01 DVR Overview

01-01-01 Focus on Employment

The primary focus of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is to assist individuals with disabilities in achieving an employment outcome. Individuals with disabilities are faced with barriers and obstacles unique to their particular situation. DVR's role is to assist the participant in addressing and reducing those barriers related to employment.

DVR is an eligibility-based program, which distinguishes it from entitlement programs.

To qualify for services, participants must meet the eligibility criteria. This being the case, all services are provided on an individualized basis. Services are also provided in support of determining eligibility or in support of a vocationally related activity. For example, ancillary services such as physical or psychological restoration may be provided to enable participation in a vocational program. Transportation assistance may be provided to ensure that the participant can get to work, school, or other vocationally related activity.

Services will not be provided for reasons other than determining eligibility or supporting a vocational program. Diagnostic evaluations, for example, can only be provided to aid in the determination of eligibility or ineligibility. They cannot be provided just to determine a diagnosis or find out about a medical or psychological condition, unless the intent is specifically to obtain information for determining eligibility or for the development of an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). Once a participant is determined eligible, any service provided must be related to the achievement of the employment goal as outlined on the IPE.

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01-01-02 Quality Service Delivery

The best measures of quality are participant satisfaction, appropriate service delivery, and the acquisition and retention of suitable employment by the participant as evidenced by appropriate case documentation. In all phases of service delivery, participants are considered the primary customer of DVR services. As such, they are to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. This applies even in instances when an impasse may occur between the VR counselor (and/or other rehabilitation service team member) and the participant. DVR does have mechanisms for resolving an impasse including program manager reviews, administrative reviews, mediation, and Fair Hearings with an impartial Hearing Officer. If any of these avenues are pursued, the participant should continue to receive timely services as appropriate. There should also be no repercussions. In short, the VR service delivery team should maintain a high level of professionalism at all times.

Quality service delivery also means timely service delivery from the outset of the participant's referral and application to DVR. Agency staff have 60 days in which to determine eligibility. However, efforts should be made to expedite an eligibility determination in as timely a manner as possible. The same applies to planning and the provision of services under Trial Work Experiences (TWE), Extended Evaluation (EE), and Service status IPE's. In order to facilitate timely service delivery, involvement and communication with the participant and/or his or her representative must be maintained and coordinated on an on-going basis.

As an active partner in making choices about their services, participants should be actively involved in all aspects of service delivery as outlined in the "Informed Participant Choice" section. Although there are numerous guidelines and procedures to serve as tools, it is the nature of the VR business that there will be many instances in which counselor judgment is necessary. The VR counselor will have to assess various factors including interests and abilities, policies and practices, financial participation, etc. When no clear direction is available on which to base a decision, and all factors have been taken into consideration, the participant should be provided the benefit of the doubt. In these situations, it is better to err in favor of the participant. For example, if a transitioning student is requesting assistance with attendance in a school program, and the participant's diagnostic information does not provide conclusive evidence of the ability to succeed or not, the participant should be allowed to attend a semester of school to enable a decision to be made about the appropriateness of the request. If the participant turns out to be successful, the program can continue. If not, then further information is available which indicate that a school program may not be the best approach to achieving suitable employment.

The AWARE case management system provides a mechanism for streamlining and capturing essential case information. It should be the counselor/rehabilitation team member's role to not only document required information, but to also document all relevant activity and information. It should in essence summarize the events of the case in a clear and sequential manner. The case record, in particular the case notes, should provide a summary of case events. Staff should consider that the audience of the case record may be the program manager, Rehabilitation Services Unit administrative staff, auditors, consumer advocates, an impartial hearing officer, and the participants and/or representatives themselves. While the case record documentation requires some technical sophistication, consideration should be given to all or any of the above individuals who may review the case record when documenting case events.

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01-01-03 Counseling and Guidance: a Central Service

The most important service that DVR provides is counseling and guidance. This service provides the forum for the VR counselor, and to a lesser degree, other members of the rehabilitation team to communicate agency policies, expectations, employment and career options, and to provide direction for the case.

It is important to establish a counseling relationship with the participant early on in order to foster a collaborative relationship. This begins at the time of the initial interview with the counselor. Expectations should be established and planning should begin. Initially the focus is on obtaining information in order to make an eligibility determination. The counseling and guidance relationship provides a mechanism for outlining the eligibility criteria and what will be necessary to make a determination. Employment planning should begin immediately to place an emphasis on what the overall intentions of DVR services will be. Consideration should be made as to whether the participant is eligible, and what the participant is eligible for. By keeping a specific focus on the employment outcome and what it will take to achieve it, the counselor and participant can avoid confusion and conflict.

