Where your future begins
Where your future begins
Status: Archived
Approved Date: April 13, 2020
1. Determine the need for a Paid OJE that matches the client’s occupational interests, training and job planning and readiness considerations.
2. Consult with the VR Benefits Specialist along with client if he/she is an SSDI and/or SSI recipient, the potential impact the wages from the OJE will have on his/her benefits.
3. Locate employer who is willing and able to provide an assessment/evaluation site for the OJE.
4. Negotiate the essential details of the OJE (start and end dates, evaluation schedule, knowledge, skills, abilities and/ or behaviors to be evaluated and the agreed upon level of follow-up).
5. Complete a Request for Certificate of Self-Insurance if employer requests written documentation of workers' compensation coverage.
6. In QE2, add Assessment Service On-the-Job Evaluation, Provider as NE- Dept of Education. If Assessment Supports are necessary to aid the OJE, add Assessment Support, choose required services, add Provider as Provider Type, City, and chosen Provider unless a Comparable Benefit is available.
7. Add OJE Initial Task Note per policy guidelines.
8. Complete the Consent for a Paid OJEOJT Placement form and obtain signature of the client and a VR representative.
9. Complete the I-9, W-4, and W-4N with the client. The local office I-9 contact should either be the staff member completing these forms with the client or reviewing the documents prior to submittal.
10. Complete the Direct Deposit Enrollment form (always) and the FOCUS Card Enrollment form if the client elects the debit card. Provide the client with the On-line Access to Pay Stub information.
11. Complete the OJE / OJT Information Form.
12. Scan the I-9, identification documentation, W-4, W-4N, OJE / OJT Information Form, Direct Deposit Enrollment form and FOCUS Card Enrollment form (if electing the debit card) and e-mail to nde.hr@nebraska.gov and vr.sofiscal@nebraska.gov as soon as possible in order receive approval prior to the OJE start date. Enter the First Name Initial and Full Last Name of the client in the subject line of the email.
13. Prepare Case Service Authorization as usual with NE DEPT OF EDUCATION-Rehab Client Training as the provider.
14. Upon State Office approval, print the authorization. OJE cannot start until authorization has been approved. Once approved, State Office staff will mail a letter to the client with the User ID and Password needed to access his/her paystub.
15. Upon acknowledgment of receipt by NDE HR, shred original documents.
16. Prepare the OJE/OJT Letter Checklist, OJE Letter (paid or unpaid) and State OJE/OJT Timesheet/Invoice.
17. Give OJE Letter, Timesheets, Bi-Weekly Payroll Schedule and any assessment report to be used to the work site supervisor prior to start of the OJE.
18. If OJE is being done within Nebraska VR, please submit Request Temporary Access form and Confidentiality Agreement.
19. Instruct work site supervisor where and when to submit Time Sheets.
20. Monitor OJE as agreed upon with on-site supervisor who will provide verbal feedback on client's performance at least monthly and the VR Specialist or designee will document the information on the On-the-Job Report.
Encourage the employer to provide timely feedback and direction to the client as it is needed on the evaluation site. In addition, assessment/evaluation results are verbally provided by the employer to the VR Specialist or their designee at a minimum of once per month. The VR Specialist or designee will complete the On-the-Job Report. This includes the employer's ratings of the client for Unsatisfactory, Developing, Average, Above Average, and Exceeds. Detailed comments and specific examples provide valuable feedback.
21. Process OJE Timesheet/Invoice
NOTE: Each of the benefits programs administered by Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and each Housing Authority has eligibility requirements—some are income based, while others include additional non-income-based criteria. It is important to inform the client that income earned in an OJE could affect individual / family benefits. Such benefits include, but are not limited to: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Energy Assistance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and Housing Assistance. The individual/family will need to report income to DHHS, and any other entities providing benefits, such as the local Housing Authority. The program that administers the benefit will determine whether the OJE income can be excluded based on the agency’s eligibility criteria.
DHHS will request that an employer complete the Earned Income Verification Request, Form MC #00580296. When VR (NDE) is the employer of record for paid OJE activities, the VR staff will be required to complete the form.
22. Changes to OJE
Additional hours - if additional hours are added to an OJE beyond what was on the original authorization and OJE/OJT Information Form:
Extending end date - if the end date of an OJE needs to be extended:
NOTE: NDE Central Accounting does not need to be notified of date extensions or additional hours added to an existing OJE.
23. New OJE
If a client is starting a new OJE (different job), complete the OJE/OJT Information form and email to NDE HR (NDE.HR@nebraska.gov). Remaining steps of the process are the same.
24. Completion or Termination of OJE
25. Enter OJE Conclusion Task Note per policy guidelines.
26. Document summary in Vocational Evaluation report (CWA, OJE, or WBLE Observation section).
27. Upload On-the-Job Reports.to Vocational Evaluation Report as outlined in policy guidelines.
1. Determine the need for a Non-paid OJE that matches the client’s occupational interests, training and job planning and readiness considerations.
2. Locate employer who is willing and able to provide an assessment/evaluation site for a non-paid OJE.
3. Negotiate the essential details of the non-paid OJE (start and end dates, evaluation schedule, knowledge, skills, abilities and/ or behaviors to be evaluated and the agreed upon level of general supervision by VR).
