Each applicant and recipient of vocational rehabilitation services must be informed through appropriate modes of communication about the availability of and opportunities to exercise informed choice. Individuals who need assistance in exercising informed choice must be informed that support services are available.
Opportunities to make decision based on informed choice throughout the rehabilitation process must be provided to all potentially eligible students and individuals applying for or receiving vocational rehabilitation services. These opportunities will, as appropriate, also be provided to the authorized representative.
Individuals or as applicable, the individual’s authorized representative, will be provided or assisted to find the information needed to make informed choices about specific vocational rehabilitation services, including the providers of those services. This information at a minimum must include:
- cost of the proposed service(s);
- accessibility (physical access, programmatic access, and transportation options);
- duration of potential services;
- satisfaction with services obtained by recipients of vocational rehabilitation services, to the extent that information is available;
- qualifications of potential service providers (agency qualifications and/or qualifications of specific staff who will be providing the service);
- types of services offered by the potential provider;;
- degree to which services are provided in integrated settings, and
- outcomes achieved by individuals working with service providers, to the extent that such information is available.
Eligible individuals will be assisted in acquiring information that enables them to exercise informed choice in the development of their Employment Plans with respect to the selection of the following:
- The need for and nature of assessment services;
- vocational goal;
- vocational rehabilitation services needed to achieve the employment outcome;
- service providers;
- where services will be provided;
- employment setting (competitive integrated with or without supports, self-employment, etc.);
- methods for getting and paying for services.
When referring a person for a psychological assessment, Vocational Rehabilitation Services will give the individual a copy of the Psychological Evaluation Guide.
VRS staff must have an informed choice discussion regarding service delivery options available to the person, such as virtual or in-person services in the community. Community based service delivery options may include, but are not limited to, VRS offices and CareerForce locations, high schools, county offices, libraries, community centers, and in-home services. Meetings at VRS staff residences are not permissible.
Whenever a counselor cannot support an individual’s choices, the person must be given information about appeal rights and the availability of the Client Assistance Project, and offered assistance in developing alternative goals or plans. The record of service must reflect the reasons for the decision.