Step Down Support is a process that is designed to reflect the independence, skills, and natural supports obtained by the individual while employed, by providing extended services in a manner that is specific to the needs of the individual. In IPS it is common to transition supports to the team. As the consumer is in touch with other members of the treatment team, someone else may hear about concerns around employment and contact you. During this time the person may no longer “count” on your case load for purpose of fidelity. Discuss this process with your IPS supervisor.
Supported Employee has been employed for at least 12 months and is currently in Extended Services
The supported employee does not need or want an employment specialist to check in two times each month
You may submit a Step Down Support application to your CRP Consultant. The application indicates how often you will follow up with supported employee
If an individual who has been approved for Step Down Supports experiences issues and needs assistance, you must provide the service immediately and then return to the two times per month follow-up. You may reapply for Step Down Support status once they are stable on the job for 6 months.
Once you believe the supported employee is stable on the job, you send in the final Employment Stability Assessment and the Extended Services Plan. Once the Counselor approves the move into “stable employment,” you transition into Extended Services, and they will send you the authorization for the Day 1 payment of $500.00.
Once they sign/approve the Day 1 Extended Service Plan, you start the “count” of days of stable employment for the purpose of the milestone payments.
You may now complete the SETP 101 Final Quiz. You must pass with a score of 80% in order to complete this course. The quiz will be scored automatically and you may take the quiz as many times as you need to pass. Once you pass the quiz, please complete the anonymous course evaluation and you will be marked as complete for SETP 101.
In this lesson, we will look at job development, and how to use the Career Profile to guide your job search with that person. You will need to remember some points about employer engagement for the final quiz. Click on the first topic below to get started.
In this lesson, we are going to introduce the Career Profile, or discovery, process. This is only an introduction; we will discuss it in depth during the first live Zoom day of training. However, you will need a basic understanding of this process to pass the final quiz.
In this lesson, we will cover all the phases of IPS supported employment, authorized and paid for by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.The following topics outline the expectations for documentation and invoicing with OVR. It is important for you to be in communication with your VR Counselor, or their assistant, about the consumer’s progress through the services and receiving timely authorizations. Good communication is key! There are many steps, and although you won’t have to recite each step, you will need to have a general sense of the phases for the final quiz.
STEP 1:
Career Profile (Discovery)
STEP 2:
Job Development and Job Acquisition
STEP 3:
Supported Employment Services
STEP 4:
Extended Services
Resources:
You can find a flow chart depicting the service/documentation/invoicing required at:
Welcome to the field of Supported Employment. All Employment Specialists (those providing direct support in any phase of Supported Employment in Kentucky) are required to complete the full Supported Employment Core Training Series. This training series will provide you with an overview of this service and the information needed – both the process and paperwork – to support people with disabilities to find good jobs.
The Core Training Series is a hybrid event, each session is made up of online courses that must be completed prior to attending the live days via Zoom.
Core training series
1
Session 1:
Part 1:
Online Course SETP 101
Part 2:
Live Zoom Sessions (3 days)
2
Session 2:
Part 1:
Online Course SETP 102
Part 2:
Live Zoom Session (1 Day)
Session 1 is an Overview of Supported Employment in Kentucky
Session 1 will focus on:
The importance of employment for people with a significant impact of disability
The Kentucky service systems that provide supported employment
The phases of supported employment
Required documentation and billing through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)
Various ways Long Term Supports are provided/funded following the closure of a case with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Strategies to implement the phases of service with the job seekers/employees you support.
Session 2 is an Overview of the Impact of Wages on Benefits
Session 2 will focus on:
The difference between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
How SSI is impacted by earned income (wages)
How SSDI is impacted by earned income (wages)
The importance of ABLE accounts and Special Needs Trusts as vehicles for saving money
Where to find additional resources on this topic and how to connect job seekers with Benefits Counselors
*After you complete the final Session 2 live day via Zoom, you will gain access to the final quiz for the Supported Employment Core Training Series. Upon passing this quiz, you will receive your certificate of completion.
Throughout the Supported Employment Core Training Series, we will reference training materials found in an online Dropbox. You can find the materials here:
You may now complete the SETP 101 Final Quiz. You must pass with a score of 80% in order to complete this course. The quiz will be scored automatically and you may take the quiz as many times as you need to pass. Once you pass the quiz, please complete the anonymous course evaluation and you will be marked as complete for SETP 101.
Step Down Support is a process that is designed to reflect the independence, skills, and natural supports obtained by the individual while employed, by providing extended services in a manner that is specific to the needs of the individual. It is optional and not intended to be used by everyone.
Supported Employee has been employed for at least 12 months and is currently in Extended Services
The supported employee does not need or want an employment specialist to check in two times each month
You may submit a Step Down Support application to your CRP Consultant. The application indicates how often you will follow up with supported employee
If an individual who has been approved for Step Down Supports experiences issues and needs assistance, you must provide the service immediately and then return to the two times per month follow-up. You may reapply for Step Down Support status once they are stable on the job for 6 months.
