32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.19.3

Current through December 10, 2024

Section 32-22-3.19.3 - Flow-Chart For Se Services

I. Referral

A. Referral received from Third-Party Agency.

1. Schedule appointment for application.

2. Conduct interview, advise client of services available and discussion of clients informed choice in these services; get client release form to obtain records from other sources, (mental health center, state hospital, physician/ hospital, etc.).

3. Conduct evaluation for VR services, authorizing for services or information not available through other agencies.

B. Referral received from General VR program, Deaf Services, Deaf/Blind or Transition counselor.

1. General VR or Specialty counselor staffs the case with the SE counselor.

2. SE counselor assesses the case for eligibility for SE services. If the two counselors agree that SE should serve the case, the case will be transferred to the SE counselor using the established case transfer procedures. Cases transferred from any specialty area, for example, Deaf /Blind program, if determined eligible for SE services should be retained by the SE counselor. The Specialty counselor and the SE counselor should work closely on the case and the Specialty counselor should provide technical assistance to the SE counselor to ensure the client receives appropriate services.

3. If any questions arise about the eligibility of the client for SE services, the two counselors will refer the case to their respective supervisors who will, together, determine the feasibility of the client for SE, the adequacy of the evaluation process, need for additional evaluating information, etc., and decide how the case will be handled.

4. In those cases when a client needs Supported Employment services but is not being served by a third-party, the SE counselor will explain the SE Program, services and options to the client as soon as possible after the referral has been made to the SE Program. The SE counselor will also, advise the client about the availability of third-party resources in that area. The counselor will assist the client with obtaining a third-party sponsor for extended services and must include on the IPE the source and description of the on-going support needed by the client to maintain the employment. Third-party agreements will be initiated by the SE counselor and negotiated at the local level regardless of whether there is a Cooperative Agreement with the Parent State Agency. Third-party agreements will be finalized by State Office staff. If no third-party can be located who is willing to provide needed services, the case may be closed as Unsuccessfully Rehabilitated after staffing with the District Manager. The SE counselor will document the attempts to assist the client in this way in the closure letter.

C. Referral received from VRB counselor:

Generally, it is appropriate for all SE eligible individuals cases to be handled by the SE counselor. In specialty areas, such as deaf, deaf/blind and blind, the case is handled with consultation from the appropriate specialty disability counselor on specific issues related to the individuals needs. However, in those instances where it is advisable, and is the clients choice, for their case to be retained by the VRB counselor for the receipt of supported employment services, the SE counselor will work closely with the VRB counselor to advise and consult on matters related to the use of SE funds for the hiring, managing and paying for job trainers and any other procedural matters related to SE services. The decision to transfer the SE case to the VRB counselor should be made after staffing with the District Manager. Upon transfer of the SE case to the VRB counselor, the State Coordinator for Supported Employment will be notified by the District Manager, and an allotment of SE funds will be made to the VRB counselor who will handle the case.

NOTE: After any referral to supported employment, the counselor should check the appropriate place on the Special Programs page in AACE indicating this is now a supported employment case. (In the instance of a transferred case, where the IPE has already been developed, the IPE should be amended with the client to reflect appropriate SE services; the counselor should record this as an SE case on the IPE and also on the Special Programs page in AACE.)

II. Eligibility

Individuals with severe disabilities who are appropriate to receive supported employment services must meet the eligibility requirements established for the VR program and meet the Order of Selection, Category I

A. Be an individual who has never been competitively employed; and/or

B. traditional competitive employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of a severe disability; and

C. who, because of the nature and severity of the disability, needs intensive on-going support services that may include job trainer services, in order to obtain and maintain competitive employment, and

D. who, because of the nature and severity of the disability needs extended services that continue after VR services ends, in order to maintain successful employment

III. IPE DEVELOPMENT

A. IPE Meeting - At the time of the IPE development the SE counselor should meet either individually or jointly with the following entities:

1. Client and, if necessary, client's parents or guardian, advocate or representative.

2. If possible, a representative from the source who will be providing and/or funding the extended services.

3. Representative(s) from the Mental Health Center who will be providing Transitional Employment/Supported Employment services.

B. Writing of the IPE.

1. The SE counselors need to utilize the information from assessments, including information gathered from Person Center Planning, and input from the client in establishing a vocational goal. The IPE should include a brief rationale as to the reason that the particular vocational goal was selected. The SE counselor, along with the client, will estimate an anticipated time during which the client is expected to reach the goal.

2. Each service that will be provided will be listed. These services should include all the supports needed by the supported employment client in order to reach the stated goal and should include at a minimum, two of the following:

a. Placement Services

b. Training: Supportive Services (inc. Job Coach)

c. Counseling and Guidance

d. Extended Employment

e. Extended Services (this service may be listed under "Other Goods and Services" and then customize the service by specifying Extended Services.

f. Other appropriate services

Every Supported/Transitional Employment IPE should include Extended Services and Rehabilitation Counseling.

3. The source of funding for each service, the estimated cost of the service(s) or the utilization of comparable benefits must be listed.

4. Information should be included which indicates any understandings and responsibilities between the client and the SE counselor or any other individual or entity deemed critical to the success of the vocational program.

5. Extended Services, which are on-going services, should be indicated as such on the IPE. A Memorandum of Understanding-Extended Services Agreement should be developed for each Supported/Transitional Employment client and a copy should be kept in the client's file. These agreements should be coordinated through the State Office. Extended Services can be provided by more than one source. Sources for Extended Service provision may include:

a. state agencies,

b. private non-profit organizations,

c. employers, co-workers, families or friends,

d. Any other appropriate resource not funded by the Agency.

