Public Comment - VR Policies

January 28, 2019

Your input is important to us! Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is seeking public comment on the following Vocational Rehabilitation draft policies:

80-VR-07      “Informed Choice Policy”

80-VR-03      “VR Case Handling Regarding Nepotism, Employee Anonymity, and Personal Relationships”

These draft policies are written in compliance with Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3304.15; Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 3304-1, 3304-2-51, 3304-2-54, 3304-2-55, 3304-2-56; 34 the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 361.42, 361.43 (b), 361.45 (d)(2) and (f)(2)(i), 361.46 (a)(2)(ii), 361.47(a)(7), 361.52, 361.48; and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014.

You can locate a copy of these draft policies at (https://ood.ohio.gov/Information/Notice-of-Policy-Public-Comment ).  Your feedback will be accepted between Monday, January 28, 2019 through Monday, February 11 2019. Feedback should be emailed to the OOD Policy Public Comment mailbox at OOD.PolicyPublicComment@ood.ohio.gov.

This mailbox is specifically for feedback on OOD policies only.  Case service questions or comments should not be submitted to this mailbox.  Please direct these types of questions or comments to the appropriate OOD field office staff.

The services described are funded, in part, with federal funds awarded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) under the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), Supported Employment Services, and the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) programs. For purposes of the VR program, the federal VR grant paid 78.7% of the total costs of the program. In federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018, the VR agency received $100,336,097 in federal VR funds. Funds appropriated by the state paid 21.3% of the total costs $27,155,767 under the VR program.

The Pre-Employment Transition Services provided under the VR program, described, are funded 100% through a grant from the U.S. DOE. For FFY 2018, the total amount of grant funds used for these services is $15,050,415.

For purposes of the Supported Employment program (youth with a disability program), federal funds paid 100% of the total costs. In FFY 2018, the VR agency received $303,725 in federal supported employment funds (youth with a disability program).

For purposes of the Supported Employment program, federal funds paid 95% of the total costs. In FFY 2018, the VR agency received $303,725 in federal Supported Employment funds. State appropriated funds paid 5% $33,747 of the total costs under the Supported Employment program.

For purposes of the OIB program, federal funds paid 90% of the total costs incurred under the program. In FFY 2018, the agency received $1,174,400 in federal grant funds for this program. Funds appropriated by the State paid 10% $130,489 of the total costs incurred under the OIB program.

The services described are funded, in part, with federal funds awarded by Health and Human Services (HHS) under the independent living (IL) program. For purposes of the federal IL program the federal grant paid 90% of the total costs of the program. In FFY 2018, OOD received $632,411 in federal IL funds. Funds appropriated by the state paid 10% of the total costs $70,268 under the IL program.