Vocational Futures Planning and Support

Employment services are now available for participants of long-term care services under the Medicaid home and community-based waivers. The programs included are Family Care, Partnership, IRIS the Community Options Program Waiver (COP-W) and the Community Integration Program II (CIP II).

In 2002, Wisconsin received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand habilitation services to include employment services for elders and people with physical disabilities. Specifically, employment services -- defined as "vocational futures planning" (VFP) -- were added as an allowable service for COP-W and CIP II participants. With the approval of the subsequent home and community-based waivers for Family Care, Partnership and Iris, vocational futures planning was expanded to include support after an individual was hired to ensure that they were able to maintain their employment. The new service is Vocational Futures Planning and Support (VFPS).

Vocational futures planning and support is a consumer-directed, team-based comprehensive service package that helps waiver participants obtain, maintain or advance in employment. Find out more about VFPS: http://www.percthinkwork.org/education/courses/VFP_Intro 

What does this mean to consumers with physical disabilities who require long-term support services in out long-term support waivers?

• Access to employment services, such as identifying barriers to employment and ways to reduce or eliminate the barriers, interviewing and resume writing skills training, and assessing assistive technology needs for the job.

• Access to work incentives benefits counseling and information on a comprehensive array of government benefits and programs, such as the Social Security work incentive program (Plan for Achieving Self Support, or PASS).

• Assistance in maintaining needed benefits like medical and long-term care services, such as the Medicaid Purchase Plan (MAPP).

• Ongoing support and coordination of medical, long-term care and employment services.

To participate, Family Care, Partnership, COP-W and CIP II participants should contact their long-term care manager and request information about vocational futures planning and support. IRIS participants should work with their independent consultant.

For more information, e-mail the Division of Medicaid Services.