RSA-227 for FY-2021: Submission #1199

Provide some examples of some interesting cases during the past fiscal year. A college student with autism was in the process of finishing his undergraduate degree in education and starting his student teaching requirement. Due to COVID-19, his college had closed its dorms and he had moved off campus to live with his mother. This caused VRS to reassess his consumer financial participation status and assign him responsibility of 67% for the upcoming semester tuition and fee costs, which came to several thousand dollars. Neither the student nor his mother could afford to pay that amount – the student had amassed student loans of almost $40,000 and had earned only about $5,000 in the past year, and the mother was in the process of recovering from a recent bankruptcy, caused in part by her son’s disability-related expenses. They called CAP, which investigated the case and submitted an exception request on their behalf, citing federal regulations that require state VR agencies, when imposing consumer financial participation amounts, to be reasonable, based on consumers’ actual financial needs and not used to effectively deny consumers needed VR services. VRS granted the request, enabling the student to move forward with his last semester of college and prepare himself for a career teaching physical education to elementary and middle school students.

A deaf Somali man living in Minneapolis with his family had an Employment Plan to attend commercial truck driving training in Winona, about 2 hours away from Minneapolis. He needed to stay in Winona during his training, but VRS had a $500 per month limitation on maintenance for his VR-related living expenses during his training program. On top of that, VRS was prorating the $500 amount to the number of days of the month he was actually attending training. He contacted CAP for help, and CAP staff submitted a request on his behalf to, at the very least, allow him the full $500 in maintenance per month for him to afford some motel stays. This request was granted and the consumer was able to continue with his truck driving training.

A 55 year old woman living in Mankato called CAP after trying to access SSB vocational rehabilitation services for several months without success. She had received SSB VR services previously but had been employed for some time and hadn't needed those services. Her disabilities had worsened, but the SSB counselor in Mankato assigned to her case refused to take an application for services or provide any services. The woman also experienced communication with the SSB counselor where it sounded like the counselor was preparing meals at home and not providing VR services. Once contacted, CAP staff quickly intervened, contacting an SSB manager in the VR program and advocating on behalf of the client for services. The manager agreed, and SSB staff received an application for services from the client, found her eligible, and started working with her to develop an IPE so that she could finally get the services she needed to be employed again.


A woman living in out-state Southern Minnesota had mental illness. She experienced difficulties on the job as a caregiver and was concerned that her VR case was closed prematurely, as she needed more job supports and her employment services provider, Goodwill, refused to work with her further. CAP staff advised the consumer and investigated, learning that her VR case had been closed after 90 days and a successful placement. CAP staff then called the VR office Regional Area Manager to advocate on her behalf to re-open her case for post-employment services. The manager agreed, and the consumer’s case was re-opened with VR contacting her to develop a written employment plan for further services.



A man with physical and mental disabilities was living in Duluth and wanting to return to work. He applied for VR services but was put on a waiting list. When he came off the waiting list he had conflict with the VR counselor assigned to work with him and felt disrespected by that person. He then called MDLC for help. CAP staff investigated his case and immediately called the VRS office supervisor/regional area manager, explained the situation and asked if the consumer could be assigned to work with a different VR counselor. This request was quickly granted and the consumer proceeded to develop an Employment Plan for VR services. Meanwhile, his job search efforts were rewarded with a job offer from Walgreens in Duluth, for a full-time position with benefits and training to become a pharmacy technician. He updated CAP staff and asked for resources for making a living will and doing estate planning. CAP staff directed him to fact sheets from mnlawhelp.org and also referred him to a private attorney practicing in that law area.



An African-American man with mental illness was living in outstate Minnesota. His mental illness symptoms greatly exacerbated and as a consequence he missed several appointments with his VR counselor. The counselor was not understanding about this and the consumer felt disrespected by the counselor. He called CAP for help, and a CAP staff member investigated his case and called the regional area manager to request a new VR counselor on the consumer’s behalf. The VRS manager agreed to this request and reassigned the consumer to work with a different counselor, who was female and had more understanding of mental illness and its impact on individuals trying to access VR services. CAP staff communicated the counselor change to the consumer, who was very happy with the result and was able then to progress with his vocational rehabilitation program.



A woman with mental illness and sensory/auditory sensitivities was working as a state employee in the Twin Cities and also receiving VR services. Unhappy with her VR counselor, she had requested and been granted reassignment to a different VR counselor. She was still concerned, however, that her former counselor had bad-mouthed her in the case notes made available to her new counselor. She called CAP for help, and CAP staff assisted her in getting a copy of her VRS casefile, reviewing it and advising her on its contents. Thankfully, her former counselor had put very little about her in the case notes, which provided her with reassurance as she moved forward with the VR process and her new VR counselor.



A man living in the Twin Cities with mental illness and learning disabilities was working as a delivery truck driver but went on medical leave due to exacerbation of depression symptoms. He needed more help than he was getting from his VR counselor and Center for Independent Living (CIL) staff about understanding his rights and options going forward. Due to his learning disabilities, he found it especially difficult to understand and complete the short term disability paperwork the insurance company and he had difficulty communicating effectively withthem. He also needed to understand how the reasonable accommodation process worked and how to request a reasonable accommodation, in the event he was ready to return to work. CAP staff advised the consumer about reasonable accommodations and worked to help him navigate the disability benefits system, including getting VRS and the CIL to provide more assistance to help him maintain his short-term disability benefits, which enabled him to maintain his mental health treatment. CAP staff also advised the consumer about his rights in the VR process, including his right to the administrative appeals process if he was denied necessary VR services. With this advice and assistance, the consumer was able to continue forward with the VR process and gained the information he needed to make informed decisions about short term and long term disability benefits and returning to work.