Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- q. Quality, Scope, and Extent of Supported Employment Services
Include the following:
- q. Quality, Scope, and Extent of Supported Employment Services
q. 1. The quality, scope, and extent of supported employment services to be provided to individuals with the most significant disabilities, including youth with the most significant disabilities
Current Narrative:
Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (RSB) offers assessment, job development, task analysis, and time-limited individual and group job coaching leading to supported employment through 11 formal contracts with supported employment service providers. Other services available to clients with a goal of supported employment are the same as those available to clients receiving services under Title I. The supported employment program ensures that individuals with the most significant disabilities, including youth with the most significant disabilities, are afforded a full opportunity to prepare for, obtain, maintain, advance in, or re-enter competitive integrated employment, including supported or customized employment. Extended services may be provided to youth with the most significant disabilities for a period not to exceed four years or until the individual turns 25 and no longer meets the definition of a youth with a disability.
Supported employment services are available not only to individuals after leaving their secondary education program, but to students whose IEP and IPE include these services as part of their transition plan and whose school district signs a cooperative work experience program agreement with RSB.
RSB provides supported employment services in accordance with the RSB supported employment service policy and procedures consistent with federal requirements. These guidelines call for case review by Central Office personnel if a client is not ready for transition to extended services after nine months of job coaching. Authorization for additional job coaching may be issued upon Central Office approval of continuation of these services. The 24 month time line for supported employment services, under special circumstances, may be extended if the eligible individual and the rehabilitation counselor jointly agree to extend the time to achieve the employment outcome identified in the IPE
RSB provides ongoing technical assistance on issues of blindness, employer marketing, and adaptive technology to SESPs as requested.