’s VRS and MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions will provide LEAs the required processes and forms to document the required actions specified under WIOA for all students with disabilities who are seeking subminimum wage employment.
• MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions will work with LEAs to ensure that documentation of completed IDEA transition services is provided to DEED’s VRS within 30 calendar days of the completion of the IDEA transition services for students who are seeking subminimum wage employment and have applied for VR services.
• DEED’s VRS and MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions will work together with LEAs to ensure that in the event a student with a disability or, as applicable, the youth’s parent or guardian, refuses, through informed choice, to participate in the actions required under WIOA, the refusal is documented. LEA staff will provide this documentation to VRS or within 5 calendar days of the refusal and VRS or staff will provide the documentation to students within 10 calendar days of the refusal.
• DEED’s VRS will ensure that all students with disabilities who are seeking subminimum wage employment receive documentation of the required actions specified under WIOA within 45 calendar days of completion of the required actions.
Assurance related to WIOA Section 511 and 34 CFR 397, Limitations on use of subminimum wage
In accordance with 34 CFR 397.31, MDE’s Special Education and Career and College Success Divisions, through the MDE Career Technical Education Program approval and expense approval process, will ensure that neither the SEA nor LEAs enter into a contract with an entity, as defined in WIOA 34 CFR 397.5(d) for the purpose of operating a program under which a student with a disability is engaged in work compensated at a subminimum wage.