PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICES (Pre-ETS)
Pre-Employment Transition Services, Coordination and
Planning for Students with Disabilities 4
Required Services and Statewide Availability 5
Instruction in Self-Advocacy 5
Workplace Readiness Training 6
Work-Based Learning Experiences 8
Reasonable Accommodation/Auxiliary Aids and Services 9
Provision of Other Necessary Support Services 11
Outreach and Collaboration Responsibilities 12
Provision of Pre-Employment Transition Services to Students with
Disabilities 13
Pre-Employment Transition Services Referral Process 13
Provision of Pre-Employment Transition Services 15
Provision of Pre-Employment Transition Services Using the
VR Case Type 17
Initiating Vocational Rehabilitation Services After
Beginning Pre-Employment Transition Services 18
Financial Responsibility for Pre-Employment Transition Services
Participation 18
Financial Responsibility Using the Pre-ETS Case Type 18
Financial Responsibility Using the VR Case Type 18
Discontinuation of Pre-Employment Transitioning Services
and/or Closure of Service Records 19
Discontinuation of Services 19
Closure of the Service Record 20
In July 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law. WIOA requires a vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency to reserve a minimum of 15% of its federal funds to provide pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities who need them, and are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services. This section includes guidance for providing these services statewide in collaboration with state and local education agencies.
Target Population
Pre-employment transition services are provided to “students with disabilities” who are:
● Eligible for VR services; or
● Potentially eligible for VR services (i.e., all students with disabilities, including those who have not applied or been determined eligible for VR services)
A “Student with a Disability” is one who meets all of the following criteria:
a) Is at least 14 but no more than 21 years of age (has not yet reached 22nd birthday).
b) Has a disability, and has submitted the required qualifying medical documentation signed by a medical provider or a copy of IEP or 504 Plan.
c) Has documentation confirming enrollment as a student in an educational program, including:
i. Secondary school, including home school and alternative school programs (e.g., those housed within the juvenile justice system)
ii. Post-secondary education programs approved by a state’s Higher Education Commission
iii. Adult basic educational programs which lead to a recognized educational credential (e.g., High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) or high school diploma)
iv. State, nationally, or industry recognized certificate programs leading to a credential (e.g. Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Microsoft Certification, Automotive Service Excellence Certification).
Documentation of enrollment may include an IEP, 504 Plan, report card, college acceptance letter, college registration receipt, or other documentation from the educational program.
The primary purpose of Pre-Employment Transition Services provided or coordinated by the Department is to help students begin to identify career interests and to learn skills in preparation for transition to employment and/or post-secondary education. The Department will make every effort to provide or coordinate the following services to ensure statewide availability. IDB partners with the Iowa Educational Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (IESBVI) which employs Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI) who are contracted by the local area education agency to work with students who are blind or have low vision and school personnel in area schools and alternative educational sites to ensure identification of students who may benefit from Pre-ETS. IDB provides information to local area education agencies and school districts to provide information regarding pre-employment transition services available to students with disabilities.
Description of Required Services – Pre-employment transition services may be provided in a group or generalized classroom setting and/or an individualized setting and are limited to any or all of the services outlined below:
Instruction in Self-Advocacy may include, but is not limited to:
● Learning about their rights and responsibilities
● Learning how to request accommodations, services or supports
● Mentoring with education staff (e.g., principals, nurses, teachers, or office staff)
● Peer mentoring with individuals employed by or volunteering for employers; boards, associations, or organizations in integrated community settings
●
Participating in youth leadership activities
offered in educational or community settings.
Workplace Readiness Training to develop social skills and independent living skills necessary for employment may include, but is not limited to:
● Learning communication and interpersonal skills
● Financial literacy, including benefits planning services
● Orientation and mobility skills to access workplace readiness training or to learn to travel independently
● Job-seeking skills
● Understanding employer expectations for punctuality and performance, as well as other “soft” skills necessary for employment
● On-site workplace readiness training during a work-based learning experience.
● Job Exploration Counseling may include, but is not limited to:
● Review of information regarding in-demand industry sectors and occupations, as well as nontraditional employment
● Administration of vocational interest inventories and provision of Local labor market information that applies to the student’s particular interests
● Identification of career pathways of interest to the students.
