Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 10 - Education and Culture › 306 - Vocational Rehabilitation Services › Section 10-306-2a - Definitions

Current through July 10, 2024
(a) The definitions provided by Sections
			 10-294a
			 and
			 10-306
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes shall govern the interpretation and
			 application of these regulations.
(b) In addition hereto and except as
			 otherwise required by context, the following definitions shall apply.
(1) "Act" refers to the Rehabilitation Act of
			 1973, as amended (
			 29 USC Section
			 701 et seq).
(2) "Administrative Review" means an informal
			 review process which may be used if it is likely to result in a timely
			 resolution of disagreements in which the applicant or client is dissatisfied
			 with the action or inaction in the provision or denial of vocational
			 rehabilitation services.
(3)
			 "Agency" refers to the State of Connecticut Board of Education and Services for
			 the Blind.
(4) "Applicant" refers
			 to a person who has applied for vocational rehabilitation services from the
			 Board of Education and Services for the Blind in accordance with Section
			 10-306-3a(b)(1)
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(5) "Appropriate Modes of Communication"
			 means specialized aids and supports that enable an individual with a disability
			 to comprehend and respond to information that is being communicated.
			 Appropriate modes of communication include, but are not limited to, the use of
			 interpreters, open and closed captioned videos, specialized telecommunications
			 services and audio recordings, braille and large print materials, materials in
			 electronic formats, augmentative communication devices, graphic presentations,
			 and simple language materials.
(6)
			 "Assessment for Determining Eligibility and Priority for Services" refers to
			 the initial examinations to determine whether an individual is eligible for
			 vocational rehabilitation services or is eligible for extended evaluation
			 services to determine eligibility, and the individual's priority under an order
			 of selection.
(7) "Assistive
			 Technology Device" means any item, piece of equipment, or product system,
			 whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is
			 used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of an
			 individual with a visual disability of legal blindness as specified in Section
			 10-294a
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(8) "Assistive Technology Service" means any
			 service that directly assists an individual with a disability of legal
			 blindness in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology
			 device.
(9) "Attendant" refers to a
			 person who attends to an individual for purposes of assisting the individual
			 with personal care.
(10)
			 "Blindness." The definition provided by Section
			 10-294a
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes shall apply.
(11) "Board of Directors" means a body of
			 individuals, appointed by the governor, which adopts regulations for
			 determining what persons shall receive benefits under the provisions of Chapter
			 174 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(12) "Case Closure" refers to the formal
			 conclusion of active participation by an individual in vocational
			 rehabilitation services.
(13)
			 "Clear and Convincing Evidence" means that the agency has a high degree of
			 certainty before it can conclude that an individual is incapable of being
			 employed as a result of vocational rehabilitation services.
(14) "Client" refers to a person who is
			 receiving vocational rehabilitation services from the Vocational Rehabilitation
			 Services Division or who has been determined to be eligible for such
			 services.
(15) "Client Assistance
			 Program." A client assistance program (CAP) was established by the
			 Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1984. Persons eligible for client assistance
			 program advocacy assistance are those who are receiving or seeking services
			 under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. CAP is free of charge and
			 available to all persons applying for or receiving vocational rehabilitation
			 services.
(16) "Community
			 Rehabilitation Program" means:
(A) a program
			 that provides directly or facilitates the provision of one or more of the
			 following vocational rehabilitation services to persons who are legally blind
			 to enable those individuals to maximize their opportunities for employment,
			 including career advancement:
(i) Medical,
			 psychiatric, psychological, social, and vocational services that are provided
			 under one management.
(ii) Testing,
			 fitting, or training in the use of prosthetic and orthotic devices.
(iii) Recreational therapy.
(iv) Physical and occupational
			 therapy.
(v) Speech, language, and
			 hearing therapy.
(vi) Psychiatric,
			 psychological, and social services, including positive behavior
			 management.
(vii) Assessment for
			 determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs.
(viii) Rehabilitation technology.
(ix) Job development, placement, and
			 retention services.
(x) Evaluation
			 or control of specific disabilities.
(xi) Orientation and mobility services for
			 individuals who are legally blind.
