FEDERAL AGENCY:

OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

AUTHORIZATION:

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Title VI, Part B, 29 U.S.C. 795j-q.

OBJECTIVES:

To provide grants for time limited services leading to supported employment for individuals with the most severe disabilities to enable such individuals to achieve the employment outcome of supported employment.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Formula Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

Applicant Eligibility: State vocational rehabilitation agencies (including territories and possessions) designated in the State plan to administer the Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

Beneficiary Eligibility: Individuals with the most severe disabilities whose ability or potential to engage in a training program leading to supported employment has been determined by evaluating rehabilitation potential. In addition, individuals must need extended services in order to perform competitive work and have the ability to work in a supported employment setting.

Credentials/Documentation: Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87 for State and local governments.

Pre-application Coordination: This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. The standard application forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102 must be used for this program.

Application Procedure: Each State agency must submit a State plan supplement for a 5-year period as part of the State plan under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Vocational rehabilitation agencies submit the State Plan and supplement to the appropriate Department of Education regional office. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110.

Award Procedure: Notice of annual allotment to the State, quarterly grant award notice, and funds are withdrawn under the Electronic Transfer System.

Deadlines: A 5-year State plan supplement to the State plan for vocational rehabilitation services is submitted to the RSA Regional Office for approval on the date as a complete single or unified W/A State plan.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: State plans must be approved within 90 days of being submitted to RSA, for a 5-year period.

Appeals: After reasonable effort has been made to resolve the questions involved, the State may appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the circuit in which the State is located.

Renewals: Not applicable.

Formula and Matching Requirements: Federal funds are distributed based on the U.S. total populations and State population and the source is the Population Estimates Annual, Bureau of the Census. No State shall receive less than $300,000 or one-third of one percent of the sums made available for the fiscal year, whichever is greater. This program has no matching requirements.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Notice of annual allotments to the State, annual grant awards are made and funds are withdrawn under the Electronic Transfer System.

Reports: Annual and quarterly progress reports and annual budget and quarterly financial status reports (Standard Form 269) are required.

Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records: Case records on individual clients, fiscal records for a prescribed period for audit purposes and retention of records for three years are required.

Account Identification: 91-0301-0-1-506.

Obligations: (Grants) FY 01 $38,152,000; FY 02 est $38,152,000; and FY 03 est $0.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: In FY 2016, the estimated range of awards is $34,435 to $2,769,257, with a median State award, excluding outlying, areas of $307,490.

Of the individuals who had supported employment (SE) identified as their employment goal and who received supported employment services funded through the Title VI, Part C, program, approximately 70 percent achieved an employment outcome, as defined under the Title 1 program, at the time of case closure. About 82 percent of the individuals who achieved an employment outcome under this program had a supported employment outcome. Specifically these individuals had maintained a employment placement for at least 60 days after making the transition to extended services. A supported employment placement is competitive employment in an integrated setting where the individual receives on-going support services from a State agency, a private nonprofit organization, employer, or other appropriate source after the individual has made the transition from State Vocational Rehabilitation agency support. Another 13 percent of these individuals had a competitive employment outcome that was not considered a SE outcome (e.g., the individual did not receive on-going support from an extended service provider or the individual was not working in a setting that met the regulatory definition of an integrated setting). The remaining individuals (5 percent) were working in non-competitive employment (i.e., sheltered employment, homemaker, or unpaid family worker) at case closure. Although there has been only a slight increase in the percentage of individuals with a SE outcome since fiscal year 1993 (81.1 percent to 81.9 percent), there has been a notable decrease (8.6 percent to 5.0 percent) in the percentage of individuals with a non-competitive employment outcome.

Supported Employment Services for Individuals with the most Severe Disabilities (34 CFR 363).

Regional or Local Office:

None.

Headquarters Office: Carol Dobak, Department of Education, OSERS Rehabilitation Services Administration 400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington , District of Columbia 20202 Email: Carol.Dobak@ed.gov Phone: (202) 245-7325.

Web Site Address:  
https://www.ed.gov/

Not Applicable.

Not applicable (Catalog users should contact the State Vocational Rehabilitation agency for criteria).