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 sources.

Eligible VR participants with a MSD obtain SE services through accredited Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) across the state. 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.