11.9 Amending the IPE

The IPE shall be amended whenever deemed necessary and appropriate by the individual and the DVR Counselor to meet the individual’s vocational rehabilitation needs. Amending the IPE is required whenever there is any substantive change in the IPE including but not limited to:

● Changes in the planned employment outcome.

● The vocational rehabilitation services to be provided.

● The provider(s) of the vocational rehabilitation services.

● Other provision(s) deemed appropriate by the individual and the DVR Counselor.

The DVR Counselor shall document the rationale for any change to the IPE ensuring that all additional services and goods are necessary to the employment outcome and the identified rehabilitation needs of the individual.

The individual or their authorized representative may prepare the amended IPE without assistance, jointly with the DVR Counselor, with a qualified rehabilitation counselor other than the DVR Counselor, a disability advocacy organization, or any other resource. All of the requirements for the development, preparation, and content of the IPE shall apply to the development, preparation, and content of an amended IPE. The amended IPE shall be provided in writing to the individual in the preferred language or mode of communication of the individual or the individual’s authorized representative.

The amended IPE shall be approved, signed, and dated by the individual and by the DVR Counselor before its provisions take effect.

An urgent vocational rehabilitation need is one that requires the immediate provision of a good or service:

● To avoid placing the individual at extreme medical or psychological risk.

● To save an existing job placement.

● To enable the individual to participate in planned services that shall begin within two weeks from the date the urgent need is identified.

In such a circumstance, the DVR Counselor shall obtain supervisory approval to arrange and/or pay for a good or service to address the urgent vocational rehabilitation need. The IPE shall be amended, signed, and dated by both the individual and the DVR Counselor within 30 calendar days of authorizing a good or service to meet an urgent vocational rehabilitation need. Authorization for such goods or services is limited to one month until the amended IPE is signed and dated.

Before completion of a written authorization for the urgent service or good, the DVR Counselor shall document and ensure that the individual has been provided the opportunity to exercise informed choice in selecting the new good or service, the provider(s) furnishing the good or service, and the method to provide and/or procure the good or service to meet the urgent need; and the individual has been apprised of and verbally agrees to the amended IPE provisions.

Each IPE will contain estimated end dates representing the date on which the DVR Counselor and individual receiving services anticipate the provision of vocational services will draw to a close. When an end date has occurred or the annual review of the IPE is due and rehabilitation services are not immediately needed, a period of time may lapse between approved plans for employment. This may occur when the DVR Counselor and the individual determine additional assessment is necessary to reevaluate the employment goal and/or the nature and scope of services, when no services are immediately required, when the DVR Counselor is monitoring the individual’s employment without the ongoing provision of vocational rehabilitation services, or in other similar situations. During such periods of time, services are limited to necessary assessment, information and referral, and vocational counseling and guidance required to amend the IPE or monitor the stability of employment. As soon as sufficient information is available, the IPE will be amended.