From William T. Downey, PhD:
A partial answer is that if those doing the assessment are certified/licensed (eg, Certified voc evaluator, CRC, psychologist, etc), their ethics and standards of practice would prevent them professionally from engaging in conflict behavior. In other situations, maybe not.
From the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired:
At Virginia Blind, the VRC determines the need for SE services and then purchases SE and follow-along as needed.
From the Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind:
I am currently working with a team to develop specific evaluation/training for Supported Employment clients. This training will consist of evaluations, soft skills, conflict resolution skills, coping skills, activities of daily living skills, and grooming. All of this will preclude the place then train model of SE. This is a three piece team consisting of Division of Services for the Blind, World Services for the Blind, and Lighthouse for the Blind. We determine eligible and develop the plan, WSB provides the pre-employment training, and we have a vendor who will provide the placement service, training, and the eventual employment.
From DE Blind:
At DE Blind, the VRC determines the need for SE services and then purchases SE and follow-along as needed.
From VA DARS:
At Va DARS, the counselor basically makes the decision whether the client needs SE the refers to the appropriate vendor. The decision is usually made based on the available diagnostic info, counseling sessions and a voc eval, if needed.
From the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development:
In MN, the counselor makes the determination and often in consultation with a community provider which may also provide the services. No specific guidelines on working with a community provider. We don’t have any providers who only do assessments. In our rural areas we are often lucky to have one community provider willing to provide supported employment services.
From Wisconsin DVR:
In Wisconsin, the decision to utilize SE services is made in a SE Consultation meeting (usually prior to IPE development) with members of a team that includes the consumer, parents/guardians, DVR Counselor, Service Provider, Long Term funding source, teachers or anyone else the consumer wishes. The Consultation meeting requires the team to address a long list of questions and provide resources for a SE assessment if SE services I.e. assessment continue. The consumer can select a SE provider from an established service provider listing that includes consumer satisfaction, statistics, results, description of provider etc. In many places there isn’t more than one choice. (We are working on that.) We have established a detailed description of all SE services and reporting elements. All of our SE providers are expected to comply with those requirements.
In the past, we have found issues with providers that would like to recommend continuation or establishment of an individual in a congregate setting. DVR in WI will no longer accept those recommendations for payment. Each provider must describe in detail what level and types of support an individual will need to be placed in an integrated and competitive setting. Those details are shared with the SE team and taken into account for the process to continue.
From the Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation:
Alaska VR receives the majority of our SE referrals from those CRP’s that also provide the long term supports. Typically the CPR’s are the agencies that receive the long term funding. If that is not the situation our counselors determine if the individual requires SE services that level of support through various assessments.
From the SC Commission for the Blind:
For South Carolina Blind, the VR Counselor is required to staff any potential SE cases with upper level VR Management prior to making a determination for the need for SE services. Once the need for SE services has been assessed and agreed upon, the VR Counselor proceeds with the purchase and/or coordination of SE services and conducts follow-along as needed.
From the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation:
The Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) counselors assess the rehabilitation, career, and employment needs for eligible customers. Counselors will provide the opportunity for customers to choose from available DVR providers for Supported Employment.
From Nebraska General:
Nebraska General has agreements with any provider that provides SE services in Nebraska. We use a milestone payment schedule that the provider agrees to when signing our agreement. We have VR staff who are liaisons with each of the providers. VR and provider staff staff potential referrals to determine appropriateness. Contact with the provider throughout the process is part of our milestone payment schedule along with written reports at certain points. We don’t have any SE providers that provide an assessment only service.
Nebraska General has evaluation staff and placement staff so we are not purchasing these services. The only exception is SE – job placement is part of our SE agreement with providers.
From the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency:
The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Program utilizes several different types of assessments that could provide guidance regarding the need for supported employment. These include a comprehensive vocational evaluation, Vocational Profile or Work Evaluation. We do have contracts with providers who do just the vocational evaluation or work evaluations and some are providers for all three as well as supported employment.
We have contracts with community rehabilitation programs that provide a variety of services that may or may not include SE. The guidelines we have in place has more to do with not being able to bill for services that are generally included under the umbrella of SE, such as job coaching, personal-social adjustment training& job readiness training that are typically addressed on the job.
We do have a specific policy regarding what constitutes eligibility for supported employment, which the counselor must document. The written reports we receive from providers must give the specific information that allows the counselor to do this; however, in reality it is common for providers who provide SE, recommend that service, when the justification is not evident. We have addressed this in regularly scheduled communication meetings with the providers or on an individual basis.
Posted in: Job Development and Placement Services