1. (a) A referral is an individual who has contacted or been placed in contact with the Division of State Services for the Blind to inquire about the possibility of obtaining vocational rehabilitation services but has not applied for services.
2. (b) To be considered a referral, the division must have the individual’s name and contact information.

3. (c) Referrals may come:

   1. (1) By phone;
   2. (2) By email;
   3. (3) Through the division’s website; or
   4. (4) In person.

4. (d) Referral information should include:

   1. (1) Social Security number (if available);
   2. (2) Name;
   3. (3) Date of birth;
   4. (4) Address, including county;
   5. (5) Telephone number;
   6. (6) Email;
   7. (7) Gender;
   8. (8) Date of referral;
   9. (9) Source of referral;
   10. (10) Reported disability; and
   11. (11) Any information provided by the consumer or referral source about their needs or concerns.

5. (e) Completing a referral.

   1. (1) When a consumer is referred to the division, the DSB 8065 (referral form) should be completed at the time of initial contact.
   2. (2) This form should be used to complete the referral in the AWARE Referral Module.
   3. (3) This information should be entered immediately upon receipt of a referral.
   4. (4) Once entered, the referral will be assigned to the appropriate area manager by the person entering the referral.
   5. (5) The paper referral is then sent to that area manager and their administrative assistant, by email, notifying them that the referral has been entered in AWARE.
   6. (6) The area manager will review the referral and assign it to the VR counselor for that area within one (1) business day.
   7. (7) The VR counselor then has one (1) business day to contact the consumer and arrange an orientation meeting for the consumer.
   8. (8) This meeting should occur within ten (10) business days of the first contact.
   9. (9) The purpose of this meeting is to provide the consumer with information to allow them to make an informed choice about applying for VR services.

   10. (10) This meeting should include:

       1. (A) Eligibility criteria;
       2. (B) Expectations;
       3. (C) Rights and responsibilities of VR participants; and
       4. (D) Information on the division’s services.

   11. (11)

       1. (A) The consumer may then decide to apply or not for the division’s services.
       2. (B) See 25 CAR § 2-302.
   12. (12) If for any reason the consumer cannot meet within ten (10) business days, the request for a later appointment must be documented in AWARE with the justification.
   13. (13) All new cases in AWARE must begin in the referral module.

6. (f) Types of referrals.

   1. (1) For students with a disability who wish to apply for VR services, 25 CAR § 2-301 should be followed.
   2. (2) For those students who are interested in only pre-ETS services and may be potentially eligible, see 25 CAR § 2-603.
   3. (3) Referrals for the Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program should follow 25 CAR § 1-110.

7. (g) Contact with consumer.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) The counselor is expected to keep in contact with the consumer throughout the vocational rehabilitation process beginning with the referral to provide counseling and guidance, deliver services, prevent or resolve problems, check progress, follow up on actions, maintain the relationship, share information, etc.
      2. (B) All contacts or attempted contacts must be documented in AWARE.
      3. (C) If the counselor is unable to reach the consumer, they may follow the unable to locate guidelines.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) During the VR process the consumer and counselor will have regular contact with contact occurring at least once every forty-five (45) days.
      2. (B) While face-to-face contacts between counselor and consumer are preferred, there will be times when that may not be possible.
      3. (C) During these times, email, phone, and written correspondence are acceptable ways of making contact.
      4. (D) Should the VR counselor need to obtain a signature from the consumer and is unable to meet face to face the counselor must work with the consumer to obtain either an electronic signature or signature by mail on the required documents.
      5. (E) The documents will not be considered complete until the signature is received.

   3. (3)

      1. (A) Staff do have the ability to obtain electronic signatures to reduce the need for printing or mailing of documents.
      2. (B) If the consumer is unable to sign electronically, staff may email or mail the form to the consumer to sign and return by email or mail.
      3. (C) If staff have a delay in obtaining signatures due to this process, it must be documented in a case note.
      4. (D) If a consumer is unable to sign electronically or return the printed signature to you, an email record of the consumer’s agreement to the form may be documented in AWARE.
      5. (E) This email from the consumer should include a detailed indication of what they are agreeing to and this must be placed into the case file.
      6. (F) Staff must document the date the application was taken and the date the form was mailed to the consumer in a case note.

8. (h) Closing a referral.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) All contacts and attempted contacts must be documented in the Referral Note section of the AWARE referral for that consumer.
      2. (B) If the counselor is unable to contact the consumer, they must make at least three (3) attempts by phone over different days and send an official contact letter giving the consumer ten (10) business days to respond before closing the referral for lack of contact.
      3. (C) It is recommended the counselor also reach out via any additional contact options (i.e., email) and to the referral source to try and reach the consumer.
      4. (D) Once this has been completed and documented the counselor may mark the referral closed.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) If the consumer wishes to apply for services, the consumer and counselor may complete or set up a time to complete an application for services.
      2. (B) Once the application has been completed, the counselor will create a new case in AWARE, and this will close the referral file.
      3. (C) For information on applications, see 25 CAR § 2-302.

9. (i) Developing referral sources.

   1. (1) Developing referral sources is the process of locating individuals who may need and be eligible for services from the Division of State Services for the Blind.

   2. (2)

      1. (A) Division staff should develop good working relationships with physicians’ offices, workforce centers, employers, consumer groups, colleges, nonprofits, and other local and state government agencies to make them aware of the division’s services and encourage referrals.
      2. (B) Division staff will also set up informational booths at health fairs and other events to increase awareness and referrals.
      3. (C) Staff should follow up with referral sources at least once a quarter and maintain open communication.

Codification Notes: “ETS” means employment transition services. "VR" means vocational rehabilitation.