Counseling on Opportunities for Enrollment in Comprehensive Transition or Post-Secondary Education Program may include, but is not limited to:
● Exploring the types of academic and occupational training needed to succeed in the workplace
● Postsecondary opportunities associated with career fields or pathways
● Self-advocacy skills for the purpose of identifying accommodations and services in an educational program as well as providing resources that may be used to support individual student success in education and training (i.e., disability support services)
● Advising students and parents or representatives on academic curricula and course offerings
● Providing information about college application and admissions processes
● Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Work-Based Learning Experiences may include opportunities that are available in school, after school, or outside the traditional school setting; however, they must be provided in an integrated setting in the community to the maximum extent possible. IDB and community partners should seek every opportunity to provide work-based learning experiences in integrated settings before providing these services in non-integrated settings. Services may include, but are not limited to:
● Coordinating a school-based program of job training and informational interviews to research employers
● Work-site tours to learn about necessary job skills
● Job shadowing
● Mentoring opportunities
● On-site work-based experiences, paid or unpaid (i.e., Internships, volunteering, practicums, or service learning opportunities)
IDB will ensure that no qualified student with a disability is denied the benefit of pre-employment transition services on the basis of the individual’s disability. Therefore, if a student with a disability requires reasonable accommodations/auxiliary aid or service to access or participate in any of the required pre-employment transition services, IDB may pay for such costs when no other public entity is required to provide such aid or service.
Accommodations, aids and services for students who are blind, have low
vision and are deaf-blind, including:
● Qualified readers
● audio recordings
● Brailled materials and displays
● screen reader software
● magnification software
● large print materials
● accessible electronic and information technology
● other effective methods of making visually delivered materials available to individuals who are blind or have low vision
Accommodations, aids and services for students who are deaf-blind,
including:
● Support Services Provider (SSP) for the deaf-blind
● Qualified interpreters on-site or through video remote interpreting (VRI) services
● Note takers
● Real-time computer-aided transcription services
● Written materials
● Exchange of written notes
● Telephone handset amplifiers
● Assistive listening devices
● Assistive listening systems
● Telephones compatible with hearing aids
● Closed caption decoders
● Open and closed captioning, including real-time captioning
● Voice, text, and video-based telecommunications products and systems, including text telephones (TTYs, videophones, and captioned telephones, or equally effective telecommunications devices
● Videotext displays
● Accessible electronic and information technology
● Other effective methods of making aurally delivered information available to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
Non-adapted or adapted equipment or devices, when needed for a student during participation in pre-employment transition services.
IDB will retain ownership of the equipment or device and require its return at the conclusion of the pre-employment transition service for which it was provided, so that it may be available for use by other students during pre-employment transition services.
Pre-ETS funds may not be used to modify a student’s personal equipment or devices, or to provide personal equipment or devices of which students would retain ownership.
Auxiliary aids and services do not include:
● Personal devices (e.g., computers, laptops, tablets, etc.)
● Prescribed devices (e.g., eyeglasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs)
● Readers for personal use or study
● Attendant Care or other services of a personal nature
● Home or vehicle modifications
Vocational Rehabilitation Technology Services:
Assistive/rehabilitation technology assessments to determine whether modified equipment or devices are needed for a student to participate in Pre-ETS can be provided, but this assessment is not considered a pre-employment transition service.
Assistive/rehabilitation technology training may be provided, but this training is not considered a pre-employment transition service. Therefore, if the student has a Potentially Eligible case this training may not be provided.
If a student will need a great deal of assistive technology due to disability, it may be best for this student to have a regular VR case and not a potentially eligible case.
Funding of services needed shall be determined in collaboration with the local school system and other resources.
Potentially Eligible Case Type – When a student requires a personal device to participate in services, IDB may loan the device, contingent on availability. This loan will be documented in the case file, and the student will be required to return the device when no longer required for participation in services.
VR Case Type – When a student has an Individualized Plan for Employment and requires a personal device or other goods and services (e.g. uniforms, maintenance and transportation, or bus pass) to participate in any of the five required pre-employment transition services, they may be purchased using traditional vocational rehabilitation funding, consistent with the IPE. IDB may also loan the device, if available.
