Section 553.31  Trial Work Experiences

a)         DHS-DRS shall provide trial work experience by conducting explorations of a customer's abilities, capabilities and capacity to perform in realistic work situations.  Trial work experience shall include one or more work settings and be of sufficient variety and over a sufficient period of time to determine whether the individual can or cannot benefit from VR services.  Trial work experiences may include supported employment, on-the-job training and other experiences using realistic work settings in the most integrated settings possible.  Other examples may include internships, job shadowing, structured volunteer experiences in real work settings and community-based assessments.

b)         Under limited circumstances, if an individual cannot take advantage of other trial work experiences, or if options for trial work experiences have been exhausted before the determination of eligibility has been made, DHS-DRS shall conduct an extended evaluation to make the determination.

c)         DHS-DRS shall develop a written Trial Work Plan to periodically assess the individual's abilities, capabilities and capacity to perform in trial work experiences.

d)         During the time that the trial work experience is being provided, DHS-DRS shall provide appropriate support services to accommodate the vocational rehabilitation needs of the individual.

e)         The trial work experience must be undertaken consistent with the informed choice and rehabilitation needs of the individual.

f)         The trial work experience of the individual shall continue until one of the outcomes described in Section 553.32 is met.

(Source:  Amended at 31 Ill. Reg. 12589, effective August 16, 2007)