Topic 2 – OVR and Supported Employment
There are 3 types of Supported Employment funded by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation in Kentucky.
IPS, Traditional and Customized. Each of these has its own documentation and fees for service.
- IPS, Individualized Placement & Support, will be covered in this course. It is a model of supported employment that can only be authorized for those agencies specifically approved to do so. This is a model originally designed to serve people with Serious Mental Illness and/or Substance Abuse issues. It is an evidence based model, which means it has been rigorously studied to show its effectiveness, when followed. In order to determine an agency is following the model, there is a fidelity scale and regular fidelity reviews.
- Traditional Supported Employment is for people with significant disabilities who are seeking employment and are not eligible for either IPS or Customized.
- Customized Employment is designed to individually negotiate a job on behalf of someone that features what they have to offer and meets the needs of an employer, without regard for pre-existing job descriptions. As you will learn further into the training the tools of customized employment (individually negotiating a job for someone) are available to anyone. However, authorizations for Customized Employment require the Employment Specialist to receive additional certifications.
Watch this video for an overview of Supported Employment in Kentucky.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHzGQJkyu0w&list=PLLxhYblQBlYPHORZcLZ5eWpR-duXFqRH3The service of Supported Employment and the different types are defined in the OVR Service Fee Memo. This memo lists the services, documentation, and payments associated with each type. Find it here: https://hdi.uky.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Guidelines-for-Purchase-of-Supported-Employment-rev2020.pdf