Technical Specifications Appendix

• Wage Documentation Requirements
• Preferred Outcome Payments
• Rapid Hire Incentive
• Support Delivery Methods

Wage Documentation Requirements for Statewide Service Providers

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) requires the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to collect wage verification and start date documentation from consumers and/or employers. As a part of service delivery, Service Providers assist DVR in obtaining this documentation.

Wage Documentation is required before receiving the final payment for Retention or Transition to Long-Term Support (LTS). Documentation must verify both the consumer's start date and hourly wage at hire as a form of employer verification.

Wage Documentation is required for the following service categories:

• Customized Employment
• Individual Placement and Support (IPS)
• Job Preparation, Development, Hire, and Retention
• Student Work-Based Learning
• Supported Employment

Best Practice: Obtain wage documentation as soon as possible after employment begins to avoid delays at final payment.

Documentation Expectations:

• Service Providers must obtain the consumer's permission before collecting wage documentation.
• Documentation can be obtained from either the consumer or the employer.
• Providers may use their own form if it includes all required information, or they may use the DVR Wage Documentation Sample Form (optional).

Acceptable Forms of Wage Documentation:

Documentation can take multiple forms (pay stub, offer letter, employer letter, or email from employer), but it must verify all the following:

• Consumer start date
• Hourly wage

When documentation is obtained directly from an employer (e.g., letter, fax, or email), it must also include:

• Employer/business name, and
  • For letters or faxes: Signature of the employer, including their job title.
  • For emails: Information indicating the email is directly from the employer (e.g., signature line that includes employer name and job title).

Notes:

• Start date and wage information may come from separate documents; they do not need to be in a single document (e.g., pay stub for wage, employer letter for start date), if all required elements are verified collectively.
• Email documentation is acceptable if it clearly originates from the employer and includes the required elements.
• Documentation that does not verify the required elements may delay or result in denial of final Retention or Transition to LTS payment. Rare exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to approval by the local WDA Director in consultation with Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) management.

Questions about wage documentation should be directed to the DVR case facilitator.

Preferred Outcome Payments

Customized Employment Job Development Hire Preferred Outcome (Code 048)

Individualized Placement and Supports (IPS) Job Development Hire Preferred Outcome (Code 049)

Supported Employment Job Development Hire Preferred Outcome (Code 051)

• $2,200 Preferred Outcome
  • Must have 35+ hours per week and health insurance benefits, or 35+ hours per week at $16.00/hour minimum.
• $2,000 Preferred Outcome
  • Must have 20+ hours per week and health insurance benefits, or 20+ hours per week at $12.00/hour minimum.

Notes:

• Hire offers for less than 15 hours/week require DVR approval in advance.
• Hire Preferred Outcome eligibility is determined based on the consumer's hours per week, wage, and benefits status at the time of hire, as documented in the Hire Report and supporting information.

Job Development Retention Preferred Outcome (Code 024)

• $2,200 Preferred Outcome
  • Must have 35+ hours per week and employer provided health insurance benefits, or 35+ hours per week at $16.00/hour minimum.

Notes:

• Job Development Retention Preferred Outcome eligibility is determined based on the consumer's hours per week, wage, and benefits status at the time the final Retention payment is earned, following successful completion of the Retention period.
• The position must meet the Preferred Outcome criteria at that point in time, reflecting sustained and ongoing employment.
• Fluctuations in hours or benefits that occur earlier in the Retention period do not automatically disqualify the Preferred Outcome, provided the job meets the criteria at the conclusion of Retention.
• If significant changes occur that may affect Preferred Outcome eligibility, the Service Provider should communicate with DVR as soon as possible.

Rapid Hire Incentive

Job Development Hire (Code 024)

• $1,900 Rapid Hire

A Service Provider is eligible for a Rapid Hire payment if all the following are true:

1. JD Plan Approval: The Job Preparation and Development Plan (JD Plan) is completed, reviewed, and approved by DVR within 45 calendar days of the original JD Plan purchase order (PO). Approval occurs at the required JD Plan review meeting as documented. The approved JD Plan must then be uploaded to the consumer's case file.
2. Hire Timing: The consumer is hired within 90 calendar days of the Job Development Hire PO date or the JD Plan approval date, whichever is later.
3. Hire Report: The Hire Report is submitted by the Service Provider and approved by DVR.

Early Hire Provision: If the consumer is hired within 45 calendar days of the JD Plan PO and prior to JD Plan completion or approval, the Service Provider remains eligible for the Rapid Hire payment, provided all other Rapid Hire requirements are met.

