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Mississippi PYs 2020-2023
C

Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

Located in:
  • Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)

    The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:

    __________

    [13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA

    • b. Request for Waiver of Statewideness

      When requesting a waiver of the statewideness requirement, the designated State unit must identify the types of services to be provided by the program on a non-statewide basis. The waiver request must also include written assurances that:

b. 3. Requirements of the VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan will apply to the services approved under the waiver.

View corresponding narrative from PYs 2018-2019

Current Narrative:

All agreements approved under this waiver will comply with all requirements of the VR Services portion of the Combined State plan, including the state’s Order of Selection for Services requirements and this assurance will be written in all agreements.

As new agreements are added, the current state plan will be updated to add the new agreements that have been entered into.   

MDRS requests a waiver of state wideness on an annual basis in order to provide and expand services to a substantially larger number of individuals with significant disabilities, to individuals with disabilities with particular type of impairments, individuals with disabilities from particular ethnic populations that have traditionally been underserved, and other target populations identified in WIOA and federal regulations, such as students with disabilities needing Pre-Employment Transition Services. Due to the increase in the number of potentially eligible and eligible students with disabilities served, the anticipated number of students with disabilities as reported by the Department of Education and the Comprehensive Needs Assessment, MDRS is requesting a Waiver of State wideness for the following: 

1.  VR TRANSITION CONTRACT EMPLOYEE

MDRS, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) request a waiver of statewideness for its Interagency Cooperative Agreements with local educational agencies. 

MDRS sponsors a jointly funded contract employee with the local education agency which implements the position of a VR Transition Contract Employee in the school.  These agreements between MDRS - VR and the local educational agency are designed to increase the availability and quality of Pre-Employment Transition Services and Transition services that assist potentially eligible students and eligible students with disabilities to transition from secondary education to postsecondary education or employment. 

MDRS does not have sufficient budget authority to contract with every potential local educational agency in the state.  Some local educational agencies have not chosen to enter into this agreement. For LEAs who have opted out, VR/VRB Counselors and/or the LEAs are providing the Pre-Employment Transition Services to these students with disabilities. 

MDRS may enter into new agreements with additional school districts during Federal Fiscal Year 2020.

Cooperative Agreements include the following required federal assurances:

  • Local educational agency funds used as match are certified as non-federal monies. All expenditures are made by the school district with 100% non-federal monies, and are certified by the district when MDRS is invoiced for reimbursement by the school district.
     This position is provided under an Interagency Agreement which provides for a 50% funding and 50% time spent on the work of each agency.
  •  MDRS reimburses the school district for one-half the cost of salary, fringe benefits, travel, staff development and other possible items that are necessary to achieve the goals of this agreement. 
     
  • The services provided are for VR eligible and potentially eligible students with disabilities and are new services that have a VR focus or an existing service that has been modified to have a VR focus.

The following 32 school districts currently have Interagency Agreements with MDRS for the jointly funded VR Transition Contract Employee:  Alcorn County School District, Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District, Booneville School District, Carroll County School District, Clinton Public School District, Coahoma County School District, Columbia School District, Hattiesburg Public School District, Jackson County School District, Jackson Public School District, Jones County School District, Kemper County School District, Kosciusko School District, Lamar County School District, Lauderdale County School District, Laurel School District, Long Beach School District, Madison County School District, New Summit School, North Tippah School District, Ocean Springs School District, Oxford School District, Petal School District, Prentiss County School District, Quitman County School District, Rankin County School District, Senatobia Municipal School District, South Tippah School District, Tishomingo County School District, Tupelo Public School District, Wayne County School District, and Winona School District. 

2.  PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICE:  PEER MENTORING

MDRS, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind is currently piloting a cooperative Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS): Peer Mentoring Program at Mississippi State University (MSU) and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) through their disability support services offices.  At this time, the Peer Mentoring Program is only available to VR/VRB eligible students at MSU, USM and Hinds Community College. Other postsecondary students across the state are eligible to receive support services through their VR/VRB Counselor and/or through their college disability support offices.

VR may enter into new agreements with additional colleges and universities during Federal Fiscal Year 2020-2023.

  • Using federal allocated Pre-ETS funds, MDRS reimburses MSU, USM, and Hinds Community College for Peer Mentor Certification, Peer Mentoring Plan, Assignment, and Management, and Peer Mentoring Evaluations and Final reports.
  • MDRS also reimburses the Mentor for hourly Peer Mentoring services. All services provided by the universities using federal monies, and are certified by the district when MDRS is invoiced for reimbursement by the universities.

3.  PROJECT SEARCH

Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation Agency is requesting a waiver of statewideness for Project SEARCH.

Project SEARCH is only offered in a subset of communities across Mississippi.  The Project SEARCH Program is a unique, nine month, school-to-work program for young adults with developmental disabilities that occurs entirely at the workplace.  This innovative, business-led model of school-to-work transition features total workplace immersion, which facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction; career exploration; and hands-on, worksite-based training and support.  The goal for each student is Competitive Integrated Employment.  Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and has been implemented as several sites in Mississippi throughout statewide initiatives involving the collaborative effort of MDRS, area school districts, and several of Mississippi’s leading employers. The LEA provides a classroom teacher to provide some academic instruction in the morning and the students go to work stations the remainder of the day. Work stations may include patient escort, food service, instrument sterilization, and other settings in the hospital. MDRS approval will be obtained before services are initiated. All services will be provided in accordance with the agency’s approved State Plan. The agency will approve services before they begin.

MDRS is working to add Project SEARCH partners across the state to create more opportunities for youth with significant disabilities in obtaining real-life work experience that leads to Competitive Integrated Employment.

The services provided are for VR eligible students with significant disabilities that are seeking Competitive Integrated Employment.

  •  Local educational agency funds used as match are certified as non-federal monies.  All expenditures are made by the school district with 100% non-federal monies and are certified by the district when MDRS is invoiced for reimbursement by the school district.
  • This position is provided under an Interagency Agreement which provides for 50% funding from each agency for the Project SEARCH Transition Contract Specialist position. 
  • MDRS reimburses the school for one-half the cost of salary, fringe benefits, travel, staff development and other possible items that are necessary to achieve the goals of this agreement.
  • MDRS covers the cost of the licensing agreement for the current Project SEARCH sites.
  • The services provided are for VR eligible students with significant disabilities that are seeking Competitive Integrated Employment.

The following school districts currently have Interagency Agreements with MDRS for Project SEARCH.  New Summit School, Rankin County School District, Petal School District, Jones County School District, Tupelo School District.  The following sites will be added in 2020: Brookhaven School District, Neshoba Central School District, Philadelphia School District and Ocean Springs School District.