NY Educ L § 1004-B (2021)
2021 New York Laws EDN - Education Title 1 - General Provisions Article 21 - Vocational Rehabilitation 1004-B - Integrated Employment Opportunities for Individuals With Severe Disabilities.

§ 1004-b. Integrated  employment  opportunities  for  individuals with severe disabilities. 1. The department shall have the responsibility  to stimulate  the development of programs intended to furnish opportunities for integrated  employment  including  but  not  limited  to,  supported employment  and  paid  competitive  work,  to  individuals  with  severe disabilities, and to coordinate  with  state  agencies  responsible  for furnishing  necessary  services  to individuals with severe disabilities related to such opportunities.   2.  State  integrated   employment   implementation   plan.   a.   The commissioner,  in  consultation  with  and  with  the  agreement  of the commissioners of mental health, the office for people with developmental disabilities and social services shall develop a state interagency  plan for  the  implementation  of  integrated  employment  opportunities  for individuals with severe disabilities,  including  supported  employment. Such  plan shall be designed so as to ensure that the state's integrated employment efforts, including  the  supported  employment  program,  are planned,  developed  and  implemented  comprehensively,  with  roles and responsibilities of the  respective  agencies  well-defined.  Such  plan shall   reflect   the   department's   primary  responsibility  for  the development of integrated employment opportunities for individuals  with severe   disabilities,  including  short-term  and  intensive  supported employment services, as well as appropriate  responsibilities  for  long term  extended  support  services.  Such plan shall specify the role and responsibilities of each such agency in assuring that:  (i) services are provided fully and equitably;  (ii) an array of services is established  and  appropriate  procedures are developed to allow persons with severe disabilities timely access to appropriate support services;  (iii)   compatible  definitions,  program  evaluation  and  accounting standards and reporting documents are implemented;  (iv)  services  and  eligibility  requirements  are   integrated   and coordinated  between agencies, including the manner in which appropriate responsibilities for funding and administering both short-term intensive and long-term extended support services for supported employment are  to be implemented;  (v)  funding  sources  are clearly defined and amounts are adequate to support persons with short-term intensive and long-term extended support needs;  (vi) all necessary steps are taken to maximize the  success  and  cost effectiveness  of  such  programs and the potential of persons served by such programs;  (vii) continuity of support services is  not  broken  for  individuals placed  in  an integrated employment setting in the event such placement is interrupted; and  (viii) eligibility standards are consistent regarding the placement of individuals in integrated work settings, including supported  employment and other competitive work placements.   b.  In  addition, the plan shall address the manner in which continued support for current  programs  will  be  maintained;  and  establishment grants  will  be  provided. Such establishment grants shall include, but not be limited to, special  projects  which  enhance  the  provision  of supported  employment  and new integrated employment program initiatives which would target individuals who have  severe  disabilities  who  have aged-out  or  have otherwise exited the school system. In addition, such grants may be used to provide additional resources to existing  programs for  the  purposes  of increasing the numbers of persons served who have been  determined  by  the  commissioner  to  have   been   unserved   or  underserved.  Such  grants  may  also be used for new programs for these populations.   c.  The  commissioner,  in  consultation with the commissioners of the office of mental  health,  the  office  for  people  with  developmental disabilities  and  the  department  of social services, shall develop an audit protocol to verify the actual costs of providing such programs.   3. Reporting. a.  It  shall  be  the  primary  responsibility  of  the commissioner  to provide annual reports on the progress of achieving the components of the implementation plan as contained in subdivision two of this section. In addition, such reports shall include:  (i) a current description of  individuals  served,  and  services  and technical assistance provided;  (ii)   employment   status  of  persons  transitioned  from  sheltered workshops, special education programs, day treatment  centers,  and  day services   programs   into  integrated  employment  programs,  including supported employment programs and other competitive work placements;  (iii) incidence of persons in reverse  transition  between  integrated employment  programs,  including  supported employment programs and paid competitive work, and sheltered workshops, day  treatment  programs  and day services programs; and  (iv)  number  of  persons  for  whom  employment in an integrated work setting has been requested and who are waiting for placement.   The commissioners of the office  of  mental  health,  the  office  for people  with  developmental  disabilities,  and the department of social services  shall  provide  any  information  required   to   assist   the commissioner in making such report.   b.  The  implementation plan shall be transmitted to the state's board of regents, the governor, the temporary president  of  the  senate,  the speaker  of  the  assembly  and  the  senate  committee  on finance, the assembly committee on ways and means, the senate committee on  education and  the  assembly  committee  on  education on or before October first, nineteen hundred ninety-three  with  a  report  on  the  status  of  the implementation  plan  transmitted  on  or  before  October first of each succeeding year.