Questions/Answers
Draft UCS Redesign
Documents
GENERAL
1. What is the email
address to send questions/comments/proposals to?
2. Will
applications be on the website or will they be mailed?
A. They
will be posted on VESID’s website and also sent out via email.
3. How does a vendor determine what region
they are in? Was consideration given to
the variation in the cost of living between
A. The regional breakout listing is currently
posted on VESID’s website and was distributed with the document sent out announcing
the information session; it will be included with the RFP and is based on the
cost by area.
4. When designating a regional office, can
a provider specify a certain geographic area within the regional office or will
the designation be for the whole area covered by the VESID District
Office? Most providers are county based?
A. Vendors should indicate which District
Office they want to serve and at what locations and be ready to do so on
January 1, 2009.
5. Will information be available on how to
write an RFP for an agency with two counties, working from two district offices
and pay rates from two different regions?
A. Yes.
VESID will coordinate the application review between the two district
offices and the number of units to be awarded.
Rates will be based on the location and county the vendor’s
administrative office is located in.
6. Is the Bidder’s Conference mandatory?
A. No, but is highly recommended.
7. Are
current vendors “grandfathered” in?
A. No.
All current and potential providers must submit a response to the RFP.
8. Will
VESID District Office space be made available for vendor use?
A. Contracts resulting from the RFP will not
provide any vendors with exclusive use of district office space or any
guaranteed use of district office space.
However, where available, and at the convenience of a district office,
shared space may be made available for vendors’ use on a limited and
non-exclusive basis. No technology
(computers, phones, faxes, or copiers, etc.) will be made available for vendor
use at any VESID District Office.
9. Will
BPSS licensed programs be part of the UCS contract?
A. No, BPSS licensed programs will be on a
different contract, but they will not be part of UCS.
10. For agencies completing intake at VESID
offices, will we have to reapply to continue this work? If yes, what is the specific service and
level we should apply for?
A. Yes, you must apply, there will be no
“carryover” of current vendors. As to
the level, read the definitions carefully.
If you cannot identify the current service you are providing, you must
speak with your local VESID District Office before the RFP is released to
clarify the correct choice.
11. Are the requirements in the upcoming RFP
mandatory for current providers?
A. Yes
12. If vendor wishes to provide services to
more than one VESID District Office, are multiple RFP’s and contracts needed?
A. No, only one RFP response will be needed
and only one contract will be issued for each provider/vendor.
13. When a proposal is submitted with
applications for several services, will the proposal be pass/fail as a whole or
will each service be passed/failed?
A. Each service will be evaluated on an
individually on a PASS/FAIL basis.
14. Will vendors be able to use the last RFP
as a framework for submitting the new one, or are the new forms drastically
different?
A. It is possible to use some of the last
RFP as a reference, but the new RFP and forms are totally different. Do not send responses on any forms other than
those prescribed in the RFP.
15. Can a provider submit an RFP for certain
services and submit another proposal in a year or two for other services?
A. Yes.
If a vendor has been approved for the services applied for in the RFP
and at a later time would like to provide and additional service(s), an
application for the new service(s) would need to be completed and submitted to
VESID for approval.
16. Will there be different rates for
deafness services for each service? When
will the rates be released?
A. Deaf service differential rates have
been established for some services. For
services where a deaf service rate has not been established, VESID will
purchase interpreter services as needed.
17. What is the length of this contract? Are there specific dates for the Bidder’s
Conference in May?
A. The contract length is 5 years. VESID anticipates the Bidder’s Conference to
be held in late May.
18. Will/can
the contract include an indirect cap rate?
A. This is built into the rate. No cost proposal will be required and there
is no variation from rates in the RFP.
19. Will NYSED be using the CFR system for
these contracts? Will vendors be
required to submit CBR’s and CFR’s, etc?
A. Not for the UCS contracted services.
20. Must an organization already have a
501(c)3 in place to apply for the RFP?
If not, would it need to be place by the contract award date or the
contract start date?
A. No, an organization does not need to
hold a 501(c)3 in order to apply for the RFP.
21. Should IEPs be provided with all
referrals from VESID? This is a very
helpful document for all providers for graduates.
A. Where possible we will share the VESID
IPE.
