1. (a)

   1. (1)

      1. (A) When a consumer is referred to the Division of State Services for the Blind, the DSB 8065 (referral form) should be completed at the time of initial contact.
      2. (B) This form should be used to complete the referral in the AWARE Referral Module.
   2. (2) This information should be entered immediately upon receipt of a referral.
   3. (3) Once entered, the referral will be assigned to the appropriate area manager by the person entering the referral.
   4. (4) 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.
   5. (5) The area manager will review the referral and assign it to the VR counselor for that area within one (1) business day.

   6. (6)

      1. (A) The VR counselor then has one (1) business day to contact the consumer and arrange an orientation meeting for the consumer.
      2. (B) This meeting should occur within ten (10) business days of the first contact.
      3. (C) The purpose of this meeting is to provide the consumer with information to allow them to make an informed choice about applying for services.
      4. (D) This meeting should include:

2. (i) Eligibility criteria;

   1. (ii) Expectations;

      1. (iii) Rights and responsibilities of participants; and

         1. (iv) Information on the division’s services.
   2. (7) The consumer may then decide to apply or not for the division’s services.
   3. (8) 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.
   4. (9) All new cases in AWARE must begin in the referral module.
   5. (10) This applies to both VR and PE case types.

3. (b)

   1. (1) Information for the AWARE Referral Module will come from one (1) of two (2) forms:

      1. (A) The VR/PE Referral; or
      2. (B) The Pre-ETS Referral, Consent, and Release Form.
   2. (2) The VR/PE Referral is the form completed by staff monitoring phone lines or when the consumer is not the referring party.
   3. (3) However, should a VR counselor be able to take a referral in person for a consumer who desires only pre-ETS services, they may complete the entire Pre-ETS Referral, Consent, and Release Form at that time.
   4. (4) After completing a referral, if a consumer chooses to apply for services, the consumer will identify whether they are applying for VR services or only asking to receive pre-ETS services.
   5. (5) At that time the VR counselor will open the correct case type in the AWARE Participant Module.
   6. (6) Consumers who desire only pre-ETS services will be opened under the potentially eligible (PE) case type (subsection (h) of this section).
   7. (7) However, consumers who desire additional vocational rehabilitation (VR) services will need to be opened under the VR case type (subsection (g) of this section).

   8. (8) The VR counselor will be responsible for ensuring that the consumer meets the criteria for the specified case type before moving past the application status.

      1. (c)
   9. (1) The division provides copies of the Pre-ETS Referral, Consent, and Release Form to schools to assist with referrals.
   10. (2) Referrals do require consent of a parent/legal guardian where applicable.

   11. (3) Pre-ETS counselors also share referral information through:

       1. (A) Parent nights;
       2. (B) Open houses;
       3. (C) Transition fairs;
       4. (D) Summits; and
       5. (E) Group meetings with students.
   12. (4) Referrals may also happen over the phone or from a VR counselor with a consumer that now meets the definition of a student with a disability and would meet the division’s eligibility criteria for vision loss to make them eligible or potentially eligible for the division’s vocational rehabilitation services.

   13. (5)

       1. (A) If the student has other disabilities, they must be referred to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services.

       2. (B) See 25 CAR § 2-602.

          1. (d)
   14. (1) For a consumer who already has an IPE and is now in need of pre-ETS, the division will work with the consumer to reassign them to a counselor with knowledge of pre-ETS and add the necessary pre-ETS to their IPE.

   15. (2)

       1. (A) The consumer will then receive both pre-ETS and additional VR services under their existing IPE with their new pre-ETS counselor.

       2. (B) Referral information should include:

          1. (i) Social Security number (if available);
          2. (ii) Date of birth;
          3. (iii) Race and ethnicity; and
          4. (iv) Disability.

       3. (C) To complete a referral and intake process, the division counselor must receive documentation of a disability, which may be provided through any of the following:

          1. (i) Referral form for pre-ETS that identifies the student’s disability and is signed by school staff and parent/guardian, if the student is under the age of majority in a state (parental consent to participate in pre-ETS is governed by state law, as well as policies of the educational programs and the designated state unit); and
          2. (ii) Copy of the IEP or 504 plan, Social Security Administration beneficiary award letter, school psychological assessment documenting the student’s diagnosis, or documentation of a disability determination related to section 504 accommodation or accommodations.
       4. (D) Documentation of enrollment in a secondary, postsecondary, or other recognized educational program.

4. (e)

   1. (1) Please note that an order of selection, if implemented, may affect the ability of an individual eligible for VR services to receive pre-ETS.
   2. (2) See 25 CAR § 2-501(a).

5. (f) Potentially eligible students do not need to complete an application for VR services unless they are:

   1. (1) In need of services beyond the scope of preemployment transition services; and
   2. (2) Requesting VR services in addition to pre-ETS.

6. (g) Potentially eligible case type.

   1. (1)

      1. (A) Potentially eligible consumers are those students with a disability that have not applied and been determined eligible for the VR program.
      2. (B) If a student with a disability applies for VR services and is determined ineligible for VR, the student no longer qualifies to receive pre-ETS because he or she is no longer considered potentially eligible.
      3. (C) However, a consumer who is determined eligible for VR services would receive pre-ETS under the VR case type (subsection (h) of this section).

   2. (2)

      1. (A) When a referral for a potentially eligible consumer is received outside of the Pre-ETS Referral, Consent, and Release Form, the division will enter the consumer’s information into the Referral Module of the AWARE system and assign it to the appropriate area manager.
      2. (B) The area manager will then assign a counselor to the case.
      3. (C) The division counselor has one (1) business day to contact the consumer after being assigned the referral.
      4. (D) Area managers should review referrals in AWARE daily to ensure they are being processed in a timely manner.
      5. (E) Any referrals received using the Pre-ETS Referral, Consent, and Release Form will be entered into the AWARE Referral Module and can be moved immediately into the AWARE Participant Module as an applicant by their VR counselor.

