Vocational rehabilitation to implement order of selection after RSA approval; $5M in governor's proposal won't prevent wait list

Pennsylvania's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 24 that the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration approved the state's request to implement an "order of selection," a process that limits services to the most-significantly-disabled individuals when federal funding and state match are insufficient.

Secretary Walker said the agency received RSA approval Feb. 20 and planned staff training and family notifications in advance of implementing the order of selection in March. "We anticipate that that will affect about 2,200 people," Walker said, adding that individuals already receiving services under individualized employment plans would continue to be served.

The governor proposed an additional $5 million for OVR in the next fiscal year. OVR officials told lawmakers that $5 million would not prevent the order of selection; they estimated roughly $15 million in additional state funding would be required to avoid placing new applicants on a wait list.

Ryan Hyde, executive director of the OVR office that manages vocational rehabilitation services, explained programs the funds support, including the My Work program and summer internship and academy programs for students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing. Hyde said state-funded Centers for Independent Living (CILs) — nine in the commonwealth receive state support — would split a separate proposed $1 million increase equally. "The CILs provide . . . counseling and individual and systems advocacy, information referral services, and IL skills training," Hyde said; the new funds would allow small CILs to hire staff or expand outreach.

Separately, lawmakers asked about the Assistive Technology Lending Library within OVR. Department witnesses said the library helps people try expensive adaptive equipment before buying and that Temple'affiliated lending services made roughly 1,700 equipment loans last year, with more than 1,000 loans to new users.

Why it matters: The order of selection reflects a federally required prioritization when funds are insufficient and will create a wait list for new applicants who are not assessed as the most-significantly-disabled. Lawmakers pressed whether additional state funds could prevent the wait list and asked how proposed increases would be allocated.

Ending: OVR officials said they would notify affected families and train staff before implementation and asked the legislature to consider additional funding to minimize service reductions.