1 of 3 Planning and Service Provision 4/2014
Section V
Policy:
The Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) shall be a written document prepared on a form approved by Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS). It shall be developed so that it affords the eligible individual meaningful opportunity to exercise informed choice in the selection of the employment goal, the specific vocational rehabilitation services required to achieve the
employment goal, the entities that will provide services, and the methods of service provision.
The IPE shall be signed by the individual or, as appropriate, the individual's representative and by a qualified MRS rehabilitation counselor. Planning and approval of the IPE shall be
conducted within the framework of a counseling relationship. Counselor approval of an IPE verifies that the IPE is consistent with MRS policies and guidelines, is complete and is expected to lead to an employment outcome.
Procedure:
The IPE shall be designed to achieve the employment goal of the individual. It shall include the following:
• A specific employment goal in an integrated setting. The employment goal shall be consistent with the individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice.
• Services necessary to achieve the employment goal. Planning for services to address serious limitations shall be consistent with the third component of eligibility that requires services to achieve an employment outcome (see Rehabilitation Services Manual (RSM) Item 3100 – Eligibility Criteria). The IPE shall, therefore, include treatment, supports or other
interventions that address substantial barriers to employment by ameliorating, reducing or removing serious limitations in one or more of the functional capacity areas.
These services shall be provided in integrated settings, to the maximum extent possible and appropriate. As needed, they shall include assistive technology devices; assistive technology services; personal assistance services and training in managing, supervising and directing personal assistance services.
• The anticipated date by which the employment goal will be reached;
• An expected and timely beginning date for each service, and as appropriate, an ending date or event for the service;
• Objective and measurable criteria to evaluate progress in achieving the employment goal;
• Identification of the service providers and their responsibilities.
Michigan Rehabilitation Services
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Individualized Plan for Employment
361.45, 361.462 of 3 Planning and Service Provision 4/2014
Section V
• Identification of the responsibilities of MRS and the individual in achieving the employment goal;
• The extent of MRS participation and the participation of the individual in the cost of services.
• The extent to which comparable services and benefits, available under any other program, will be used to cover service costs or provide needed services.
• The IPE shall be completed promptly, but no more than 90 days following eligibility certification, unless the individual and counselor require more time to arrive at an agreed upon plan. In the event that more than 90 days are required, the Plan Development Extension (PDE) page in AWARE shall be completed providing reason for extension, activities or services planned to complete the IPE, and the agreed upon Plan Extension Date. PDE is activated the day you complete the page and extends for only 30 days beyond activation. If you need more time, you have an opportunity to extend the delay in Plan development in 30 day increments. Note: Completing the Plan Development Extension page places the case in Eligibility-E status.
• For students in the K-12 educational system who are eligible for MRS services, the IPE shall be developed and completed before the student leaves the school setting. An agreed upon delay in developing an IPE is not an option for eligible transition students if the delay in development extends beyond the student’s exit from school.
• The only exception to this practice is when a student is referred to MRS too late in the final semester to allow for a timely determination of MRS eligibility prior to the student leaving the school setting. In this instance, the counselor shall apply timeliness standards for IPE development as noted in general 90 day requirement procedures.
• A Career Pathway, as identified by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education, may be used as an employment goal for transition students until the student completes secondary education. After the individual leaves the K-12 system the IPE shall be amended as soon as feasible to reflect a more specific employment goal to provide planned direction before additional training or placement activity proceeds. A Career Pathway shall not be used as an employment outcome at closure.
• The Individualized Education Program (IEP), for students receiving special education services, shall be considered while developing the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The student’s IPE shall be coordinated with the goals, objectives, and services in the IEP. Coordination of the IPE with a student’s Individualized Education Program is
demonstrated by identifying the IEP services in the IPE or by attaching a copy of the IEP to the individual’s IPE. As long as the student remains in school, a copy of the Individualized Plan for Employment may be provided to the educational entity.
Michigan Rehabilitation Services
5050
Individualized Plan for Employment
361.45, 361.463 of 3 Planning and Service Provision 4/2014
Section V
• A copy of the IPE shall be provided promptly to the individual and, as appropriate, to the individual's representative. It shall be provided in the individual’s native language or in an appropriate mode of communication for the individual.
For eligible transition students whose IPE is developed nearing school exit, the counselor must ensure that the IPE is entered into AWARE prior to the date the student leaves the school setting.
The IPE shall be recorded on a blank AWARE Plan datapage. If a blank AWARE Plan datapage is not used, form RA-2915s may be used. No other forms are sanctioned by MRS. When an RA-2915s is used to secure the individual’s signature, an IPE must be replicated in AWARE by recording the information on a blank AWARE Plan datapage.
The start date of the IPE is the date the counselor approves and signs the IPE. The start date shall be entered on the IPE in AWARE no more than 7 days after the IPE has been signed by the counselor, the individual or the individual’s representative.
Information:
The IPE is developed between MRS and the eligible individual. It is a statement of intent and is not legally binding. If a case is transferred between counselors, the IPE is to be honored by the receiving counselor unless the vocational goal, services or time frames are ambiguous or no longer appropriate.
The IPE letter in the AWARE Letters catalog may be used as the cover letter to help the counselor obtain the individual’s signature on the IPE.
Forms:
RA-2915s – Individualized Plan for Employment
RA-2915s-SP – Individualized Plan for Employment in Spanish
RA-2915s-AR – Individualized Plan for Employment in Arabic
Michigan Rehabilitation Services