Section 753. Prevocational services

A. Service description. Prevocational services are services aimed at preparing an individual for paid or unpaid employment, but are not job-task oriented. Prevocational services are provided for individuals who are not expected to be able to join the general work force without supports or to participate in a transitional, sheltered workshop within one year of beginning waiver services (excluding supported employment services or programs). Activities included in this service are not primarily directed at teaching specific job skills but at underlying rehabilitative goals such as accepting supervision, attendance, task completion, problem solving, and safety.

B. Criteria. In order to qualify for prevocational services, the individual shall have a demonstrated need for support in skills that are aimed toward preparation for paid employment that may be offered in a variety of community settings.

C. Service units and service limitations. Billing is for one unit of service. This service is limited to 780 units per plan of care year. If this service is used in combination with day support or supported employment services, the combined total units for these services cannot exceed 780 units per plan of care year. Prevocational services may be provided in center or noncenter-based settings. There must be documentation about whether prevocational services are available in vocational rehabilitation agencies through § 110 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). When services are provided through these sources to the individual, they will not be authorized as a waiver service. Prevocational services may only be provided when the individual's compensation is less than 50% of the minimum wage.

1. One unit shall be 1 to 3.99 hours of service a day.

2. Two units are 4 to 6.99 hours of service a day.

3. Three units are 7 or more hours of service a day.

Services shall normally be furnished four or more hours per day on a regularly scheduled basis for one or more days per week unless provided as an adjunct to other day activities included in an individual's plan of care.

D. Provider requirements. In addition to meeting the general conditions and requirements for home and community-based services participating providers as specified in 12VAC30-120-730 and 12VAC30-120-740, prevocational services providers must also meet the following requirements:

1. The prevocational services provider must be a vendor of extended employment services, long-term employment services, or supported employment services for DARS, or be licensed by DBHDS as a day support services provider. Providers must ensure and document that persons providing prevocational services have training in the characteristics of related conditions, appropriate interventions, training strategies, and support methods for individuals with related conditions and functional limitations.

2. Required documentation in the individual's record. The provider must maintain a record for each individual receiving prevocational services. At a minimum, the record must contain the following:

a. A functional assessment conducted by the provider to evaluate each individual in the prevocational environment and community settings.

b. A plan of care containing, at a minimum, the following elements (DBHDS licensing regulations require the following for plans of care):

(1) The individual's needs and preferences;

(2) Relevant psychological, behavioral, medical, rehabilitation, and nursing needs as indicated by the assessment;

(3) Individualized strategies including the intensity of services needed;

(4) A communication plan for individuals with communication barriers including language barriers; and

(5) The behavior treatment plan, if applicable.

3. The plan of care must be reviewed by the provider quarterly, annually, and more often as needed, modified as appropriate, and with written results of these reviews submitted to the case manager. For the annual review and in cases where the plan of care is modified, the plan of care must be reviewed with the individual or his family/caregiver, as appropriate.

4. Documentation must confirm the individual's attendance, amount of time spent in services, type of services rendered, and provide specific information about the individual's response to various settings and supports as agreed to in the plan of care.

5. In instances where prevocational staff are required to ride with the individual to and from prevocational services, the prevocational staff time may be billed for prevocational services, provided that the billing for this time does not exceed 25% of the total time spent in prevocational services for that day. Documentation must be maintained to verify that billing for prevocational staff coverage during transportation does not exceed 25% of the total time spending the prevocational services for that day.

6. A copy of the most recently completed DMAS-225. The provider must clearly document efforts to obtain the completed DMAS-225 from the case manager.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 23, Issue 20, eff. July 11, 2007; amended, Virginia Register Volume 30, Issue 14, eff. April 10, 2014.

Statutory Authority

§ 32.1-325 of the Code of Virginia; 42 USC § 1396.