Using School Documentation to Determine Eligibility & VR Needs

Sigrid J. AdamsStaff Development Unit Training ManagerMichigan Rehabilitation Services

Big Picture“Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be done.”   ~Amelia Earhart 

An Employment Outcome consistent with their

unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities,

capabilities, interests and informed choice.

Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

WIOA

0 Increases Services to Youth with Disabilities

Prioritizing students with disabilities

0 Allows state VR agencies to prioritize serving students with disabilities.

Eligibility 0Applicants shall be eligible for Michigan Rehabilitation

Services (MRS) services if they have a physical or mental impairment

0 that constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment

0and if they require MRS services to prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment consistent with their abilities and capabilities.

Substantial Impediment means that a physical or mental impairment (in light of attendant medical, psychological, vocational, educational, communication and other related factors) materially hinders an individual from preparing for, entering into, engaging in, or retaining employment consistent with the individual's abilities or capabilities. A substantial impediment to employment may be established if the impairment significantly limits one or more functional capacities of the individual in terms of an employment outcome.

Ways to Substantiate an Impairment

0Counselor observation of behavioral or functional limitations of an impairment;

0Written or verbal reports or descriptions of vocationally relevant limitations from the applicant, their representative, family members, school staff, employers and others familiar with the individual.

Ways to Substantiate an Impairment

0Medical or other evaluations may be purchased or provided if other sources of documentation: are not available. . .

0the nature of the disability is not stable, observable, or clearly defined; or information needed to determine the severity of the disability is not available.

Functional Capacities0Mobility

0Communication

0Self Care

0Self Direction

0 Interpersonal Skills

0Work Tolerance

0Work Skills

Vocational Needs Assessment

03275 A vocational needs assessment shall be conducted to determine the goals, nature and scope of rehabilitation services to be included in the IPE. This assessment shall begin simultaneously with the assessment for eligibility and be carried out in integrated settings to the extent appropriate and consistent with the individual's informed choice.

7 Employment Factors

Informed Choice0Capabilities0Concerns0Abilities0Priorities0Resources0Interests0Unique Strengths

Other Assessments to Determine VR Needs

0Psychological reports

0Substance Abuse0Neuropsychological0MCTI assessments

Work Experience

0Emphasize the need for youth with disabilities to have more opportunities to practice and improve their workplace skills, to consider their career interest and to get real world work experiences

…and other Accommodations

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Job Coaching and Multiple On-the-Job Experiences

School Documentation

Hurdles

0 Cash match agreements0 Relationships0 Compliance challenges0 Wide variation in documents, formats and content0 Usage of terms0 Time frames & deadlines0 Opportunities to meet with students0 Sheer volume of students0 Regulatory need to maximize the use of existing

documents/information.

MRS Counselor

Policy

Policy: 30750Applicants shall be eligible for Michigan

Rehabilitation Services (MRS) services if they have a physical or mental impairment that constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment and if they require MRS services to prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment consistent with their abilities and capabilities.

Functional Limitations0Mobility

0Communication

0Self Care

0Self Direction

0 Interpersonal Skills

0Work Tolerance

0Work Skills

An Employment Outcome consistent with their

unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities,

capabilities, interests and informed choice.

Think it Through

Inferences & Conclusions

An inference is an idea or conclusion that's drawn from evidence and reasoning.

Observe

all the facts, arguments, and information provided.

Consider

what you already know from your own experience as a VR counselor.

School Documents to Assist

0 Individualized Education Program (IEP) &

0 Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)

Examples:

Socio-Emotional Behaviors and Adverse Impact, Behavioral Strategies, Affective, Cognitive, performance level, etc.

Functional LimitationsMobility

Interpersonal skillsCommunication

Work ToleranceSelf Care

Work SkillsSelf-Direction

Seriously limited defined

0Seriously limits means that the individual’s impairment limits function in a functional area to poor or well below what is typically expected, or that the individual requires accommodations (such as special working conditions, rehabilitation technology or substantial support or supervision) typically not made for other individuals in training or employment.

School Documents to Assist

0Psychological report or other diagnostic report

Examples:

Diagnosis Recommendations to mitigate

behaviors, Observations of performance

School Documents to Assist

0 Review of Existing Data (REED)

Examples: Adaptive skills Cognitive ability Social and Emotional Behaviors

School Documents to Assist

0Vocational or Transition Assessment

0Academic Work Experience or Individual Vocational Training reports from school.

Examples: Observations of work behaviors, accommodations,

assistive technology and other supports

School Documents to Assist

0Summary of Performance (SOP)

Example: May identify need for accommodations for post-

secondary entities and colleges.

Notes, Reports, Observations, Meetings & Interviews

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Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Students, Parents, Guardians, VR Counselors