22. If VESID does not cover the entire cost
of providing a service, can the vendor use other government funding to fill the
gap?
A. VESID will not reimburse the provider
any more than the established rate for each service listed in the RFP. Vendors may seek other funding with separate
financial records. However,
it is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure such arrangements are acceptable to
any other funding source.
23. Will additional “credit” be given for
working with a specific population or disability type?
A. A VESID District Office may have a need
for a service from a provider with expertise in working with a specific
disability population, but that relates to local need rather than any
additional consideration in the PASS/FAIL rating process. Vendors should discuss local need issues with
the VESID District Office(s) with whom they plan to work prior to the
issuance of the RFP.
24. Will there be additional compensation for
performing bilingual services such as Spanish, as there are for bilingual
services in sign language?
A. No.
However, this could be a factor in VESID’s utilization if your services.
25. Will transitional job coaching be a
service under the new UCS? If so, which
category does it fall under?
A. This is a service that may be provided
depending upon the need of the student, his or her employment goal and the
availability of any comparable benefits.
This service would fall under Job Placement – Level I Coaching Supports
(Case Service Code 959X) or as an adjunct coaching support depending upon the
circumstances.
26. Can a person with 5 years of experience,
but not having a BA Degree do DVE’s if they are supervised by a person with a
MS in Rehabilitation with over 30 years of experience.
A. Yes, but such arrangements should be
specified to the local VESID District Office and documented in staffing
materials.
27. The standards for being an evaluator seem
too strict, especially in light of the fact that
A. VESID is following the Regulations of
the Commissioner of Education.
28. An agency provides a computer
skills/office tech training program via off-contract authorization and there is
no provision for this training program in the draft document. Will training programs such as this one be
continued off-contract?
A. There will be no off-contract services
beginning on January 1, 2009. Work
Readiness Level III may be appropriate or BPSS Licensure. BPSS programs will be on a separate contract
and not part of UCS.
29. What is your capacity to generate payment
for services in a timely manner? Please
define timely.
A. VESID
is developing a payment structure that will pay all vendors on a monthly
basis. The definition for timely will be
monthly. There will also be a yearly
COLA built into each contract. The COLA
amount will be approved by the Office of the State Comptroller.
30. Recent examination of the Federal Fair
Labor Standards will result in the reclassification of case managers from
exempt to non-exempt. This will result
in increase cost through overtime and/or increased staffing with lower
caseloads. Was this considered in
re-drafting rates?
A. Staff classification issues are specific
to each organization. Vendors who
responded to the rate survey may have included this consideration in their data
on service costs. VESID has reviewed
data from vendors, with agencies directly and VR programs in other states in
developing the new rates.
31. Why is there such a big difference
between the rates for SE Job Coaching and the Job Coaching rate for the new UCS
contract? Coaching is coaching, and the
coaches are the same for both SE and UCS.
A. The Job Coaching rates have been revised
and are now consistent with the hourly SE reimbursement rates.
32. There needs to be parity in the treatment
of private and not-for-profit organizations, e.g., advances. Will there be any opportunity for advancement
of funds for a start of a new program?
A. There will be no advances in the new UCS
contracts.
33. What case management system will VESID be
using and updating?
A. VESID will use its Case Management
System (CaMS.)
34. Will nuances or modifications for
existing contracts be entertained within the 5-year contract period?
A. After the original contract, if a vendor
proposes to provide a service that was not originally bid on; if approved, that
new service will be incorporated into the vendor’s contract. We do not have the capacity to change the
terms of the original RFP in the 5-year time frame of the contact.
35. If there are no off-contract services,
what happened when VESID only contracts with one provider for a service in a
popular area; example, van modifications, interpreter services, this leaves no
room for consumer choice if there is a real problem with the agency contracted
to provide the service. Has VESID built
something into contracts to provide for this?
A. To the extent possible, given
allocations by qualified vendors, VESID will endeavor to create options for
consumer choice among vendor agencies. Van
modifications and interpreter services are separate contracts not included in
the UCS. Since these services require
very specific credentialing, the number of vendors is limited.
36. Is it expected that services will be
provided in order – Level I, Level II and then Level
A. No.
Services can be stand alone or can occur at the level required by the
consumer and authorized by the VESID Counselor.
