Required pre-employment transition services may be provided to students as individuals or in group settings.

1. (1) The Program may provide the five required pre-employment transition services, to students in a group setting who are eligible or potentially eligible for the Program’s services.
2. (2) If a student with disabilities requests Program services other than pre-employment transition services, the student shall apply and be determined eligible for Program services, and the individual services including on an approved individualized plan for employment (IPE).
3. (3) The Program may provide extended services (see OAR 582 Division 72 Supported Services) to a youth who is most significantly disabled and eligible for Program supported employment services, under an approved individualized plan for employment (IPE).

4. (4) Program services for any eligible student or youth, during transition shall:

   1. (a) Be vocational rehabilitation in nature; and
   2. (b) Support and be designed to further develop or lead to achievement of the vocational goal in the individualized plan for employment;
   3. (c) Be consistent with the student’s or youth’s unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice;
   4. (d) Be provided to the maximum extent possible, in an integrated, community setting; and
   5. (e) Not be services that are the responsibility of the school district.

5. (5) The Program in collaboration with the local education agencies or other programs and agencies may provide other necessary support services.

   1. (a) Funding of other necessary support services shall be determined in collaboration with the local school system.
   2. (b) If an eligible student with a disability sensory and communicative disorders requires an auxiliary aid or service to access or participate in any of the pre-employment transition services, the Program shall pay for the costs if no other public entity (for example, the local educational agency) is required to provide the aid or service.

   3. (c) Expenditures incurred for the purchase or acquisition of auxiliary aids and services:

      1. (A) Constitute an allowable pre-employment transition services cost, if necessary for the participation in pre-employment transition services; and
      2. (B) The Program may use funds reserved for the provision of pre-employment transition services to pay for those auxiliary aids and services necessary to participate in such services.

   4. (d) Personal devices and services that do not meet the definition of auxiliary aids and services include:

      1. (A) Individually prescribed devices, such as prescription eyeglasses or hearing aids, readers for personal use or study; or
      2. (B) Services of a personal nature.

   5. (e) If a student with a disability requires personal devices or services or individually prescribed assistive technology, the Program shall:

      1. (A) Work with the student to determine whether they meet the eligibility criteria of the Program; and
      2. (B) If so, develop an individualized plan for employment for the provision of those additional services.
      3. (C) The Program shall have primary financial responsibility for Program services, but it shall use comparable benefits when that does not impede the progress of plan activities as described in the individualized plan for employment.
      4. (D) The student shall participate in the financial needs test as appropriate.

   6. (f) Services not constituting pre-employment transition services, auxiliary aids, and services necessary to participate in pre-employment transition services, or other Program services directly in support of pre-employment transition services necessary for a student to access or participate in those services:

      1. (A) Shall not be paid with funds reserved under section 110(d)(1) for the provision of pre-employment transition services.
      2. (B) Shall be paid with non-reserved Program funds.
   7. (g) When a student requires a personal device to participate in pre-employment transition services only, the Program may loan the device, contingent on availability. The student shall return the device when it is no longer required for participation in services.

6. (6) Group transition services:

   1. (a) These specific transition services shall benefit a group of students with disabilities or youth with disabilities that are not individualized services directly related to an individualized plan for an employment goal.
   2. (b) Services may include, but are not limited to, group tours of universities and vocational training programs, employer, or business site visits to learn about career opportunities, career fairs coordinated with workforce development and employers to facilitate mock interviews and resume writing, and other general services applicable to groups of students with disabilities and youth with disabilities.

Statutory/Other Authority

ORS 344.530 & 344.570

Statutes/Other Implemented

ORS 344.511 - 344.690 & 344.710 - 344.730

History

VRS 1-2025, amend filed 04/29/2025, effective 04/30/2025
VRS 7-2020, adopt filed 10/29/2020, effective 11/12/2020