05 Supported Employment

05-02-01 Supported Employment (SE)

Supported Employment (SE) is competitive employment in an integrated setting, or employment in integrated work settings in which an individual is working toward competitive employment, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice; for individuals who are most significantly disabled for whom:

1. competitive employment has not traditionally occurred;

2. competitive employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of the disability; and

3. who because of the nature and severity of their disability, need intensive supported employment services from NMDVR and extended services after transition to perform this work;
   
   or

4. Transitional employment which is a series of temporary job placements in competitive work in integrated settings with ongoing support services for individuals with the most significant disabilities due to mental illness. In transitional employment, the provision of ongoing support services must include continuing sequential job placements until job permanency is achieved.

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05-02-02 Competitive Employment

Competitive Employment is work that is in the competitive labor market that is performed on a full-time or part-time basis in an integrated setting; and for which an individual is compensated at or above the minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals who are not disabled.

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05-02-03 Working Towards Competitive Employment

Working Towards Competitive Employment is work in which an individual is receiving ongoing support services while working in an integrated setting and is progressing or moving toward the minimum wage level. An individual in supported employment working toward competitive employment would not be considered to have achieved a "competitive employment" outcome until the individual is earning at least the state minimum wage. Participants who are progressing towards minimum wage can be closed as achieving a non-competitive "employment outcome".

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05-02-04 Most Significant Disability

Most Significant Disability is an individual with a disability:

1. who has a severe physical or mental impairment which limits two or more functional capacities (such as mobility, communication, Self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome, and;

2. for whom competitive employment has not traditionally occurred or has been interrupted or intermittent; and

3. whose vocational rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple and intensive vocational rehabilitation services in order to result in an employment outcome.; and

4. who has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis,, muscular dystrophy, musculo-skeletal disorder, neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy), spinal cord conditions (including paraplegia and quadriplegia), sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability, end-state renal disease, or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the basis of an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs.

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05-02-05 Integrated Work Setting

Integrated Work Setting is a setting typically found in the community in which applicants or eligible individuals interact with non-disabled individuals, other than non-disabled individuals who are providing services to those applicants or eligible individuals, to the same extent that non-disabled individuals in comparable positions interact with other persons.

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05-02-06 Extended Services

Extended Services are ongoing support services that are needed to support and maintain an individual with a most significant disability in supported employment and are provided by a state agency, a private nonprofit organization, employer, or any other appropriate resources other than NMDVR after the individual has made the transition from support provided by NMDVR. Examples of extended services include but are not limited to ongoing job coaching, follow-along support to include regular contact with employers, natural supports at the job site, guardians, parents and other involved professionals in order to reinforce and stabilize job placement. Examples of funding sources include but are not limited to Adult DD Service Agencies, local mental health clinics, Social Security funds, etc.

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