Implementation of the required pre-employment transition services will sometimes necessitate the use of the following allowable support services.

These support services must be provided in conjunction with one of the five required pre-employment transition services and entered in QE2 as a service.

Support Services for Pre-Employment Transition Services for students with a Pre-Employment Transition Consent and Information Release ONLY:

• Background check, if required for all employees, if paid to the business
• Benefits Orientation
• Travel Training
• Employment/Training Medical Supports, if paid to the business
• Interpreter-Deaf or Hard of Hearing (ADA)
• Tools-employment, if paid to the business
• Uniform & Clothing, if paid to the business
• Worksite skills trainer
• Assistive Technology Partnership (ATP) Consultation

Benefits Orientation 

A Benefit Orientation will provide general information to a student and family (or authorized representative) about public benefits that may be affected by the student's income from a paid work-based learning experience. In this case a benefits orientation is in conjunction with a work- based learning experience. 

A Benefit Orientation should be provided for a student with a disability (SWD) at age 17 so the student and family (or authorized representation) can be made aware that the student will undergo a redetermination of benefits as an adult at age 18. This allows for the student and family (or authorized representative) to make informed choices about work and earned income. In this case a benefits orientation is in conjunction with workplace readiness training.

If a student needs a Benefits Assessment, the student should apply for VR services. A Benefits Assessment is available after completing a VR Application for Employment Services. (Benefits Analysis Services)

Travel Training

Travel training may include the preparation of a student with a disability to travel independently in their home, community, college, work-based learning site, etc. An example of travel training cost includes the purchase of bus tickets for VR staff and students to learn how to ride the bus.

Worksite Skills Trainer

Worksite skills trainer can be considered in conjunction with a work-based learning experience. A worksite skills trainer teaches students specific job duties and job tasks required to perform the job. The worksite skills trainer can also provide work readiness skills training at the worksite during the work-based learning experience. See Work-Based Learning Experience Chapter

ATP Consultation

A pre-employment transition student or a group of pre-employment transition students can be referred to ATP for a consultation ONLY.  An ATP consultation allows ATP to provide consultative services to a student regarding accommodations the student may need in work or post-secondary education. A Pre-Employment Transition coordinator should consider a referral for an ATP consultation when a student has a functional limitation related to work, including work-based learning experiences, when a student is considering post-secondary training and if a Project SEARCH intern could potentially benefit from assistive technology. 

An ATP consultation is meant for information only. An ATP consultation can be provided through demonstrations, loans, access to the ReUse Program. ATP will research other resources for students through funding coordination through ATP and the ReUse program. Once an ATP consultation is completed, an Information Only Report will be provided to the referring Pre-Employment Transition coordinator. The coordinator should share the Information Only report with the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team so it can be considered in transition planning. Assistive technology cannot be purchased by Nebraska VR for a student receiving ONLY Pre-Employment Transition Services.

A Pre-Employment Transition Coordinator must complete an ATP referral form. The “Pre-ETS” box should be checked to identify that the referral is for a student. 

Allowable Support Services for Pre-Employment Transition Services for students that are eligible for VR services and have an Individualized Plan for Employment:

When appropriate more individualized services can be provided to students that are eligible for VR services and have an Individualized Plan for Employment. 

Students that are eligible for VR services and have an Individualized Plan for Employment have access to additional VR service costs as necessary, in addition to allowable service costs for potentially eligible students.  

When a student applies for VR services, an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) must be developed within the guidelines found in the IPE chapter. Either a projected post school employment outcome or employment outcome may be developed as appropriate. Refer to the IPE chapter. 

Benefits Orientation  

• A Benefits Orientation will provide general information to a student and family (or authorized representative) about public benefits may be affected by the student's earned income from a paid work- based learning experience. For most public benefits program, including Medicaid, SNAP, and Energy Assistance, among others, income for a paid work- based learning experience is considered a training allowance and is excluded when determining eligibility for most public benefits programs. Still, the student and authorized representative is informed during the Benefits Orientation to report all training income to the agency providing the benefit, along with the notation that the earnings were from a paid work-based learning experience.    
• For students who receive SSI/ SSDI benefits, a Benefits Orientation should be provided for a student with a disability (SWD at age 17 so the student and authorized representative can be made aware that the student will undergo a redetermination of disability benefits as an adult at age 18. 

Note that if a student and authorized representative need specific information about how benefits will be affected, a Benefits Assessment should be considered after the age 18 redetermination.  To authorize this service, the student must apply and be found eligible for VR Services. (Benefits Analysis Services) 

Pre-employment transition services are reportable to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). For this reason, all pre-employment transition services provided to a student must be documented. Support services provided in conjunction with one of the five required pre-employment transition services, must be entered in QE2.  

• Add the pre-employment transition service ("Pre-ETS Service") in QE2
• Select "Support" category
• Select "Type of Service" category, either team or community
• Select "Document Team Service" from the case home screen, and enter the date and a summary of the support service provided

VR Pre-ETS Staff: 

• Call and ask the authorized representative if the student or others in the household receive any local, state or federal benefits. See Background and Training section, for a description of federal, state and local programs.
  • Federal Benefits: 
    • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Childhood Disability Benefit (CDB), Disabled Widow(er) Benefit (DWB), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
  • DHHS Economic Assistance, Medicaid programs, and other public benefit programs: 
    • Medicaid, AABD Cash Payment, TANF/ADC, SNAP (Food Stamps), Housing Assistance/ Subsidy, Energy Assistance, Telephone Assistance Program 

NOTE: If the student and household have any of the benefits listed above, a referral for a Benefits Orientation is needed.  

