34CFR Section 361.48 requires the Department for the Blind to develop and maintain current policies covering the nature and scope and the criteria under which each service is provided.
A. Nature and Scope
The Department will provide all applicants and eligible individuals or, as appropriate, their representatives with information and support services to assist them in exercising informed choice throughout the rehabilitation process. The Department will inform each applicant and eligible individual through appropriate modes of communication about the availability of and opportunities to exercise informed choice and the availability of support services for individuals with cognitive or other disabilities who require assistance in exercising informed choice. Assistance will be given to applicants and eligible individuals in exercising informed choice in decisions related to the provision of services. Assistance will be given to eligible individuals or, as appropriate, the individual’s representatives in acquiring information that enables them to exercise informed choice in the development of their Individualized Plan for Employment with respect to the selection of the employment outcome, specific vocational rehabilitation services needed to achieve the employment outcome, the entity that will provide the services, the employment setting and the settings in which the service will be provided, and the methods available for procuring the services.
B. Criteria
In assisting an applicant and eligible individual in exercising informed choice during the assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs and during development of the Individualized Plan for Employment, the Department must provide and/or assist the individual or the individual’s representative with information necessary to make an informed choice about the specific vocational rehabilitation services including the providers of those services that are needed to achieve this individual’s employment outcome.
The information must include: information relating to the cost, accessibility, and duration of potential services; consumer satisfaction with those services to the extent that information relating to consumer satisfaction is available; qualifications of potential service providers; types of services offered by the potential providers; degree to which services are provided in integrated settings; and, outcomes achieved by individuals working with service providers to the extent that such information is available.
In providing or assisting the individual or individual’s representative in acquiring the information required, the Department may use, but is not limited to, the following methods or sources of information: lists of services and service providers; periodic consumer satisfaction surveys and reports; referrals to other consumers, consumer groups, or disability advisory councils qualified to discuss the services or service providers; relevant accreditation, certification, or other information relating to the qualifications of service providers; or, opportunities for individuals to visit or experience various work in service provider settings.
Revised: 08/10/01