~Policies, Rules, and Definitions
Introduction
This document contains policies, rules, and definitions related to application and eligibility determination.
Application
Who Should Apply for Services?
Eligibility
Approved Policies
The following policies have been reviewed and approved by the Commission for the Blind.
Determining Eligibility and Priority for Services Policy.
Who Should Apply for Services?
Anyone who wants to apply for vocational rehabilitation services from the Department may apply. Taking an application requires substantial follow-through on your part and on the part of the applicant. Therefore, if you realize initially that the person will not be eligible for our services because he or she does not meet the criteria we require, you may choose to explain these criteria to the person and help him find other ways to get the services he needs.
To be eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation services from the Iowa Department for the Blind:
1. He must have a visual disability.
- Is legally blind according to the standard definition (20/200 in the best eye with correction or visual fields of 20 degrees or less).
Or- Has a progressive eye condition which can reasonably be expected to result in blindness.
Or- Has substantial reductions in acuity and/or visual fields or in his ability to use his vision - the effect of which is substantially the same as legal blindness.
Or- Has a visual impairment which both Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Department believe could be best addressed by the Department.
Or- Is eligible for Social Security benefits (either Title II or Title XVI) on the basis of blindness or a visual impairment.
Note: If applicant has a disability other than one relating to vision, refer the applicant to Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS).
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services
510 East 12th Street
Des Moines, I A 50319-0240515-281-4211 V/TTY
515-281-7645 Fax
www.ivrs.iowa.gov
2. He must require VR services to prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment. (We generally presume that the applicant has applied for our services because he needs them.)
3. He must have an employment goal consistent with his unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choices. If the applicant doesn’t plan to go to work, but needs services, help him / her find other ways to obtain the services.
4. He must be able to benefit from VR services in terms of an employment outcome. This condition is presumed to be true unless you can prove otherwise with thorough assessment and documentation.
5. He must also be present and legally able to work in the state of Iowa. That is, he must be either a United States citizen, or a legal alien with a valid and current work permit.
Eligibility for all services provided by the Department is determined without regard to sex, race, age, creed, or national origin. No group of individuals is excluded from, or found ineligible for, services solely on the basis of type or severity of disability. No upper age limit is established which in and of itself results in a finding of ineligibility for any individual with a disability who otherwise meets the basic eligibility requirements. No residence requirement is imposed which excludes from services any individual who is present in the State of Iowa.
Policy on Applicants / Clients Who Have an Open Case with Another VR Agency
If an applicant or active client indicates that he or she is currently receiving VR services from another VR agency, consult with the Department’s VR Counselor Supervisor. A signed written agreement with the other agency must be in place before services can begin for an eligible individual or can continue. The VR Counselor Supervisor must be informed immediately of these situations.
Policy on Eye and Medical Exams
Whenever possible, have the applicant choose the doctors and other professionals he wants to perform required exams. The cost of such exams varies, so check with the doctor’s office before you write your letter of authorization. Costs may or may not be involved in obtaining reports of previous exams. Hospitals and public agencies and organizations generally provide these without charge. Private clinics and practitioners often charge a nominal fee. Include authorization for a nominal fee when requesting reports from private sources.
Consider authorizing a visual field exam if the applicant needs a new exam and his / her condition results in limits in visual fields. The Goldman exam provides comprehensive information that may be needed for Social Security eligibility.
If you arrange an examination by a medical professional, you should supply the appropriate Department report form for the professional to complete. Forms are available for eye exams, general physicals, diabetic exams, hearing screenings, etc. Copies of these forms are in the File Cabinets under Supplies.
The Department contracts with medical consultants to evaluate and interpret eye and medical reports from other sources. If you don’t understand the information in a report or need clarification on borderline cases, seek assistance from the VR Counselor Supervisor first. If necessary, you can then request that a consultant interpret it for you.
Make sure that all medical exams and reports are submitted to the VR Counselor Supervisor for review.
Presumed Eligibility
Upon application for vocational rehabilitation services by an individual, the Department will use medical information along with vocational, educational, and other related factors to determine eligibility and priority for services. An individual will be determined eligible based on the presumption that the applicant can benefit in terms of employment, the individual intends to achieve an employment outcome, the individual has a qualifying visual impairment which constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment and the individual requires vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment.
The Rehabilitation Act established a 60-day time frame for determining eligibility. However, counselors are encouraged to expedite eligibility determination by using these PRESUMED ELIGIBILITY guidelines.
- Applicants who are receiving Social Security Disability
Insurance or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on the basis of blindness or a
visual impairment can be presumed eligible for services. The applicant must
have a current written statement from the Social Security Administration (SSA)
verifying his / her benefits status in order to use this option for
eligibility determination. Social Security transmittals or a copy of the
applicant’s award letter which indicates that a person has been declared
eligible for Social Security benefits on the basis of blindness or a visual
impairment are considered sufficient evidence that the person has a
disability. The applicant may provide you with this documentation or the Department can request the information from the SSA. (Be aware that the
Department submits SSA requests once a month.)
