Appendix E, Independent Living Skills Training (Individualized Skills Training Only)

Revision 23-1, Effective Nov. 13, 2023

Overview

Independent living skills training is designed to accommodate for the person’s vision loss in daily living activities.

Qualifications

Vendors providing independent living skills training must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in rehabilitation, education, psychology, sociology or a related field and:

  • have one year of work experience in rehabilitation teaching, rehabilitation, or education of people with disabilities, or have two years of work experience in general education or a related field; or
  • have been included on the list of independent living skills trainers who previously held contracts with the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services to provide this service.

Scope of Services

Independent living skills vendors provide the following services in the person’s home or local community, at the discretion of the person. The vendor may provide one or more of the following services, as authorized by the service provider.

The needs assessment is for people who are blind and is completed with the person to identify the barriers that prevent him or her from functioning independently. This process is completed face-to-face with the person by vendor staff or a subcontractor and should occur after the person is determined eligible for services. The service provider uses the needs assessment to develop the ILP.

Independent living skills training is training in techniques that enable a person to perform the skills of daily living in alternative ways.

These skills are divided into the following categories:

  • Personal management—including grooming, eating, maintaining health, staying safe, identifying and coordinating clothing, and managing medication
  • Home management—including sewing, cleaning clothing, keeping house, preparing meals safely in the kitchen, planning for grocery shopping, and performing minor home repair
  • Communication—including telling and managing time, using the telephone, managing money, writing, organizing, and using adaptive devices
  • Information access and technology—including using magnifiers, video magnification systems including closed circuit televisions and other low-vision devices, as well as adapting computers and other types of technology for the person’s use

Service Provider Responsibilities

The service provider:

  • sends referrals to the vendor;
  • determines the person’s eligibility for independent living services;
  • refers eligible people to the vendor for the needs assessment if this service is subcontracted;
  • develops the ILP with the person and enters it into the Independent Living Electronic Data Reporting System;
  • authorizes independent living skills training hours;
  • manages case records;
  • reviews documentation of services provided by the vendor;
  • authorizes the purchase of recommended equipment and services;
  • documents the purchase of equipment and services in the person’s ILP; and
  • arranges for or provides more complex services, including braille instruction, orientation and mobility training within the person’s community, and diabetes education.

Vendor Responsibilities

The vendor:

  • conducts a needs assessment, if sub-contracted by the service provider;
  • provides services as directed by the service provider and as described under Scope of Services, above;
  • submits the appropriate documentation for each type of service to the service provider for review and approval;
  • provides training in basic independent living skills, as described in the needs assessment and ILP;
  • periodically assesses the person’s progress toward goals and timelines with the service provider;
  • submits appropriate recommendations for purchasing products and services for the person to the service provider; and
  • provides the service provider with a written report of each contact that includes details of the assessment, or the service provided and the outcome.

Needs Assessment

The vendor must contact a person who is referred for a needs assessment within 30 calendar days of the referral.

The vendor must document the needs assessment on the form provided by the service provider. The recommendations section of the form must contain a summary of the independent living skills training and services that the vendor has identified for inclusion in the ILP.

Independent Living Skills Training

After the service provider has developed the ILP, the vendor provides monthly training services as authorized by the service provider. The services are documented monthly using a progress report developed by the service provider.

The monthly report must:

  • detail the services provided to the person;
  • document the outcome of each service; and
  • include any recommendations for changes to the ILP.