IDB managers, counselors, and Business Service Representatives will make every effort to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with state and local secondary education staff (including alternative school programs), post-secondary education staff, state operated programs, and workforce development partners (i.e., American Job Centers/IowaWORKS, AEL, etc.) to coordinate pre-employment transition services.
Outreach and Coordination
activities include, but are not limited to:
● Participating in Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings for both eligible and potentially eligible students. Participation may be in person or by teleconference, when invited, pending IDB representative availability.
● Attending person-centered planning meetings for students with disabilities receiving services under title XIX of the Social Security Act, when invited.
● Working with American Job Centers, other WIOA Programs, and employers to develop work-based learning experiences for students with disabilities.
● Providing accurate information to referral sources, students, and families regarding the referral and application process for vocational rehabilitation services and information regarding Pre-ETS.
● Working with schools to coordinate and ensure the provision of pre-employment transition services
o Encouraging referral sources to refer students with disabilities in secondary education as early as age 14 for pre-employment transition services and to check on the status of these referrals.
o Providing accurate information to referral sources regarding the timeline and application process for vocational rehabilitation services.
School officials continue to be responsible for providing a free and appropriate public education to include transition services required under IDEA.
Pre-ETS services provision to students with disabilities shall be:
● Governed by the Department’s policies and procedures
● In accordance with state and federal law and regulation
● Made available to students with disabilities statewide, to include those that are “potentially eligible” for VR services.
● Provided based on parental consent to participate in pre-employment transition services obtained pursuant to the State law, as well as policies of the educational programs.
In the event that the VR program has implemented an order of selection, students with disabilities would not be exempt from any of the order of selection requirements for VR services. A student with a disability who needs individualized VR services, in addition to pre-employment transition services, must apply and be determined eligible for the VR program and have an approved IPE.
To ensure that requests for pre-employment transition services are accepted, assigned, and registered in eFORCE promptly, referrals of students with disabilities shall be managed as indicated below:
A referral may be submitted by school personnel, family members, guardians, or other interested persons via an online referral form, paper referral form, or phone call. Referral information should include:
Social security number (optional, not included when the online referral process is used, and may also be collected on Pre-ETS Student Information and Consent Form.)
Date of birth
Race and ethnicity
Disability
Ten-digit state student identification number for high school students (may be found on student's Individualized Education Plan, if available)
Start date of Pre-ETS services
Services to be provided
IDB staff shall establish referral procedures with school officials to assure that:
● Parent/Guardian consent for IDB collaboration with the school is obtained.
● Student referred for pre-employment transition services meet the definition of student with a disability.
● Student has medical and/or school documentation substantiating that the individual is a student with a disability (i.e., the IEP, 504 plan or doctor’s note) for purposes of providing pre-employment transition services.
● Referrals from school personnel include pertinent and available school-based assessment information (e.g., psychological evaluations, vocational evaluations, and medical or specialty screenings), in the event that the student applies for vocational rehabilitation services.
When a student is referred for IDB-VR services by sources other than the school, the vocational rehabilitation counselor will notify the appropriate school personnel of the referral upon obtaining the appropriate authorization for release of information to promote information sharing and collaboration.
Within no more than 14 working days of the receipt of a referral, IDB staff will provide the individual with the following documents and a cover letter requesting required documentation if not already provided:
● Pre-employment Transition Services Fact Sheet
● Pre-employment Transition Services Student Information and Consent Form
● Iowa Client Assistance Program brochure
Student information shall remain in referral (Status 00) until all required documentation (i.e. enrollment, disability, and the Pre-ETS Student Information and Consent Form signed by the student and, if student is a minor or in high school, the parent/legal guardian) is received.
If all required documentation is not provided or the student or parent/legal guardian does not respond to a minimum of three documented IDB-VR contacts, the referral may be closed and the student notified accordingly.
When a referral for pre-employment transition services is received for a student who will soon no longer qualify for pre-employment transition services or who may be automatically eligible for VR services, consult with local management regarding how best to process the referral.
Pre-employment transition services will be provided to students with disabilities with records of service on either a Pre-ETS caseload or a VR caseload type in eFORCE. Provision of services shall be managed as follows:
Provision of Pre-Employment Transition Services Using the Pre-ETS Case
Type
Initiating Pre-ETS Case – When all required documentation listed in is received, IDB-VR staff will:
Enter student’s information in eFORCE.
