Assisting Individuals in Accessing Department of Rehabilitation Services

SCOPE:

The Lanterman Act sets forth the regional center’s responsibility to assist individuals in accessing services and supports available from public and private agencies. This procedure is written to assist Tri-Counties Regional Center (TCRC) staff in making referrals to the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), assisting individuals in utilizing these services, and providing guidance about TCRC’s responsibility in funding employment services. Services may include, but are not limited to:

• DOR Student Services – Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
  • Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services, which may include Supported Employment, job development, assistive technology, training, job coaching, post-secondary education supports, and other individualized employment services such as:
    • Career exploration or vocational assessment
    • Work experience or trial work services
    • Job readiness and workplace skill development
    • Job placement services
    • Transportation training related to employment
    • Post-secondary education or occupational training supports
    • Benefits counseling related to work incentives

PROCEDURE:

I. TCRC Responsibilities

A. Participates in transition planning activities with Local Education Agencies (LEA), DOR, and other transition partners to ensure coordinated and timely access to employment-related services.

B. Ensures individuals and families receive information regarding the Employment First Policy, available vocational pathways, and the roles of the LEA, DOR, and TCRC in transition planning.

C. Assists individuals to access generic resources and ensures that services that are the responsibility of other agencies—including LEA transition services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), DOR Student Services, and VR services—are explored prior to the authorization of regional center funding.

D. Maintains collaborative relationships with DOR, participates in interagency transition team meetings as available, and promotes coordinated, person-centered planning.

E. Provides information and clarification regarding eligibility requirements, service limitations, and resource availability across systems.

II. TCRC Employment Specialist Responsibilities

The Employment Specialist serves as a consultant and subject matter expert to support Service Coordinators (SC) in understanding, accessing, and navigating employment services and generic resources. The Employment Specialist does not serve as a member of an individual’s planning team, nor does the Employment Specialist replace the SC’s role in planning, coordinating, or authorizing services. Rather, the Employment Specialist provides guidance, consultation, technical assistance, and systems navigation support to assist SCs in connecting individuals to the most appropriate employment pathway. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

A. Providing consultation to SCs regarding employment pathways, service options, vendor programs, and the exploration and utilization of generic resources such as DOR, LEAs, Workforce Development Boards, and other community partners.

B. Offering guidance on regulatory requirements and best practices, including the Employment First Policy, Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code section 4648.55, Supported Employment regulations, and expectations related to the use of generic resources prior to authorizing regional center–funded services.

C. Providing technical assistance on employment-related referral processes, including DOR Student Services applications, VR services referral packets, Supported Employment transitions, and other coordination needs between systems.

D. Maintaining collaborative relationships with external partners, such as DOR, LEAs, and employment service providers, to support accurate information-sharing and system-level coordination.

E. Developing and disseminating training, resources, and guidance for SCs on employment services, statewide directives, new service models, program expectations, and emerging best practices in competitive integrated employment.

III. Service Coordinator (SC) Responsibilities in Supporting Individuals of School-Age or Transition-Age (Typically Ages 16 – 22)

In accordance with W&I Code section 4648.55, which prohibits the regional center from purchasing services that are the responsibility of the public education system, the SC’s role during the transition years focuses on collaboration, information sharing, and ensuring access to LEA and DOR resources that support the individual’s employment and post-secondary goals.

A. Provide resource information, including the Employment First Policy, DOR Student Services (Pre-Employment Transition Services), and other community employment resources to the individual and family.

B. Collaborate with the LEA and DOR, when invited and as appropriate, through participation in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) meetings to support coordinated transition planning and ensure that school-based transition services and work-based learning activities under the LEA’s responsibility have been considered.

C. Provide information and support access to DOR Student Services.

1. Inform that any student ages 16-21 years old with a disability may request DOR Student Services, which are designed to support early career exploration and skill development.
2. If requested, assist the student or family in applying for Student Services through the DOR online application or by submitting a DR 203 Student Services Plan Request Form. Obtain parent or guardian signature for individuals under age 18.
3. Clarify that Student Services are Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), are not intended to result in job placement, and may be provided prior to determination of VR eligibility.

Students may participate in DOR Student Services without being eligible for VR services. Student Services focus on early career exploration and skill development, while VR is intended for individuals preparing to pursue competitive integrated employment. A student may have both a Student Services case and a VR case open at the same time, and VR eligibility is determined by DOR under California Code of Regulations (CCR), title 9, section 7062.

