Part 835. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Policy and Procedure Manual

20 CAR § 835-661. Glasses and artificial eyes. (a) Note. Individuals with blindness as a primary disabling condition must be referred to the Division of State Services for the Blind. (b)(1) Glasses, artificial eyes, and other visual services may be purchased if recommended by a c…

20 CAR § 835-662. Personal assistance services — Medicaid. (a) Personal assistance services is a range of services, provided by one (1) or more persons, designed to assist an individual with disabilities to perform daily living activities on or off the job that the individual wou…

20 CAR § 835-663. Attendant services. (a)(1) Arkansas Rehabilitation Services will purchase attendant services, in accordance with informed choice provided by one (1) or more persons, designed to assist an individual with disabilities to perform daily living activities in one (1)…

20 CAR § 835-664. Interpreter services. (a) Arkansas Rehabilitation Services may purchase interpreter services for a deaf or hearing-impaired individual involved in a rehabilitation program in accordance with informed choice. (b) Procedures — Interpreter services. (1) Documentati…

20 CAR § 835-665. Reader services. (a) Arkansas Rehabilitation Services may purchase reader services for deaf or hearing impaired individuals and visually impaired individuals involved in a rehabilitation program in accordance with informed choice. (b) Procedures — Reader service…

20 CAR § 835-666. Motor vehicles. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services policy is not to purchase motor vehicles for an individual or groups of individuals.

20 CAR § 835-667. Special equipment and modification for motor vehicles. (a)(1) The counselor will follow the state purchasing guidelines. (2) Purchase and installation of special equipment and/or vehicle modification may be provided to enable the individual to drive their vehicl…

20 CAR § 835-668. Home modifications. (a)(1) Arkansas Rehabilitation Services will only provide assistance when modifying an individual’s place of residence if the individual owns, is buying, or is a long-term renter or in an extended lease of the property. (2) Modifications to t…

20 CAR § 835-701. Independent living rehabilitation services generally. (a) Independent living rehabilitation services (ILRS) are any appropriate vocational rehabilitation services (as defined under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.) that will enh…

20 CAR § 835-702. ILRS case status classifications. (a)(1) Status 70 — Referral/applicant status. (2) Counselor will complete Demographic, Referral (Status 00), Application, ILRS Unplanned Authorization, and Case Information forms. (b) Status 71 — Closure from referral/ineligibil…

20 CAR § 835-703. Eligibility. (a)(1) Eligibility requirements will be applied without regard to sex, race, age, creed, color, national origin, or type of disability of the individual applying for services. (2) No group of individuals will be excluded or found ineligible solely o…

20 CAR § 835-704. Responsibility for determining eligibility. (a) Arkansas Rehabilitation Services has the sole responsibility for determining the eligibility of individuals for ILR services. (b) This responsibility remains within the agency and will not be delegated to any other…

20 CAR § 835-705. Basic eligibility requirements for ILR services. (a) The counselor is required to show the following conditions exist for each individual determined eligible for ILR services: (1) The individual has a significant physical or mental disability with resulting func…

20 CAR § 835-706. Economic need and comparable benefits. (a) Services are based on financial need, and comparable benefits will be utilized. (b) Services are intended to be comprehensive and one-time services to enable individuals to live and function independently in the: (1) Ho…

20 CAR § 835-707. Certification of eligibility/ineligibility. (a) The counselor is required to complete the ILRS Certificate of Eligibility/Ineligibility for services in the individual’s ECF. (b) The certificate shall contain the: (1) Individual’s name; (2) Eligibility date; and …

20 CAR § 835-708. Ineligibility. (a)(1) When it has been determined that an individual is ineligible for ILR services, the counselor is required to initiate a Certificate of Eligibility/Ineligibility to close the ECF. (2) Ineligibility certification will be made only after full p…

20 CAR § 835-709. ILRS individualized plan. (a)(1) The counselor must complete a plan for services. (2) The ILRS plan must contain: (A) A specific independent living services goal consistent with informed choice; (B) Criteria for evaluation of progress toward the ILRS goal; (C) S…

20 CAR § 835-710. Reopening a case. (a) A person with a significant disability may reapply for ILR services at any time after thirty (30) days of closure. (b) In such a situation, the counselor must process the case in a manner similar to an individual applying for the first time…

20 CAR § 835-711. Review of ineligibility decision. (a) Review within twelve (12) months and annually thereafter if requested by the individual or, if appropriate, by the individual’s representative any ineligibility determination that is based on a finding that the individual is…

20 CAR § 835-712. Services. Services: (1) Counseling services, including psychological and psychotherapy, and related services; (2) Housing service, including appropriate accommodations to and modifications of any space utilized to serve, or occupied by individuals with significa…

20 CAR § 835-713. Motor vehicle modification policy. (a)(1) Administrative exception must be obtained to provide vehicle modification or van lifts for ILRS cases. (2) For an exception refer to Appendix G. (3) If an administrative exception is granted the following procedures are …

20 CAR § 835-801. Cases closed from Status 00/02 — Closed not rehabilitated before/during evaluation. (a)(1) Arkansas Rehabilitation Services will not close the case record of a referral or applicant prior to making an eligibility determination unless the applicant: (A) Declines …

20 CAR § 835-802. Closed not rehabilitated during/after evaluation (Status 08). (a)(1) An individual’s record of services is closed from application or trial work experience/extended evaluation when the VR eligibility conditions are not met or intervening reasons prevent eligibil…