(xii) Extended employment.
(xiii) Psychosocial rehabilitation
			 services.
(xiv) Supported
			 employment services and extended services.
(xv) Services to family members if necessary
			 to enable the applicant or eligible individual to achieve an employment
			 outcome.
(xvi) Personal assistance
			 services.
(xvii) Services similar
			 to the services described in subclauses (i) through (xvi) of subparagraph (A)
			 of subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(B) For the purposes of this definition, the
			 word "program" means an agency, organization, or institution, or unit of an
			 agency, organization, or institution, that provides directly or facilitates the
			 provision of vocational rehabilitation services as one of its major
			 functions.
(17)
			 "Comparable Services and Benefits" means services and benefits that are:
(A) provided or paid for, in whole or in
			 part, by other federal, state, or local public agencies, by health insurance,
			 or by employee benefits;
(B)
			 available to the individual at the time needed to achieve the intermediate
			 rehabilitation objectives in the individual's individualized written
			 rehabilitation program (IWRP) in accordance with Section
			 10-306-14a
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies; and
(C) commensurate to the services that the
			 individual would otherwise receive from the Vocational Rehabilitation Services
			 Division.
(18)
			 "Competitive Employment" means work:
(A) in
			 the competitive labor market that is performed on a full-time or part-time
			 basis in an integrated setting; and
(B) for which an individual is compensated at
			 or above the minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of
			 benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work in the local
			 community performed by individuals who are not legally blind.
(19) "Comprehensive Assessment"
			 means an analysis, when necessary, of information concerning the unique
			 strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests,
			 and needs, including the need for supported employment services, of an eligible
			 individual, in the most integrated setting possible, consistent with the
			 informed choice of the individual. The comprehensive assessment shall be
			 limited to information that is necessary to identify the vocational
			 rehabilitation needs of the individual and develop the IWRP.
(20) "Consultant" refers to a physician,
			 psychologist, or other individual retained by the agency to provide counselors
			 with medical, psychiatric, psychological, or other information and
			 recommendations relative to the disabilities of applicants.
(21) "Counseling and Guidance" refers to a
			 service involving the provision of professional advice and guidance to an
			 individual using methods such as collection and analysis of medical, personal,
			 social, and vocational data; aptitude and interest testing; and personal
			 interviews.
(22) "Diagnostic and
			 Evaluative Services" refers to any medical, psychological, social, or
			 vocational procedures that are necessary at any stage of the vocational
			 rehabilitation process for a more thorough understanding of the individual's
			 capacities and limitations.
(23)
			 "Disability" refers to blindness, lessened visual acuity, or either blindness
			 or lessened visual acuity together with other mental or physical impairments,
			 as determined by medical examination or records, which materially limits,
			 contributes to limiting or, if not corrected, shall probably result in limiting
			 an individual's employment activities or vocational functioning.
(24) "Eligible" or "Eligibility" when used in
			 relation to an individual's qualification for vocational rehabilitation
			 services refers to a certification that:
(A)
			 The applicant has a physical or mental impairment, including a determination of
			 legal blindness or lessened visual acuity, as determined by qualified personnel
			 licensed or certified in accordance with state law or regulation.
(B) The applicant's physical or mental
			 impairment constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment for
			 the applicant.
(C) The applicant
			 can benefit in terms of an employment outcome from the provision of vocational
			 rehabilitation services.
(D) The
			 applicant requires vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, enter
			 into, engage in, or retain gainful employment consistent with the applicant's
			 strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and
			 informed choice.
(25)
			 "Eligible Individual" means an applicant for vocational rehabilitation services
			 who meets the eligibility requirements.
(26) "Employment Outcome" means, with respect
			 to an individual, entering or retaining full-time or, if appropriate, part-time
			 competitive employment in the integrated labor market to the greatest extent
			 practicable; supported employment; or any other type of employment that is
			 consistent with an individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
			 abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice.
(27) "Employability" refers to a
			 determination that the provision of vocational rehabilitation services is
			 likely to enable an individual to enter or retain employment, consistent with
			 his strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and
			 informed choice.