Definition material indicates when a service may be used sequentially.
37. What if an authorization is for a Level I
service and then it is discovered that the service needed is actually a Level
II or Level
A. With appropriate feedback from the
vendor to the referring VESID Counselor, this will be a decision by the VESID
Counselor with the consumer.
38. To what degree will comments actually
produce changes at this point? Define
“tweaking.”
A. VESID will review all comments submitted
regarding the definitions, rates, application process and performance
indicators. Based on the comments, if
serious systemic issues are identified, adjustments may be made prior to the
RFP being released.
39. If
an authorization is per day, would be expectation be consecutive days?
A. In general, yes. Unless other
arrangements were agreed to in the referral.
40. When it is said that a day is equal to 5 hours, does that
mean that the provider must actually keep the consumer/student for 5 hours per
day of service? Or does it mean up to 5 hours of service? If that is the case how is billing done?
A. It is the expectation that the provider
will work with the consumer for 5 hours.
If less than 5 hours are spent working with the consumer, the reported
hours should be prorated (i.e., a 5-hour day = 1 unit, 2.5 hours = .05 unit).
41. In rural areas, consumers depend on
county-funded transportation, which means long periods of time on the bus. Due to this, it may be difficult to get a
5-hour day. Therefore, it may take twice
the number of days to complete the authorization. Is there any chance that the requirement could
be changed?
A. No, the definitions contain state-wide service
specifications. A vendor should work
with the local VESID District Office around any circumstances that would impact
on how the authorization of services may need to be adjusted to fit local
circumstances.
42. Did VESID conduct reviews of vendor’s UCS
program/service delivery? And, if so,
did findings direct any of the services definitions in the new RFP?
A. The original statewide workgroup report
reviewed UCS programs and provided recommendations to VESID.
43. Self-Employment – assessment &
readiness services are not mentioned in the document. Why not?
A. There are numerous other services
utilized by VESID for its consumers that are not part of the UCS contracting
process. UCS is primarily for
specialized services that provide disability-related supports. VESID is still
reviewing the nature and extent of self-employment services required by our
consumers; these services will not be included in this RFP.
44. Should a provider indicate how many units
of service they can provide?
A. Yes, but this information will not
impact the PASS/FAIL rating of a vendor.
Vendors should be realistic in making these projections. In addition, VESID will look at how many
units a vendor received in the past and the current service needs of the
District Office. Providing information
about the available a number of units does not guarantee the vendor will
receive the requested amount. The number
of units given to each vendor will be determined based on the criteria above.
45. Will performance indicators under
development be more clearly defined?
A. Yes.
Vendor ideas/suggestions can be submitted to UCS@mail.nysed.gov. It is anticipated that the performance
indicators will be reviewed and shaped further in the first year of the
contracts.
46. Regarding staffing qualification, how and
when will VESID make a judgment on proposed staff if the qualifications require
review?
A. Once the RFP is released, vendors will
be required to meet established requirements.
Prior to release of the RFP if staffing requirement questions exist,
please work with your VESID District Office Manager for resolution.
47. If there is no guarantee of the number of
referrals, how does a vendor justify the creation of staffing of the new
positions required in the RFP?
A. At the point of responding to the RFP,
vendors will be required to certify that they will have appropriate staff in
place to meet established requirements at the time they begin service delivery
(1/1/09). In some instances, VESID may
call for resume reviews prior to the beginning of services. Generally, providers should keep a file of
staff resumes available for VESID monitoring purposes. Prior to release of the RFP, if staffing
requirement questions exist, please work with your VESID District Office
Manager for resolution.
48. What is meant by capacity to provide the
service?
A. Vendor should have a sufficient presence
in the geographic area which they are applying to adequately provide the
service.
49. Based on a review of the UCS draft, it
appears that one VESID consumer could work with more than one UCS vendor. Is this correct? If so, is there any mechanism for
coordinating the services or providing reimbursement for coordinating the
service?
A. It is correct that a consumer might be
involved with more than one UCS provider in a limited number of service
combinations. Coordination would occur
through the VESID Counselor. Depending on
the type of service, provider participation in coordinating meetings/calls
could be included in reimbursable service time.
VESID Counselors would clarify this with the provider as part of the
joint service development.
