6A-25.017. Case Closure

(1) A case shall be closed when the individual has achieved an employment outcome, is determined ineligible, is not available, declines further service, or when the individual’s actions or inactions materially interfere with providing services.

(2) Successfully Rehabilitated. For an individual to be considered successfully rehabilitated, the individual must have been:

(a) Determined to be eligible;

(b) Provided an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs;

(c) Provided services from the division in accordance with the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE); and,

(d) Determined to have achieved and maintained an employment outcome for at least ninety (90) days.

(3) Closure for Reasons Other Than Rehabilitated. An individual’s case record may also be closed for the following reasons:

(a) The individual has moved without a forwarding address, cannot be located or contacted, is otherwise unavailable, or has left the state and shows no intentions of continuing in their vocational rehabilitation program;

(b) The individual’s mental or physical disability has been documented as too severe for the individual to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services in terms of employment;

(c) The individual chooses not to participate or continue in his or her vocational rehabilitation program;

(d) Death;

(e) The individual has entered an institution and will be unavailable to participate in a vocational rehabilitation program for an indefinite or considerable period of time. Institutions include, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and jails, and treatment centers;

(f) The individual needs services that are more appropriately attained elsewhere. Transfer to the other agency indicates that appropriate referral information is forwarded to the other agency so that agency may provide services more effectively;

(g) The individual’s actions or inactions make it impossible to begin or continue a vocational rehabilitation program. Examples of actions or inactions that materially interfere with providing services include:

1. Unreasonable failure to sign an IPE or an amendment to an IPE, or violations of the IPE;

2. Continued unavailability or continued failure to keep scheduled appointments;

3. Repeated failure to comply with reasonable requests for diagnostic assessments, or

4. Threatening bodily harm to division employees or destruction of division property.

(h) The individual is not eligible for vocational rehabilitation services because no physical or mental impairment exists;

(i) The individual is not eligible for vocational rehabilitation services because his or her physical or mental impairment does not constitute a substantial impediment to employment;

(j) The individual may have benefited from the provision of supported employment services but no source of extended services was available;

(k) The individual received services and was placed in a non-integrated setting for a public or non-profit organization, or

(l) Other reasons as appropriate in the circumstances.

(4) Post-Employment Closures. The division may close the case of an individual to whom the division has provided post-employment services and who has achieved employment thereby, or for other appropriate reason.

Rulemaking Authority 413.22, 1001.02 FS. Law Implemented 413.24, 413.28, 413.30 FS. History–New 5-14-12, Formerly 38J-1.007.