Located in:
- 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:
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* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- H. Interagency CooperationDescribe how the designated State unit will collaborate with the State agency responsible for administering each of the following programs to develop opportunities for competitive integrated employment, to the greatest extent practicable:
- H. Interagency Cooperation
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
d. 2. H. ii. The State Agency Responsible for Providing Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities; and
Current Narrative:
2. Alabama Department of Mental Health is responsible for providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities, and ADRS works collaboratively in our state to increase competitive integrated employment, particularity for individuals with more significant disabilities. Initiatives such as Project SEACH, that currently serves over 100 individuals with significant disabilities at ten different locations throughout the state, the GATE project which is a collaborative effort to move individuals served through the waivers in day programs into community based, integrated employment opportunities through development of training sites embedded in employment opportunities in the communities, and conjoint trainings for job coaches working through both entities, community based rehabilitation partners, school personnel, jointly funded school personnel, skills training instructors, IPS staff and other community providers. We have a current cooperative agreement in place that outlines the roles and responsibilities of partners, over view and function as well as the state level shared objectives. This agreement is for both the DD and MI/SA divisions of the department. In 2017, ADRS entered into a cooperative agreement with the Alabama Department of Mental Health to provide benefits counseling services to individuals receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), are currently being served or on a waiting lists for either the Living at Home (LAH) or the Intellectual Disabilities (ID) waivers. Information and Referral as well as intensive benefits counseling services are provided by trained certified benefits specialists to any individuals whether the individual is currently employed, has a job offer or is in the contemplative stages of employment planning. Staff supported through the ADRS DMH cooperative agreement work in collaboration with other ADRS WIPA benefits counseling staff. The cooperative agreement targets 100 individuals annually.