4. Provide employer a copy of the Volunteer/Non-Paid Accident Coverage Letter if requested.
5. In QE2, add Assessment Service On-the-Job Evaluation, Provider as NE- Dept of Education. If Assessment Supports are necessary to aid the OJE, add Assessment Support, choose required services and add Provider as Provider Type, City, and chosen Provider unless a Comparable Benefit is available.
6. Add OJE Initial Task Note per policy guidelines.
7. Complete the Consent for a Non-Paid On-the-Job Evaluation or On-the-Job Training Placement form and obtain signature of the client and a VR representative.
8. Complete paperwork per these instructions.
9. VR staff provide general supervision of non-paid OJE.
10. Confirm completion or termination of non-paid OJE with exploration/assessment site and client.
11. Enter OJE Conclusion Task Note per policy guidelines.
12. Document summary in Vocational Evaluation report (CWA, OJE, or WBLE Observation section) as outlined in policy guidelines.
13. Upload On-the-Job Reports.to Vocational Evaluation Report.
Purpose
The intent of an On-the-Job Evaluation (OJE) is to facilitate targeted assessment and/or career planning opportunities for the VR specialist and the client. In assessment, OJE may help determine eligibility and/or priority group status. An OJE may be useful during career planning and anytime in case services to address and explore strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and labor market information.
An OJE may be beneficial while providing placement services if a client is having difficulty obtaining employment. A “soft touch” approach through an OJE may be necessary. This may provide a client and business the following opportunities:
* During Order of Selection, all rapid engagement activities, including OJE, are unavailable to clients until client comes off the waiting list. Use CWA- Community Work Assessment to determine eligibility and prioritization.
Paid OJE - Conducted with a government office (federal, state, county, or city) or a private business with the client being set up and paid as a student worker on the Department of Education payroll. The client chooses whether to be paid by direct deposit to a checking or savings account or by a debit card. Liability coverage for this arrangement is covered by the State of Nebraska Workers’ Compensation policy.
Non-paid OJE - Conducted at any employment site with the client not receiving a wage or being set up as employee. The VR agency is responsible for the general supervision of the client at the evaluation site. Liability coverage for this arrangement is covered by the State of Nebraska's blanket accident policy. Call 1-800-346-7692 and hit #1 for Claims. Policy Holder: State of Nebraska Policy Number: SRG 0009141321-B
OJE Justification and Documentation
1. OJE initial task note must articulate a clear rationale for the OJE, including if being used for assessment, eligibility and/or prioritization, or how the OJE facilitates career planning and aligns with goals of the existing IPE or potentially amended job goal.
a. Define general on and off-site objectives for the client specific to:
b. Indicate that the rationale and objectives have been discussed with the client, authorized representative, job coach, and employer.
2. OJE conclusion task note should consist of a general summary from the employer and a note to reference the Vocational Evaluation report for more information and next steps.
3. Document in Vocational Evaluation report (CWA, OJE, or WBLE Observation section):
4. Upload On-The-Job Reports to Vocational Evaluation Report.
NOTE: Each of the benefits programs administered by Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and each Housing Authority has eligibility requirements—some are income based, while others include additional non-income-based criteria. It is important to inform the client that income earned in an OJE could affect individual / family benefits. Such benefits include, but are not limited to: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Energy Assistance, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and Housing Assistance. The individual/family will need to report income to DHHS, and any other entities providing benefits, such as the local Housing Authority. The program that administers the benefit will determine whether the OJE income can be excluded based on the agency’s eligibility criteria.
DHHS will request that an employer complete the Earned Income Verification Request, Form MC #00580296. When VR (NDE) is the employer of record for paid OJE activities, the VR staff will be required to complete the form.
An OJE may be terminated by the assessment/evaluation site staff, VR or the client/authorized representative at any time.
There is no expectation for the assessment/evaluation site to hire a client following an OJE.
More than one OJE can be conducted if appropriate.
Paid-OJE - To report an injury/accident requiring medical attention or to report an injury/accident with no medical attention, staff need to contact NDE HR at 402.471.5026 to obtain the necessary forms/process on behalf of the client. Follow-up by completing and submitting the attached Client Incident/Accident/Injury Report form. Liability coverage for this arrangement is covered by the State of Nebraska's Workers’ Compensation policy.
Non-paid OJE - Conducted at any employment site with the client not receiving a wage or being set up as employee. The VR agency is responsible for the general supervision of the client at the evaluation site. Liability coverage for this arrangement is covered by the State of Nebraska's blanket accident policy. Call 1-800-346-7692 and hit #1 for Claims. Policy Holder: State of Nebraska Policy Number: SRG 0009141321-B. Follow-up by completing and submitting the attached Client Incident/Accident/Injury Report form.
On-the-Job Report
Choose what experience the report is needed for from the pull-down menu at the top. In the same location, a reminder of frequency of completion is listed (note: timelines vary). VR staff are responsible for completing this document. If a job coach or employee at the work site prefers to fill it out, document agreement in a task note and follow up to inquire further, ensuring VR is receiving detailed and usable feedback.