D. Assist in determining the need for VR services prior to school exit.

1. As the individual approaches exit from public education, the planning team shall determine whether the individual intends to pursue employment and whether VR services, including Supported Employment, are necessary to support this goal.
2. If the individual intends to pursue VR services, the SC will assist in submitting a DOR “Vocational Services Referral” Packet, as outlined in Section IV. A.
3. If the individual does not pursue VR services, the SC shall provide information regarding regional center-funded habilitation services that may support employment or skill development after school exit.

E. Promote coordinated transition planning by ensuring alignment between the IPP and the IEP/ITP, supporting preparation for adult services, and fostering communication among the individual, family, LEA, DOR, and other planning team members.

F. Share relevant information, with appropriate consent, to support DOR’s involvement in transition planning and to facilitate a smooth progression from school-based to adult employment services.

G. SCs ensure all activities related to transition and vocational planning are documented in the Individual Program Plan (IPP) and in Sandis Title 19 notes.

IV. Service Coordinator (SC) Responsibilities in Supporting Adults Who Are No Longer Eligible for Public Education

A. The SC submits a complete referral packet to the DOR for vocational services. The SC ensures that the PC-IPP is current and accurately reflects the individual’s employment goals; if not, a brief IPP Amendment must be completed prior to submitting the DOR packet. The DOR referral packet must include the following:

1.  DS 1968 Vocational Services Referral Form signed by the individual served/conservator and Service Coordinator
2.  Release of Information
3.  Current Person-Centered Individual Program Plan (PC-IPP)
4.  Consumer Development Evaluation Report (CDER)
5.  Face Sheet with the current mailing address of the individual served
6.  Regional Center Medical Summary or Psychological Summary, if on file (Regional Center only)
7.  Any additional IEP, school reports or other applicable reports that are not confidential documents

B. DOR arranges an intake meeting with the individual and the assigned DOR Counselor. In order to provide the most collaborative meeting possible, any vendors, Independent Living Service personnel, etc. involved with the individual, may also be invited to attend and participate.

C.  SC follow-up will be determined by the individual’s needs and driven by the PC-IPP, including monitoring whether DOR has made an eligibility determination and initiated VR services, such as Supported Employment.

V. Coordination of Supported Employment and Transition from DOR to TCRC

A. After DOR completes intake and determines that the individual is eligible for VR services, DOR will initiate employment services through a DOR service provider. These services may include job development, job placement, and short-term job coaching under Supported Employment. Once the individual is placed into competitive integrated employment (CIE), DOR may continue to fund short-term job coaching until the individual reaches stabilization.

B. After the individual achieves stabilization in their job, DOR will issue transition documentation to the SC indicating that DOR’s responsibility to fund short-term intensive services is ending, and that the funding of ongoing job coaching support—referred to as “extended services” under CCR, title 9, section 7028.7—will transition to the responsibility of TCRC, in accordance with CCR, title 9, section 7014.1, and CCR, title 17, section 58841.

C. DOR will provide the following transition documentation to the SC at least 15 days before the effective transition date. Transfers from DOR to TCRC will always be effective the 1^st of the month.

1. Supported Employment – Notice of Transition to Extended Services
2. Supported Employment – Monthly Job Coaching Report (at least 2 months)
3. Supported Employment – Job Placement Information

D. SCs ensure continuity of supported employment services by authorizing extended services in alignment with the IPP and coordinating with the provider to prevent gaps in support.

VI. Documentation

1. SCs document all transition, referral, and coordination activities in Sandis Title 19 notes.
2. The PC-IPP is amended as needed to reflect vocational goals, referral activity, and any changes in service responsibility between the LEA, DOR, and TCRC.
3. SCs ensure that the PC-IPP or Amendment reflects the individual’s current employment goals, interests, support needs, and ensures that “Employment” is selected as a life area when applicable. When an individual’s employment needs change, SCs update the PC-IPP and the Client Development Evaluation Report (CDER) Personal Outcomes Element—questions 5 through 8—in alignment with the Regional Center Performance Measures (RCPM) Employment Data Updates and Reporting requirements.
4. The PC-IPP or Amendment must reflect the individual’s current employment goals, needs, barriers, and the rationale for referring the individual to DOR for employment services. If the most recent PC-IPP does not include updated employment information, the SC completes a brief IPP Amendment prior to submitting the DOR referral packet. DOR relies on this information to understand the individual’s goals and support needs related to employment.

Revision Date: 12/2025