- If the applicant is not receiving Social Security
Disability or SSI OR if benefits verification is not timely, you may use
existing or new medical reports to determine eligibility.
- If the applicant is not receiving Social Security Disability or SSI, you must use existing or new medical reports to determine eligibility. (Tip: If the applicant has prosthesis in both eyes or has long been known to the Department as being blind, new medical reports are not necessary.)
Note: Refer to Section 102. Eligibility and Individualized Plan for Employment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended for information regarding eligibility determination and presumption of eligibility.
No matter which of the above eligibility options you use, be sure to specify the correct option on the eFORCE eligibility screen. You may choose one of these four criteria:
- Presumed Eligible as individual is receiving SSI/SSDI
on the basis of blindness. A current written SSA verification statement is in
the case file; or
- Existing medical reports were used in lieu of SSI/SSDI
benefit verification in order to expedite eligibility determination; or
- New medical reports were used in lieu of SSI/SSDI
benefit verification to expedite eligibility determination; or
- New or existing medical reports were used to determine eligibility because the individual was not an SSI/SSDI beneficiary.
Order of Selection
An Order of Selection gives priority to persons with significant disabilities when there are insufficient resources to provide vocational rehabilitation services to all eligible individuals who apply for services. After eligibility has been determined, each individual is assigned to a category group which is in rank priority order.
The Department will set aside sufficient funds to purchase services necessary to determine eligibility. Applications for services will be accepted without restriction. All individuals with disabilities including eligible individuals who do not meet the agency’s Order of Selection criteria for receiving services will be provided with accurate vocational rehabilitation information and guidance in an appropriate mode of communication to assist them in preparing for, securing, retaining, or regaining employment. Individuals with disabilities will be referred to other appropriate Federal and State programs, including other components of the statewide workforce investment system, that are best suited to address the specific employment needs of an individual with a disability. These referrals will include:
- A notice from our Department to the agency carrying out
the program.
- Information that identifies the specific person to be
contacted at the agency carrying out the program.
- Information and advice regarding the most suitable services that will help the individual prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment.
All individuals who are receiving services under an Individualized Plan for Employment prior to implementation of the Order of Selection Policy are not affected. Services will not be interrupted. Individuals requesting post-employment services are not restricted from receiving services by Order of Selection.
The Order of Selection categories are based upon the requirements of the Rehabilitation Act and implementing regulations for vocational rehabilitation (Title I) and supported employment services (Title VI-C). After eligibility for services has been determined, the individual will be assigned to the highest category for which the individual is qualified, and a rationale will be documented in the case file. If an individual’s circumstances change, or new information has been acquired, the category assignment can be changed.
Category 1.
Eligible individuals with most significant disabilities
Category 2.
Eligible individuals with significant disabilities.
An individual who is determined eligible for SSI or SSDI because of a disability meets the criteria for the definition of a significant disability and would need to be assessed like all other individuals to determine whether or not they meet the definition of most significant disability.
In the event that VR services cannot be provided to all eligible individuals in a given category, a waiting list based upon date of application of services will be used within the category.
All individuals served by the Department meet the definition of individuals with significant or most significant disabilities. Under an agreement between the Department and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), individuals with non-significant disabilities based upon visual impairments will be referred to IVRS.
Definitions:
1. “Individuals with most significant disabilities” means:
a. an individual with a severe physical or mental impairment or combination of impairments which profoundly limits one or more functional capacities (such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome; and
b. whose vocational rehabilitation can be expected to require extensive or intensive multiple core services (at least four) for at least twelve months.
2. “Individual with significant disabilities” means:
a. an individual with severe physical or mental impairment which seriously limits one or more functional capacities (such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome; and
b. an individual who will require multiple services (substantial amount of at least three core services) over an extended period of time (at least six months); and
c. an individual who has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy), paraplegia, quadriplegia, other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability, end-stage renal disease, or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the basis of an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs to cause comparable, substantial, functional limitations.
3. “Core” vocational rehabilitation services include:
- Counseling and guidance
- Referral
- Physical and mental restoration
- Vocational and other training services
- Interpreter services
- Reader services, rehabilitation teaching services, and orientation and mobility services
- Job-related services
- Supported employment services
- Post-employment services
- Occupational licenses, tools, equipment, initial stocks, and supplies
- Rehabilitation technology, including telecommunications, sensory, and other technological aids and devices
- Transition services
- Technical assistance and other consultation
- Other goods and services determined necessary for an individual with a disability to achieve an employment outcome
In addition to the core services, support services include maintenance, transportation, services to family members, and personal assistance services. These support services will not be included in defining whether or not an individual meets the definition of most significant disability or significant disability based on the number of core services provided.