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
- q. Quality, Scope, and Extent of Supported Employment Services
Include the following:
- q. Quality, Scope, and Extent of Supported Employment Services
q. 2. The timing of transition to extended services
Current Narrative:
The plan for Supported Employment specifies the services under supported employment that will be provided, the extended services needed, and the source of extended services. Extended services may include natural supports. If it is not possible to identify the source of extended support when the individuals plan for employment is developed, the counselor must describe the basis for the conclusion that there is a reasonable expectation that sources for extended support services will become available. Extended support services in Alabama, come from a variety of sources. These sources include the Medicaid waiver, state dollars set aside to support Project Search, grant funding, private funding, and fund raisers. Extended support services are included in contractual agreements with community rehabilitation providers who have supported employment programs. Extended services begin when the employed individual has reached stabilization for an agreed upon period of time that meets the vocational goal and work hour goal on the IPE, or amended IPE.
VR can fund extended services to youth with most significant disabilities for up to 4 years, or until the youth reaches the age of 25 and they no longer qualify as a youth. VR must identify another source of extended services to ensure there is no interruption of services. These cases will require a review every 6 months to determine if continued services are needed, and to assure that another provider of extended supports will be identified-this may include natural supports at the workplace. We have updated the policy and counselor resource manual to provide clarity on extended services.