Group Employment Support can help a person learn new job skills that will help them get a job they want in the community. It is a service that helps people

• learn to work with other people,
• make lists of work tasks,
• make a plan for working in the community,
• learn ways to get to and from work,
• and understand how to work as part of a group.

People taking part in this service may work at one location or the group may travel to a few different locations to work. Group Employment Support is provided in community settings, which offers groups of workers with disabilities paid employment and work experience. 

When to Apply this Service

The person’s service and support administrator, or SSA, will assess them for a need for Group Employment Support. If there is a need, the SSA will include it in the person’s individual service plan.

Group Employment Support activities are provided in a business, industry, or community settings for groups of two or more people with disabilities, and can include

• person-centered employment planning,
• learning how to work at a job site,
• job analysis,
• job coaching,
• and training about planning, arranging, and using transportation.

Group Employment Support is provided in two ways.

• The person works in self-contained enclaves within a company or at a service site in the community, or performs multiple jobs at the company, but is not integrated with employees of the company without disabilities.
• Mobile work crews that only include people operating as a distinct unit or self-contained business work in several locations within the community. 

Providing this Service

Agency providers that have a Medicaid provider agreement and are DODD-certified can provide this service.

Group Employment Support is provided in community settings for groups of two or more workers with disabilities

Group size is determined by a person’s score on the Acuity Assessment Instrument Assessment or AAI. The AAI identifies the maximum group size allowable; however, the provider must ensure that sufficient staff are available to support people with disabilities with achieving outcomes and maintaining health and welfare. Staffing ratio should be a part of the person-centered planning process. The team is responsible for considering the level of supervision and support the person may require in various environments.

Training Requirements for this Service

After initial provider certification and annual training requirements, the following is required to provide this service.

During the First Year

Within 90 days of hire, an agency provider must ensure that direct service staff who provide Group Employment Support successfully complete an orientation program of at least eight hours that addresses

• services that compromise Group Employment Support,
• organizational background of the agency provider,
• components of quality care for people with developmental disabilities served,
• health and safety, and
• positive behavioral support.

During the first year after hire, providers, other than those who have at least one year of experience providing Group Employment Support at the point of hire, will be assigned and have access to a mentor.

No later than one year after hire, providers, other than those who have at least one year of experience providing Group Employment Support at the point of hire, must successfully complete at least eight hours of training specific to Group Employment Support that includes but is not limited to

• skill-building to advance a person with disabilities on his or her path to community employment and development of the person’s strengths and skills necessary for competitive integrated employment,
• and self-determination, which includes assisting the person to develop self-advocacy skills, to exercise his or her civil rights, to exercise control and responsibility over the services he or she receives, and to acquire skills that enable him or her to become more independent, productive, and integrated within the community.

Providers must successfully complete on-the-job training specific to each person they serve, including

• what is important to the person and what is important for the person,
• and the person’s support needs, such as behavioral support strategy, management of the person’s funds, and medication administration or delegated nursing.

During the Second Year

Beginning in the second year of hire, providers must annually complete at least eight hours of training that includes

• the role and responsibilities of direct services staff with regard to services including person-centered planning, community integration, self-determination, and self-advocacy,
• a person’s rights,
• the requirement of the Major Unusual Incidents rule (including a review of Health and Welfare Alerts issued by DODD since the previous year’s training),
• the requirements for providing behavioral support to the person,
• and best practices related to providing Group Employment Support

OAC 5123:2-9-16 provides more specific information about provider training for this service, including annual training requirements. 

Billing and Payment Information

All services must be delivered as specified in the individual service plan and authorized in Payment Authorization for Waiver Services, known as PAWS, to be successfully submitted for payment through eMBS.

Rates and limits for Group Employment Support are contained in the service rule's appendix.