Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

In order to provide supported employment services throughout Delaware, DVR has cooperative agreements with the agency that serves individuals with significant mental illness, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), and with the agency that serves individuals with intellectual/cognitive disabilities, the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS). The agreements are monitored by workgroups that review the programs, identifying best practices and areas that need improvement. As delineated in the cooperative agreement, DVR and DDDS collaborate to provide supported employment services to transition—age students and youth and to adults with cognitive disabilities. The Early Start to Supported Employment Model provides Supported Employment Services to students with cognitive disabilities transitioning from school to work. The Department of Education, the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation have a cooperative agreement to reflect collaborative practices that promote early intervention and preparation for employment. For individuals with cognitive disabilities, DVR and DDDS have a long-standing agreement on the Supported Employment (SE) process and financial responsibilities of each agency. For out of school youth and adults being referred to SE, typically the referral is made to DDDS and then sent to DVR with supporting documentation. DVR will assist the individual with selecting a SE provider and provide funding to that provider for 1.) discovery and community-based work assessments, 2.) job placement, and 3.) stabilization/closure. DVR pays the 3rd milestone of stabilization/closure once the individual has achieved 90 days of employment. DVR continues to monitor the case for an additional 60 days (150 total), however once DVR payment ends at 90 days, funding shifts to DDDS for extended services. This model and structure has been in place for many years with only minor adjustments needed. DVR, DDDS and the providers work together to ensure individuals with disabilities receive quality and seamless SE services. The WIOA provision allowing VR to provide extended services has not impacted this process for those who qualify for DDDS. In regard to students who are still in school, the only variation to the process is the responsibility of the schools to identify and inform students and families of the SE opportunity and assist with helping families to connect to the related services, i.e. DDDS. Once the school refers the student to DDDS for Supported Employment (2 years prior to high school exit), the process is the same. This model, Early Start to Supported Employment (ESSE), increases the collaboration with adult service providers and schools, facilitates better communication and sharing of information and increases employment opportunities for students near the time they exit from high school. SE providers are able to include information from the schools and observations of the students in the SE discovery and assessment process and begin job development while the student is still in school. The providers also share information with the schools to help them better understand how they can support students with more targeted skill development and employment preparation related to the student’s employment goals and the needs of the businesses. Funding for ESSE remains the same as for general SE services as outlined above. Although DVR and DDDS have had a long-standing partnership and agreement for providing Supported Employment services, there are still individuals with disabilities who do not qualify for DDDS yet need this level of service in order to achieve and maintain employment. DVR assists individuals to identify other potential sources of funding for extended services (Mental Health, Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, PASS plans, etc.) as well as work with the SE provider agencies to develop natural supports on the job in order to provide the long-term supports an individual may require. The WIOA provision allowing VR agencies to provide extended services is an additional resource which assists our agency to more adequately support individuals who require SE services who do not have access to any other formal funding stream. This funding allows DVR to support SE providers longer for those individuals who require more intense coaching supports or for whom developing natural supports may take longer. DVR and DSAMH collaborate on the implementation of the Evidence—Based Supported Employment Project. The goal of the collaboration is for mental health services organizations to provide integrated mental health and supported employment services. The project uses a team approach to respond to the employment needs of individuals with the most significant mental health disabilities by creating a system of services and supports. Since 2012, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) has built its mental health services upon an ACT/ICM Team model. A Request for Proposal was published and new providers were secured, offering multiple teams in each County. Two existing providers also made the transition to the new model. The model was refined further in 2014, eliminating ICM Teams and assigning those individuals to ACT Teams. DVR and DSAMH are continuing to work with the new and continuing providers to develop integrated mental health and supported employment services using ACT team model, throughout the state. While the program has experienced some participation and outcome setbacks during the transition to the ACT team model, both DVR and DSAMH are committed to moving forward and engaging more individuals with significant mental illness in employment. Per the cooperative agreement, DSAMH provides extended services to youth and adults who have obtained employment through supported employment and have reached employment stabilization.