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:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- h. Interagency Cooperation
Describe 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
h. 2. The State agency responsible for providing services for individuals with developmental disabilities; and
Current Narrative:
(2) the State agency responsible for providing services for individuals with developmental disabilities; and
DORS has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), to provide for increased interagency cooperation, to ensure the maximum utilization of appropriate programs and resources in the provision of services to individuals with disabilities, to expand and improve services to individuals with significant disabilities, and to maximize the use of comparable benefits. The agreement sets forth terms and conditions under which DORS and DDA will cooperate in the provision of services. The formal interagency cooperative agreement identifies policies, practices, and procedures that are coordinated between DORS and DDA (particularly definitions, standards for eligibility, the joint sharing and use of evaluations and assessments, and procedures for making referrals). It also identifies available resources and defines the financial responsibility of each agency for paying for necessary services, consistent with State law and procedures for resolving disputes between agencies, and includes all additional components necessary to ensure meaningful cooperation and coordination.
DORS and DDA updated and approved the Cooperative Agreement, Employment Services, in October 2013. The agreement focuses on the implementation of Employment First in Maryland. It addresses referral between agencies, specifies shared responsibilities for funding of supported employment, and describes cross-training activities.