Section 2: Focus on Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Section 2: Focus on Vocational Rehabilitation Services Benefit AgrAbility Clients

Background

On June 20, 1920 the first Vocational Rehabilitation Act was signed into law to support veterans with disabilities from World War I who needed assistance to find gainful employment. Over the years, this program has been modified to encompass the growing needs of all people with disabilities who choose assistance to help them return to work. Congress provides nearly $2.4 billion in funding annually to the states through the Vocational Rehabilitation system (VR) to support employment and training programs. Today, the state VR programs are funded with 80% federal dollars and a match of 20% state dollars. The federal grants are allocated to states through the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Administration (OSERS) to operate a comprehensive Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

State VR Programs

Each state has a VR program created to assist eligible individuals with disabilities to prepare for and engage in gainful employment and meaningful careers. VR program staff, subcontractors and vendors assess client needs and abilities, help clients set goals, develop a plan to meet needs and goals, and provide or arrange for services necessary for clients to achieve their goals. To avoid duplication of services, VR counselors may also make referrals to other state service departments that offer service to individuals with disabilities.

Other departments that may have services available for persons with disabilities are

Independent Living Center Services,
State Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired,
State Employment Agency and
Social Security Administration.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for VR services, an individual must:

have a physical or mental impairment, which constitutes or results in a substantial
impediment to employment;
be unable to independently prepare for, secure, retain or regain employment; and
benefit from VR services to achieve an employment outcome.

Services are available through an "order of selection" process. This means that individuals with the most significant disabilities are given priority over those with less significant disabilities. Such ranking is necessary because states often have insufficient resources to serve all individuals who are eligible. States have some latitude, however, in defining other eligibility criteria (e.g., qualifying level of economic need). Funding levels for VR services also vary from state to state. Some states allocate substantially more funds to the program than others, which in turn affects the actual dollars in the 80% federal match and the total state budget.

For contact information for your state VR see: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/RSA/Resources/State/index.html

SSDI and SSI Benefits

Recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits (a federal insurance program for workers who become unable to work) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits (a federal cash assistance program for aged and disabled people who have limited income and resources) are eligible for VR services, unless their disabilities are so substantial that the individuals cannot benefit from the VR services available.

How to Apply for Services

Individuals who qualify for and wish to receive VR services must submit a written application requesting those services. The VR application contains the information necessary for VR personnel to determine if the individual is eligible for VR services. The VR staff also needs to obtain a written consent from the client to exchange his or her information with other professionals and to obtain the client's medical records. VR has 60 days after receipt of the application to determine whether an individual is eligible for services.

VR services include

vocational tests and assessments;
vocational and guidance counseling;
training, on-the-job training, and job coaching;
school-to-work transition and planning for students;
information on assistive technology (AT) or funding assistance for a vendor to
conduct an assistive technology assessment and to make recommendations for
modifications and/or devices;
funding to help pay for assistive technology;
funds to help pay tuition or other college needs;
supported employment; and
job search, resume writing, and placement services.

With input from the client, VR staff determine the types of services that are most suitable for the client. A VR counselor assists the client in writing a rehabilitation plan that identifies the client's vocational goal and the VR services and funding that are available to attain that goal.

All VR staff services are free of charge, although, based on income, some clients may be asked to cost share for the purchase of needed equipment or modifications. Each state VR has its own funding criteria for clients whose plan includes obtaining assistive technology. Availability of funds for recommended assistive technology, however, varies depending on the counselor's individual caseload and budget, caps on funds for worksite accommodations, and lack of or excess of end of fiscal year funds. If there is a waiting list for assistance, the client's rank on the list is also a factor in whether enough funds remain to help him or her.

For more information on SSDI and SSI Benefits, contact your local Social Security office or see their web site at http://ssa.gov/disability.

Client Assistance Program

Each state also has a Client Assistance Program (CAP) available under VR. The CAP is a client advocacy program whose staff can answer questions about VR services and provide appropriate remedies to ensure that the client's rights to services and benefits are protected under law.

A state by state listing of Client Assistance Programs can be found at http://www.nau.edu/natcap/resource2.html

Working Together

color picture of Cindy Hinrichs, Nebraska AgrAbility and Dennis Ford, Kansas VR meeting with a client in the clients farm yard. Client's horses watch from behind a fence in the background.
Cindy Hinrichs, Nebraska AgrAbility, and Dennis Ford, Kansas VR, meet with a client.

Historically speaking, VR counselors have assisted a predominantly urban population. Therefore, VR counselors are sometimes at a loss when it comes to identifying ways to help people with disabilities engaged in agriculture or agriculture-related areas stay gainfully employed. State AgrAbility staff, however, have the special expertise to provide those services to farmers, ranchers, and rural or other farm workers who have disabilities.

Although state AgrAbility staff can identify ways agricultural workers with disabilities can get back to work, the AgrAbility Project does not have the funds to help purchase the needed equipment or recommended modifications. This creates an excellent opportunity for state AgrAbility staff to work in collaboration with VR counselors to make use of all existing resources. In fact, nearly all state AgrAbility Projects make referrals to and receive referrals from VR.

The collaborative nature of VR and the state AgrAbility Projects is a win-win scenario for farmers, ranchers, and rural or other farm workers who have disabilities. As funding sources for assistive technology or equipment modifications come and go, it will be increasingly important that state AgrAbility Projects continue to foster this excellent working relationship with the state VR staff.

BACK: Feature Story—AgrAbility Staff Work with VR to Assist Nebraska Rancher

NEXT: State Project Feature—Nebraska

In This Issue
Section 1: Feature Story—AgrAbility Staff Work with VR to Assist Nebraska Rancher Section 2: Focus on Vocational Rehabilitation Services	Section 3: State Project Feature—Nebraska Section 4: Resources