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Rehabilitation Services Administration. FY 2015 State Plan Submission February 25, 2014. Webinar Agenda. Contents: General Information for Submission of the FY 2015 State Plan. Instructions for updating the FY 2015 State Plan Requirements for the submission of FY 2015 State Plan
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Rehabilitation Services Administration FY 2015 State Plan Submission February 25, 2014.
Webinar Agenda Contents: • General Information for Submission of the FY 2015 State Plan. • Instructions for updating the FY 2015 State Plan • Requirements for the submission of FY 2015 State Plan • Enhancements to FY 2015 State Plan form, State Plan Amendments • Amendments to the State Plan • Requirements for Attachment 4.2(c)-Input of the SRC • Requirements for Attachment 4.7(b)(3)-Waiver of Statewideness • Requirements for Attachment 4.11(b)-Annual Estimates • Requirements for Attachment 4.11(c)(3)-Order of Selection • Questions and Answers 2
General Information All FY 2015 State Plans must be submitted to RSA for review no later than July 1, 2014. State Plans can be submitted through RSA’s website at http://rsa.ed.gov. RSA will be issuing a TAC pertaining to the submission of the FY 2015 State Plan for the VR and SE programs. This TAC will be released shortly and will contain: • Instructions about State Plan submission requirements; • Guidance to state VR agencies on the Content requirements of all updated attachments to the State Plan; • Focused attention to four attachments – 4.2(c), 4.7(b)(3), 4.11(b), and 4.11(c)(3); and • Contact information for any questions. 3
Content of FY 2015 State Plan • State agencies must: update the State Plan assurances to reflect the current administration of the VR and SE programs. • Under Section 1 of the Preprint: Review all assurances and check “yes” as appropriate to corresponding checkboxes; • Fill out all text fields with the appropriate names, titles and State agencies; and • Have authorized signatory sign State Plan by entering name, title and date in signature box. 4
Content of FY 2015 State Plan Update the following required attachments: • Attachment 4.2(c) – Input from SRC (if agency has a SRC) • Attachment 4.10 – CSPD • Attachment 4.11(b) – Annual Estimates • Attachment 4.11(c)(3) – Description of Order of Selection (only if agency is implementing an Order of Selection) • Attachment 4.11(c)(4) – Goals and Plans for Distribution of Title VI – B funds • Attachment 4.11(e)(2) – Report of Progress 5
Content of FY 2015 State Plan Update all other Attachments to reflect the current administration of the VR and SE programs. VR agencies are required to sign and retain in hard copy: • the Certification Regarding Lobbying forms for both the VR and SE programs; and • the State Plan signed by the authorized signatory. Form ED-80-0013 can be obtained at http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/ed80-013.pdf. 6
Transmittal method VR agencies will utilize the same Web site portal for the FY 2015 State Plan submission as they did for FY 2014. Go to http://rsa.ed.gov and log in. Users with the appropriate access to the State Plan form will see the FY 2015 State Plan on their “To Do” list. If not, the user should access the link “Click here to try to add access” at the top of the page. 7
Enhancements for FY 2015 Change in how a State agency provides an assurance in Sec. 1.9 of the State Plan preprint. • Check the ‘yes’ radio button, then “Save this Section’ button to open assurance text box. Check ‘yes’ to add assurance 8
New Enhancements for FY 2015 Clarify whether a State agency is requesting a Waiver of Statewideness under Sec. 4.7 of the State Plan preprint. Agencies must select: • The agency is requesting a new or revised waiver of statewideness; or, is continuing a previously approved waiver without modification; or • The agency is not requesting a waiver of statewideness. 9
New Enhancements for FY 2015 If a State agency selects “The agency is requesting a new or revised waiver of statewideness; or, is continuing a previously approved waiver without modification”, Attachment 4.7(b)(3) will become available for editing. This information must be updated, as necessary, to reflect all programs requiring a new waiver or the continuation of an existing waiver. 10
State Plan Amendments If the State agency determines that the approved State Plan assurances or description has changed significantly, the state agency should: • Contact RSA liaison to discuss the need to amend the approved State Plan. • The state liaison will then “unpublish” the approved State Plan to enable pertinent changes to be made. • Upon review by the state liaison, the new State Plan will be forwarded to the Commissioner for final approval. • The State Plan will be republished following Commissioner’s approval. 11
Attachment 4.2(c) Section 101(a)(21)(A)(ii)(III) of the Rehabilitation Act and 34 CFR 361.16(a)(2)(v) require that VR agencies, which have established SRCs, must submit a summary of input and recommendations from their SRC on an annual basis. This summary must include: • Recommendations from the SRC’s annual report • Review and analysis developed by the SRC as it relates to consumer satisfaction • Information from any other reports prepared by the SRC The summary should also include the VR agency’s response to each of the input or recommendations made by the SRC. If the VR agency decides to reject any of these, it should include an explanation of its reasons for this decision. 12
Attachment 4.2(c) Other sources of input and recommendations to be included in this attachment may include: • State Plan: the VR agency and SRC jointly develop, agree to, and review annually its State goals and priorities (34 CFR 361.16(a)(2)(ii)) • Policies and Procedures: VR agency must regularly consult with the SRC in the development, implementation, and revision of policies and procedures pertaining to the provision of VR services (34 CFR 361.16(a)(2)(iii)) • Policies and procedures related to the provision of VR services used by VR Staff (34 CFR 361.16(a)(2)(iv)(A)) 13
Attachment 4.2(c) Other sources of input and recommendations to be included in this attachment may include (cont.): • Copies of due process hearing decisions (34 CFR 361.16(a)(2)(iv)(B)) • Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD): SRCs review and comment on the development of plans, policies, and procedures for particular elements of the VR agency’s CSPD (34 CFR 361.18) • VR agency must take into account the views of the SRC related to matters of general policy arising in the administration of the State Plan (34 CFR 361.21(e)) 14
