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MISSISSIPPI

[PROGRAM COMPONENTS: TANF WORK PROGRAM ACTIVITIES DEFINED]

Revised 08-01-12

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES (This is not a federally defined work activity.) TANF applicants and recipients who have been determined to be incapacitated (eligible for the JB code) or who report they are unable to work will be required to apply for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and complete the vocational rehabilitation intake process. Mandatory referrals will be determined by the eligibility worker and identified by the “VRvocational rehabilitation” TWP (JOBS) Program Status Code. These individuals will be required to complete the TANF Work Program (TWP) intake process prior to being referred to the Department of Rehabilitation Services, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, for evaluation/testing. TANF applicants must fully complete both the TWP and VR intake processes prior to TANF approval. TANF application processing timeliness standards apply. TANF recipients who are determined to be incapacitated and are found eligible for vocational rehabilitation services will be considered a TWP participant. Refer to Volume III, Chapter 3, Referrals to Vocational Rehabilitation, for additional information. Referral to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation The case manager will work with the OVR designee, at the local level, to schedule VR intake appointments with VR counselors. VR intake appointments must be scheduled within ten days from the date of the TWP intake appointment. The case manager will generate a Vocational Rehabilitation Referral (T022) to document and inform the individual of the appointment date and time with the VR Counselor. The individual will take (CM may fax) the T022 and a copy of the MDHS-EA-331, along with any other medical documentation, to the VR appointment and present the paperwork to the VR Counselor. The VR Counselor will not interview a TANF applicant or recipient without the proper medical documentation. The VR Counselor will complete Section B, Page Two, of the T022 and mail or fax the completed form to the MDHS county office. The T022 for TANF applicants will be printed by the case manager when the <PF5> key is pressed on the MUJS screen. The T022 for TANF recipients will automatically print at the case manager’s local printer when the MPWA screen is processed successfully. NOTE: Timeliness standards for processing TANF applications apply. If the VR Counselor has good cause for not completing the VR intake process timely, the case manager will enter the “NR-not required” code on the MUJS screen to allow the eligibility worker to process the TANF application.