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f. Arrangements and Cooperative Agreements for the Provision of Supported Employment Services

Describe the designated State agency’s efforts to identify and make arrangements, including entering into cooperative agreements, with other State agencies and other appropriate entities in order to provide supported employment services and extended employment services, as applicable, to individuals with the most significant disabilities, including youth with the most significant disabilities.

Current Narrative:

Cooperative Agreements for the Provision of Supported Employment Services

The Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is currently in the process of updating a new Memorandum of Agreement with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) and the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) the state agency responsible for administering the State Medicaid Plan.  The revised agreement will establish a framework, including terms and conditions, which will guide the partners’ collaborative efforts to advance the development, improvement, and expansion of opportunities for competitive integrated employment as the first and preferred option for individuals with most significant disabilities.  This MOA will also include a Data sharing agreement to assist agencies in sharing information needed to provide effective services to mutual customers and to identify the financial requirements for providing Supported Employment Services.

VR continues to be an active partner with other state agencies and organizations in implementing Employment First, a national effort to assure individuals with disabilities are offered employment as the first and preferred option in planning their lives. Employment First is consistent with VR’s belief that individuals with disabilities, even the most significant disabilities, can achieve meaningful employment when provided with appropriate supports.

Executive Order 13-284 (Reaffirming Commitment to Employment for Floridians with Disabilities) was signed by the Governor of Florida in October 2013. The order mandates that an Interagency Cooperative Agreement be developed and requires nine agencies/organizations to participate in the agreement. This order has now been placed in Florida’s statue.

  • The Department of Education-Division of Blind Services
  • The Department of Education-Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
  • The Department of Education-Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services
  • The Agency for Persons with Disabilities
  • The Department of Children and Families-Mental Health and Substance Abuse
  • The Department of Economic Opportunity
  • CareerSource Florida
  • The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council
  • RESPECT of Florida

Six broad-based objectives govern the Employment First Interagency Agreement. VR works closely with the partners to continue to make progress on these objectives.

  1. Continue to develop and enhance Supported Employment for persons with the most significant disabilities. The state system for the provision of Supported Employment reflects: (a) mutually agreeable definitions of the services to be provided; (b) administrative responsibility of the intensive component of Supported Employment services to eligible individuals as the primary responsibility of VR for individuals with the most significant disabilities; and (c) administrative responsibility of the extended services component as the primary responsibility of other stakeholders, including APD and the Department of Children and Families’ Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programs.
  1. Continue to improve the statewide management of Supported Employment programs by avoiding duplication of effort and funding while ensuring accountability. This process will provide a coordinated system of program development for SE services.
  1. Maximize the quality of service delivery ensuring a comprehensive, continuous, efficient and effective referral process, individual program planning, coordination of intensive vocational services with extended services, information collection and dissemination, confidentiality and technical assistance.
  1. Identify issues, policies and practices that present systemic barriers to effective participation of individuals with the most significant disabilities and develop appropriate resolutions to remove such barriers.
  1. Continue to implement an interagency planning process for budget coordination, which defines and projects the number of people in need of intensive and extended services for each fiscal year and facilitates program and fiscal planning.
  1. Support the belief that all individuals with disabilities can work if provided appropriate services and supports and that a team approach is needed to facilitate quality and appropriate services.

Supported Employment Services
VR is responsible for the first phase of Supported Employment services. VR provides intensive vocational services until the individual and employer are satisfied with the Supported Employment placement and then the individual transitions to a plan for extended services. Supported Employment services consist of intensive, time-limited vocational rehabilitation services (the responsibility of VR) and extended services, also known as the second phase. Funding for the second phase of services is provided by other sources that may include, but are not limited to, APD, the Department of Children and Families’ Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programs, natural supports or other identified funding sources.

Extended Services
Funding for the second phase of services is provided by other sources that may include, but are not limited to, APD, the Department of Children and Families’ Mental Health, Employer Supports and Substance Abuse Program, Natural Supports or other identified funding sources.

The purpose of extended services is to maintain the individual in SE that is competitive and integrated, enhance the individual’s involvement in the workplace culture and provide supports for career advancement. The nature of services provided during the intensive and extended phases may be similar to the initial services provided by VR but will differ in intensity.

VR and its partners continuously seek alternative methods (e.g. Social Security incentives, natural supports, etc.) to provide extended services. VR has encouraged Supported Employment providers to focus on developing natural supports and to encourage employers to act in a support role since this will often occur naturally in the labor market.

VR is now authorized to fund Extended Services for youth with the most significant disabilities for a period of up to four years or until the youth turns 25 years of age, whichever occurs first or another funding source is identified.  Allowances would be made for individuals who, while receiving extended services, require additional intensive services through VR because they have destabilized on the job. When appropriate, VR will again assume the responsibility and cost of providing intensive vocational services, including necessary job-related support services.