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• Partnerships: The Key to it All
  • Interagency Agreements
  • Does Partnership Plus Require a Referral Agreement?
  • VR and an EN Partnering as a Single EN
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  • VR’s Role in Developing Partnerships
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Partnerships: The Key to It All

How each State VR agency decides to pursue partnerships under the new Ticket regulations and what different partnership agreements will look like will depend on many factors, including

• the State Plan for VR services,
• the agency’s annual goals and objectives,
• the agency’s chosen service delivery model (CR, EN, Partnership Plus, combination)
• whether the agency has easy access to information on beneficiary earnings, and
• what the agency hopes to accomplish by partnering with ENs.

Interagency Agreements under the New Ticket to Work Regulations

Around the country, ENs and VR agencies are entering into agreements to facilitate:

• a coordinated system of services for beneficiaries addressing job retention services;
• structured referrals,
• the provision of ongoing supports;
• sharing of information on beneficiary service needs and earnings;
• equitable revenue sharing; and
• systems of incentive payments

Some agreements are formal and some are very informal.

Are Agreements Required When an EN Refers a Ticket Holder to VR for Services?

If an EN is referring a beneficiary and keeping the Ticket assignment, a referral agreement is necessary.  This prevision in the prior Ticket regulations did not change (see Section 411.400-430). The intent was that such agreements would be broad in scope, addressing the conditions under which VR would provide services to beneficiaries whose Tickets are assigned to the referring EN and explaining how the EN will compensate VR for providing those services. While these agreements are generally broadly worded, an EN and a VR agency may enter into an agreement that is specific to certain situations, sub-populations, or localities. 

If the beneficiary decides to un-assign his/her Ticket from the EN when seeking assistance from VR or if the EN un-assigns the beneficiary’s Ticket, such an agreement would not be necessary. Resolving the issue of Ticket assignment is important because a VR agency cannot file a CR claim for any period during which a beneficiary’s Ticket was assigned to an EN.

Check out a sample EN-VR referral agreement (DOC).

What Options Does VR Have When a Beneficiary Whose Ticket Is Assigned Seeks VR Services?

If a beneficiary who is seeking assistance from VR has a Ticket that is already assigned to an EN, the State VR agency has a number of options.

• The State VR agency can contact the EN and ask that the Ticket be un-assigned so that VR can either serve the beneficiary under CR or secure the Ticket assignment and serve the beneficiary as an EN.
• The VR Counselor can ask the beneficiary to un-assign his/her Ticket while VR is providing services.