02 Referral/Applicant Status
Revised: 09/02
02-01 Referral
02-01-01 Policy Statement
The New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has established standards for the prompt and equitable handling of referrals of individuals for vocational rehabilitation services, including referrals of individuals made through the One-Stop service delivery systems. Referrals shall be tracked and monitored as appropriate to maintain adequate documentation and ensure timely follow up. Efforts to contact all referrals will be made in a timely and appropriate manner as outlined below.
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02-01-02 Definition
A referral is an individual who has been referred to DVR by other agencies, organizations or individuals and from whom the following information has been obtained:
Referrals should be accepted if:
the individual is available for VR services
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referral information indicates the individual may be eligible for VR services
Note: Institutionalized referrals shall be accepted if they are available to participate in the rehabilitation process and employment. Generally, notification of a discharge date from the institution, or discharge plan, which will allow for active participation by the individual, shall be required.
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02-01-03 Tracking in AWARE
The AWARE Referral datapage allows tracking of all referred individuals which includes those who proceed to Applicant Status as well as those individuals that do not formally apply for VR services. Utilization of the AWARE referral tracking system is optional and can be used to track referred individuals when it is not known whether they will apply for services. In instances when it is known that the individual will formally apply for services, the referral process is not necessary. When a participant is entered as a new applicant this automatically constitutes a referral and is tracked in AWARE.
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02-01-04 Procedures
Contact the referral within a two-week period.
Provide information and explanation of eligibility criteria and VR program
Complete Participant Brief Sheet
Complete AWARE Referral datapage (optional)
Document the "Reasonable Effort to contact" and outcome of referral in the comment section of the referral datapage. Case notes are available in the Referral datapages if you need to elaborate on contacts made. (optional)
Maintain an ongoing log of referrals if the rehabilitation team has opted not to utilize the AWARE referral tracking system.
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02-01-05 Reasonable Efforts to Contact
Reasonable efforts to contact a referral should be made within 2 weeksof receipt of the referral by telephone, letter or personal visit. The purpose of your contact is to ascertain the individual's interest in applying for DVR services and schedule the initial interview if indicated. Contacts should be via the mode of communication best suited for the individual based on the available referral information and documented. For example, if there is a question about the referral's ability to fully understand written language, a phone contact or personal visit should be made.
Home visits should be approached with common sense and caution. If there is any indication that the referral or any other individual in the home may be dangerous, a home visit is not advisable. The referral source may also be a point of contact if attempts to reach the referral through other sources are unsuccessful.
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