Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Supported Employment

Summary
The Supported Employment policy defines the nature and scope of supported employment services and describes eligibility criteria to receive supported employment services.

Relevant Laws, Rules, or Policies
Assessment of Vocational Rehabilitation Needs and Employment Plan
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34
The Rehabilitation Act

Effective Date
9/1/1993

Last Updated
3/8/2023

Contact
Heather Farmer, Heather.Farmer@state.mn.us
Tel 612.414.9668
Fax 651.297.5159

Policy

Supported employment means competitive integrated employment, including customized employment, or employment in an integrated work setting in which an individual with a most significant disability, including a youth with a most significant disability, is working on a short-term basis toward competitive integrated employment that is individualized, and customized, consistent with the unique strengths, abilities, interests, and informed choice of the individual, including with ongoing support services for individuals with the most significant disabilities:

for whom competitive integrated employment has not historically occurred, or for whom competitive integrated employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of a significant disability; and
who, because of the nature and severity of their disabilities, need intensive supported employment services and extended services after the transition from support provided by Vocational Rehabilitation Services, in order to perform this work.

Supported employment services means ongoing support services, including customized employment, and other appropriate services needed to support and maintain an individual with a most significant disability, including a youth with a most significant disability, in supported employment that are:

Organized and made available, singly or in combination, in such a way as to assist an individual to achieve competitive integrated employment;
Based on a determination of the needs of an eligible individual, as specified in an Employment Plan;
Provided for a period of time not to exceed 24 months, unless under special circumstances the eligible individual and the rehabilitation counselor jointly agree to extend the time to achieve the employment outcome identified in the Supported Employment Plan; and
Following transition, as post-employment services that are unavailable from an extended services provider and that are necessary to maintain or regain the job placement or advance in employment.

Supported Employment (SE) services will be provided to individuals with the most significant disabilities. Individuals with a “most significant” disability are persons who have a significant disability that results in serious limitations in three or more functional areas and who are expected to require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an extended period of time.

Monitoring to assess employment stability must be provided at least twice monthly. Monitoring should be done at the work site unless off-site monitoring is specified on the Supported Employment Plan as more appropriate.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services will provide time-limited supported employment services from the time of job placement until the individual has achieved stability on the job and has made substantial progress toward meeting the hours-per-week goal in the person’s Supported Employment Plan and made the transition to extended services.

When intensive job skill training (job coaching) is provided as a supported employment service, it will be provided at the employment site. Vocational Rehabilitation Services will provide time-limited SE services for a maximum of 24 months unless a longer period has been identified on the individual’s Supported Employment Plan as necessary to achieve stable employment. Such an extension must be mutually agreed upon by the person and the counselor.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Services counselor must consult with and obtain approval from their supervisor prior to including time limited supported employment services for a period of greater than 24 months on the Supported Employment Plan. This consultation and approval must be documented by the supervisor in Workforce One case notes.

A Supported Employment Plan for a supported employment outcome must include the required elements specified in the policy section of Assessment of Vocational Rehabilitation Needs and Employment Plan and:

Specify the supported employment (time limited) services to be provided by Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS);
Specify the extended services required;

Extended services means ongoing support services, including customized employment and other appropriate services that are:

Needed to support and maintain an individual with a most significant disability, including a youth with a most significant disability, in supported employment;
Organized or made available, singly or in combination, in such a way as to assist an individual in maintaining supported employment;
Based on the needs of an individual, as specified in a Supported Employment Plan;
Provided by a private nonprofit organization, a state agency, an employer, or any other appropriate resource, after an individual has made the transition from time limited support from Vocational Rehabilitation Services;
Provided to a youth with a most significant disability by Vocational Rehabilitation Services for a period not to exceed four years, or at such time that a youth reaches age 25 and no longer meets the definition of a youth with a disability, whichever occurs first.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services must not provide extended services to an individual with a most significant disability who is not a youth with a most significant disability.
The Vocational Rehabilitation Services counselor must consult with and obtain approval from their supervisor and the applicable Regional Manager prior to including VRS funded extended services as a required service on the Supported Employment Plan. This consultation and approval must be documented by the Regional Director in Workforce One case notes.

Identify the source of extended services, which may include natural supports, programs, or other entities or, to the extent that it is not possible to identify the source of extended services at the time the Supported Employment Plan is developed, include a description of the basis for concluding that there is a reasonable expectation that those sources will become available. A Supported Employment Plan cannot be initiated until a funding source is identified and committed for purposes of providing extended services.
Set a goal for the number of hours the person will work at the time of transition to an extended services provider;
Describe how periodic monitoring will be done to ensure the individual is making satisfactory progress toward meeting the weekly work requirement established in the Supported Employment Plan by the time of transition to extended services;
When intensive job skill training is provided as a supported employment service, identify that the training will be provided on site;
Include placement in an integrated setting for the maximum number of hours possible based on the unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice of the individual; and
Provide for the coordination of services provided under a Supported Employment Plan with services provided under other individualized plans established under other Federal or State programs

Through appropriate modes of communication, each applicant and recipient of VR Services must be given the information necessary to make informed choices. Individuals who need assistance in exercising informed choice must be made aware that support services are available.

As appropriate, services can be obtained from either an in-state or out-of-state provider. If a person chooses an out-of-state provider at a higher cost than an in-state provider, if either provider would meet the individual’s rehabilitation needs, Vocational Rehabilitation Services is not responsible for those costs in excess of the cost of the in-state service.

Exceptions to the supported employment policies may be requested from the Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services or a designee when there are unique rehabilitation needs that cannot be met.

Alternate formats such as Braille, audio-visual and large print are available upon request.