(a) Comprehensive statewide assessment.

1. (1) The vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include—

   1. (i) The results of a comprehensive, statewide assessment, jointly conducted by the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council (if the State unit has a Council) every three years. Results of the assessment are to be included in the vocational rehabilitation portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, submitted in accordance with the requirements of § 361.10(a) and the joint regulations of this part. The comprehensive needs assessment must describe the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities residing within the State, particularly the vocational rehabilitation services needs of—

      1. (A) Individuals with the most significant disabilities, including their need for supported employment services;
      2. (B) Individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals with disabilities who have been unserved or underserved by the vocational rehabilitation program carried out under this part;
      3. (C) Individuals with disabilities served through other components of the statewide workforce development system as identified by those individuals and personnel assisting those individuals through the components of the system; and

      4. (D) Youth with disabilities, and students with disabilities, including

         (1) Their need for pre-employment transition services or other transition services; and

         (2) An assessment of the needs of individuals with disabilities for transition services and pre-employment transition services, and the extent to which such services provided under this part are coordinated with transition services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) in order to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.

   2. (ii) An assessment of the need to establish, develop, or improve community rehabilitation programs within the State.
2. (2) The vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must assure that the State will submit to the Secretary a report containing information regarding updates to the assessments under paragraph (a) of this section for any year in which the State updates the assessments at such time and in such manner as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(b) Annual estimates. The vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include, and must assure that the State will submit a report to the Secretary (at such time and in such manner determined appropriate by the Secretary) that includes, State estimates of—

1. (1) The number of individuals in the State who are eligible for services under this part;
2. (2) The number of eligible individuals who will receive services provided with funds provided under this part and under part § 363, including, if the designated State agency uses an order of selection in accordance with § 361.36, estimates of the number of individuals to be served under each priority category within the order;
3. (3) The number of individuals who are eligible for services under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, but are not receiving such services due to an order of selection; and
4. (4) The costs of the services described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, including, if the designated State agency uses an order of selection, the service costs for each priority category within the order.

(4) Basis for goals and priorities. The State goals and priorities must be based on an analysis of—

1. (i) The comprehensive statewide assessment described in paragraph (a) of this section, including any updates to the assessment;
2. (ii) The performance of the State on the standards and indicators established under section 106 of the Act; and
3. (iii) Other available information on the operation and the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program carried out in the State, including any reports received from the State Rehabilitation Council under § 361.17(h) and the findings and recommendations from monitoring activities conducted under section 107 of the Act.

(e) Evaluation and reports of progress.

1. (1) The vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include—

   1. (i) The results of an evaluation of the effectiveness of the vocational rehabilitation program; and

   2. (ii) A joint report by the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council, if the State unit has a Council, to the Secretary on the progress made in improving the effectiveness of the program from the previous year. This evaluation and joint report must include—

      1. (A) An evaluation of the extent to which the goals and priorities identified in paragraph (c) of this section were achieved;
      2. (B) A description of the strategies that contributed to the achievement of the goals and priorities;
      3. (C) To the extent to which the goals and priorities were not achieved, a description of the factors that impeded that achievement; and
      4. (D) An assessment of the performance of the State on the standards and indicators established pursuant to section 106 of the Act.

2. (2) The vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must assure that the designated State unit and the State Rehabilitation Council, if the State unit has a Council, will jointly submit to the Secretary a report that contains the information described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section at such time and in such manner the Secretary determines appropriate.

   (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1205-0522)

   (Authority: Section 101(a)(15) and (25) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; 29 U.S.C. 721(a)(15) and (25))