Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Post-Employment Services*

Definition

Post-employment services are provided to rehabilitated participants who are in need of additional services to maintain or stabilize employment. In these situations, a planned course of action is developed jointly with the participant and included in the case file as an amendment to the Individual Plan for Employment (IPE).

There are three criteria for the provision of post-employment services.

1. The participant’s prior vocational rehabilitation case has been successfully closured.
2. Post-employment services are necessary to maintain the participant in their current employment or in their current vocational objective (if additional job placement services are the post-employment services needed). Post-employment services are not appropriate for changing the vocational objective.
3. The services required are relatively simple and would not include complex patterns of services or major changes in the participant's abilities, or the vocational situation.

Scope and Duration of Post-Employment Services

In general, post-employment services may consist of any vocational rehabilitation service or combination of services, as long as they are not complex or are designed to change the vocational objective. These services are provided only if they are required to maintain current employment and cannot be covered by similar benefits or another funding source.

There are no specific time limits for the delivery of post-employment services. The duration of post-employment services is determined on individual need and on the requirements of the work situation.

Limitations on Post-Employment Services

As with any general rule, there are some exceptions.

1. Acute medical care is not provided as a post-employment service. Participant may be eligible for medical care for an exacerbation of a visual impairment when such treatment is needed to help retain employment, especially if the possibility was anticipated at closure.
2. Medical treatment for a new disability is not provided as a post-employment service. If a new disability occurs, the participant’s case is reopened and the vocational and medical impact of the new disability is evaluated.
3. Post-employment services may not be provided simply to upgrade a participant's financial position. However, post-employment services may be used to upgrade a participant's vocational functioning when the participant is employed significantly below their potential, no change in vocational objective will occur, and no extensive training is required.
   For example, a participant employed as an entry-level clerical worker may obtain a clerical job better suited to his/her skills and activities if brief additional training in 10 key adding machine operation is provided. This is an acceptable post-employment service, retraining the same clerk to be a computer programmer is not.
4. Training for a new vocational objective may not be provided as a post-employment service. Additional training for the same objective may be provided.

Return to New Participant Handbook Table of Contents