Attachment 4.7(b)(3) Services provided under the State Plan must be provided in all political subdivisions of the State, unless a waiver of statewideness has been requested and approved. 34 CFR 361.25 15
Attachment 4.7(b)(3) When must a waiver of statewideness be included in the State Plan? • Whenever a new program is under consideration by the DSU; or • The continuation of an existing program requiring a waiver of statewideness previously approved. Please note: A waiver must be obtained through the process of submission of the State Plan PRIOR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT FOR WHICH A WAIVER IS REQUESTED. 16
Attachment 4.7(b)(3) Requirements for a waiver of statewideness: When a DSU provides a services in one or more political subdivisions of the State that increases services or expand the scope of services throughout the State, a waiver can be requested if: • The non-Federal share of the cost of these services is met from funds provided by a local public agency, including funds contributed to a local public agency by a private agency, organization, or individual; and • The services are likely to promote the vocational rehabilitation of substantially larger numbers of individuals with disabilities or of individuals with disabilities with particular types of impairments. 17
Attachment 4.7(b)(3) What must be included in the waiver request? The waiver must: • Identify the types of services to be provided – be as specific as possible and describe the nature and scope of each service being requested under the waiver. • Contain a written assurance from the local public agency that it will make available to the State unit the non-Federal share of funds; 18
Attachment 4.7(b)(3) The waiver must (cont.): • Contain a written assurance that State unit approval will be obtained for each proposed service before it is put into effect; • Contain a written assurance that all other State plan requirements, including a State's order of selection requirements, will apply to all services approved under the waiver. 19
Attachment 4.11(b) Section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act and 34 CFR 361.29(b) require all State VR agencies to annually submit a report of annual estimates to the Secretary in the State Plan. On an annual basis, VR agencies must identify in Attachment 4.11(b): • the state estimates of the number of individuals in the state who are eligible for services under the State Plan; and • eligible individuals who will receive services provided with funds under Part B of Titles I and VI of the Rehabilitation Act. • In addition, State VR agencies must identify the cost of the services for the number of individuals estimated to be eligible for services. 20
Attachment 4.11(b) If a State VR agency is implementing or has implemented an order of selection in accordance with 34 CFR 361.36, it must provide: • the estimates of the number of individuals to be served under each priority category within the order; and • identify the cost of services for each priority category within the order, including the average cost of services. 21
Attachment 4.11(b) For those State VR agencies implementing or maintaining an order of selection, this attachment should also include a projection or estimation of: • the total combined available funds for the year the State Plan will cover, including the VR grant award, adjusted non-federal share, program income and carryover (including dollar amounts); • the total VR costs for the year the State Plan will cover, including the dollar amount for the funds provided under Part B of Titles I and VI of the Rehabilitation Act and administrative costs; and • the deficit that the VR agency is estimating for the year the State Plan will cover. 22
Attachment 4.11(b) Additional Considerations for Agency Implementing an OOS: • VR agencies should include a statement that based on its projections; it will not be able to provide the full range of vocational rehabilitation services to all eligible individuals in the state. • Additionally, State VR agencies should state the month or year in which the OOS will be implemented and the categories that will be closed. • Finally, the information presented in text or table format must be the same information reflected in Attachments 4.11(b): Annual Estimates and 4.11(c)(3): Order of Selection. Specifically, projected numbers and totals projected should be checked and verified across both attachments before submission of the State Plan. 23
Attachment 4.11(c)(3) Citations: sections 101(a)(5) and (15)(C) of the Act, and 34 CFR 361.36 Required annually of all agencies implementing or continuing an order of selection (OOS) This attachment must: • Show the order to be followed in selecting eligible individuals to be provided vocational rehabilitation services. For example: individuals determined eligible who are most significantly disabled, significantly disabled, and all other eligible individuals. 24
Attachment 4.11(c)(3) The attachment must provide a justification for the implementation of the OOS. • Can be based on fiscal • Human resources • A combination of the two. 25
Attachment 4.11(c)(3) The attachment must identify the service and outcome goals, including: • number of individuals to be served in the fiscal year by category; • expected number of employment outcomes by each priority category; and • may be presented in narrative form or table (provided) Projections are based on prior year’s performance 26
Attachment 4.11(c)(3) Requirements: • The attachment must identify the time within which these goals may be achieved for individuals in each priority category. • The attachment must also show that individuals with the most significant disabilities are selected for services before all other individuals with disabilities. 27
Attachment 4.11(c)(3) RSA will notify the agency if the attachment describes criteria other than those allowed by 34 CFR 361.36(d). Agencies will have the opportunity to revise any aspects of the OOS that are not in compliance prior to the approval of the State Plan. Approval of this attachment should precede the implementation of the OOS. If an OOS must be implemented in the middle of the fiscal year, the State Plan must be amended to reflect this change in the VR program. 28
Questions Question and Answers • http://rsa.ed.gov 29