Counselors have the primary responsibility for negotiating these agreements; however, they must be formalized and signed by the Director of the Agency. Telephone or write the State Coordinator for Supported Employment to obtain copies of the agreements and to obtain details on putting these agreements in place. The beginning date for extended services should coincide with the date of movement of the case into employed status. Generally it is best to have these agreements in place at the time of the IPE development, or before, however they are required before closure of a successfully rehabilitated case and a copy of said signed Extended Service Agreement should be placed in clients file upon closure as successfully rehabilitated. If it is not possible to identify the source of the extended service provider at the time the IPE is developed, a statement describing the basis for concluding that there is a reasonable expectation that such sources will become available, should be addressed in the IPE.

IV. Placement

The responsibility for placement of SE clients lies primarily with the SE counselor with assistance by the Vocational Training Instructors (VTIs). The decision to place a client into a TEP versus a permanent employment situation will be done after careful consideration of the client's condition and with input from the third party representative. The decision to place a client in a particular job must be based on an assessment and documented in the case file.

V. Training

A. Securing Job Trainer, as well as overseeing work performance of the trainer regarding the actual knowledge and implementation of training, will be the primary responsibility of the SE counselor. However, the VTI will need to be responsive to the day-to-day management of the placement, contacting the SE counselor assistance when needed.

B. The SE counselor, with assistance of the VTI, will be responsible for ensuring that all trainers are adequately educated in how to provide appropriate training.

VI. Authorizations for Trainer Services

A. The vendor for all job trainer authorizations will be AbilityWorks - Jackson-Reimbursement

B. The following forms should be completed and mailed to MDRS Finance Department, Post Office Box 1698, Jackson, MS 39215-1698 - upon appointment of a Job Trainer to work with a client:

1. Application for Employment

2. I-9 form, with copies of drivers license and social security card. (The Counselor should sign the I-9 Form under Section 2 "Signature of Employer or Authorized Representative).

3. W-4 Federal Withholding Form

4. State Withholding Tax Form

5. Drug-Free Workplace Form

These forms may be sent either in advance of, or along with the initial Authorization for Services for a Job Trainer. It should be noted that a copy of the Workers Compensation Notice of Coverage should be furnished to the Job Trainer when hired.

a. After authorizing for a planned service indicate the Job Trainer's name in the General Comments Section 3 of the Authorization.

b. A 13.57 percent processing fee to AbilityWorks - Jackson-Reimbursement should be added to the unit cost (per hour rate) for job trainers and added to the total estimated cost for job trainer services. The processing fee should be calculated in the following manner:

(per hour rate) x 13.57%= (processing fee) + (per hour rate) = (hourly service fee) x (no. of hours) = (total service cost)

C. The procedures for processing payments through AbilityWorks - Jackson-Reimbursement are as follows:

Step 1: Upon completion of a work period (2 weeks in most instances) the SE counselor will obtain signatures of the Job Trainer and the client on the Job Trainer Time Sheet. The Time Sheet should also be verified for accuracy and signed by a VR/SE staff member. After checking the Job Trainer Time Sheet for accuracy, a Statement of Account (SOA) should be prepared that matches the amount of the Job Trainer Time Sheet. If the original Authorization does not match the amount to be paid indicated on the Job Trainer Time Sheet, the Authorization should be modified to agree with the amount on the Job Trainer Time Sheet.

Step 2: The SOA should be completed indicating the type, the amount and dates of

service. Then the SOA should be approved for payment in AACE, signed by the approving SE counselor, attached to the Job Trainer Time Sheet and mailed as previously instructed (mail only one Authorization/SOA, and one original Time Sheet per client).

Step 3: Finance will write the check to the Job Trainer based on the information they receive after checking it for accuracy, (if errors are found by Finance they will mail the documents back to the counselor for corrections, delaying payment to the Job Trainer).

Finance will process payments to job trainers on Thursday of each week. All Authorizations/SOAs received by 10:30 a.m. on Thursday will be processed and mailed by 5:00 P.M. that day. Authorizations/SOAs received after noon on Thursday will be held over to the next Thursday for processing.

VII. Status Movement

Supported Employment cases should be moved through the VR case statuses as indicated below:

A. After eligibility determination is completed place the case in eligibility status.

B. After the IPE is planned, developed, and signed, the case will be moved to service status.

C. The case is moved to employment status when the client meets the criteria for movement into extended services and the Job Trainer has faded completely. This occurs when the client has demonstrated that he/she can perform the job to the employer's expectations. Also, there should be a concurrent agreement between client, counselor, VTI, job trainer and extended service provider that the client can perform the essential functions of his job with the provisions of extended services. This agreement should be the outcome of a meeting between the above parties and any other appropriate parties. Also, at this time, if the Extended Service Agreement has not been previously executed, it can be executed by the appropriate parties and placed in the file. In every instance, a copy of the Extended Service Agreement should be placed in the clients file upon being determined successfully rehabilitated.

D. The case is closed rehabilitated when the client has been in employed status for at least 90 days and continues to perform the job with minimal assistance from the extended service provider and is considered successful by the employer.

VIII. Supported Employment Closures

The following Supported Employment special outcome criteria must be met in order to close a case rehabilitated in Supported Employment:

* working in the competitive labor market;

* working in an integrated work setting; and

* receiving extended services at the time of closure

It is an integral part of the closure process that the SE counselor ensures that the client is transitioned to the appropriate third party for on-going support services. The case file will be well documented showing this effort.

NOTE: When supported employment cases are closed in AACE, the counselor needs to be sure the SE outcome is completed correctly on the closure page.

32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.19.3