• Use the Pre-ETS Benefit Orientation- Discussion Referral to gather information during the phone call.
  • Use the script to guide the discussion.
• Verify the representative payee for the student; update QE2 with the representative payee information as needed, including the representative payee’s email address and phone number. (Note that the representative payee needs to be present at the Benefits Orientation.)
• Upload the Pre-ETS Benefits Orientation- Discussion Referral to the case file in QE2 (Benefits, Benefit Orientation Documents).
• Complete the VR/ SSA 3288 Consent for Release of Information- General form if the student receives Federal benefits from the list above. The form must be completed by the student and authorized representative, as applicable. 
• Upload the VR/ SSA 3288 Consent for Release of Information General to QE2 (Release, SSA 3288 Consent for Release of Information/ General).
• Gather a copy of the guardianship or other authorized representative paperwork (such as Power of Attorney) for the student’s records, if the student is over the age of 19 and has an authorized representative.
• Upload guardianship or other representative paperwork to QE2 (Legal, Letters of Guardianship).
• Request the Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from SSA. 
• Upload the BPQY to the case file in QE2, when the BPQY is received (Benefits, BPQY)
• Refer the student for a Benefit Orientation to a trained Benefits Orientation Specialist
  • Include a completed copy of the Pre-ETS Benefit Orientation- Discussion Referral and the BPQY from SSA. 

The Benefits Orientation will be completed by the Benefits Orientation Specialist as noted below. 

VR Benefits Orientation Specialist: 

• Complete the Benefits Orientation in a face-to-face meeting, when possible.
• The VR Benefits Orientation Specialist and the VR Pre-ETS staff (when they are not one and the same) should be present at the meeting.
• The student and representative payee, must be included in the Benefits Orientation, if applicable. See policy Hosting/Initiating a Virtual Meeting for considerations and accommodations for virtual meetings. 
• A virtual or telephone conversation with the student and representative payee may be acceptable. This determination must be made case-by-case, considering the complexity of the student's benefits information and the student's and, as applicable, authorized representative's, ability to understand the information presented.
• Review the student’s BPQY document (which can be found in QE2 uploads; the form should be dated no more than 90 days prior to the Benefits Orientation; obtain a new one if older. Review includes these details from the correspondence received from SSA along with the BPQY:
  • Status of client's Ticket to Work (TTW) (if applicable) 
  • Type and amounts of unearned income from benefits received from Social Security, including details of any overpayment, others paid on the record (if applicable), and details about the next projected medical review 
  • Date of next Continuing Disability Review (CDR), which may be the Age 18 redetermination of disability under the adult disability criteria.
  • Start and end date for the Extended Period of Eligibility, if applicable 
  • Health insurance received 
  • Other details, as applicable. See BPQY Handbook for detailed information about the document.
• Determine which document (Title XVI, or Title II or Concurrent Social Security Work Incentives Guide) is applicable to SSA disability benefits.
• Discuss these work incentives in detail with the student/authorized representative/representative payee:  
  • Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) for youth receiving SSI and informs the student/authorized representative/representative payee, as applicable:   
    • The SEIE applies to SSI earnings only. 
    • Earnings from the paid work-based learning experience may not affect other income-based family benefit programs but must be reported and determined to be excluded. (Income from work that is not a VR paid work-based learning will be an allowable exclusion under the SEIE for SSI/ SSDI benefits but may be included as income for other State/Federal, State, and Local benefits program budgets, as it would not be considered a training allowance.) 
• Emphasize that the student/ authorized representative/ representative payee should report student’s income to SSA and to note that the SEIE should apply. 

More information about the SEIE in easy-to-understand language can be found at Spotlight on Student Earned Income Exclusion. This information may be shared with the student, family, and representative payee.

If the SWD is receiving SSI or SSDI and is age 17:

• Explain to the student/ authorized representative/ representative payee they should report that the student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) with their school so SSA can consider that fact in the determination of continuation of benefits payments as an adult with disabilities.

Federal, State and/ or Local benefits:

• Explain to the student/ authorized representative/ representative payee that income must be reported to the agency administering the benefit (Housing authority, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), etc.) even though most programs consider such income as a training allowance, and it is not used in calculating the budget for benefits. 
  • Student/ authorized representative/ representative payee should report income from paid work-based learning experiences by calling 800-383-4278 for Economic Assistance programs or 855-632-7633 for Medicaid. 
  • DHHS may initiate the Earned Income Verification Request from (MC # 00878077) when income from a paid work-based learning experience is being reported. If initiated, DHHS will send the form to NDE HR.  If a Benefits Orientation Specialists receives the form, it should be forwarded to NDE HR for completion, with a note to report the income as a training allowance.

NOTE: When a student earns income from a job that is not a paid work-based learning experience, income from that job must also be reported to all agencies providing benefits, though the income may NOT be excluded from the budget calculation for some benefits. It is important that student/ authorized representative/ representative payee are aware of this distinction and know that reporting of income is required. 

If a student/ authorized representative/ representative payee need specific information about how benefits will be affected, a Benefits Assessment should be considered and requires the student to apply for VR services. A Benefits Assessment can be authorized after the student applies and is found eligible for VR Services. Benefits Analysis Services 

• Provide copies of all forms reviewed with and signed by the student and their authorized representative, as applicable. 
• Document the provision of Benefits Orientation in conjunction with the pre-employment transition service in QE2 as a Team Service and include details about the discussion of individual benefits and applicable work incentives. 
• Consult with your supervisor if questions or additional information is needed.