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. C. The VR agency’s goals for serving individuals in each priority category, including how the agency will assist eligible individuals assigned to closed priority categories with information and referral, the method in which the VR agency will manage waiting lists, and the projected timelines for opening priority categories. NOTE: Priority categories are considered open when all individuals in the priority category may be served.
Current Narrative:
When the OS is implemented, DRS will continue to ensure that an eligible individual who is not assigned to an open OS category has access to services provided under the information and referral system [Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the Act]. Information and referral services include: (1) providing VR information and guidance to assist the individual to achieve employment and (2) appropriately referring the individual to other federal and state programs, including other statewide workforce development programs, that are best suited to meet the individual’s specific employment needs [Section 101(a)(20)(A) of the Act].
When making a referral, DRS will provide the individual with:
– a notice of the referral;
– information about a specific point of contact within the program to which the individual is being referred; and
– information and advice about the most suitable service for assisting the individual to prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment [Section 101(a)(20)(B)(ii) of the Act and 34 CFR 361.37(b)(2)].
DRS will continue to maintain the individual’s service record to include documentation on the nature and scope of the information and referral services it provides to the individual and documentation on the referral itself [34 CFR 361.47(a)(13)].
Each individual placed on the waitlist will be contacted at least annually for a review. During the review, the individual or individual’s representative will be contacted to ascertain whether any change of the individual’s disability or functional limitations indicate that the current classification may no longer be appropriate or if the individual wishes to remain on the waiting list.
DRS will open and close priority categories whenever determined appropriate, so long as the order of the categories is maintained and continuity of services to all individuals selected for services is assured. To determine if a category or categories should be opened or closed, the agency will calculate the estimated cost of serving its existing consumers under an IPE. If excess resources are available, the agency will determine if the amount is sufficient to serve additional consumers from the waitlist. DRS will use the individual’s date of application to rank individuals within a priority category. This equitable and reasonable factor provides a method of selecting individuals from a waiting list when DRS has enough resources to serve some, but not all, individuals in that OS priority category. DRS will always prioritize serving all individuals in higher categories prior to serving individuals in lower categories.
The determination to reopen OS Category 2 and OS Category 3, as appropriate, will be made by the Director based on available resources. An assessment of the agency’s fiscal and personnel resources will be conducted at least annually prior to the start of the next Federal Fiscal Year while continuing to plan for the future. This information will be paired with consumer-related data such as the number of individuals under an IPE, the number of applicants, and the number of individuals on the waitlist by OS Category to enable the Director to determine if sufficient resources are available to open OS Category 2 and OS Category 3, as appropriate.
The following provides information on the service and outcome goals for individuals in the three Priority Categories: (1) Most Significantly Disabled, (2) Significantly Disabled, and (3) Non-significantly Disabled. Please note that the provided numbers for all categories are estimates and are difficult to predict accurately with the opening and closing of priority categories.
- Priority Category 1: In FY 2025, 5,011 individuals will be served; 264 will exit with employment after receiving services, while 664 individuals will exit without employment. In FY 2026, 5,262 individuals will be served; 277 will exit with employment after receiving services, and 697 individuals will exit without employment. Cost of services: FY 2025 $12,054,250; FY 2026 $12,656,963.
- Priority Category 2: In FY 2025, 6,414 individuals will be served; 520 will exit with employment after receiving services, while 1,030 will exit without employment. In FY 2026, 5,452 individuals will be served; 442 will exit with employment after receiving services, and 876 will exit without employment. Cost of services: FY 2025 $20,242,512; FY 2026 $17,206,135.
Priority Category 3: In FY 2025, 1,273 individuals will be served; 504 will exit with employment after receiving services, while 78 individuals will exit without employment. In FY 2026, 764 individuals will be served; 302 will exit with employment after receiving services, and 47 will exit without employment. Cost of services: FY 2025 $3,204,894; FY 2026 $1,922,936.