(28) "Escort"
			 refers to an individual whose assistance is required to enable a client or
			 applicant to be transported for the purpose of obtaining vocational
			 rehabilitation services. An escort may not serve a purely social
			 function.
(29) "Executive Director"
			 refers to the appointed executive director of the agency.
(30) "Extended Evaluation Services" refers to
			 those vocational rehabilitation services provided to an individual with a
			 severe disability for a period not in excess of eighteen (18) months for the
			 purpose of determining whether such individual can benefit in terms of an
			 employment outcome as a result of the provision of vocational rehabilitation
			 services.
(31) "Extended
			 Employment" means work in a non-integrated or sheltered setting for a public or
			 private non-profit agency or organization that provides compensation in
			 accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and any needed support services to
			 an individual with a disability to enable the individual to continue to train
			 or otherwise prepare for competitive employment, unless the individual through
			 informed choice chooses to remain in extended employment.
(32) "Extended Services," as used in the
			 definition of "Supported Employment", means ongoing support services and other
			 appropriate services that are needed to support and maintain an individual with
			 a most severe disability in supported employment and that are provided by a
			 state agency, a private non-profit organization, employer, or any other
			 appropriate resource, from funds other than funds received under the act, after
			 an individual with a most severe disability has made the transition from
			 support provided by the agency.
(33) "Extreme Medical Risk" means a
			 probability of substantially increasing functional impairment or death if
			 medical services, including mental health services, are not provided
			 expeditiously.
(34) "Fair Hearing"
			 refers to a formal hearing proceeding in which the legal rights, duties, or
			 privileges of clients or applicants are determined.
(35) "Family Member," for purposes of
			 receiving vocational rehabilitation services in accordance with Section
			 10-306-11a
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, means an individual:
(A) who either:
(i) Is a relative or guardian of an applicant
			 or eligible individual; or
(ii)
			 Lives in the same household as an applicant or eligible individual;
(B) who has a substantial interest
			 in the well-being of that individual; and
(C) whose receipt of vocational
			 rehabilitation services is necessary to enable the applicant or eligible
			 individual to achieve an employment outcome.
(36) "Hearing Officer" refers to an impartial
			 person as defined in Section
			 10-306-2a(b)(38)
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies who is identified jointly by
			 the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division and the State Rehabilitation
			 Advisory Council, or by agreement between the Vocational Rehabilitation
			 Services Division Director and the individual or, if appropriate, the
			 individual's representative to conduct fair hearings and recommend
			 decisions.
(37) "His or Him"
			 includes the feminine gender.
(38)
			 "Impartial Hearing Officer":
(A) Impartial
			 hearing officer means an individual who:
(i)
			 is not an employee of a public agency (other than an administrative law judge,
			 hearing examiner, or employee of an institution of higher education);
(ii) is not a member of the agency's State
			 Rehabilitation Advisory Council;
(iii) has not been involved in previous
			 decisions regarding the vocational rehabilitation of the applicant or eligible
			 individual;
(iv) has knowledge of
			 the delivery of vocational rehabilitation services, the state plan, and the
			 federal and state regulations governing the provision of services;
(v) has received training with respect to the
			 performance of official duties; and
(vi) has no personal, professional, or
			 financial interest that would be in conflict with the objectivity of the
			 individual.
(B) An
			 individual shall not be considered to be an employee of a public agency for the
			 purposes of this definition solely because the individual is paid by the agency
			 to serve as a hearing officer.
(39) "Individual Education Plan (IEP)" means
			 a written statement which includes educational goals, instructional objectives,
			 specific educational and transitional services, and provision for an annual
			 progress review for a student with a disability. The IEP is developed by a team
			 which includes a representative of the local educational agency who is
			 qualified to provide or supervise the provision of specially designated
			 instruction to meet the needs of students with disabilities, the teacher, the
			 parents or student's representative, and, whenever appropriate, the
			 student.
