Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)
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.
- j. Coordination with Education Officials.
In accordance with the requirements in Section 101(a)(11)(D) of the Rehabilitation Act—
- j. Coordination with Education Officials.
j. 1. Describe plans, policies, and procedures for coordination between the designated State agency and education officials responsible for the public education of students with disabilities, that are designed to facilitate the transition of the students with disabilities from the receipt of educational services in school to the receipt of vocational rehabilitation services, including pre-employment transition services.
Current Narrative:
Coordination between the RSB and education officials responsible for the public education of students is conducted via a series of agreements and resources such as:
Interagency Cooperative Agreement:
The interagency cooperative agreement between Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (RSB) and the State Education Agency (SEA) outlines plans, policies, procedures, and the financial responsibility of each agency for the coordination of transition services to students with disabilities. The agreement, developed in accordance with IDEA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, includes the following:
- RSB to provide consultation and technical assistance to local and state educational staff in planning for the transition of students with disabilities from school to post school activities, including vocational rehabilitation services;
- Transition planning by RSB staff and the educational agency that facilitates development of and completion of their individualized education programs in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA);
- Roles and responsibilities, including financial responsibilities of each agency and provisions for determining state lead agencies and qualified personnel responsible for transition services, and;
- Procedures for outreach and identification of students with disabilities who are in need of transition services.
The agreement contains guidance on the primary source of service provision including the educational agencies’ financial responsibility in accordance with IDEA and RSB’s agreement to pay for employment related transition services provided in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act as amended for vocational rehabilitation services beyond the scope of IDEA.
In addition, the agreement provides the means to ensure joint planning of individualized educational plans and individualized plans for employment. It includes the opportunity that students may receive “for credit” work experiences through the Cooperative Work Experience Program.
Joint Referral Process:
In accordance with 162.1139 Revised Statutes of Missouri for all children identified as visually impaired a joint referral process for local education agencies and RSB was established between the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Rehabilitation Services for the Blind.
- The DESE State Plan for Special Education requires that school districts discuss RSB services annually at each student’s Individualized Educational Program meeting.
- RSB staff must refer any client that is not served through an IEP to the Division of Special Education with the parent’s consent.
- The Office of Special Education provides guidance documents and a referral form available online to the local education agencies for this process.
- RSB continues to offer local administrators of special education (LASE) and the DESE Missouri Blind Task group presentations on RSB transition services at their meetings.
Transition Handbook for the Cooperative Work Experience Program:
A Transition Handbook for the Cooperative Work Experience Program, jointly developed by the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and RSB staff, provides policy guidance on transition services. The handbook is available on the DESE website.
Transition Brochure:
A brochure on transition services, jointly developed by staff of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and RSB, is available on DESE’s website. It provides a single source for an overview of the technical assistance, consultation, and transition services that are available from the state’s two vocational rehabilitation agencies. The target audience includes students, parents, school personnel, and community organizations that might be in contact with individuals who could potentially benefit from vocational rehabilitation services.
Coordination with Missouri School for the Blind:
RSB provides MSB students with pre-employment transition services such as job research, self-advocacy, resume building and other activities. An example would be the Work Based Learning Experiences provided by RSB in partnership with MSB, and the Center for Specialized Services (CSS).