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Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Consumer Choice Option for Job Coaching Services

The Consumer Choices Option (CCO) is an option available under Home and Community Based Services Waivers that allows a waiver recipient to meet their needs by directly hiring employees and/or purchasing other goods and services.

Providing funding support to an IVRS JC to pay their CCO member for job coaching services is an allowable practice; however IVRS staff are encouraged to utilize approved Community Rehabilitation Providers with a thorough discussion occurring with the job candidate to ensure the benefit of all options (including the strengths and weakness of each) are explored.

If a decision is made to utilize a CCO job coach that is not an approved provider based on the JC’s informed choice, the situation needs to be closely monitored (as in all cases) to determine that progress and the quality of services are consistent with employment plan expectations. If IVRS determines there are concerns expressed or issues develop as a result of CCO job coaching services, intervention is required by IVRS staff which could result in not supporting the decision and changing the service provider, or not funding the service.

For the few cases in which an IVRS job candidate has an Individual Plan for Employment for Supported Employment (SE) and wants to hire their CCO provider as a job coach, IVRS can pay the job candidate to pay their CCO provider for job coaching services once the five provisions below are met.

Requirements for CCO Job Coaching

  1. Evidence must show that the member’s CCO provider is approved to provide services. This can be confirmed by IVRS having the member contact the CCO Division through Veridian at 319.226.4692 to verify the CCO provider passed their background check and is approved to provide services. If the individuals’ name is not in the Veridian system, proceed to #2.
  2. IVRS should obtain a copy of the Employment Agreement form that includes the signatures of both the JC and CCO member (either party can provide the completed form to IVRS).
  3. The proposed CCO job coach must connect with either the local IVRS office OR Resource Manager for CRP Contracts (currently Vienna Hoang) to review their requirement to complete and submit to IVRS a Supported Job Coaching Monthly Report.
  4. A CCO job coach is usually paid between $7.25 - $15.00 per hour which the JC as the employer of record is allowed to negotiate. The IVRS JC must inform the local IVRS office the payment rate once an agreement is reached between the JC and CCO member.
  5. A JC (as the employer) and their CCO employee(s) are bound to the Department of Labor requirements for wage and overtime. IVRS allows up to 120 hours (480 units) in funding support for SE Job Coaching within a two-month period, not to exceed a total expenditure for this service of $5,419.20. 

IVRS staff should remember:

  1. IVRS funding for CCO job coaching services are only authorized to the IVRS JC (not to CCO) after services have been provided.
  2. IVRS can only pay the JC for job coaching services provided by their selected CCO member: other services beyond job coaching provided by CCO to a JC are not funded by IVRS.
  3. The JC who receives CCO job coaching services funded by IVRS should be under age 24 since the Waiver funds job coaching services are for individuals age 24 and above.
  4. IVRS will not write a contract for CCO job coaching services, nor require any other form to be submitted from a CCO member with the exception of those listed in #2 & #3 in the prior section.
  5. Job coaching reports and visits should be monitored with the goal of a JC attaining stabilization consistent with the employment plan goals. The CCO process still involves a collaborative process of reporting outcomes and progress to IVRS. 
  6. A CCO job coach may not have had any official training and could benefit from one of the two options currently available for job coaching made available to CRP partners. CRP staff are required to have specific training and expertise that provides value to our job candidates and business partners. Information about job coach training options to share with CCO providers can be found in the Overview of the Menu of Services.

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