From Cecelia Hockett, GVRA:

Currently the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency VR Program has clients to sign a hard copy document. We will be moving to an electronic case file in the very near future and will be very interested in viewing the responses to this inquiry.

From From Linda Deschenes, RI – Office of Rehabilitation Services:

Good question, RI also would be interested in the responses to this question. The case management system used in RI populates signatures in the same way referenced in your question. As we have not gotten our signature pads operational, RI continues to use the signature page of the “paper” IPE which is then scanned into the electronic case file.

From Terry Sands, MN Vocational Rehabilitation Services:

We have the same question.

From Feona Barnett, Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind:

Arkansas Division of Services for the Blind plans to go-live with the AWARE Software Program April 1, 2014. AWARE will allow us to use electronic signatures on IPE’s and amendments. Eligible individuals and counselors will be able to sign their names on an electronic key pad which will transfer to the signature fields on the IPE Signature Cover Page. Agency policy requires the individual and counselor sign the IPE and amendments.

From David Higginbotham, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services:

LRS requires the consumer’s original signature (i.e. faxed or scanned copy is not acceptable) for the IPE.

From Christopher Deere, Arizona Rehabilitation Services Administration:

The population in the system in and of itself does not suffice. We require either a hard copy (scanned into System 7) signature as evidence or have set up other methods to receive quasi signatures via email. We also are integrating scan pads into our system at which time a signature received in the form via these pads will suffice.

From HarrietAnn Litwin, Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation:

No. We require actual, hand-written signatures on the IPE and on any amendments with substantial services, change of services, etc.

From Kathy Marchione, CT- BRS (general):

We require a written consumer signature on all documents.

From Jennifer Geuther, South Dakota Division of Rehabilitation Services:

In South Dakota a hand written signature is required and we have this requirement written into our counselor manual.

From Andrew Reese, DC Rehabilitation Services Administration – Department on Disability Services:

We require a hand written signature. Our system also populates the signature field with the client’s, counselor’s and any other required person’s names. However, in federal audits, we have had problems when we did not have hand written signatures. Two caveats – we are in the process of moving to an electronic case record, so the signature will be electronic – but we use signature pads and require the client to sign, the same as we do for a printed application.

In our monitoring visit, RSA claimed that our printed referral was so thorough that it qualified as an application – even though the regulations require applications to be signed, and there was no signature line on our referral form.

From David Ritacco, Oregon General:

I don’t believe that a field that could be filled in by a person other than the participant is sufficient. However, if the participant is assigned a password that only they know to enter their signature electronically, I think this is sufficient.

Posted in: Policies