(40) "Individual Who Is
			 Blind" means a person who is blind within the meaning of the definition
			 provided by Section
			 10-294a
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(41) "Individual Who Is Visually Impaired"
			 means a person who has lessened visual acuity within the meaning of the
			 definition provided by Section
			 10-294a
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(42) "Individual with a Disability" means an
			 individual
(A) who has a physical or mental
			 impairment;
(B) whose impairment
			 constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment; and
(C) who can benefit in terms of an employment
			 outcome from the provision of vocational rehabilitation services.
(43) "Individual with a Most
			 Severe Disability" means an individual with a severe disability who meets the
			 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division's criteria for an individual with a
			 most severe disability as determined by the Vocational Rehabilitation Services
			 Division Director after consideration of recommendations from the Executive
			 Director, the State Rehabilitation Advisory Council and the Board of
			 Directors.
(44) "Individual with a
			 Severe Disability" means an individual with a disability:
(A) who has a severe physical or mental
			 impairment that seriously limits one or more functional capacities (such as
			 mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work
			 tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome;
(B) whose vocational rehabilitation can be
			 expected to require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an
			 extended period of time; and
(C)
			 who has one or more physical or mental disabilities or combination of
			 disabilities determined on the basis of an assessment for determining
			 eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs to cause comparable substantial
			 functional limitation.
(45) "Individual's Representative" means any
			 representative chosen by an applicant or eligible individual, including a
			 parent, guardian, other family member, or advocate, unless a representative has
			 been appointed by a court to represent the individual, in which case the
			 court-appointed representative is the individual's representative.
(46) "Individualized Written Rehabilitation
			 Program (IWRP)", "Individualized plan for employment (IPE)" or "Rehabilitation
			 Plan" refers to a plan developed jointly by the appropriate agency staff and
			 the client or, as appropriate, the client's representative, for each eligible
			 individual and as necessary, for individuals being provided services under an
			 extended evaluation to determine vocational rehabilitation potential, which
			 includes, but is not limited to, a definition of a client's long-term
			 vocational goal, specific and measurable intermediate objectives related to the
			 achievement of that goal, an outline of the responsibilities of the client and
			 the agency, and a description of the vocational rehabilitation services which
			 shall be provided, vendors to be used, estimated costs, projected time frames,
			 and the process to be followed in order to achieve that goal.
(47) "Informed Choice" means choosing among
			 options of vocational goals and objectives, choices of services and service
			 providers, and jobs based upon an understanding of such options.
(48) "Institution of Higher Education" refers
			 to a university, college, junior college, community college, vocational school,
			 technical institute, or hospital school of nursing.
(49) "Integrated Setting",
(A) with respect to the provision of
			 services, means a setting typically found in the community in which applicants
			 or eligible individuals interact with non-disabled individuals other than
			 non-disabled individuals who are providing services to those applicants or
			 eligible individuals;
(B) with
			 respect to an employment outcome, means an employment outcome in which
			 applicants or eligible individuals interact with non-disabled individuals other
			 than non-disabled individuals who are providing services to those applicants or
			 eligible individuals, to the same extent that non-disabled individuals in
			 comparable positions interact with other persons.
(50) "Intercurrent Illness" refers to an
			 acute medical condition which occurs in the midst of the vocational
			 rehabilitation process and which is unrelated to the individual's original
			 impairment. An example would be illness resulting from an accident while the
			 individual is participating in vocational rehabilitation services.
(51) "Lessened Visual Acuity" means acuity
			 greater than 20/200, but less than 20/70, best correction in the better
			 eye.
(52) "Maintenance" means
			 monetary support provided to an eligible individual or an individual receiving
			 extended evaluation services for those expenses, such as food, shelter, and
			 clothing, that are in excess of the normal living expenses of the individual
			 and that are necessitated by the individual's participation in a program of
			 vocational rehabilitation services.
(53) "Occupational License" refers to any
			 license, permit or other written authority required by a state, city, or other
			 governmental unit to be obtained in order to enter an occupation or enter a
			 small business.
(54) "Occupational
			 Objective or Goal" (See Vocational Goal or Vocational Objective).