50. What certifications are required for new
providers i.e., background checks, fingerprinting, etc.?
A. The vendor will be required to attest
that they have qualified personnel meeting any relevant local and State
standards.
51. VESID Counselors are used to working with
certain providers. How will VESID staff
be made aware of new providers? Will a
list of providers and service be available to consumers and posted on VESID’s
website for addition consumer choice?
A. Information regarding providers will be
made available to VESID staff during staff training in the Fall, and providers
will be encouraged to provide brochures and other informational materials for
VESID staff/consumer use. VESID will
take posting the providers and their services on the website under development. Over time, the quality indicators will help
VESID staff/consumers in making program selections.
52. How will VESID continue to get
individuals with disabilities to apply for services?
A. In addition to the enhanced capacity for
a consumer application that will result from the various UCS Entry services, VESID
has undertaken a marketing campaign, is now working with schools through the
Model Transition Program,, has entered into an agreement with CUNY and anticipates
an agreement with the Department of Corrections and the Division of Parole in
the near future.
53. Please comment on supported education and
coaching supports – what does this mean?
There is no policy ….. but an RFP isn’t the answer. Will this be an available option for funding
in this RFP cycle? How does the “no
policy yet” affect us?
A. Coaching supports are available
short-term services on the UCS. This
enables VESID to offer time-limited supports to individual consumers who
require extra assistance in pursuing their VESID plan, including in post
secondary educational settings. This is
not a program, but is an expansion of the support capacity we will have to help
consumers succeed in reaching their employment goals. VESID policies will be developed to further
outline requirements.
54. Upon what preferred staff qualifications
are the coaching rates based on? These
rates are too low for qualified staff and qualified services. How is VESID sure that providers did the rate
survey correctly?
A. Rates have been revised and modified.
55. Can a consumer start services under UCS
and then move to a supported employment contract?
A. This is not the usual process, but it is
possible, based on consumer need for a supported employment level of service
that was not initially identified. In
these circumstances, the provider would then need to provide the VESID
Counselor with the information that illustrates the need for such a change, and
the Counselor would then make a decision regarding the appropriateness of the
supported employment referral.
56. Can a consumer be placed on both SE and
UCS contracts simultaneously?
A. (See question #55 above) It is possible
in some situations, especially around adjunct services. However, there are also categories in the
UCS, such as Work Readiness or Job Placement where overlap is excluded. Please work with your VESID Counselor to
clarify any individual consumer questions.
57. If a consumer lives in Queens on the
Queens/Nassau border is she/he eligible for services at a Nassau-based program
if the case has been opened with the Queens VESID Office?
A. Yes.
56. Will SVT’s be under the new UCS contract?
A. Work Readiness Levels II and III
encompass some SVT’s. BPSS
licensed training programs will be put under a separate contract.
57. Please clarify what status 18, 20 and 22
means.
A. These are federal categories from our
primary funding source, the Rehabilitation Services Administration: Status 18 – made eligible and referred for
training; Status 20 – completed training and ready for employment; Status 22 –
in employment, day 1; Status 26 – employed at least 90 days, case closed.
58. Some facilities contract for services not
listed in the upcoming RFP. How will
these be handled under the new contract; for example, medical examinations,
therapy evaluations, sign language classes to employers, work hardening, etc.?
A. If a provider is unclear what category a
service fits under, they should provide a description of the service to the
VESID District Office Manager and work with the District Office to determine, which,
if any, category the services fits under.
As of January 1, 2009, there will be no UCS services provided
off-contract.
59. Will a provider have to be a
A. As described in the UCS, these services
are outside the scope of the Bureau of Proprietary Schools’ licensure
requirements. If there is a question
about your particular program’s design and scope, speak with your local VESID
District Office Manager.
RFP INTRODUCTION
60. Does the staffing statement referenced to
include those times when staff gets sick suddenly and will be out for a month
or more and the provider assigns existing staff; i.e., supervisor of the
program/service to share the duties? In
this scenario, does the provider need to get approval from the VESID DO or
Central Office Service Delivery Unit? If
so, how long with the approval take?
A. No approval is required for short-term
staff changes due to illness. However,
the VESID District Office should be informed if the absence is longer than four
weeks.
