Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

Indiana’s Supported Employment (SE) services are highly individualized and involve ongoing support services and other appropriate services needed to support and maintain an individual with the most significant disability (MSD), including youth with the most significant disabilities in SE for a period of time that generally does not exceed 24 months. Such services, such as job coaching, are for individuals who have SE and long-term supports identified on the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). Often, because of the nature and severity of the individuals’ disability, there is a need for extended services that are provided by a State agency, private nonprofit organization, natural supports, or any other appropriate resources that are funded outside of VR. VR funding is available for the provision of extended services to Youth with a MSD, for a period not to exceed four years, if the youth has exhausted 24 months of SE services, and is not eligible for extended services through other agencies. Eligible VR participants with the most significant disabilities obtain SE services through Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) across the state. The service delivery requirements are to provide appropriate ongoing support services to individuals with MSD for whom competitive employment has not traditionally occurred, or for whom competitive employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of the significance of the disability, and who requires SE services. SE services are provided from the time of job placement through achievement of stabilization and retention (90 days after stabilization). The expected outcome of SE services is to ensure that stabilization on the job has appropriately occurred after a period of gradually decreasing needed supports and a correlated demonstration of increased independence. The intensive level of support needs should be well-documented by the CRPs in the Employment Support and Retention Plan, and the expectation of fading (i.e., decreasing the amount of support as a consumer becomes more proficient in completing job duties) is important to reach optimal independence. VR acknowledges that fading of supports may not always occur in a completely linear process, and levels of SE support may ebb and flow depending on the needs of the individual. However, a pattern of increased independence and reduced need for support (fading) should be evident prior to the identification that stabilization has occurred for an individual needing SE services. More specifics regarding Supported Employment may be found in the Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services — Manual of Employment Services at www.vrs.in.gov.

The scope of SE services may include, but not limited to, the following: • Intensive job coaching (on-site, off-site, or a combination of both); • Providing counseling or training to maintain the desired employment; • Providing on-site job analysis, consultation, and recommendations for worksite and job modifications when appropriate; • Developing appropriate natural supports; and • Tracking fading and progress toward stabilization.

VR implemented major revisions to VR employment services in July 2015. Prior to these revisions, VR purchased employment services primarily through a Results Based Funding (RBF) approach. One significant revision that occurred is that SE services are no longer fully funded through employment milestones (or the previous RBF model). Because many individuals with MSD will require SE services that extend beyond the employment milestone payments, SE services are funded in addition to the current employment milestone payments. VR funding for SE services is outlined in the Table below. (Please note that the complete employment service model, implemented July 2015, can be viewed at www.vrs.in.gov).

SE Funding Source SE Services From Placement to Retention Discovery Discovery hourly services (i.e., job shadows, situational assessment, work experience, etc.) are provided to assess strengths, interests, talents, ideal work environments, etc. in order to identify an appropriate SE outcome. Milestone 1: Job Development and Placement Job development placement services are provided to assist individuals to obtain employment in line with the SE IPE. Milestone 2: Support and Short-Term Retention Supports are provided day one on the job through completion of four calendar weeks on the job. SE Hourly Funding Supports typically start after the fourth week on the job and are provided through achievement of stabilization. Fading of support (decreasing the amount of support as a consumer becomes more proficient in completing job duties) should occur during this period. Milestone 3: Retention Supports are provided from stabilization through the ninety-day retention period. Note: SE monthly level funding may begin sooner than four weeks, and/or could extend beyond stabilization if the consumer’s level of support extends beyond what is provided through the Milestone 2 and/or Milestone 3 payments.