At this point, eFORCE will generate a 5-digit Unique Identifier for the student, which will be used when reporting Pre-ETS service delivery, as required by federal law.
Initial Pre-ETS Discussion – The assigned counselor will make every effort to discuss Pre-ETS with the student within no more than 30 working days of receiving the required documentation of disability and enrollment and the signed Student Information and Consent Form.
The counselor will discuss service options with the student, in either an individual or group setting, at the school, the IDB office, or a mutually agreed upon location in the community or via phone conversation as appropriate.
During the initial discussion, the IDB-VR counselor will identify appropriate pre-employment transition services and providers, consistent with the student’s informed choice and which may be completed before the student no longer qualifies for pre-employment transition services.
Pre-ETS Agreement Preparation – As soon as pre-employment transition services and providers are identified, the assigned counselor will prepare a Pre-Employment Transition Services Agreement , which:
· Verifies the student continues to qualify for pre-employment transition services, and
· Lists services, providers, and estimated begin dates.
· Is signed by the student and the parent/legal guardian as appropriate.
Pre-ETS Agreement Implementation – The Pre-Employment Transition Services Agreement, signed by student and parent/legal guardian as appropriate, must be received and signed by an IDB representative before future services are authorized. Once all required signatures have been obtained, the assigned counselor shall:
● Provide a copy of the Agreement to the student and parent/legal guardian.
● Provide services in accordance with the Agreement.
Pre-ETS Agreement Continuation – As long as the student qualifies to receive pre-employment transition services, the Agreement will be effective and new Agreements may be written, as additional services are identified through ongoing coordination activities with the education providers and other interested parties.
When a student with a disability has an Individualized Plan for Employment, provision of pre-employment transition services will be included on the Individualized Plan for Employment.
The IPE goal and appropriate services, including pre-employment transition services should be coordinated with a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan.
Students with disabilities are not required to apply or be determined eligible for vocational rehabilitation services before receiving pre-employment transition services. Students who have provided adequate documentation of their disability and enrollment in a recognized education program shall not have their participation in pre-employment transition services delayed by the process of applying for vocational rehabilitation services. Students assigned IDB-VR counselors will discuss vocational rehabilitation services with them and their parent/legal guardian, and encourage interested students to apply by the time they have two years remaining in high school to facilitate a smooth transition into vocational rehabilitation services.
Students who do not apply for vocational rehabilitation services may continue to receive pre-employment transition services under the Potentially Eligible case type as long as they continue to satisfy the definition of a “student with a disability." The IDB-VR counselor will continue to discuss the benefits of applying for vocational rehabilitation services until the student is no longer eligible for Pre-ETS services.
The possibility of a family contribution will not apply when the student participates in pre-employment transition services or when the student requires reasonable accommodations/auxiliary aids and other necessary support services to participate.
When pre-employment transition services or reasonable accommodation/ auxiliary aids and services are included in the IPE, the possibility of a family contribution does not apply to the provision of those services. However, the possibility of a family contribution does apply to all other services included on the IPE.
Potentially Eligible Case Type:
At the time of service discontinuation, the IDB-VR counselor should make every attempt to contact the individual to notify them.
Documentation of discontinuation of services should be provided through the appropriate IDB-VR discontinuation letter, which includes information about how to apply for vocational rehabilitation services.
The record of services shall be closed in eFORCE when services have been discontinued.
VR Case Type:
Pre-employment transition services shall cease to be provided under an IPE once the individual no longer meets the definition of a “student with a disability.” All other VR services may continue as planned. The VR counselor will work with the individual to update the VR plan to include any additional VR services required for the individual to meet their employment goal.
Potentially Eligible Case Type – The records of services for students receiving pre-employment transition services under the potentially eligible case type shall be closed when the individual:
● No longer meets the definition of a “student with a disability”.
● Has become eligible for VR services and has had an approved Individualized Plan for Employment.
● Chooses not to participate in, or continue participating in pre-employment transition services, as confirmed by student and/or guardian either verbally or in writing.
VR Case Type – When closing the record of a student receiving pre-employment transition services as part of an Individualized Plan for Employment, refer to IDB procedures manual for closing a VR case.