61. What is VESID’s expectation on providers
regarding staff qualifications? Will
VESID develop a process to verify staff qualifications? Years ago, OVR/VESID required providers to
submit staff resumes to be evaluated.
A. Rehab providers shall provide VESID with
reasonable access to their place of business, records, and consumer’s records
to monitor, and evaluate performance and compliance with applicable laws and
regulations. Review of qualifications
will be done during quarterly meetings, monitoring visits and other forms of
review.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
62. What
organizations were consulted with regarding performance indicators?
A. The Commission on Accreditation of
Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation
of Health Care Organizations were consulted as well as accreditation
requirements for other states.
63. Job Placement indicators
state 35 hours of work per week. What
happens if the agency could not place a consumer to a 35 hour per week
job? Will they be penalized? If so how?
Will waivers be allowed for such things as medical, physical or mental
reasons for limited hours?
A. The 35
hours per week is an outcome objective. In many instances the VESID plan may call for
placement at fewer hours per week due to disability-related issues. Vendors will not be penalized, but it will be
one of the vendor performance indicators that is reviewed.
64. In reference to regional
pay of $13 or $12 per hour, what happens to those agencies that operate in
communities that are rural and most businesses pay $7.15 or a bit higher? How will that impact on the agency’s ability
to receive or continue a contract?
A. This
is only one of the quality indicators whereby we are attempting to recognize
vendors who are successful at assisting VESID consumers to achieve the best
possible employment outcomes. The
individual geographical circumstances and the consumer’s needs will be
evaluated in their totality.
65. Benefits in rural
communities are not very common, especially for those who work part time. What is the impact on the agency for failure
to get jobs with benefits for the consumer?
A. (See
also question #64 above) It will be one of the performance indicators. Regional differences will be considered in
the analysis of performance data.
66. Amount of time from
assessment to receipt of report – standard 14 days – does it mean 14 days from
completion of assessment, consumer finishing DVE?
A. Yes
67. Are payments based on
performance indicators? Example, if an
indicator states 21 days and the deadline is missed, will the vendor be paid?
A. Payment
is not based on performance indicators. The
performance indicators may affect how consumers or VRC’s make decisions in the
future and how units of service are awarded in the future.
68. The 100% placement rate
in the performance indicators for Work Readiness Level III seems
unrealistic. Wouldn’t a rate closer to
the 60% placement rate as indicated under placement services be more realistic?
A. VESID
has revised the performance indicator for Work Readiness III to 60%.
ENTRY SERVICES
69. How many people in a group constitute a
session?
A. A session is a scheduled meeting and
would include two or more participants.
70. Where do potential consumers come from,
just referrals from VESID or persons at the agencies site or both?
A. Referrals come from VESID, service
providers, One-Stop partners, and the community at large.
71. Who is responsible for accessibility at
orientation sites and who provides interpreters?
A. Information sessions can only be held in
fully accessible sites, which are agreed to between the VESID District Office
and the provider agency prior to the onset of the service. In most instances, deaf/hard of hearing
individuals who require interpreter services are referred separately for VESID
services. Foreign language sessions may
be arranged with local VESID District Offices, or intake for these situations
are arranged individually by VESID.
72. Can a provider contract for so many
sessions and so many participants delivered though outreach efforts to conduct
orientation sessions in various community agencies, schools, etc?
A. A provider can indicate how many units
of service they can provide to meet the deliverable. The delivery and participants for those sessions
will be determined by the operational needs of the local VESID District Office.
73. Can you more clearly define the
difference between “gather the information” in Level I and “obtain at their own
expense” in Level III? Does this mean
that the provider would incur any cost imposed by the medical provider for
completing the required forms or for expenses related to copying and
postage?
A. Level III requires the vendor to
purchase the information. The purchase of new medical or psychologicals will be
at no cost to VESID.
Some providers may have the capacity
to provide new medicals, etc. within their organizational structure at their
own expense and therefore would be eligible for the higher Level III rate.
74. Are One-Stops no longer a required site?
A. The One-Stop Centers are one of the
possible community sites. Local VESID District
Offices may decide if this is a preferred location for these services.
75. Will DO’s buy Level I and Level II
services?
A. Each District Office will purchase services
based on need. The services purchased
may not be identical in each Office.