(55) "Ongoing Support Services," as used in
			 the definition of "Supported Employment" means services that are:
(A) needed to support and maintain an
			 individual with a most severe disability in supported employment;
(B) identified based on a determination by
			 the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division of the individual's needs as
			 specified in an individualized written rehabilitation program; and
(C) furnished by the Vocational
			 Rehabilitation Services Division from the time of job placement until
			 transition to extended services, unless post-employment services are provided
			 following transition, and thereafter by one or more extended services providers
			 throughout the individual's term of employment in a particular job placement or
			 multiple placements if those placements are being provided under a program of
			 transitional employment.
(56) "Order of Selection" means that in the
			 event that vocational rehabilitation services cannot be provided to all
			 eligible individuals who apply for such services, the Vocational Rehabilitation
			 Services Division shall establish an order to be followed for selecting
			 eligible individuals to whom vocational rehabilitation services shall be
			 provided. This order shall be determined by the Vocational Rehabilitation
			 Services Division Director in consultation with the Executive Director, the
			 State Rehabilitation Advisory Council and the Board of Directors. It shall be
			 based on severity of disability. Persons with the most severe disabilities
			 shall receive the highest priority for services.
(57) "Personal Adjustment Training" refers to
			 any training given for one, or a combination, of the following reasons:
(A) to assist an individual to acquire
			 personal habits, attitudes, and skills which shall enable the individual to
			 function effectively in spite of a disability;
(B) to develop or increase work tolerance
			 prior to engaging in pre-vocational or vocational training or in
			 employment;
(C) to develop work
			 habits and to orient the individual to employment; or
(D) to develop skills or techniques for the
			 specific purpose of enabling the individual to compensate for the loss of a
			 member of the body or the loss of a sensory function.
(58) "Personal Assistance Services" means a
			 range of services provided by one or more persons designed to assist an
			 individual with a disability to perform daily living activities on or off the
			 job that the individual would typically perform without assistance if the
			 individual did not have a disability. The services shall be designed to
			 increase the individual's control in life and ability to perform everyday
			 activities on or off the job. The services shall be necessary to the
			 achievement of an employment outcome and may be provided only while the
			 individual is receiving other vocational rehabilitation services. The services
			 may include training in managing, supervising, and directing personal
			 assistance services.
(59) "Physical
			 and Mental Restoration Services" means, with respect to the provision of
			 services covered within the Individualized Written Rehabilitation Program:
(A) corrective surgery or therapeutic
			 treatment that is likely, within a reasonable period of time, to correct or
			 modify substantially a stable or slowly progressive physical or mental
			 impairment that constitutes a substantial impediment to employment;
(B) diagnosis of and treatment for mental or
			 emotional disorders by qualified personnel in accordance with State licensure
			 laws;
(C) dentistry;
(D) nursing services;
(E) necessary hospitalization (either
			 inpatient or outpatient care) in connection with surgery or treatment and
			 clinic services;
(F) drugs and
			 supplies;
(G) prosthetic, orthotic,
			 or other assistive devices, including hearing aids;
(H) eyeglasses and visual services, including
			 visual training, and the examination and services necessary for the
			 prescription and provision of eyeglasses, contact lenses, microscopic lenses,
			 telescopic lenses, and other special visual aids prescribed by personnel that
			 are qualified in accordance with State licensure laws;
(I) podiatry;
(J) physical therapy;
(K) occupational therapy;
(L) speech or hearing therapy;
(M) mental health services;
(N) treatment of either acute or chronic
			 medical complications and emergencies that are associated with or arise out of
			 the provision of physical and mental restoration services, or that are inherent
			 in the condition under treatment;
(O) special services for the treatment of
			 individuals with end-stage renal disease, including transplantation, dialysis,
			 artificial kidneys, and supplies; and
(P) other medical or medically-related
			 rehabilitation services.
(60) "Physical or Mental Impairment" means an
			 injury, disease, or other condition that materially limits, or if not treated
			 is expected to materially limit, mental or physical functioning.
