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. N. i. Specify the State's Goals and Priorities for Funds Received Under Section 603 of the Rehabilitation Act for the Provision of Supported Employment Services.
Current Narrative:
Federal Title VI, Part B funds for supported employment services were initially used to develop model programs to determine the most effective structure for supported employment and to determine the types of services and supports that work best with different populations. In NYS these funds alone are not sufficient to meet the overall demand for supported employment services. ACCES-VR total funding level for supported employment contracts for FFY 2014 was $22 million. The Title VI, Part B funds to serve approximately 11,100 individuals accounted for $1.2 million. At present, Title VI, Part B funds represent less than five percent of the total funds ACCES-VR uses for intensive supported employment services. ACCES-VR will continue the operation of the supported employment services established under Title VI, Part B and use the funds to supplement, but not supplant, Title I funds. ACCES-VR combines Title VI, Part B and Section 110 funds to provide supported employment services to individuals with the most significant disabilities. Individuals served through supported employment services include individuals with all types of disabilities. ACCES-VR maintains agreements (Memorandum of Understanding and Integrated Employment Implementation Plan, Chapter 515 of the NYS Laws of 1992) with the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and the NYS Commission for the Blind (NYSCB), which define ACCES-VR as the source for intensive funding. Under WIOA, OPWDD can also provide intensive funding for supported employment. Program evaluation includes a review of data from interagency quarterly reports and on-site reviews by ACCES-VR Quality Assurance Unit. Successful and exemplary practices have been disseminated to the staff of the State agencies involved and to other project sites.