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  • Benefits of Partnership Plus
  • What is Partnership Plus and How Does it Work?
  • Common Partnership Plus Models
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• Ticket and the VR Process
  • Cost Reimbursement, Ticket, and the VR Process
  • Changes in Administrative Procedures
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  • Case Closure
  • Facilitating Informed Choice for Beneficiaries
• Partnerships: The Key to it All
  • Interagency Agreements
  • Does Partnership Plus Require a Referral Agreement?
  • VR and an EN Partnering as a Single EN
  • Partnership Plus and Incentive Payments
  • Partnership Plus and Post-Employment Services
  • Partnership Plus and Supported Employment Services
  • VR’s Role in Developing Partnerships
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Benefits of Partnership Plus: Streamlining, Stabilizing, and Serving

Partnership Plus offers many options to all involved. It has the potential to be a win-win-win situation for beneficiaries, VR agencies and ENs.

Benefits to Beneficiaries

Partnership Plus allows a seamless handoff of services to an EN after the State VR agency closes a beneficiary’s case. This can benefit beneficiaries in many ways, including:

• Making individualized, sequential services available to beneficiaries.
• Strengthening partnerships between VR and ENs to expand the scope of employment and training services and supports available to beneficiaries.
• Improving the coordination of services and supports available to beneficiaries.  Allowing beneficiaries that require more intensive support to be served by VR, stabilized in employment, and provided up to three to five additional years of employment support by an EN.
• Providing new funding to support ongoing services and supports for beneficiaries in Supported Employment programs.
• Allowing beneficiaries who may require extensive training supports or academic preparation to receive those services from VR while preserving their Ticket for later use in securing post-employment or job retention services.
• Providing additional resources to cultivate career paths for beneficiaries who seek to advance in employment or secure higher paying jobs.

Benefits to Employment Networks

ENs will also realize significant benefits as a result of the new Partnership Plus option for service delivery, including:

• Increased collaboration/communication.
• Flexible program services and supports.
• An alternative source of funding to support work an EN is already doing.
• Unrestricted funds that can be used to serve more people, expand the scope of services offered, start new programs, create a flexible job fund, buy new equipment, etc.
• Ability to work with a beneficiary during a single time period or during multiple time periods. For example, an EN can function as a VR vendor while the VR case is open, obtain Ticket assignment after VR case closure, and secure Phase 2 Milestone and Outcomes payments as the beneficiary continues working and increases his/her earnings.

Benefits to State VR Agencies

• Strengthens all partners in the system by increasing Cost Reimbursement payments to VR agencies and Ticket payments to ENs.
• Emphasizes collaborative relationships that focus on providing beneficiaries access long-term employment supports  
• Focuses on long-term competitive employment
• Provides an alternative for Ticket Holders who seek VR services and are placed on a waiting list based on the implementation of an Order of Selection.
• Gives beneficiaries the opportunity to receive services and supports from an EN prior to the opening of a VR case in an effort to increase the benefit of VR services when they are provided.
• Reduces the number of VR cases that need to be reopened by providing beneficiaries access to ongoing support services or job retention services that may enable beneficiaries to retain their employment.
• Creates an opportunity to receive compensation for cases that are closed out as “unsuccessful.” For example, when an EN receives a beneficiary’s Ticket assignment and provides services that allow the beneficiary to earn above SGA (plus the applicable tolerance level) for 9 months within a 12 month period, VR will be able to submit a CR claim for the initial services as long as they can demonstrate that the services provided by VR contributed to the beneficiary’s successful outcome.
• Provides the opportunity for ENs to be involved in identifying and referring beneficiaries to VR for services.
• Emphasizes maintaining and expanding best practices and ethical standards and support for consumer rights and choices by ensuring that beneficiaries understand their options and choices under the TTW program.
• Ensures that the intent and requirements of Title 1 of the Rehabilitation Act are achieved.

SSA expects to see CR payments to State VR agencies as much as double or triple in two to three years of implementing the new Ticket regulations.To learn more about the potential to increase the program income that a VR agency receives from SSA, check out “Partnership Plus: Examples of Potential for Increasing Cost Reimbursement Payments” (DOC).