Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by sections 101(a) and 606 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA.
g. 2. B. The order (priority categories) to be followed in selecting eligible individuals to be provided VR services ensuring that individuals with the most significant disabilities are selected for services before all other individuals with disabilities; and
Current Narrative:
KRS categories are defined as follows:
Category 1: Eligible individuals with a most significant physical or mental impairment that seriously limits two or more functional capacities (such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome, and whose vocational rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple VR services over an extended period of time. In the event that VR services cannot be provided to all eligible individuals in Category 1, a waiting list based upon the date of application will be activated.
Category 2: Eligible individuals with a significant physical or mental impairment that seriously limits one or more functional capacities (such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome; whose vocational rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple VR services over an extended period of time; and who has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, intellectual developmental disability , mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculo-skeletal disorders, neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy), paraplegia, quadriplegia, other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability, end-stage renal disease, or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the basis of an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs to cause comparable substantial functional limitation. In the event that VR services cannot be provided to all eligible individuals in Category 2, a waiting list based upon the date of application will be activated.
Category 3: All other eligible individuals. In the event that VR services cannot be provided to all eligible individuals in Category 3, a waiting list based upon the date of application will be activated.
An order of selection gives priority to persons with the most significant disabilities when there are insufficient resources to provide vocational rehabilitation services to all eligible individuals who apply. After eligibility has been determined, each consumer is assigned to a category group. The consumer will be assigned to the highest priority category for which he or she is qualified, and a rationale will be documented in the case file. If the consumer’s circumstances change or new information is acquired, the category designation can be changed.
Depending on available resources, all categories may be served. However, if there is a need to close one or more categories for services:
- Kansas Rehabilitation Services (KRS) will set aside sufficient funds to purchase services necessary to determine eligibility. Applications for services will be accepted without restriction.
- The closure will not affect individuals who already have final Individualized Plans for Employment (IPEs). IPE services will continue.