Section 14: Trial Work Experience Or Extended Evaluation

SECTION 14: TRIAL WORK EXPERIENCE OR EXTENDED EVALUATION

A. A period of trial work experience or extended evaluation must be provided for rebuttal of the presumption of an individual’s ability to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services.

B. The Division shall explore the individual’s abilities, capabilities, and capacities to perform in work situations, through the use of trial work experiences with appropriate supports provided through the Bureaus, except when an individual cannot take advantage of such experiences. Such experiences shall be of sufficient variety and over a sufficient period of time to determine the eligibility of the individual or to determine the existence of clear and convincing evidence that the individual is incapable of benefiting in terms of an employment outcome from vocational rehabilitation services due to the severity of the applicant’s disability.

C. Trial work experienceor extended evaluation, in determining eligibility or ineligibility, requires:

1. The participant be identified as experiencing a significant disability.

2. The Rehabilitation Counselor’s qualified opinion that the severity of the disability may preclude the individual from benefiting from vocational rehabilitation services, in terms of an employment outcome.

3. Placement into Trial Work Experience by completing the Trial Work Experience Plan in RAISON.

4. Development of a time-limited written evaluation plan of the trial work experience to be provided.

5. The time-limited written evaluation plan (utilizing a modified IPE format clearly identified in the eligibility section as Extended Eligibility) must be jointly developed with the informed consent of the participant and/or their representative and must be signed by Rehabilitation Counselor and participant and/or their representative.

6. The time-limited written evaluation plan must identify the specific types of work and the duration of work activities.

7. Periodic assessment of the individual’s potential to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services during the period of trial work experience.

8. Provision of appropriate supports and training, including the provision of needed rehabilitation technologies.

9. Provision of compensation for the work activities that is at least minimum wage or meets Fair Labor Standards Act sub-minimum wage requirements; and,

10. A determination of eligibility or ineligibility must be made at the completion of the defined trial work experience.

D. Trial work experience does not require:

1. The development of an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE); however, this format is used to identify the goals of the trial work experience on the IPE modified and to indicate in the Eligibility drop down menu: “TrialWork Experience Only”; the identification of or a relationship to any specific vocational goal;and,

2. The provision of specific occupational training services prior to initiating or while conducting the trial work experience.

PARTICIPANT SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Bureaus of Vocational Rehabilitation & Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired

Revised: 2006

Page 27

E. If the applicant is incapable of benefiting from a period of trial work experience, the use of extended evaluation may be appropriate. The use of extended evaluation is limited to the purpose of rebutting the presumption of the ability to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of an employment outcome. In these cases, the use of extended evaluation requires:

1. The participant be identified as experiencing a significant disability.

2. The Rehabilitation Counselor’s qualified opinion that the severity of the disability may preclude the individual from benefiting from vocational rehabilitation services, in terms of an employment outcome.

3. Placement into Extended Evaluation by completing the Extended Evaluation Plan in RAISON.

4. Development of a time-limited written extended evaluation plan not to exceed 18 months, for the assessment of primary worker characteristics.

5. The time-limited written extended evaluation plan must be jointly developed with the informed consent of the participant and/or their representative.

6. The time-limited written extended evaluation plan must identify the specific types of assessment activities to be used.

7. Periodic assessment, at least quarterly, of the applicant’s potential to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services.

8. Provision of appropriate supports and training, including the provision of needed rehabilitation technologies; and,

9. A determination of eligibility or ineligibility must be made at the completion of the defined evaluation period.

PARTICIPANT SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

Bureaus of Vocational Rehabilitation & Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired

Revised: 2006

Page 28