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:
__________
* 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:
The Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS) and the Bureau of Developmental Disability Services (BDDS) are housed in the same division, the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS). Additionally, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and BDDS field offices are co-located, allowing for increased collaboration in serving mutual consumers, educating referrals about each program’s services and ensuring a smooth transition to extended services as appropriate upon exit from VR. At time of job placement, VR Counselors submit transfer documentation to ensure extended services are in place prior to VR case closure as appropriate. (Please reference attachment (c) and (q) for more information.)
The BRS Director, BDDS Director, and DDRS Director regularly collaborate and discuss how program changes in one bureau may have impact on the other bureau. For instance, bureau leaders have recently collaborated on revisions to BDDS waiver definitions to bring definitions in line with the new VR employment service revisions, particularly around supported employment and extended services.