(61) "Post-employment Services" means one or
			 more of the services identified in Section
			 10-306-11a
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies that are provided subsequent
			 to the achievement of an employment outcome and that are necessary for an
			 individual to maintain, regain, or advance in employment, consistent with the
			 individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities,
			 capabilities, and interests. These services are available to meet vocational
			 rehabilitation needs that do not require a complex and comprehensive provision
			 of services and should be limited in scope and duration. Post-employment
			 services are not intended to advance clients into new careers if the client has
			 already achieved an employment outcome that is consistent with his individual
			 strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and
			 interests. Post-employment services are not intended to replace the process of
			 determining eligibility if new circumstances arise which require comprehensive
			 coordination of services in order to obtain or retain employment.
(62) "PreVocational Training" refers to
			 instruction which is necessary to prepare an individual to effectively
			 participate in vocational training.
(63) "Psychiatrist" refers to a physician who
			 is licensed to practice medicine and has applied for and been accepted to take
			 a qualifying examination administered by the American Board of
			 Psychiatry.
(64) "Record of
			 Services" refers to an organized file of the documentation and records relating
			 to the vocational rehabilitation of an individual in accordance with Section
			 10-306-10a of
			 the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(65) "Rehabilitated Client" refers to an
			 individual who is determined to have achieved an employment outcome by meeting
			 the requirements in Section
			 10-306-16a
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(66) "Rehabilitation Counselor" refers to the
			 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division employee who is responsible for
			 obtaining, analyzing, and evaluating pertinent applicant and client
			 information; determining an individual's eligibility for vocational
			 rehabilitation services; assisting individual clients assigned to him in the
			 development and implementation of Individualized Vocational Rehabilitation
			 Programs (IWRP); providing counseling, guidance, and placement services; and
			 recommending case closure where appropriate.
(67) "Rehabilitation Counselor Determination"
			 means decisions by a rehabilitation counselor concerning furnishing or denial
			 of vocational rehabilitation services.
(68) "Rehabilitation Potential" or
			 "Vocational Rehabilitation Potential" means the probability that the individual
			 may be expected to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of
			 achieving an employment outcome.
(69) "Rehabilitation Technology" means the
			 systematic application of technologies, engineering methodologies, or
			 scientific principles to meet the needs of, and address the barriers confronted
			 by, individuals with disabilities in areas that include education,
			 rehabilitation, employment, transportation, independent living, and recreation.
			 The term includes rehabilitation engineering, assistive technology devices, and
			 assistive technology services.
(70)
			 "Review Officer" refers to a person designated by the director of the
			 Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division to conduct informal administrative
			 reviews in an effort to achieve timely resolution of disagreements.
(71) "Sheltered Workshop" refers to a
			 community rehabilitation program, or the part of a community rehabilitation
			 program, engaged in a production or service operation and which is operated for
			 the primary purpose of providing gainful employment or professional services to
			 individuals with disabilities as an interim or final step in the vocational
			 rehabilitation process for those individuals during such times as employment
			 opportunities for them in the competitive labor market do not exist, or for
			 those individuals who choose to work in such settings.
(72) "State Agency" or "Designated State
			 Agency" means the sole state agency designated to administer the state plan and
			 refers to the State of Connecticut Board of Education and Services for the
			 Blind.
(73) "State Plan for
			 Vocational Rehabilitation Services" or "State Plan" means a plan that contains
			 a description of the agency's vocational rehabilitation services program and
			 the plans and policies to be followed in carrying out the program.
(74) "State Rehabilitation Advisory Council"
			 means a body of individuals, appointed by the governor, which provides
			 recommendations to the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division Director
			 concerning the provision of vocational rehabilitation services in the
			 state.
(75) "State Unit" or
			 "Designated State Unit" means the agency's Vocational Rehabilitation Services
			 Division which is primarily concerned with vocational rehabilitation of
			 individuals with disabilities and is responsible for the administration of the
			 vocational rehabilitation program of the state agency as described in the state
			 plan and required by Section
			 10-306
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(76) "Substantial Impediment to Employment"
			 means that a physical or mental impairment (in light of attendant medical,
			 psychological, vocational, educational, and other related factors) hinders an
			 individual from preparing for, entering into, engaging in, or retaining
			 employment consistent with the individual's abilities and
			 capabilities.