76. Please clarify the difference between
Levels I, II and III.
A. Level I is a scripted information service
to groups, not individuals. Levels II
and III will be determined based on individual consumer need for this type of
assistance.
77. Will a provider be reimbursed 100% for
performance within 90% of eligibility/ineligibility determination? Is the ratio 90% eligible and 10% ineligible? Will the provider only be reimbursed for
persons determined to be eligible?
A. Reimbursement for Level II and III
services is not based on performance indicators. The 90% performance indicator speaks to the
adequacy of the information provided in the packet to allow an appropriate eligibility/ineligibility
determination and not the percentage found eligible..
Level
II:
78. Level II seems to be the same as current
fast track with medicals, but the rate is much less, is this correct?
A. Level II does not require the provider
to complete or acquire a new medical evaluation, but rather to locate existing
medical information needed for eligibility determination. Level III requires new medical reports to be
procured by the vendor and is reimbursed at a higher rate.
79. Does the “note” stating that this service
is intended for individuals not currently active with the provider mean
that if an individual is in receipt of case management or service coordination
from the VESID vendor or other agency that they are not eligible for this
service?
A. If the consumer is active with an
agency, and the VESID referral information is under the control of the agency,
that agency would not be reimbursed for a Level II or III service. If the services are provided to the consumer
by another agency, which retains the referral information needed by VESID, a
Level II or III service could be provided.
Level
80.
Would an acceptable Level III service be to arrange
for new medical information by exploring medical providers in the community,
arranging for appointments, and possibly accompanying the consumer have the
exam completed? Would the new medical
report then be obtained by the Entry Service counselor, reviewed, and discussed
in the background case notes?
A. This is a service option which the
provider will need to discuss with the local VESID District Office. VESID District Office Managers and Regional
Coordinators will review local needs and VESID Central Office will determine
compliance with UCS service definitions.
This would be an appropriate service under Level III (see #73).
ASSESSMENT SERVICES
81. Staffing - …staff receives on-going
training. Are there prescribed training
requirements/topics? Will VESID provide
the training? Is there a time frame to
complete require training?
A. The training will be vendor directed and
documented. VESID will review the
training for content and appropriateness for the service being delivered. If there are areas of weak performance, VESID
may suggest additional training in that area.
82. What is meant by 1 day for Assessment
Services? How many hours equals one day?
A. 5 hours
83. Can
the Assessment Services – Level B be extended past 5 days?
A. There may be circumstances that are an
exception to the rule. The provider
would need to discuss the rationale for the extension with, and receive authorization
from the VESID VRC. In some
instances, due to the needs of an individual consumer, VESID referrals may be
received for different time periods than the norm.
84. Is “completion of the service” defined as
the submission of a completed application packet, or a case opening? It is considered an outcome if the individual
in ineligible for VESID services?
A. Submission of a completed application
packet containing all required information is the deliverable. It is an outcome if appropriate and adequate
information is provided in the packet that enables VESID to determine
eligibility/ineligibility.
85. The rates are written to be done in
groups. Referrals for Assessment
Services A and B are not enough to specific agencies to provide the service in
groups. The rates won’t support the
supervision and direct observation by evaluators. What should agencies do?
A. Rates were written on an individual
basis. However, the definition of Level
I states, “the service may include standardized work samples and may be done on
a group basis.” In essence, the service
may be done on a group basis, if appropriate, but the rate is based on the
needs specific to the individual consumer.
Level
II:
86.
Can community-based work assessments be provided by
job coaches?
A. If the Job Coach meets the
qualifications for assessment service.
Level
87. When
will the Assessment Level
A. When the RFP is released.
88. Will VESID reimburse for Assessment Level
III services even if the consumer has insurance or Medicaid?
A. Yes, unless the vendor has the capacity
to bill these alternate sources.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY/REHABILITATION
TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
89.
In the provision of these services, the clinician may
have to fabricate/modify a devise, program software system, etc. prior to doing
the actual training. How will this part
of the service be covered under the new RFP?
A. Requests must include a statement that
one payment will be made in advance of services. Full payment typically occurs after project
completion. Contractors may, however, be
reimbursed for documented material costs that they actually incur prior to
project completion. The contractor’s
request for reimbursement of material costs consists of a voucher signed by the
contractor along with the invoice that has been received from the supplier
supporting the total payment sought by the contractor.