Once you believe the supported employee is stable on the job, you send in the final Employment Stability Assessment and the Extended Services Plan. Once the Counselor approves the move into “stable employment,” you transition into Extended Services, and they will send you the authorization for the Day 1 payment of $500.00.
Once they sign/approve the Day 1 Extended Service Plan, you start the “count” of days of stable employment for the purpose of the milestone payments.
VR provides Supported employment and is the first payment source for service in Kentucky. Once the VR case is closed, you are responsible for providing extended services/long term supports but your agency will have other funding sources for this.
You will need to know what specific documentation is required for that person and that funding source. This will vary from agency to agency and consumer to consumer.
Medicaid waivers are a more common source of funding for extended service/long term supports. See the box below if your agency bills Medicaid waivers for supported employment. This means, if people have access to: Supports for Community Living (SCL,) Michelle P (MPW,) or Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) waivers.
Consumer has a Medicaid Waiver – What Do I Do?
What Do I Do?
While billing OVR for Discovery, Job Development, and Supported Employment Services with OVR communicate with the person’s Case Manager. While the OVR Counselor will receive all the documentation for the phases paid by OVR, you need to be sure the Case Manager knows what is going on.
Ask if they would like to receive copies of all the notes and plans.
They will need to receive copies of the PCEP and the first Extended Services Plan.
The Extended Services Plan will need to be developed with input from the person’s Team.
You can switch to Medicaid waiver funds for supported employment once you are finished billing an hourly rate from OVR. This happens:
If you are requesting Long Term Support Units (typically no more than 24 units per month to check in with employee) – Submit Pre-Authorization form to Case Manager
For supported employees under age 25, this means after the final Extended Services rate is paid and the OVR case is closed.
For supported employee over age 25, this means once the Employment Stability Assessment Form is approved.
You will need to complete an Employment Services Prior Authorization form to request units before billing on the waiver service plan.
It is also possible to bill for some supported employment services down the road if someone wants a new job or their needs change in their current position. You can find the process for requesting these units below in the Supported Employment process via Medicaid Waiver resource document. If you have questions about billing Medicaid waivers and supported employment, they can be directed to DDID.SupportedEmployment@ky.gov.
Now that your consumer has a job, let’s talk about Supported Employment Services, which are the intensive services that help the consumer learn the tasks, routines and expectations of the job, and lead to stability. Click on the first topic below to get started.
In this lesson, we will look at job development, and how to use the PCEP to guide your job search with that person. You will need to remember some points about employer engagement for the final quiz. Click on the first topic below to get started.
In this lesson, we are going to introduce discovery. This is only an introduction; we will discuss it in depth during the first live Zoom day of training. However, you will need a basic understanding of this process to pass the final quiz.
In this lesson, we will cover all the phases of traditional supported employment, authorized and paid for by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. The following topics outline the expectations for documentation and invoicing with OVR. It is important for you to be in communication with your VR Counselor, or their assistant, about the consumer’s progress through the services and receiving timely authorizations. Good communication is key!There are many steps, and although you won’t have to recite each step, you will need to have a general sense of the phases for the final quiz.
STEP 1:
Discovery
STEP 2:
Job Development and Job Acquisition
STEP 3:
Supported Employment Services
STEP 4:
Extended Services
Select the first topic below to continue
Resources:
You can find a flow chart depicting the service/documentation/invoicing required at:
Welcome to the field of Supported Employment. All Employment Specialists (those providing direct support in any phase of Supported Employment in Kentucky) are required to complete the full Supported Employment Core Training Series. This training series will provide you with an overview of this service and the information needed – both process and paperwork – to support people with disabilities to find good jobs.
The Core Training Series is a hybrid event, each session is made up of online courses that must be completed prior to attending the live days via Zoom.
Core Training Series
1
session 1:
Part 1:
Online Course SETP 101
Part 2:
Live Zoom Session (3 days)
2
Session 2:
Part 1:
Online Course SETP 102
Part 2:
Live Zoom Session (1 day)
Session 1 is an Overview of Supported Employment in Kentucky
Session 1 will focus on:
The importance of employment for people with a significant impact of disability
The Kentucky service systems that provide supported employment
The phases of supported employment
Required documentation and billing through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)
Various ways Long Term Supports are provided/funded following the closure of a case with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Strategies to implement the phases of service with the job seekers/employees you support.
Session 2 is an Overview of the Impact of Wages on Benefits
Session 2 will focus on:
The difference between Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
How SSI is impacted by earned income (wages)
How SSDI is impacted by earned income (wages)
The importance of ABLE accounts and Special Needs Trusts as vehicles for saving money
Where to find additional resources on this topic and how to connect job seekers with Benefits Counselors
*After you complete the final Session 2 live day via Zoom, you will gain access to the final quiz for the Supported Employment Core Training Series. Upon passing this quiz, you will receive your certificate of completion.
Throughout the Supported Employment Core Training Series, we will reference training materials found in an online Dropbox. You can find materials here:
