Supported Employment Services for Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities

To assist States in developing collaborative programs with appropriate public and private non-profit organizations to provide supported employment services for individuals with the most significant disabilities.

The Supported Employment (SE) State Grants program assists States in developing collaborative programs with appropriate public and private non-profit organizations to provide supported employment services for individuals with the most significant disabilities. The program provides formula-based supplemental funding to State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to assist VR consumers with the most significant disabilities in achieving the employment outcome of supported employment.

The State VR agency designated in the VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State plan to administer the VR program is eligible to receive Federal funds under this program.

Individuals with the most significant disabilities who have been determined eligible for VR services under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act and whose individualized plan for employment identifies supported employment as the employment outcome.

Federal grant funds are awarded to State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies to supplement services provided under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act to assist individuals with the most significant disabilities with needed supported employment services once they have achieved employment. Supported employment enables individuals with the most significant disabilities who, because of the nature and severity of their disability, need ongoing support, including intensive supported employment services followed by extended services after the individual's ability to perform the job with support has stabilized, in order to maintain competitive integrated employment. State VR agencies use funds to provide services and supports such as: job coaching; skilled job trainers who accompany the worker for intensive on-the-job training; follow-up services; extended services for youth; and other services on or off the job site that are needed to support an individual in employment. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Public Law 113-128), enacted on July 22, 2014, requires States to reserve and expend half of their allotment for the Supported Employment Services program to provide supported employment services for youth with the most significant disabilities. States must provide a 10% match for that half of the allotment reserved for such youth. States are also permitted to provide extended services for up to four years to eligible youth with the most significant disabilities. Supported Employment (SE) grant funds are used by State VR agencies to help pay the costs of providing supported employment services to individuals with the most significant disabilities, consistent with their individualized plan for employment under the VR State Grants program (see CFDA 84.126). VR funds are used to pay the costs associated with assessment and the determination of eligibility, as well as other needed VR services prior to placement in supported employment.

Contact program office for additional information.

Funds become available for obligations for the fiscal year for which they are appropriated and may remain available for obligation for an additional year provided there is an unobligated balance of Federal funds that were matched, as applicable, in the year of the award.

Not applicable (Catalog users should contact the State Vocational Rehabilitation agency for criteria).

Grant awards are made to States with an approved supported employment supplement to the VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State plan. States are notified of their annual allotment under the statutory funding formula. Grant funds are withdrawn under the Electronic Transfer System.

States are required to submit four-year Unified or Combined State Plans, including the VR services portion of that State Plan. At the end of the first two-year period of the State Plan, States must submit modifications to reflect changes or factors affecting the implementation of the State Plan. States must submit both the four-year State Plan and the two-year modification to the Plan to the U.S. Department of Labor. States submitted the Program Year (PY) 2024 through 2027 State Plans in Spring 2024, with an effective date of July 1, 2024. States must submit their modification to that State Plan in Spring 2026, with an effective date of July 1, 2026. The next four-year State Plan will be due in Spring 2028.

Approval of the Unified or Combined State Plan, including the VR services portion of that plan, is governed by sections 102 or 103 of Title I of WIOA.

Appeal procedures are governed by sections 102 or 103 of Title I of WIOA, as appropriate.