20 CAR § 835-803. Closed rehabilitated (Status 26). (a) An individual’s record of service will be closed as successfully rehabilitated when the individual has achieved an employment objective consistent with informed choice, substantiality of services has been documented in the c…

20 CAR § 835-804. Closed not rehabilitated (Status 28). (a)(1) Cases closed not rehabilitated in Status 28 can only be closed from Statuses 18 – 24. (2) An individual’s record of services will be closed as not rehabilitated when it is determined that suitable employment cannot be…

20 CAR § 835-805. Closed not rehabilitated (Status 30). (a)(1) Cases closed not rehabilitated in Status 30 can only be closed from Status 10 or 12. (2) An individual’s record of services will be closed as not rehabilitated when it is determined that: (A) The vocational objective …

20 CAR § 835-806. Post-employment (Status 32). (a)(1) Status 32 is used when the need for post-employment services has been identified. (2) Post-employment services may be provided after the individual has been closed as rehabilitated (Status 26) and needs services to maintain em…

20 CAR § 835-807. Closed from post-employment (Status 34). (a)(1) Decisions to terminate post-employment services should be: (A) Made in consultation with the individual; and (B) Documented in the amended IPE. (2) The counselor will work with the individual to achieve a satisfact…

20 CAR § 835-808. Closed from post-employment to be reopened (Status 36). (a) The counselor will close an individual’s case in Status 36 when the counselor determines to reopen the individual’s record of services to provide necessary VR services. (b) Procedures — Closed from post…

20 CAR § 835-809. Closed from service delayed/order of selection (Status 38). (a) This status is used to identify individuals eligible for VR who will not advance to Status 12 and whose names are being removed from the service delayed/order of selection list (Status 04). (b) Proc…

20 CAR § 835-810. Closed from post-employment (Status 39). (a) An individual will be closed from post-employment when the individual cannot maintain employment. (b) Procedures — Closed from post-employment (Status 39). (1) Pay or cancel any outstanding encumbrances. (2) The couns…

20 CAR § 835-901. Caseload management generally. (a) Thereafter, the counselor is accountable for the case management system each time there is a status change. (b) Case status classifications. (1) Referral status: Status 00, referral. (2) Application status: Status 02, applicant…

20 CAR § 835-902. Status 00 — Referral. (a) Status 00 represents an individual who has been referred to VR with minimum information provided to the counselor. (b) The individual has not made a request for services, but the counselor must place the individual in Status 00 if suffi…

20 CAR § 835-903. Status 02 — Applicant. (a)(1) Status 02 represents an individual's entrance into the VR process. (2) When an individual signs a document requesting VR services, the counselor must place the individual into Status 02. (3) At that point, the individual is consider…

20 CAR § 835-904. Status 04 — Service delayed/order of selection. (a) If under the order of selection the counselor moves an applicant into Status 04 when the preliminary assessment justifies writing a Certificate of Eligibility/Ineligibility. (b) However, the individual cannot r…

20 CAR § 835-905. Status 06 — Trial work experience. (a) When the individual’s eligibility for VR services cannot be readily certified, the counselor moves the individual into Status 06. (b) The counselor may provide services to the individual to determine there is clear and conv…

20 CAR § 835-906. Status 08 — Closed from evaluation. Status 08 identifies all individuals not accepted for VR services whether closed from: (1) Referral (Status 00); (2) Applicant (Status 02); or (3) Trial work experience.…

20 CAR § 835-907. Status 10 — Certification of eligibility/ineligibility. The counselor moves an applicant into Status 10 when the preliminary assessment justifies writing a Certificate of Eligibility/Ineligibility.

20 CAR § 835-908. Status 12 — Individualized plan for employment. After the counselor completes the comprehensive assessment and the counselor and individual or representative agree on an IPE, the individual is moved into Status 12.

20 CAR § 835-909. Status 18 — Receiving service status. (a) Status 18 is used when the individual begins receiving services. (b) Counseling and guidance. (1) The counselor moves an individual into Status 18 after completing an IPE, which outlines counseling and guidance services …

20 CAR § 835-910. Status 20 — Ready for employment. Status 20 is used when VR services have prepared the individual for gainful employment and the individual: (1) Is ready to begin placement activities; or (2) Has been placed but has not yet begun employment.…

20 CAR § 835-911. Status 22 — Employed. (a) Status 22 is used when the individual begins employment. (b) To ensure adequacy of employment in accordance with the individual’s unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interest, and informed choice,…

20 CAR § 835-912. Status 24 — Services interrupted. (a) Status 24 is used when VR services are interrupted while in Status 18, 20, or 22. (b) The individual will remain in Status 24 until: (1) The individual is able to return to one (1) of the above-mentioned statuses; or (2) The…

20 CAR § 835-913. Status 26 — Closed rehabilitated. (a) Status 26 is used when the individual has: (1) Achieved a suitable employment outcome described in the individual’s IPE; and (2) Been maintained for a minimum of ninety (90) days in Status 22. (b) An individual will not be c…

20 CAR § 835-914. Status 28 — Closed not rehabilitated after IPE initiated. Status 28 is used to close an individual’s case from Statuses 18 through 24 when it has been determined the individual does not meet the criteria for Status 26 closure.

20 CAR § 835-915. Status 30 — Closed not rehabilitated before IPE initiated. Status 30 is used to close a case from either Status 10 or 12.

20 CAR § 835-916. Status 32 — Post-employment service. (a)(1) Status 32 is used when the need for post-employment services has been identified and planned to maintain the individual in employment. (2) The purpose of this status is to avoid the necessity of reopening a case in ord…