(77) "Supported
			 Employment" means:
(A) competitive employment
			 in an integrated setting with ongoing support services for individuals with the
			 most severe disabilities:
(i) for whom
			 competitive employment has not traditionally occurred or for whom competitive
			 employment has been interrupted or intermittent as a result of a severe
			 disability; and
(ii) who, because
			 of the nature and severity of their disabilities, need intensive supported
			 employment services from the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division and
			 extended services after transition in order to perform this work; or
(B) transitional employment for
			 individuals with the most severe disabilities due to mental illness.
(78) "Supported Employment
			 Services" means ongoing support services and other appropriate services needed
			 to support and maintain an individual with a most severe disability in
			 supported employment that are provided by the Vocational Rehabilitation
			 Services Division:
(A) for a period of time
			 not to exceed 18 months, unless under special circumstances the eligible
			 individual and the rehabilitation counselor or coordinator jointly agree to
			 extend the time in order to achieve the rehabilitation objectives identified in
			 the individualized written rehabilitation program; and
(B) following transition, as post-employment
			 services that are unavailable from an extended-services provider and that are
			 necessary to maintain or regain the job placement or advance in
			 employment.
(79)
			 "Supportive Vocational Rehabilitation Service" refers to a vocational
			 rehabilitation service which may only be provided when necessary to derive the
			 full benefit of other vocational rehabilitation services provided, and which is
			 provided to help insure that the client reaches the vocational goal.
			 Transportation, maintenance, and attendant care services are examples of
			 supportive vocational rehabilitation services.
(80) "Telecommunications" refers to any
			 transmission, emission, or reception of signs, signals, written images, and
			 sounds of intelligence of any nature by wire, radio, visual, or other
			 electromagnetic systems including any intervening processing and
			 storage.
(81) "Transition Services"
			 means a coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an
			 outcome-oriented process that promotes movement from school to post-school
			 activities, including post-secondary education, vocational training, integrated
			 employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education,
			 adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated
			 set of activities shall be based upon the individual student's needs, taking
			 into account the student's preferences and interests, and shall include
			 instruction, community experiences, the development of employment and other
			 post-school adult living objectives, and if appropriate, acquisition of daily
			 living skills and functional vocational evaluation. Transition services shall
			 promote or facilitate the accomplishment of long-term rehabilitation goals and
			 intermediate rehabilitation objectives identified in the student's
			 individualized written rehabilitation program (IWRP).
(82) "Transitional Employment," as used in
			 the definition of "Supported employment," means a series of temporary job
			 placements in competitive work in integrated settings with ongoing support
			 services for individuals with the most severe disabilities due to mental
			 illness. In transitional employment, the provision of ongoing support services
			 shall include continuing sequential job placements until job permanency is
			 achieved.
(83) "Transitioning
			 Student" means a student who is an eligible individual and who is receiving
			 transition services as defined in subsection (b)(81) of this section.
(84) "Transportation" means travel and
			 related expenses that are necessary to enable an applicant or eligible
			 individual to participate in any vocational rehabilitation service.
(85) "Visual Services" include visual
			 training and the examination and services necessary for the prescription and
			 provision of eyeglasses, contact lenses, microscopic lenses, telescopic lenses,
			 and other special visual aids, as prescribed by a physician skilled in diseases
			 of the eye or by an optometrist, whichever the individual may select.
(86) "Vocational Goal" or "Vocational
			 Objective" refers to the employment objective established by a client and his
			 counselor to enter or retain full-time or, if appropriate, part-time
			 competitive employment in the integrated labor market to the greatest extent
			 practicable; supported employment; or any other type of employment that is
			 consistent with an individual's strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
			 abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. The terms "employment
			 objective" and "occupational objective" are used synonymously.
(87) "Vocational Rehabilitation Services
			 Division" means the designated state unit of the agency that is primarily
			 concerned with vocational rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities,
			 consistent with the requirements of the state plan and Section
			 10-306
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(88) " Vocational Rehabilitation Services
			 Division Director" means the individual who, under the direction and
			 supervision of the executive director, is responsible for the administration of
			 the vocational rehabilitation program of the agency.
(89) "Vocational Rehabilitation Services," if
			 provided to an individual, means those services described in Section
			 10-306-11a
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.