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Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission provides vocational rehabilitation and independent living services to Massachusetts residents with disabilities. The goal of the Commission is to assure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to live productive, independent lives by ensuring access to employment, federal income benefits, and community-based residences and services.
The Commission’s Vocational Rehabilitation program assists more than 4,800 people with disabilities in securing and retaining community-based, competitive employment by providing vocational counseling, supported work, and job placement services. The Commission’s Disability Determination Service processes over 85,000 claims for supplemental security income and social security disability insurance annually.
The Commission’s independent living programs include a range of services which assist people with disabilities in living independently in their communities. The Statewide Head Injury Program provides supported employment opportunities and family assistance services for people with traumatic brain injuries. The home care assistance program provides services to allow individuals to remain at home, avoiding institutionalization. The Turning 22 and supportive living programs provide community-based living opportunities for individuals who have turned 22 years of age and older adults who need supervised settings in which they learn how to live independently. Independent Living Centers provide a range of individual and community education services to enable people with all types of disabilities to become as independent as possible in their communities.
Objectives
In Fiscal Year 2000, the Commission will pursue the following objectives:
- provide vocational rehabilitation services to an additional 100 individuals;
- provide supported living services to an additional 10 adults with severe disabilities;
- provide services to 20 new individuals who turn 22 and leave the Department of Education’s special education programs;
- serve an additional 100 individuals through the independent living centers;
- provide employment services to an additional 20 individuals; and
- provide additional protective services to meet emergency needs.
Budget Recommendations
The Fiscal Year 2000 recommendation includes additional funding of $100,000 for vocational rehabilitation services (4120-2000); $100,000 for employment assistance services (4120-3000); $250,000 for independent living services (4120-4000); $700,000 for Turning 22 (4120-4000); and $50,000 for protective services (4120-4000).
In addition, these recommendations include $370,507 to improve salaries for the Commission’s lowest paid, contracted, direct care workers. In Fiscal Year 1999, this funding was appropriated as part of a reserve account in the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
Budgetary Direct Appropriations
| MASSACHUSETTS REHABILITATION COMMISSION ADMINISTRATION |
| 4120-1000 |
For the operation of the Massachusetts rehabilitation commission
|
369,235 |
| VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION |
| 4120-2000 |
For vocational rehabilitation services provided in cooperation with the federal government; provided, that no funds shall be deducted for pensions, group health and life insurance, or any other such fringe benefit or indirect costs of federally reimbursed state employees
|
6,508,666 |
| EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE |
| 4120-3000 |
For employment assistance
|
7,920,223 |
| INDEPENDENT LIVING ASSISTANCE |
| 4120-4000 |
For independent living assistance
|
6,536,042 |
| HOUSING REGISTRY |
| 4120-4001 |
For a housing registry for the disabled and elderly
|
100,000 |
| HOME CARE SERVICES |
| 4120-5000 |
For home care services
|
4,605,027 |
| HEAD INJURED SERVICES |
| 4120-6000 |
For head injured services
|
6,799,792 |
| HEAD INJURED SERVICES - HEAD INJURY TREATMENT SERVICES TRUST FUND |
| 4120-6001 |
For head injured services in addition to those provided pursuant to item 4120-6000, which shall not supplant existing services funded by said item
|
750,000 |
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| Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund |
100% | | |
Federal Grant Spending
| VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION |
| 4120-0020 |
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Vocational Rehabilitation; provided, that no funds shall be deducted for pensions, group health and life insurance, or any other such indirect cost of federally reimbursed state employees |
39,500,000 |
| NEW ENGLAND PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION TRAINING |
| 4120-0173 |
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, New England Psychiatric Rehabilitation Training |
200,000 |
| NEW ENGLAND PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION TRAINING - FIELD RESEARCH |
| 4120-0174 |
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, New England Psychiatric Rehabilitation Training - Field Research |
120,000 |
| SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM |
| 4120-0187 |
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Supported Employment Program |
990,000 |
| VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION - DETERMINATION OF DISABILITY |
| 4120-0511 |
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Vocational Rehabilitation - Determination of Disability |
33,000,000 |
| INDEPENDENT LIVING |
| 4120-0760 |
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Independent Living |
1,650,000 |
Trust and Other Spending
| 4120-0029 |
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION TRUST FUND |
3,000,000 |
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