(1) The department must conduct an assessment for determining vocational rehabilitation needs, if appropriate, for each eligible individual, or if the department is operating under an order of selection, for each eligible individual to whom the department is able to provide services.

(2) The purpose of this assessment is to determine the employment outcome, and the nature and scope of vocational rehabilitation services to be included in the individualized plan for employment, in accordance with WAC 67-25-230.

(3) To the extent possible, current data is to be used for the comprehensive assessment, including:

(a) Data provided by the eligible individual and his or her family;

(b) Information available from other programs and providers such as schools and the Social Security Administration;

(4) When additional data is necessary, the comprehensive assessment must consider the unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capacities, interests, informed choice, and the need for supported employment services of the eligible individual.

(a) Any activities, if necessary, utilized to provide comprehensive assessment data must be conducted in the most integrated setting possible.

(b) The comprehensive assessment must be limited to information necessary to identify the rehabilitation needs and develop the individualized plan for employment with the eligible individual, and, as necessary, may include:

(i) A comprehensive analysis of pertinent medical, psychiatric, psychological, and other pertinent vocational, educational, cultural, social, recreational, and environmental factors affecting the employment and rehabilitation needs of the individual;

(ii) An analysis of the individual's personality, interests, interpersonal skills, intelligence and related functions, educational achievements, work experience, vocational aptitudes, personal, cultural, environmental, and recreational adjustments, and employment opportunities;

(iii) Work in a real job situation or use of other available data to evaluate or develop work behaviors and capacities necessary to achieve a competitive and integrated employment outcome. This includes an appraisal of the eligible individual's pattern of work behaviors and identification of services needed to acquire occupational skills and to develop work attitudes, work habits, work tolerance, and social and behavior patterns suitable for successful job performance;

(iv) Assessment of the need for the provision of rehabilitation technology to develop the capacities of the individual to perform in a competitive and integrated work environment, consistent with the individual's informed choice.

(5)(a) Information pertaining to conditions or circumstances, such as criminal record, INS identity and work status that restricts the type of employment the customer can legally perform must be disclosed to the department prior to development of the individualized plan for employment.

(b) Background checks may be secured as a vocational rehabilitation assessment service for a participant who is seeking employment in a field that customarily requires a background check as a condition of employment. The department may obtain a federal criminal history background check verifying that the participant is not excluded from employment in the field or specific job as part of the eligible individual's informed choice in exploring or selecting an employment goal.

(6) If the department becomes aware of a condition or circumstance that may affect the customer's ability to achieve a competitive and integrated employment outcome after the individualized plan for employment has been developed, the vocational rehabilitation counselor will conduct necessary assessment services, including a work skills assessment, in accordance with WAC 67-25-220, to determine whether the individual is capable of achieving the employment outcome identified in the individualized plan for employment.

(7) If an eligible individual declines to authorize the release of information or to participate in vocational rehabilitation services necessary to collect pertinent information for development of an appropriate individualized plan for employment, the vocational rehabilitation counselor will close the case service record in accordance with WAC 67-25-575 and 67-25-593.

PDFWAC 67-25-205

Assessment—Comprehensive.