32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.19.2
Supported Employment services mean on-going support and other appropriate services needed to support and maintain an individual with the most significant disability in employment.
Person-centered planning should be considered for every Supported Employment client as a possible means for providing both the client and the counselor with additional information. This information can be utilized for a number of purposes, e.g., as a means of gathering additional information for eligibility determination, for development of a plan for employment, for determining support needs that will require referral to other agencies or organizations, and to map out future career options, etc..
Supported Employment services are generally provided for a period not to exceed 18 months, unless due to special circumstances a longer period is necessary to achieve job stabilization. This must be jointly agreed to by the individual and the rehabilitation counselor and established in the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) before an individual with the most significant disabilities makes the transition to extended services. Counselors should carefully document the cases when joint agreement arrangements are finalized to go beyond the 18-month period of time. If a longer period of time is warranted, the following should be given consideration: only when the client has made substantial progress toward meeting the hours-per-week work goal provided for in the IPE, the client is stabilized on the job, and extended services are available and can be provided without a break in services.
The use of a Job Trainer at the work site is an integral part of supported employment services. This individual is responsible for learning the job prior to the client coming to work, then teaching the job to the client. The trainer not only teaches the work skills needed at the job site but will help the client become adjusted to the new work environment. The trainer will help the client develop relationships with co-workers and supervisory staff. The trainer will also identify and promote the utilization of natural supports in the work environment. If the client cannot meet production standards, the trainer is there to ensure the employer that the work will be done to the business' quality and quantity standards. As the client becomes more independent at the work site and is able to perform most of the job tasks with minimum intervention by the trainer, the trainer will fade assistance until the case can be closed.
Personal assistance services (PAS) enable the employee to perform the daily living activities on or off the job that the individual would typically perform without assistance if the individual did not have a disability. Examples of these services are job functions such as activities of daily living aid, business travel companion, office services specialist or meeting assistant. The services must be necessary to the achievement of an employment outcome and may be provided only while the individual is receiving other vocational rehabilitation services. They are not to be construed to be supports that are considered a reasonable accommodation and therefore paid for by the employer or supports considered personal in nature and funded by Medicare or other funding sources. PAS are to be authorized for in the same manner as that a job trainer. In some instances, it may be possible for the job trainer to also perform the duties of the personal assistant. The same fee schedule used in paying job trainers will be utilized in paying for the PAS. In developing the IPE, an agreement will be made addressing each of the following issues:
* The name of the extended service provider -- specifically addressing the provision of Personal Assistant Services to be provided following VR case closure (If no extended service provider has been identified at the time of the development of the IPE, refer to the Flow Chart for SE Services - I.B.4.and III.B.5);
* The specific Personal Assistant Services that will be provided;
* The duration of the provision of Personal Assistant Services by VR
32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.19.2