Partnership Plus models are designed to promote cooperation, collaboration and creativity in the provision of services and supports to assist beneficiaries with disabilities to achieve long-term employment success leading to economic self-support. These models offer many benefits to all involved: beneficiaries, State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, and Employment Networks (EN).

Beneficiaries: A seamless handoff of services to an EN after a State VR agency closes a beneficiary's Cost Reimbursement (CR) case can benefit beneficiaries by:

• Expanding the scope of long term services available to beneficiaries
• Allowing beneficiaries to receive intensive, up-front services from State VR agencies while preserving their Tickets to secure ongoing employment support
• Improving service coordination between VR agencies and ENs
• Providing beneficiaries who are working when their VR cases are closed with access to up to three to five additional years of ongoing support provided by ENs;
• Providing a long-term funding source for beneficiaries engaged in supported employment
• Providing additional resources for beneficiaries to cultivate career paths and/or secure higher paying jobs after VR case closure
• Extending beneficiary protection from medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR)

State VR Agencies: Successful handoffs under Partnership Plus collaboration can benefit State VR agencies by:

• Maintaining and expanding best practices, ethical standards, and support for consumer rights and choices by ensuring that beneficiaries understand their options and choices under the Ticket Program
• Ensuring the achievement of the intent/requirements of the Rehabilitation Act
• Increasing VR Cost Reimbursement (CR for beneficiaries who achieve 9 out of 12 months of SGA earnings due to ongoing services provided by ENs after case closure
• Reducing the number of beneficiaries returning to VR for additional services to re-enter, retain and/or advance in employment
• Emphasizing collaborative relationships so beneficiaries can access ongoing employment supports and engage in long-term competitive employment
• Engaging ENs in identifying intensive service needs and referring beneficiaries to VR to meet those needs
• Providing an alternative for beneficiaries being wait-listed under a VR agency's Order of Selection
• Giving beneficiaries the option to seek/receive services from an EN prior to seeking VR services

Employment Networks: ENs that accept Ticket assignments from beneficiaries who have completed VR services and have been working for at least 90 days will have opportunities for:

• Creating flexible programs of services and supports focused on meeting the post-employment needs of beneficiaries
• Working with beneficiaries at a single point in time (at VR case closure) or at different points in the rehabilitation process by acting as a VR vendor while the beneficiary's VR case is open and then as an EN after VR case closure
• Generating at least $19,000 for Ticketholders (approximate value of all Phase 2 milestone and outcome payments) as they maintain employment and advance to economic self-support

Benefits to All: Partnership Plus has the potential to benefit everyone involved in the delivery of services by:

• Facilitating increased cooperation and communication between and among service providers
• Emphasizing collaborative partnerships designed to assist beneficiaries to achieve economic self-support
• Providing the opportunity to strengthen all partners in the service delivery system as State VR agencies receive more CR revenue and ENs receive Ticket payments
• Generating savings to the Social Security Trust Fund, the General Revenue Fund, and the taxpayer as increasing numbers of beneficiaries achieve financial independence