VRS_ COVID-19 Vaccination/Testing Policy FAQ

Vocational Rehabilitation Services header

Dear VRS Community Partners,

I have a number of updates to share with you today.

Policy #1446 Recap

  • On Tuesday, September 7, VRS sent a message regarding state policy #1446. You can view the message from VRS message here.
  • Policy Overview: You can read the full policy here. State Policy #1446 is intended to ensure the safety of state staff, Community Partner staff, and the people we serve. Policy #1446 requires VRS Community Partners who hold a P/T Contract to track and maintain data regarding proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or weekly negative COVID-19 testing results.
  • Policy Breadth and Reach: VRS Community Partners should note that this policy affects all state employees and most state contractors and vendors. Your organization is not alone in navigating unchartered waters in COVID vaccine and testing policies. In many ways, each state agency is in a similar boat as each of you. VRS is at this time working with DEED to determine how to develop internal processes to implement the policy as it relates to our 375 VRS staff. To get a sense of the breadth of state contractors and vendors this applies to – you can look at this Guidance-Vaccination-and-Testing-Vendors-and-Contractors.
  • Testing Options: Click here to find testing options in Minnesota. In particular, please note there are low-barrier, no-cost COVID testing options
  • COVID Response Updates: Keep up to date on the latest from the State of Minnesota COVID Response here: Minnesota COVID-19 Response (Coronavirus) / COVID-19 Updates and Information - State of Minnesota (mn.gov)

Policy #1446 Applicability

  • Does Policy #1446 apply to my organization?
    • Policy #1446 applies to any VRS Community Partners who hold a P/T Contract with employees who are:
      • Providing in-person services to our customers or other state employees.
      • Entering State office buildings for more than 10 minutes.
    • Policy #1446 does not apply to VRS Community Partners with a P/T Contract with employees who are:
      • Only providing virtual services.
      • Onsite for less than 10 minutes.
  • Does Policy #1446 apply to employees of my organization who provide services only through a VRS Grant Contract?
    • Policy #1446 does not apply to grant contracts from VRS. However, most of the VRS Community Partners who have a grant contract through VRS also have a VR Program P/T Contract. Thus, the vast majority of VRS Community Partner organizations are affected by this policy.
    • If an organization has both a VRS grant contract and a VR Program P/T Contract, this policy is applicable at a specific employee level.
    • If a Community Partner employee provides only services through a grant and do not provide any VR program services, then the Community Partner does not need to track and maintain data regarding proof of full vaccination or weekly positive test results for that individual employee.
      • Example: A Community Partner has both an Extended Employment program grant contract and a VR Program P/T contract. The Community Partner has an employee who provides both Extended Employment services and VR program services. In this case, that employee needs to comply with providing proof of full vaccination or weekly positive test results because they are providing VR program services.
    • If a Community Partner employee provides both grant services and VR program services, then the Community Partner does need to track and maintain data regarding proof of full vaccination or weekly positive test results for that individual employee.
      • Example: A Community Partner has both an Extended Employment program grant contract and a VR Program P/T contract. The Community Partner has some employees only provide Extended Employment services and different employees only provide VR program services. In this case, only employees who provide VR program services would need to comply with providing proof of full vaccination or weekly positive test results.
  •  Does Policy #1446 apply to employees of my organization or business such as the office administrator, receptionist, accountant?
    • Community Partners are required to track and maintain data regarding proof of full vaccination or weekly positive test results only for staff who will provide direct, in-person services funded by a state P/T contract. Community Partners do not need to track and maintain data regarding proof of full vaccination or weekly positive test results for office staff (such as office administrators, receptionists, accountants).

Access to Testing

Effective Date and Implementation

The effective date of Policy #1446 was September 8, 2021. VRS does not expect that our Community Partners will implement this policy overnight. We recognize there is a lot of information to digest in the state policy and logistics to put in place. We do expect that our Community Partners will work diligently to develop and implement internal policies to comply with Policy #1446 as soon as possible.

Conclusion

Thank you for your patience as VRS does our best to work with DEED-Fiscal, Minnesota Management and Budget, and the Department of Administration Office of State Procurement to interpret what this policy means for VRS Community Partners.

If you have any questions, please reach out to a VRS Community Partnerships Program Specialist.

My best,

Kim

Kim Babine
VRS Director of Community Partnerships
651-259-7349
Kim.Babine@state.mn.us