01 DVR Overview

01-02-01 Policy Statement

Each applicant and eligible participant for VR services must be informed, through appropriate modes of communication, about the opportunities to exercise informed choice throughout the VR process, including the availability of support services for individuals with cognitive impairments or others who require assistance in exercising informed choice.

Assistance must be provided to applicants and eligible participants in exercising informed choice in making decisions related to the provision of assessment services. Assistance must also be provided to eligible individuals in acquiring information that enables them to exercise informed choice in the development of their Individualized Plans for Employment (IPE's) with respect to the selection of the employment outcome, VR services and service providers, the employment setting as well as the settings in which services will be provided, and methods for procuring services.

The informed choice process essentially calls for cultivating a partnership between the participant, or as appropriate, the participant's representative, and the VR counselor. This promotes a vested interest and involvement in the application, eligibility, IPE, and employment processes.

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01-02-02 Requirements

While implementing informed choice, the participant and/or his or her representative are encouraged to take the lead in making choices about the VR services that they receive and the choice of their employment goal. The VR counselor assists the participant during the assessment process to discover the participant's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities and interests. It is the VR counselor's responsibility to inform the participant about available options for developing the IPE, for exercising informed choice and to assure that the individual understands the options. The participant must participate in choosing the employment goal. The counselor acts as a resource in facilitating this process by outlining options, interpreting agency policies, educating, and informing of available resources. Once an IPE has been signed by both the participant and the VR counselor, the participant assumes the responsibilities identified in the IPE for implementing the decisions and achieving the employment outcome. The counselor provides guidance and monitors progress to assist in the process. The individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, and capabilities are critical factors in the employment plan, in addition to the labor market and the individual's willingness to relocate in search of employment. Cost is not a determining factor in establishing an employment goal and the services related to that goal, however, cost efficient strategies must be used. These strategies must be consistent with comparable benefits and services requirements as well as the Financial Needs Test.

The participant or participant's representative must be provided with information necessary to make an informed choice about the specific vocational rehabilitation services, including the providers of those services that are needed to achieve the individual's employment outcome. This information must include, at a minimum, information relating to:

• Cost, accessibility, and duration of potential services;

• Consumer satisfaction with those services to the extent that information relating to consumer satisfaction is available;

• Qualifications of potential service providers as available and appropriate;

• Types of services offered by the potential providers;

• Degree to which services are provided in integrated settings; and

• Outcomes achieved by participants working with service providers, to the extent that such information is available.

In providing or assisting the individual or the individual's representative in acquiring this information, the following methods or sources of information may be used:

• Lists of services and service providers;

• Periodic consumer satisfaction surveys and reports;

• Referrals to other consumers (with permission and signed release form), consumer groups, or disability advisory councils qualified to discuss the services or service providers;

• Relevant accreditation, certification, or other information relating to the qualifications of service providers; or

• Opportunities for individuals to visit or experience various work and service provider settings.

In instances where participants with cognitive or other disabilities who require assistance in exercising informed choice, the VR counselor must describe the support services available to facilitate the informed choice process through methods which can be adequately understood by the participant. Such support services include:

• Assessing the level of the disability need to effectively communicate and/or acquire other assistance as necessary

• Providing interpreter services as necessary throughout the participant's participation in the VR process.

• Providing guidance and technical assistance to the extent necessary to convey information about informed choices throughout the VR process.

• Providing the participant's representative, as appropriate, and/or guardian with information necessary to make an informed choice about the specific vocational rehabilitation services to be provided.

• Providing information to other service delivery staff such as Community Rehabilitation Provider staff, case managers, education officials, advocates, other interested parties or professionals as appropriate to facilitate informed decision making.

• Simplifying information for persons with cognitive impairments.

• Using multiple modes of communication and repetition (i.e. audio tapes) as appropriate.

• Scheduling a longer time period for meetings when appropriate.

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01-02-03 Procurement Methods

To be fully engaged in the VR process, the individual must gather and use information to the extent possible, participate in planning and problem solving, make and implement decisions and seek or identify needed resources. The counselor works with the individual to build relationships and to align resources that will enable the individual to exercise informed choice and work toward the employment outcome. Such activity includes:

• Providing a listing of available vendors for particular services;

• Assisting participants by working with new service providers to become recognized State vendors;

• Providing a description of the State Procurement Code requirements as they apply to DVR and the participant when selecting goods or services;

• Utilizing the most flexible and least restrictive procurement methods available on an individualized basis and identifying when another vendor may be more appropriate;

• Informing the participant and/or representative of expected time frames for procuring goods or services.

• Providing a description of what constitutes comparable benefits as related to specific services;

• Processing authorizations and payments in as timely a manner as possible.

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01-02-04 Guidelines