E1MN: A state agency partnership working together
to deliver a more seamless and timely employment support system.
Most people enrolled in a home and community based
services waiver use a combination of services and supports.
For example, a person may be getting residential services,
home care, day services, transportation,
mental health services, and employment services
to name a few.
As a waiver case manager, you play a critical role
in supporting employment by helping the person coordinate
all their services and supports.
The way you fulfill that responsibility might look a little different
in each of the Engage, Plan, Find, and Keep phases.
Let's start by looking at the Engage phase.
As a reminder, the Engage phase is where the person needs help
making an informed choice about competitive integrated employment.
In this phase, the person's not sure about work,
or might not even know work is an option.
To help coordinate services in the Engage phase,
first, identify if the person is in this phase
by asking some questions about their situation.
You could ask questions like, "Have you ever thought
about working in the community?"
"What would you do with more money?"
"Are you interested in seeing what work looks like
for other people with disabilities?"
If the person's answers indicate they're unsure
about the idea of work, it means they're in the Engage phase.
Second, identify services a person will need
to make an informed choice about work.
To do this, help the person make a list
of questions they need answered,
or things they need help with
to make an informed choice about work.
This might include things like help understanding
what happens to their benefits when they work,
knowing what kinds of work are available or possible,
and answers to transportation questions.
Then help the person identify the services and supports
they currently have that could meet those needs
and new services they'll need like benefits planning
or informational interviews through waiver employment exploration services.
Lastly, help the person access and coordinate the services
and supports they need to learn more about working.
For example, you might help the person adjust their day services schedule
so they can spend more time in the community
with an employment provider exploring the idea of work.
If the person wants to access waiver employment exploration services,
you can find details about connecting the person to those services
in the case manager learning path.
Connect the person to waiver employment services.
Now let's look at the Plan phase.
As a reminder, the Plan phase is where the person knows
they want to work in competitive integrated employment,
but they're not sure what they want to do.
The steps you take during the Plan phase are similar to the Engage phase.
First, ask some questions about the person's situation
to confirm they're in the Plan phase like,
"What would you like to do for work?"
"What are your questions about work?"
If the person's answers indicate they need help discovering
their interests, strengths, and possibilities,
or help preparing for a job,
it means they're in the Plan phase.
Second, just as during the Engage phase,
help the person identify their support needs.
To do this, help the person make a list of questions they need answered
or things they need help with to plan for work.
This might include things like understanding what happens
to their benefits when they work,
creating a list of skills and conditions for employment,
learning about transportation options, and exploring potential careers.
Look at the formal services and informal services
they currently have that could support planning for work
and the services they might need like waiver employment development
or transportation services.
Third, help the person access and coordinate services
to meet their employment planning needs.
This could mean helping the person adjust their transportation services schedule
so they can get to work experience within the community,
or helping the person access benefits planning information
through waiver employment service providers.
To help the person access and coordinate services,
you'll need to collaborate with other professionals
like the waiver employment service provider
and maybe the Vocational Rehabilitation
State Services for the Blind waiver liaison
to learn more about transitioning to VRS/SSB services
when the time is right.
If the person wants to access
waiver employment development Plan phase services,
you can find details about connecting a person to those services
in the case manager learning path,
Connect the Person to Waiver Employment Services.
Lastly, when the person has a job goal
and knows basically what they want to do for work
and is ready to move to finding a job,
you and the employment service provider
explain Vocational Rehabilitation Services
or State Services for the Blind
to the person and help coordinate the start of those services.
Coordinating the transition to VRS or SSB
is an important point of collaboration,
so let's look at some key steps in that process.
The Work Toolkit has information to help you explain and coordinate
VRS/SSB services.
Go to Supporting People on Waivers,
then click on find.
Use the description of VRS/SSB services
in the Work Toolkit
to help the person make an informed choice
about using VRS/SSB services.
Go to Working with VRS/SSB in the Plan section
of Supporting People on Waivers
if you have questions
about when to refer a person to VRS/SSB
You can also contact
the VRS/SSB liaison.
Use the link in the Work Toolkit
to locate the person's local VRS/SSB office.
Use the E1MN Common Referral Form
to help the person get connected
to their local VRS/SSB office
and start the application process
ideally 30 days before the job search will begin.
Lastly, encourage the person to share their employment portfolio
and other important documents with VRS/SSB
through their My Vault account
or a different method if they prefer.
A list of what to include in the referral
is provided on the Common Referral Form and in the Work Toolkit.
Once VRS/SSB gets the referral form,
they will schedule an intake meeting with the person.
You can find more information about the VRS/SSB service
and process in the Find section on the Work Toolkit.
Next, let's look at the Find phase.
As a reminder, during the Find phase,
the focus is on helping the person find a job.
VRS/SSB staff take the lead role coordinating services
during the Find phase.
If the person needs ongoing employment supports,
the VRS/SSB counselor will work with you
to coordinate those services and may also need your help
to coordinate other services and supports.
Case managers need to collaborate with other professionals,
such as VRS/SSB,
to coordinate all waiver services and supports.
For example, once the person has a job in mind,
they may need help figuring out how the waiver
can support the person with transportation
or coordinating day support services
with their new work hours.
Be prepared to fill a supporting role during this phase.
Now let's look at the Keep phase.
During the keep phase, the person has a job and needs support
to be successful in their job.
You have a primary role in helping to coordinate
services and supports the person needs.
Communicate proactively with the person
and the VRS/SSB counselor
to confirm when VRS/SSB services are ending,
and the person is moving into the Keep phase.
Your collaboration with VRS/SSB is critical
during this transition.
Second, just as during the Engage and Plan phase,
help the person identify the services they need
to keep their job.
To do that, help the person create a list of their questions
about keeping their job and things they need
to make that happen.
It's important to talk about what supports they need now
at the start of the job, and also think about
how those services and supports might be modified
as they learn their job and get more comfortable in the workplace.
Then identify services and supports to meet those needs.
Supports are individualized,
based on each person's unique needs and situation.
For example, one person may need waiver transportation
to get to work.
Another may have friends or family who can get them to work.
And for some, supports might mean things like
waiver employment support services
or waiver transportation services,
but as the person becomes more familiar and comfortable in their job,
their needs might change, and services can be adjusted.
Lastly, help the person access
and coordinate the services they need
to keep and be successful in their job.
This could mean helping the person ask for help from coworkers
or working with their provider
to adjust their personal care attendance schedule
so they have help getting ready for work each day,
or adjusting their day services schedule
so they have a more balanced, meaningful day
with work and other activities.
If the person wants to access
waiver employment support services,
you can find details about connecting the person
to those services in the case manager learning path,
Connecting the Person to Waiver Employment Services.
By coordinating services, you are helping to achieve
the shared vision of working together
to align our systems
so that people who are on HCBS disability waivers
get seamless and timely support
to make informed choices
and meet competitive, integrated employment goals.