1. An
Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE)
The IPE shall be agreed upon, and signed by the individual
with a disability, and, as appropriate, a parent, family member, guardian,
advocate or authorized representative and the DVR Counselor within a counseling
and guidance relationship. The IPE shall be designed to achieve an employment
outcome of the individual, consistent with the unique strengths, resources,
priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, career interests and informed
choice of the individual. The case record must support the selection of the
vocational goal. Counselors shall provide a copy of the IPE, and any
amendments, to the eligible individual. VR goods and services may only be
provided in accordance with the IPE. The IPE is not a legal contract between
Maine DVR and the eligible individual. Individuals will receive written
notification of appeals rights, including the name and address of the person
with whom an appeal may be filed, and the availability of the Client Assistance
Program during IPE development, and whenever VR services are denied, reduced,
suspended or terminated.
2.
Standards for Development and Review of the IPE
The IPE will be developed within 90 days after the
eligibility determination, unless the DVR Counselor and the eligible individual
agree to the extension of that deadline to a specific date by which the
individualized plan for employment must be completed . If there is a waiting
list, the IPE will be developed within 90 days from the date the individual
comes off the waiting list. The IPE will be reviewed at least annually by a
qualified vocational rehabilitation counselor and the eligible individual, or
as appropriate, the individual's representative to assess the individual's
progress in achieving the identified employment outcome.
3. Options for Developing an Individualized
Plan for Employment
The eligible individual, or the individual's representative,
will be provided information on the individual's options for developing an
Individualized Plan for Employment. Maine DVR will not pay for an agency, or a
representative, to develop an IPE. The options for developing all or part of
the Individualized Plan for Employment include the following:
A. with assistance from a DVR vocational
rehabilitation counselor, to the extent determined to be appropriate by the
individual;
B. with technical
assistance from the DVR Program, or other representatives selected by the
individual; or
C. the individual
alone without assistance.
4. Required Components of an Individualized
Plan for Employment
Regardless of the approach selected by an individual to
develop an IPE, the IPE shall include the following:
A. specific vocational goal, which must be
based on the assessment for determining vocational rehabilitation needs,
including the individual's career interests, and must be in an integrated
setting; or in the case of students and youth with disabilities; a projected
vocational goal that will be amended following career exploration
activities;
B. a description of the
specific vocational rehabilitation services that are:
(1) needed to achieve the vocational goal,
including, as appropriate, the provision of assistive technology services, and
personal assistance services, including training in the management of such
services; and
(2) provided in the
most integrated setting that is appropriate for the service involved, and is
consistent with the informed choice of the eligible individual;
C. timelines for the achievement
of the employment outcome, and for the initiation of the services;
D. A description of the entity chosen by the
individual, or as appropriate, the individual's representative that will
provide the vocational rehabilitation services, and the methods used to procure
such services;
E. description of
the criteria to evaluate the progress towards achievement of the employment
outcome;
F. The terms and
conditions of the IPE, including, as appropriate, information describing:
(1) the responsibilities of DVR;
(2) the responsibilities that the eligible
individual will assume in relation to the vocational goal;
(3) the responsibility of the individual with
regard to applying for and securing comparable benefits.
G. For individuals for whom an employment
outcome in a supported-employment setting has been determined to be
appropriate, information identifying:
(1) the
extended services needed by the eligible individual after closure;
(2) the source of extended services, or to
the extent that the source of extended services cannot be identified at the
time of the development of the IPE, a description of the basis for concluding
that there is a reasonable expectation that such source will become
available
H. As
determined to be necessary, a statement of projected need for post-employment
services;
I. An assurance that the
eligible individual has been informed of his/her rights and the means by which
the individual may express and seek remedy for any dissatisfaction, including
the opportunity for a review of the rehabilitation determination, as described
in Section
3, Maine DVR Appeals Process; and
assurance that the eligible individual has been provided a detailed explanation
of the availability of the resources within a Client Assistance
Program.
