​Chapter 6.03 Contents:​

Chapter 6.03. - SITUATIONAL ASSESSMENT

1. Referral for Situational Assessment

[REVISED: 8/2/13]

  1. The counselor may (per 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.42 and 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.45 (b)) authorize Situational Assessment in Application status and higher, to the extent needed to determine eligibility, assign Order of Selection priority category, or develop the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE), but only when existing information does not describe the current functioning of the client, is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate.  In Eligible status, assessments shall (per 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.45 (f)) be limited to information necessary to develop the IPE and the counselor may provide Situational Assessment alone or within an IPE Comprehensive Needs Assessment (see Chapter 6.09, IPE COMPREHENSIVE, Policy 2 ).

  2. Situational Assessment shall (per 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.46 (b)) be required to determine the specific Supported Employment (SE) services that are vocationally necessary before including SE services on the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).

  3. Situational Assessment is not limited to clients with a specific disability or clients with most severe disability. Candidates for Situational Assessment include:       

    1. clients for whom competitive employment has not traditionally occurred, or has been interrupted or intermittent, as a result of a significant disability;

    1. clients with multiple severe disabilities, no prior work experience, and little or no family support;

    2. clients with most significant disabilities who need intensive initial training to learn a job or to increase productivity and Supported Employment (SE) services while the VR case is open and long-term follow-along services (also called extended services) after the VR case is closed; and

    3. clients who are determined eligible but who require additional assessment in real work setting(s) to determine specific services vocationally necessary to obtain and maintain competitive employment
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2. Conducting Situational Assessment

[REVISED: 8/2/13]

  1. A vocational evaluator may conduct a Situational Assessment during a comprehensive vocational evaluation. 

  2. All Supported Employment (SE) Situational Assessments shall (per 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.51 and Federal Register Vol. 66, No. 11, pp 4430 – 4431 guidance for 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.51 concerning standards for vendors) be conducted by service providers with CARF-accreditation and vendor approval from the DARS Fiscal staff. 

  3. All Situational Assessments shall (per 2001 Federal Regulation 34 CFR § 361.45 (f)) be conducted in a competitive work setting(s). 

  4. For Situational Assessment for individuals who have a primary disability of intellectual disability (ID), the counselor must first use state funds when available (per Virginia Appropriations Act and agency mandate). The agency fund codes for these state funds are usually changed annually (see the Chart of Accounts under the DARS Fiscal Services Intranet site). 

  5. The Situational Assessment can appraise client patterns of work behavior; identify employment transportation issues; evaluate family support; and recommend: employment goals and work environments, types and level of training and interventions and support services vocationally necessary to acquire occupational skills and develop: positive work attitudes, work habits, work tolerance, and social and behavior patterns necessary for successful job performance. 

  6. The assessor shall (per agency mandate) send the counselor a written Vocational Evaluation Report or Situational Assessment Report.   

  7. The Report must include number and type of work sites, types of jobs performed, number of hours per work site, and type and extent of training prompts used.  

                                
  8. SE vendors shall use the Situational Assessment Report and Bill form (SE Form 1) found in the Employment Services Forms Cabinet and the Virginia Guide to Supported Employment and Job Coach Training Services. The SE Situational Assessment Report must meet requirements in the Virginia Guide to Supported Employment and Job Coach Training Services and must provide information about client ability to function in an on-site job training program leading to Supported Employment (SE); need for on-going support services in order to perform competitive work; and ability to work in an integrated employment setting at the time of job placement. The counselor may wish to consult the regional Supported Employment Resource Team concerning the Report recommendations or other SE issues. 

  9. The counselor shall review the report with the client. To proceed with SE services, see Chapter 8.16, SE, Policy 1 . To proceed with Job Coach Training Services (JCTS), see Chapter 8.09, JCTS, Policy 1.

 
 

3. Insurance and Injury/Property Damage During Situational Assessment

[REVISED: 8/3/13]

See Chapter 1.2, LIABILITY, Policy 1

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Links to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are currently unavailable while we await federal changes to the vocational rehabilitation program. Upon promulgation of the final regulations the links will be updated and activated.