Additional Clarifications:

• Placement of a consumer on a Service Provider's waitlist does not extend Rapid Hire timelines. Service Providers with a waitlist must still meet all Rapid Hire requirements above, including JD Plan approval within 45 calendar days of the PO (unless qualifying under the Early Hire Provision), hire within 90 days, and submission/approval of the Hire Report.
• Hire offers for less than 15 hours/week require DVR approval in advance.

Timeframe Calculation: For the purposes of calculating the 45-day and 90-day timeframes, consecutive calendar days are used. The date of the triggering event (e.g., JD Plan PO date, JD Plan approval date, JD Hire PO date) is considered Day 1. An action occurring on the 45th or 90th calendar day satisfies the timeframe requirement.

Support Delivery Methods

This section describes how and where employment supports may be delivered, including distinctions between remote, off-site, and traditional on-site supports, as well as how to address other support needs.

Remote Supports (for Systematic Instruction)

• Consumer is on site at the job; Service Provider delivers instruction remotely.
• Remote supports may be used in pre-approved circumstances as a supplement to in-person Systematic Instruction (SI) when the consumer is physically present at the worksite, but in-person supports are not feasible or appropriate.
• Use of remote supports must be approved by DVR in advance and are intended to support continued skill development while maintaining the instructional intent of SI.
• Providers may only bill for remote SI when it has been approved by DVR and is consistent with the authorized service and documented plan.
• Remote supports involve technology-assisted instruction or coaching provided by the Service Provider off site (e.g., phone or video-based support) to address identified job tasks or instructional goals.
• Examples of situations when remote supports may be considered include, but are not limited to:
  • Geographic or travel barriers (e.g., rural locations, excessive travel time).
  • Situations where the consumer requires brief, targeted instructional support while at the worksite (e.g., support at the start and end of shift) and in-person delivery would be disproportionately burdensome.
• When approved, remote supports must be clearly tied to tasks and goals in the Job and Task Analysis (JTA), be time-limited and reviewed regularly, and be documented in the SI Report, including the reason for remote delivery and how instructional progress was supported.
• Remote supports are not appropriate when:
  • The consumer requires hands-on instruction to learn or perform job tasks.
  • The use of technology is not feasible, is not permitted by the employer or the job duties, or the consumer's access to technology is otherwise not appropriate.
  • Remote delivery would reduce the effectiveness of instruction or compromise job performance.
• Billing for remote SI must reflect only actual time spent providing instruction. Brief contacts (e.g., short phone calls or text-based support) may be considered SI when instructional in nature; however, time must be reported accurately and may not be rounded up to meet minimum billing increments (i.e., cannot be billed in quarter-hour increments).
• DVR cannot provide devices for the purposes of remote supports; providers must consider existing technology accessible to both the consumer and the provider.

Off-site Supports (for Systematic Instruction)

• Consumer is not physically present at the worksite. Supports are delivered from a community-based or non-worksite setting as part of Systematic Instruction (SI) and may include a range of modalities (e.g., in-person community-based instruction, phone, video, or other communication methods such as email), depending on the consumer's needs and service plan.
• Off-site supports may be necessary due to employer restrictions, consumer preferences, or other disability-related or work environment considerations. They are not a substitute for on-site instruction when on-site supports are required for skill acquisition or job performance.
• The Job Supports Plan section in reports must detail the type, frequency, and parameters of off-site supports, including how the supports reinforce skill development and contribute to job stability. The Service Provider must identify the planned modality (or modalities) and document the methods used in the SI Report.
• DVR pre-approval is required for off-site supports, and all requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All agreements must be documented in the DVR case file. Approval and agreed-upon parameters must be clearly documented and reflected in the DVR case file. Providers may only bill for off-site supports that have been approved by DVR and are consistent with the authorized service and documented plan.

Other Supports (Outside of SI and Retention)

• If a consumer requires supports outside of the soft or hard job skills addressed through Systematic Instruction (SI) or Retention services, the employment team and DVR must be consulted.
• Support needs such as transportation training and personal attendant services fall outside the scope of SI and Retention services and may be supported by DVR on a case-by-case basis, depending on individual consumer circumstances.
• Other situations may involve support needs not directly covered by DVR services. In these instances, the employment team and DVR should be notified to discuss the appropriateness of the job match, worksite expectations, next steps, and/or development of alternative support plans. Examples of these situations may include:
  • Safety-related supports beyond soft or hard skill job supports (e.g., elopement concerns, environmental risks).
  • Employer requests that require ongoing staff presence beyond instruction/supports (e.g., general supervision).
  • Implementation of a behavioral support plan developed outside of DVR services.
  • Civil commitment or court-ordered/legal requirements.
• Coordination with other service systems or supports (e.g., Long-Term Care (LTC), Comprehensive Community Services (CCS), Children's Long-Term Supports (CLTS), or other community resources) should be considered, as appropriate, based on the individual's needs and circumstances.