   3. (3)

      1. (A) Once the Referral, Consent, and Release Form has been received and assigned to a division counselor, a PE case may be opened and preemployment transition services may be arranged and provided according to the student’s needs.
      2. (B) Upon receipt of this information, the division will move the consumer from the Referral Module to the Participant Module in AWARE as a PE case.
      3. (C) At this point, AWARE will generate a twelve-digit unique identifier for the student, which will be used when reporting pre-ETS service delivery, as required by federal law.
   4. (4) Once confirmation is received that the consumer meets the definition of a student with a disability (25 CAR § 2-602), the counselor will send a letter notifying the student that they are able to receive preemployment transition services at this time.

   5. (5)

      1. (A) In order to be potentially eligible for services from the division, blindness or severe vision loss must be documented in the IEP, 504, or in a letter from the school, if an IEP/504 is not available.
      2. (B) If a consumer is determined to not meet the definition of a student with a disability, their PE case must be closed, and services cannot be provided.

   6. (6)

      1. (A) If the consumer has not responded to the letter notifying them that they are able to receive pre-ETS services within ten (10) business days, the assigned counselor must contact them to confirm the desire for services.
      2. (B) Each attempt to contact the consumer must be documented in AWARE.
      3. (C) If the counselor is unable to contact the student within thirty (30) days of mailing the letter, the case may be closed without providing services after review and approval from the division’s pre-ETS area manager.

   7. (7)

      1. (A) The counselor will discuss service options with the student, in either an individual or group setting, at the school, the division office, or a mutually agreed upon location in the community or via phone conversation as appropriate.
      2. (B) This conversation will begin the process to prepare the Pre-ETS Agreement Form, which is the agreement between the division and the consumer on what preemployment transition services will be provided.

   8. (8) During the initial discussion, the division counselor shall:

      1. (A) Provide basic job exploration counseling and document this in AWARE in an Actual Service record;
      2. (B) Discuss next steps, including identifying additional appropriate preemployment transition services and providers, consistent with the student’s informed choice and that may be completed before the student no longer qualifies for preemployment transition services; and
      3. (C) Verify the student qualifies for preemployment transition services.

   9. (9)

      1. (A) Once a consumer’s documentation has been received the counselor and consumer (with applicable parent/guardian) may complete the Pre-ETS Agreement Form using informed choice.

      2. (B)

         1. (i) Lists services, providers, and estimated begin and end dates.
         2. (ii) The division will provide services based on a twelve-month timeline.
         3. (iii) A new agreement form will be signed at least once a year while services are being received.

      3. (C)

         1. (i) Have the student, parent/legal guardian (if necessary), and counselor sign the printed form.
         2. (ii) Student should receive one (1) signed copy.
         3. (iii) Signed copy should be scanned into AWARE and placed in the consumer’s hard copy file.

      4. (D)

         1. (i) Provide services in accordance with the agreement.
         2. (ii) Services should be documented in AWARE using either the Actual Service feature or case notes and authorizations as necessary.
      5. (E) Notify student and parent/guardian of available resources to them.

   10. (10)

       1. (A) As long as the student qualifies to receive preemployment transition services, services will be provided through the Pre-ETS Agreement Form or, in the case a student has been determined eligible, in accordance with the student’s IPE.
       2. (B) At any time, new agreements may be written as additional services are identified through ongoing coordination activities with the education providers and other interested parties.

   11. (11)

       1. (A) Students with disabilities are not required to apply or be determined eligible for vocational rehabilitation services before receiving preemployment transition services.
       2. (B) Students who have provided adequate documentation of their disability and enrollment in a recognized education program shall not have their participation in preemployment transition services delayed by the process of applying for vocational rehabilitation services.
       3. (C) Students assigned division counselors will discuss vocational rehabilitation services with them and their parent/legal guardian and encourage interested students to apply by the time they have two (2) years remaining in high school to facilitate a smooth transition into vocational rehabilitation services.
   12. (12) Students who do not apply for vocational rehabilitation services may continue to receive preemployment transition services under the pre-ETS case type as long as they continue to satisfy the definition of a “student with a disability”.

7. (h) Pre-ETS under the VR case type.

   1. (1) If a student with a disability applies for VR services and is determined eligible, they may generally receive any pre-ETS as part of their individualized plan for employment on the VR case type.

   2. (2) This may occur in two (2) distinct ways:

      1. (A) A consumer may already be receiving VR services before requesting pre-ETS; or
      2. (B) A potentially eligible student with a disability may decide to apply for VR services and be determined eligible.
   3. (3) Any PE consumer who applies for VR services and is determined ineligible will be closed from the PE case type as they are no longer potentially eligible.
   4. (4) Eligible students may have preemployment transition services included on the individualized plan for employment and provided for as long as the individual continues to meet the definition of a “student with a disability”.
   5. (5) If the division should need to implement order of selection, any eligible students assigned to a closed order of selection category and placed on a waiting list for vocational rehabilitation after receiving preemployment transition services may continue to receive preemployment transition services using the PE case type.

   6. (6)

      1. (A) If an eligible student is assigned to a closed order of selection category and placed on a waiting list for vocational rehabilitation before receiving preemployment transition services, they may not receive pre-ETS using the PE case type.
      2. (B) These students will be required to wait for preemployment transition services until they are removed from the waiting list and an individualized plan for employment can be developed.

Codification Notes: “ETS” means employment transition services. "IPE" means individualized plan for employment.