La. Admin. Code tit. 50 § XXI-16323

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XXI-16323 - Prevocational Services

A. Prevocational services are individualized, person centered services that assist beneficiaries in establishing their path to obtain individualized community employment. This service is time limited and targeted for people who have an interest in becoming employed in individual jobs in the community but who may need additional skills, information, and experiences to determine their employment goal and to become successfully employed. Beneficiaries receiving prevocational services may choose to leave this service at any time or pursue employment opportunities at any time.

B. Prevocational services should be offered that engage workers in real and simulated employment tasks to determine vocational potential. Services focus on teaching concepts and skills, such as following directions, attending to tasks, task completion, problem solving, and job safety skills. All prevocational services are to be reflective of the participant's plan of care and directed toward habilitation rather than teaching a specific job skill.

1. onsite prevocational services;

2. community career planning; and

3. virtual prevocational services.

C. Prevocational services are to be provided in a variety of locations in the community and are not to be limited to a fixed site facility. Activities associated with prevocational services should focus on preparing the beneficiary for integrated individual employment in the community. These services are operated through a provider agency that is licensed by the appropriate state licensing agency.

D. Beneficiaries receiving prevocational services must participate in activities designed to establish an employment goal. Prevocational services are designed to help create a path to integrated community-based employment for which a beneficiary is compensated at or above minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals without disabilities. Prevocational services may include assistance with personal care or with activities of daily living.

E. The prevocational provider is responsible for all transportation between prevocational sites. Transportation may be provided between the beneficiary's residence, or other location as agreed upon by the beneficiary or authorized representative, and the prevocational site. The beneficiary's transportation needs shall be documented in the plan of care.

F. Service Limitations

1. Service limits shall be based on the person centered plan and the beneficiary's ROW budget. Services are delivered in a 15-minute unit of service for up to eight hours per day, one or more days per week. The 15-minute unit of service must be spent at the service site by the beneficiary.

a. Any time less than 15 minutes of service is not billable or payable.

b. No rounding up of units of service is allowed.

2. Prevocational services are not available to individuals who are eligible to participate in programs funded under section 110 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or sections 602(16) and (17) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [20 U.S.C. 1401(26) and (29)] as amended, and those covered under the state plan, if applicable.

3.Prevocational services cannot be billed for at the same time on the same day as other ROW services.

a. community living supports;

b. professional services, except when there are direct contacts needed in the development of a support plan;

c. respite-out of home;

d. adult day healthcare;

e. monitored-in-home caregiving (MIHC);

f. day habilitation services; or

g. supported employment.

4. Prevocational services may otherwise be billed at the same time on the same day as professional services when there are direct contacts needed in the development of a support plan.

5. Transportation is only provided on the day that a prevocational service is provided. Transportation is part of the service except for virtual prevocational services.

a. Time spent in transportation between the beneficiary's residence/location and the prevocational site is not to be included in the total number of prevocational service hours per day, except when the transportation is for the purpose of travel training. Travel training must be included in the beneficiary's plan of care.

b. During travel training, providers must not also bill for the transportation component as this is included in the rate for the number of service hours provided.

c. Transportation-community access services shall not be used for transportation to or from any prevocational services.

G. Restrictions

1. Beneficiaries receiving prevocational services may also receive day habilitation and/or individualized supported employment services, but these services cannot be provided during the same time period or total more than five hours per day combined.

2. All virtual prevocational services must be approved by the local governing entity or the OCDD state office.

H. Provider Qualifications. Providers must be licensed by the Department of Health as a home and communitybased services provider and meet the module requirements for adult day care in. LAC 48:I.Chapter 50.

La. Admin. Code tit. 50, § XXI-16323

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, LR 33:2450 (November 2007), Amended by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Bureau of Health Services Financing and the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, LR 422162 (10/1/2015, Amended by the Department of Health, Bureau of Health Services Financing and the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, LR 451766 (12/1/2019), Amended LR 471516 (10/1/2021), Amended LR 481565 (6/1/2022).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 36:254 and Title XIX of the Social Security Act.