After the IPE has been implemented in TWE, EE, Service or in Post-Employment status, on-going counseling and guidance is critical to the success of the program and to keep a focus on the ultimate goal of achieving an employment outcome. While some programs require less of an interactive role such as when the participant is attending school, periodic counseling must take place to ensure that suitable progress is being made in the program and to ensure that any obstacles which may arise get addressed. For more immediate interactive activities such as job placement or supported employment programs, intensive counseling and guidance is necessary to ensure suitable placement and job retention. When job placement and coaching are provided in supported employment or other related programs, counselors should play an active and integral role in facilitating service delivery; even when community rehabilitation providers are providing the direct job placement and coaching services. Periodic visits to the job site, frequent visits with the participant/representative, and interaction with the provider (in addition to reviewing progress reports) are necessary to guide the process and to ensure that a suitable vocational adjustment takes place.

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01-01-04 Partnership between the Participant and VR Counselor

A key factor to the success of a participant in achieving an employment outcome is his or her relationship with the VR counselor. Participation by both in all aspects of service delivery is necessary to create a productive partnership. From the participant's perspective, this involves making informed choices throughout his or her participation in the VR program. It also involves investment and commitment by the participant to become successful in achieving an employment outcome. Part of this process involves becoming independent and self-sufficient to the extent possible. The counselor's role is to facilitate decision-making and informed choice, to provide thorough information about policies and procedures, to assist in outlining vocational options, to provide information about available resources and vendors, and to provide vocational expertise. Effective communication is essential to the success of the partnership. In order to facilitate effective case management and meet the Agency's responsibilities, the counselor must utilize a mode of communication best suited for the participant.

A partnership involves a shared commitment and mutual respect. Both parties should be committed to achieving a suitable employment outcome. The participant should be treated with respect, as should the counselor and rehabilitation team. While rehabilitation team members must maintain a high level of professionalism, participants are also expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner. It is recognized that some disabling conditions can lead to behavioral issues that create challenges for interpersonal communication and collaboration. However, to the extent possible; participants are expected to treat their relationship with VR staff as a partnership. In instances where blatant abuse of DVR staff is evident, and disability factors have been taken into consideration (including those within and beyond the participant's control) staff can require a corrective course of action on the participant's part. For example, this could mean participation in therapy or related services. If the behavior is not corrected, and/or DVR staff are clearly endangered, case closure is considered an appropriate course of action.

Note: For case closure to take place there must be clear evidence and documentation of the events leading up to the action and evidence of appropriate action to address behavioral problems.

In instances where the behavior is beyond the participant's control, collaboration with other service delivery professionals should take place to evaluate the appropriateness of employment and to develop strategies for behavior management. In either instance, consideration must be given to the fact that the participant will ultimately be interacting with an employer, co-workers, and possibly customers.

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01-01-05 Partnership with Community Resources and Employers

Part of the role of the DVR counselor and service delivery team is to forge partnerships with other community resources including work force partners and employers. By developing community resources, the DVR service delivery team creates avenues for participants to access other needed resources. This also facilitates outreach activities to recruit more participants. In an era of shrinking resources, it is important to maximize use of outside resources to the extent possible. More importantly, collaboration with outside resources serves to benefits DVR participants. Obtaining and maintaining employment is but one aspect of the participant's life. Frequently, other services are needed to improve the chances of reaching a suitable employment outcome.

DVR is mandated under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) to partner with various other entities including the One-Stop Centers to streamline service delivery and avoid duplication of services. Other partners including school systems (to promote school-to-work transition services), community rehabilitation providers as partners in the job placement of persons with disabilities, the medical community, etc. The DVR service delivery team has specialized expertise in assisting persons with disabilities in achieving an employment outcome and, as such, DVR should be marketed as a viable community resource.

Employers are the most important resource for DVR counselors. Without employers, employment outcomes cannot be achieved. DVR service delivery team members should always remain aware of the need to maintain a positive relationship with employers. This entails being sensitive to employer needs and satisfaction, maintaining a visible and positive image in the community, and acting as a resource. Participation in community activities, participation in business networks, conducting and/or participating in job fairs, participating in marketing activities, working cooperatively with other agencies geared towards job placement, and focused job development activities all serve in this capacity. Providing expertise or assisting in identifying resources for Americans with Disabilities Act issues such as job accommodations should also be considered a service for employers. In essence, employers are considered DVR's second customer. Recognizing employer needs and considering them as partners can only serve to enhance DVR's emphasis on assisting participant's with achieving employment outcomes.

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01-01-06 Efficient Use of Resources

The New Mexico DVR program is committed to providing quality services and to serving as many eligible participants as possible. In order to accomplish this, service delivery staff must maintain a focus on utilizing financial resources efficiently. Tools to assist with this are the use of comparable benefits and the financial needs test. Negotiation with participants is also recommended to ensure that costs of services are shared to the extent possible.

Negotiation with service providers must also take place. This does not imply that participant's should not receive necessary services or that they should not have a choice in the types of services or the vendors of their choice. It does imply that staff should utilize the most cost effective means of service delivery when possible and when it does not impede on specific service needs of the participant.

When providing counseling and guidance and assisting with the development of an IPE, participants should also be provided only with those services that are necessary for the determination of eligibility or the achievement of an employment outcome.

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