Michigan Administrative Code
Department - Labor and Economic Opportunity
Michigan Rehabilitation Services
General Vocational Rehabilitation
Part 1 - ELIGIBILITY FOR REHABILITATION SERVICE
Section R. 395.61 - Extended assessment; extended evaluation plan and trial work experiences

(1) Before an individual with a significant disability can be determined to be incapable of benefiting from services in terms of an employment outcome, MRS shall provide an extended assessment.

(2) The presumption of employability continues during the extended assessment and may be refuted only if MRS demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the individual cannot benefit from services in terms of an employment outcome.

(3) During the extended assessment, MRS shall explore the individual's abilities, capabilities, and capacity to perform in work situations in the most integrated settings through the use of trial work experiences with appropriate supports except under limited circumstances when an individual cannot or is not ready to take advantage of such experiences. These circumstances include individuals who are medically unstable and require treatment to achieve stability and individuals whose disabilities are not treatable, remediable, or who are near death.

(4) Trial work experiences shall be of sufficient variety and over a sufficient period of time, and with appropriate supports, so that a MRS counselor may determine the eligibility of the individual or to determine the existence of clear and convincing evidence that the individual is incapable of benefiting in terms of an employment outcome from vocational rehabilitation services due to the severity of the individual's disability.

(5) A MRS counselor shall develop a written extended assessment plan that includes identification of the services necessary to determine eligibility and the nature and scope of services required to achieve an employment outcome.

(6) An individual, or his or her representative, shall be a full and active participant in the development of his or her extended assessment plan and in the selection of services and service providers and shall sign and be provided a copy of the written document.

(7) A MRS counselor shall regularly and routinely evaluate progress toward achieving the assessment outcomes.

(8) A MRS counselor shall terminate the extended assessment at any time an eligibility determination can be made, or after 12 months, unless substantial need for additional time is documented.