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1. What is the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program?
The VR program is designed to assess, plan, develop and provide VR services to eligible individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice. By providing services in this way, the VR program enables individuals with disabilities to prepare for and engage in gainful employment.
2. What does it mean to be an "individual with a disability?"
An individual with a disability is someone who has a physical or mental impairment which constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment for the individual; and can benefit from VR services to achieve an employment outcome.
3. Who is eligible for VR services?
To be eligible for VR services, an individual must have a disability, as defined above; and require VR services to prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment.
4. Is anyone presumed eligible for VR services leading to employment?
Individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits are presumed to be eligible for VR services leading to employment, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that they are too severely disabled to benefit from VR services.
5. Does every eligible individual receive VR services?
No. The Rehabilitation Act requires VR to serve individuals with the most significant (or most severe) disabilities first when there are not enough resources to serve everyone who is eligible for VR services. Should this situation occur, a waiting list will be established according to a procedure called order of selection. Using this procedure, a VR counselor will determine a priority category designation for each eligible individual. This designation will be based upon the functional limitations caused by the disability, the number of services needed to achieve employment and the length of time these services are expected to last. The waiting list will be maintained by date of application in each priority category.
6. How do I receive VR services?
- Kansas Rehabilitation Services will assign a VR counselor to each eligible individual.
- The counselor gathers as much information as possible about work history, education and training, abilities and interests, rehabilitation needs, and possible career goals. In gathering the information, the counselor will first look to existing information, so it is important for you to provide copies of medical, educational and similar documentation.
- If existing information is not sufficient to determine whether you are eligible for VR services, then we will provide assessment services to gather the needed information.
- Based on the information gathered in the assessment phase of the VR process, an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that identifies the individual's desired employment outcome is developed. (The IPE used to be called the Individual Written Rehabilitation Program or IWRP. You may still see the IWRP language used in some documents.) The IPE also lists, among other things, the steps necessary to achieve the individual's employment outcome, the services needed to help the individual achieve that outcome, and evaluation criteria used to determine progress toward the employment outcome. Kansas Rehabilitation Services may provide only those services listed on the IPE.
- The VR counselor provides some services directly to the eligible individual and arranges for other services from providers in the community.
7. How do I develop an IPE?
- Once eligibility for VR services has been determined, you must develop an IPE. You will be given the opportunity to make an informed choice in selecting an employment outcome, needed VR services, and providers of those VR services.
- You may choose to develop the IPE on your own with the assistance of a qualified VR counselor; or with the assistance of anyone else who is willing to help.
- When developing an IPE, an explanation of the assistance available, as well as the full range of components that must be included, will be given. Rehabilitation Services will provide you with information in writing, in addition to an appropriate mode of communication.
- The IPE must be approved by the VR counselor and signed by both the individual and the VR counselor.
8. What VR services may an eligible individual receive?
The following services are available to eligible individuals in order to achieve their employment outcomes. They include, but are not limited to:
- an assessment for determining eligibility and VR needs;
- vocational counseling, guidance, and referral services;
- physical and mental restoration services;
- vocational and other training, including on-the-job training;
- maintenance for additional costs incurred while the individual is receiving certain VR services;
transportation related to other VR services;
- sign language interpreter services for individuals who are deaf;
- reader services for individuals who are blind;
- services to assist students with disabilities to transition from school to work;
- personal assistance services (including training in managing, supervising, and directing personal assistance services) while an individual is receiving VR services;
- rehabilitation technology services and devices;
- supported employment services; and
- job placement services.
9. Who pays for VR services?
Based on the individual's available financial resources, Rehabilitation Services requires an eligible individual to help pay for some services. However, the following services are available to all eligible individuals, regardless of their financial resources, without charge:
- assessments to determine eligibility and VR needs;
- vocational counseling, guidance, and referral services; and
- job search and placement services.
10. What are comparable services and benefits?
Comparable services and benefits are those benefits or services that are:
- paid for, in whole or in part, by another Federal, State or local public agency; or provide through employee benefits;
- available at the time the individual needs them; and
- comparable to the services that the individual would receive from the VR agency.
Merit-based awards and scholarships are not considered comparable services and benefits.
Before providing certain VR services, the counselor must determine whether another source, such as medical insurance or Medicaid, etc., can pay for the service. However, the counselor is not required to look for a comparable service or benefit if it would delay:
- the individual's progress toward achieving an employment outcome;
- an immediate job placement; or
- the provision of services to an eligible individual who is at extreme medical risk.
11. What is the Client Assistance Program (CAP)?
The Client Assistance Program (CAP) is available to assist individuals in their relationships with the VR agency. If an applicant for, or recipient of, VR services is not satisfied with the services received or the decisions made by the VR counselor, CAP may be able to help resolve the dispute.
CAP is now administered by the Disability Rights Center of Kansas. For more information you can contact CAP at:
Client Assistance Program
Disability Rights Center of Kansas
635 SW Harrison Street, Suite 100
Topeka, Kansas 66603
(785) 273-9661
Toll-free: 877-776-1541
Toll-free TDD: 877-335-3725
Email: info@drckansas.org
Website: www.drckansas.org
12. Do individuals have the right to appeal VR program decisions?
Yes. If an applicant for, or recipient of, the VR program is unhappy with a decision made by a VR employee, they may request a review of that decision. The law requires the VR agency to offer at least two methods of resolving a dispute -- through mediation or a formal hearing process. An individual may choose to use one or both of these processes to resolve the matter.
In addition, the law provides VR agencies flexibility to develop and implement informal review procedures to resolve disputes prior to the mediation or formal hearing process. These informal review procedures generally involve the applicant/individual, or their representative, negotiating a resolution with the counselor or the counselor's supervisor.
Each of these options has different procedures. To learn more, ask your counselor or the Rehabilitation Services Program Administrator in your local SRS Regional Office. Or you may contact CAP on the number listed above.
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