Evaluation:
90.
Are vendors supposed to provide the price a
distributor charges for each item under Assistive Technology Evaluations?
A. The vendor should make a recommendation
only for a particular type of equipment.
VESID uses medical rates for such equipment or the State Contract.
WORK READINESS
91. Is there flexibility for the standard
authorization periods in Level I and Level II services to be extended by the
VRC?
A. There may be circumstances that are an
exception to the rule based on consumer’s IPE and approval of Regional
Coordinator/District Office Manager or designee. The provider would need to discuss the
rationale for the extension with, and receive approval from the VESID VRC.
92. Can sheltered employment workshops be
utilized as a service delivery site?
A. Perhaps in Level I or II given the type
of work, in light of how that may be related to community openings.
93. Please explain the difference between
Level II and Level III services.
A. Level III is a community-based work
experience with job placement as the outcome with the work experience employer
or a similar employer.
94. Is it correct to assume that Levels I and
II Work Readiness, individually or combined, provide VESID the ability to
request the Level II bundle of placement services as a billable augment to
Level I and Level II Work Readiness services?
A. VESID would purchase Level I or Level
II Work Readiness Service based on consumer need to be determined by the
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Consumer.
95. Are all work readiness services provided
as part of a written IPE service? If
yes, where would VR Readiness or assisting a consumer prepare for active
participation in developing an IEP fit into UCS?
A. Yes, the IPE goal must specify a general skills area in addition to the Work
Readiness activities. VESID cannot
utilize its federal funds to provide pre-vocational service. ILC and advocacy organizations can assist in
those areas. Development of the actual
IPE is included in vocational rehabilitation counseling and is not part of the
UCS service.
96. How will consumers be referred?
A. As with all referrals, based on the IPE
goals and the assessed level and type of services needed to attain these goals.
97. Would an agency funded by OMRDD and OMH,
etc. be able to provide work readiness?
A. Many providers have multiple funding
sources. The vendor will have to meet the
UCS requirements.
Level
I – Work Experience Development:
98.
VESID will fund the actual OJT, WTO, work-study or
internship/externship. What is the
funding vehicle for the internship/externship?
A.
Each service under this category will be viewed
separately. Internships/externships may
be unpaid.
99.
Can an agency be reimbursed for the development of
the internship site through Work Experience Development Level I as well as be
reimbursed for job coaching through Adjunct Services at the same time if the
consumer requires the service?
A. Depends on the needs of the consumer as
predicated by the IPE.
100. What happens if a provider does not submit 5
hours in a month or does not place individuals within 9 months?
A. We are looking for a high level of activity
in the placement process. If there is a
consumer-specific reason why at least 5 hours cannot occur in a given month,
the provider should contact the referring VESID Counselor, and the Counselor
will determine if it is reasonable to continue.
Authorization will be cancelled if the consumer is not placed within the
9 month period, unless the Counselor approves a rationale for extension.
Level
I:
101. Can Level I Coaching Supports supplement as
additional or extensive services in relation to the Level II of Placement
Services? Can Level I Coaching Supports
be used, for example, for job saves and employer on-site consumer follow-up?
A. Yes.
Coaching Supports are not for on-site consumer follow-up, but it could
be part of a time-limited job-save if structured coaching is required.
102. Is Level I Coaching Supports available if a
person placed in Level II Job Placement is struggling with their job and needs
job coaching?
A. Yes
103. Can a vendor provide placement services and,
in some cases, additional coaching supports as well?
A. A vendor would have to clearly delineate
the different staff that would be providing each service.
Level
II:
104. Are all items authorized at the time of intake referral? If not, please explain.
A. It depends upon the services. For example, job placement could include
several service authorizations at the same time. However, work readiness would normally
include only one service authorization at a time.
105. Shouldn’t there be a case service code for
job-replacement?
A. This is not a VESID UCS service. It is one of the circumstances which could
require the provision of Job Placement Services, in this case to find a new job.
106. In clarification of re-placement, “this fee could be
reauthorized…provided the follow up job placement occurs more than 90 days from
the original,” are we correct to assume that is 90 days from the start date of
the prior placement?
A. Yes
107.