Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
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
- h. Interagency Cooperation
Describe how the designated State unit will collaborate with the State agency responsible for administering each of the following programs to develop opportunities for competitive integrated employment, to the greatest extent practicable:
- h. Interagency Cooperation
h. 1. The State Medicaid plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act;
Current Narrative:
VR continues to have a strong relationship with Arizona's Medicaid System, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), and is a committed member of various partnerships dedicated to furthering employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Arizona, such as the Employment First Steering Committee, the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) rules implementation workgroup, and the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE).
VR maintains a close partnership with AHCCCS via the Interagency Service Agreement (ISA) related to the provision of VR services to individuals designated Serious Mental Illness (SMI) as discussed in various sections of this plan. VR and AHCCCS work closely to coordinate VR services, including supported employment services for individuals with the most significant disabilities and extended services (provided by AHCCCS or, for individuals who do not qualify for AHCCCS supports and are youth with the most significant disabilities, provided by VR) for individuals in the behavioral health and developmental disabilities systems. This collaboration provides a streamlined process for which individuals with behavioral and developmental disabilities get referred to VR and engage in services in an expedited manner with the goal of achieving and maintaining competitive integrated employment.
VR has a Statewide Behavioral Health team who are responsible for implementation of the agreement between VR and AHCCCS. This team provides guidance and technical assistance to staff from both VR and behavioral health to ensure referrals and service delivery are streamlined and effective for the identified population. Dedicated staff/counselors from each partner agency ensure individuals are referred for VR services when appropriate and these staff continue to work together to support mutual clients throughout the VR process by encouraging participation, providing services as comparable benefits (transportation, counseling, etc.), ensuring a seamless transition to extended services as appropriate, etc.