Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 32 - Rehabilitation And Disabilities › Part 21 - Vocational Rehabilitation Policy and Resource Guide › Chapter 1 - Mission and Assurances › Section 32-21-1-1.1 - General Policies › Section 32-21-1-1.1.3 - Timely Processing of Referrals, Applications and Services

Current through June 25, 2024
The staff of MDRS shall process referrals and applications, determine eligibility or ineligibility for services, and provide services in a timely prompt and appropriate equitable manner. Vocational Rehabilitation staff should contact referred individuals within 14 days by telephone, letter, or personal visit. Good faith effort to inform individuals of application requirements, including the requirement that individuals who receive services under the program must intend to achieve an employment outcome, shall be made and a specific time and place to meet should be scheduled. Application forms are available statewide, including at One-Stop Centers established under Section 121 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Evaluation and services are to be provided in the most integrated setting possible, consistent with the individual's needs and informed choice, without undue delay.
For purposes of determining eligibility within the 60 day federal requirement, an individual is considered to have submitted an application when the individual or their representative, as appropriate, (a) has completed and signed an agency application form or common intake form at a one-stop center or other outside source or has otherwise requested services from MDRS, (b) has provided to MDRS information necessary to initiate an assessment to determine eligibility and priority for services, and (c) is available to complete the application process.
The individual with disabilities shall be determined to be eligible or ineligible within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed 60 days after the individual has submitted an application to receive services unless:
1. the Agency notifies the
				  individual that exceptional and unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of
				  the Agency preclude the Agency from completing the determination within the
				  prescribed time and the individual agrees that a specific extension of time is
				  warranted; or,
2. unless the
				  individual and the Agency agree to Trial Work Experiences.
As outlined in the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998,
					 to the maximum extent appropriate and consistent with the requirements under
					 the Act, existing information available From other programs, particularly
					 information used by educational officials and the Social Security
					 Administration, and information provided by the individual with a disability or
					 the individual's family, will be used in determining eligibility for vocational
					 rehabilitation services, identifying rehabilitation needs, and developing
					 Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) goals, and services.
The Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 established
					 presumptive eligibility for disabled individuals who are recipients of
					 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or beneficiaries of Social Security
					 Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments and who intend to achieve a specific
					 employment outcome, (
Section 102(a)(3)
of the
1998
					 Rehabilitation Act Amendments
) unless the Agency can prove by clear
					 and convincing evidence
documented in the case file
that the
					 applicant could not benefit from vocational rehabilitation services due to the
					 severity of his or her disability.