- Who does this impact?
- How will it affect you and your job seekers?
- How does it affect your job?
- What does all this mean?
- Why did Indiana need to do this?
Explanations and Answers
On August 1, 2017, Indiana became the 35th state to implement order of selection for delivery of its vocational rehabilitation services to job seekers with disabilities. This was a tough decision to make. Family and Social Services Administration explains, “The Rehabilitation Act, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), requires a state vocational rehabilitation services (VR) agency to implement an order of selection when it does not have sufficient resources to serve all eligible individuals.” “Sufficient resources” can refer to both funding as well as personnel.As a result and under federal requirement, Indiana VR is now using order of selection (you’ll see it abbreviated as OOS) to prioritize consumer services to individuals who have the most significant disabilities (MSD). Under order of selection, an eligible individual considered MSD is Priority Category 1. You can think of it as a sort of VR triage—a way for the state to put individuals who most need help at the top of the service queue. Once those individuals are served, if there is still adequate funding and available staff, VR can provide services for other individuals who are eligible for services but who are not MSD--either significantly disabled (Priority Category 2) or whose disabilities are considered nonsignificant (Priority Category 3).
Things to know:
- Order of selection does not change how you work with your job seekers.
- Order of selection will not alter the types of services offered to individuals who are already eligible for VR services.
- If a job seeker was determined eligible for VR services prior to August 1 AND had an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) in place at that time, he/she will still be eligible for services regardless of their diagnosis or the severity of their condition.
What if a Client Does Not Qualify for VR Services?
It doesn’t necessarily mean a job seeker is out of luck. VR will provide information to individuals about other resources in their community that may assist them in obtaining employment. These resources may include:- Work One Centers,
- Ticket to Work Employment Networks (see below),
- Independent Living Centers,
- college and university career centers and disability services offices,
- the INDATA Assistive Technology program, and
- other state or local resources.
How Can Employment Networks Help?
An Employment Network (EN) is a private organization or public agency that has entered into an agreement with Social Security to provide certain services under the Ticket to Work program. ENs offer employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other types of support to beneficiaries (people receiving Social Security benefits) with disabilities. A Social Security beneficiary can contact any EN to see if the service and supports the EN offers are right for them. The beneficiary and EN must agree to work together and develop a plan that describes the beneficiary's employment goal and outlines the services and support the EN will provide to help the beneficiary reach the goal.What do ENs have to do with order of selection? If you work for an employment provider that is also an EN, you may be able to assist some of your clients via Ticket to Work. Social Security beneficiaries who are not considered MSD and who, therefore, may not be eligible to receive services at this time from Indiana VR, may be able to “assign their Ticket” to an EN and work with that organization or agency to receive similar employment services.
Resources
For more information on the Ticket to Work program, see Social Security’s web page, Ticket Overview.For more information about how to become an Employment Network, visit Social Security’s web page, Becoming an Employment Network, or contact the VR Technical Assistance and Training Team at CCLC to help with consultation.
Need more information on order of selection? Read through Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s, Order of Selection FAQ information sheet.
UPDATE: The Family and Social Services Administration has compiled a list of community agencies and organizations that may be able to assist job seekers who are affected by order of selection. Scroll through FSSA's Community Resources.
