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  • Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation

    The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:

    __________

    * Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA

    • b. Request for Waiver of Statewideness
      When requesting a waiver of the statewideness requirement, the designated State unit must identify the types of services to be provided by the program on a non-statewide basis. The waiver request must also include written assurances that:

b. 1. A Local Public Agency Will Provide the Non-federal Share of Costs Associated with the Services to Be Provided in Accordance with the Waiver Request;

Current Narrative:

(b)This agency has requested a waiver of statewideness. The types of services to be provided by the program on a statewide basis are as follows: • JOINTLY FUNDED Pre-Employment Transition Specialist: There are 138 school districts in Alabama. All school districts are offered the opportunity for jointly funded pre-employment transition specialist through a partnership with ADRS. The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services enters into these third party cooperative agreements with thirty one (31) local education agencies. These agreements are written and carried out in compliance with 34 CFR 361.28. The agreements provide for jointly funded pre-employment transition specialist to provide pre—employment transition services that are not typically or customarily provided by the LEA. These pre—employment transition services are designed to prepare students with disabilities to enter competitive integrated employment by identifying and exploring career interests, as well as, increasing individual independence, self-sufficiency and inclusion of students with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities, in their communities. Services provided by Pre-ETS Specialist are provided based on the individual needs of the student and may include: job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs, workplace readiness training and instruction in self-advocacy, which can include development of a peer mentoring program. Students served by this program include: Any student with a disability, age 16-21, who is eligible for or potentially eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, upon referral from the VR Transition Counselor. State Unit approval will be obtained before services are initiated. All services will be provided in accordance with the agency’s approved State Plan. The agency has on record that no federal funds are used by the LEA to provide their share of the services. LEAs with which third—party third cooperative agreements for Pre-Employment Transition Specialists are: Alabama Institute for Deaf & Blind, Alabama School for the Blind— Talladega County; Alabama Institute for Deaf & Blind Alabama School for the Deaf — Talladega County; Anniston City — Calhoun County; Baldwin County — Jefferson County; Bessemer City; Blount County; Clarke County; Clay County; Dekalb County; Escambia County; Etowah County; Eufaula City — Barbour County; Fairfield City; Florence City; Gadsden City; Hale County; Haleyville City — Winston County; Homewood City — Jefferson County; Huntsville City; Lauderdale County; Leeds City — Jefferson County; Limestone County; Marshall County; Monroe County; Pell City — St. Clair County; Piedmont City — Calhoun County; Pike County; Shelby County; Sylacauga City — Talladega County; Talladega County; Tarrant City — Jefferson County. • JOINTLY FUNDED FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR: The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services entered into this agreement to mutually serve students with disabilities in the Pike County and Troy City Boards of Education through cooperatively funding the professional services of one full-time nine month instructor, housed at Charles Henderson High School and Troy/Pike Center for Technology . Instruction will be provided in an integrated classroom setting with peers who are not identified as students with disabilities, and will focus on the area of pre-employment transition services. These pre-employment transition services, which are not typically or customarily provided by the LEA, will be provided in a group setting in a classroom or the community. The instruction of pre-employment transition services provided will be in the areas of: job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational programs, workplace readiness training and instruction in self-advocacy. This instruction is designed to prepare students with disabilities to enter long terms competitive integrated employment in high demand careers by identifying and exploring career interests, as well as, increasing individual independence, self-sufficiency and inclusion of students with disabilities in their communities. Students served by this program include any student with a disability enrolled at Charles Henderson High School and Troy/Pike Center for Technology, who is in the 11th or 12th grades, is eligible for or potentially eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and has received a referral from the VR Transition Counselor, Special Education Teacher and/or school administrator. Course curriculum will consist of instruction in the following areas Basic Computer Skills, Financial Literacy, Problem Solving, Manufacturing, Job Acquisition. Course curriculum will also include discussion of local high demand careers, labor market information and activities that my include community based experiences.

• PROJECT SEARCH: Project SEARCH is a one—year internship program for students with disabilities in the last year of high school or with out of school youth. It is targeted for students and youth whose goal is competitive employment. The program takes place in a healthcare, government, or business setting where total immersion in the workplace facilitates the teaching and learning process as well as the acquisition of employability and marketable work skills. Students participate in up to three (3) internships to explore a variety of career paths. The students work with a team that includes their family, special education teacher and skills training instructor to create an employment goal, and to support the student during this important transition from school to work. The program is a cooperative arrangement between the employer, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services, the Alabama State Department of Education, the Alabama Council for Development Disabilities the Alabama Department of Mental Health, the local school systems (or post-secondary education for youth) and most importantly the employers. The program is currently available in the following counties: Montgomery, Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Shelby, Etowah, Marshall, Baldwin, Calhoun and two (2) programs in Mobile. When participating in Project SEARCH, the student actually goes to the employment site each day as opposed to going to the school. The LEA provides a classroom teacher(s) to provide employment instruction in the morning, and the students go to assigned internships the remainder of the day. Internships include patient escort, food service, central sterilization, pharmacy, maintenance, grounds keeping, and other settings at the business. No funds from other participating agencies are used to match federal money drawn down by ADRS. State Unit approval is obtained before services are initiated. All services are provided in accordance with the agency’s approved State Plan. • INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT AND SUPPORTS (IPS SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT): IPS Supported Employment is an approach to support employment for individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse. IPS is evidence—based SE that is based on the following principles: (1) zero exclusion, (2) competitive employment in the community, (3) mental health treatment and employment services being integrated, (4) benefits planning provided, (5) job search occurs rapidly, (6) employment specialists develop relationships with employers in their communities, (7) job supports are continuous, and, (8) consumer preferences are honored. In 2014, Alabama applied for and was among seven states that received a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement IPS Supported Employment at two sites in the state. The grant is for five years, during which time our agency and partners will be working towards sustainability and expansion. Currently IPS is being implemented at Chilton Shelby in West Alabama (rural site) and at Altapointe in Mobile. This year we are expanding to a third site in Montgomery. No funds from other participating agencies are used to match federal money drawn down by ADRS. State Unit approval is obtained before services are initiated. All services are provided in accordance with the agency’s approved State Plan. No funds from these participating agencies are used to match federal money drawn down by ADRS.