Invitation to Participate and Consent Form – Participant Only (no Representative Payee

Thank you for being part of the Ohio Direct Referral Demonstration run by the Social Security
Administration (SSA) and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD). OOD is the agency that
houses both the Division of Disability Determination (DDD) and the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation
(BVR).
SSA and OOD asked you to join the demonstration because SSA is reviewing your disability record. This
is either because you applied for benefits, or because SSA must decide if your SSI benefits can continue
under the adult rules for disability. The adult rules for disability are different from the rules for people
under age 18. SSA calls this review an SSI Age 18 redetermination.
This demonstration has two groups of participants. One group is the usual services group, or “control”
group. Nothing changes for people in the usual services group. The other group is the program services
group, or “test” group, because the group will test something new. DDD will pick who goes into which
group randomly. You are in the program services group. We are referring people in the program services
group to BVR for employment services. BVR will contact you and help you with the BVR application
process, but you will only get BVR services if you apply and BVR decides you are eligible.
WHAT IS BVR?
BVR is a part of OOD and helps people with disabilities get and keep employment. Once BVR decides
that a person can receive services, a BVR counselor works with that person to set an employment goal.
The counselor also helps create a plan, called an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE). The IPE outlines
the job services and training that BVR will offer.
A staff person from BVR should contact you within the next five days. That person will help you make an
appointment to apply for vocational rehabilitation services in your local area. If you don’t want to wait for
that call, you may go to OODWORKS.com. On that website, you can find the number to your local office
or complete an application. If you call 1-800-282-4536 you can also learn more about BVR or get the
number to your local office.
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS
During the application process, you will work with BVR staff. Someone from BVR will ask for proof of your
disability. They will ask you to talk about how your disability affects your ability to work. You can bring
family, friends, case managers, or others with you. They are welcome, and may be helpful.
Please bring any of the following records you have with you to your appointment:
□ School Records or Reports;
□ Medical Records;
□ Names, addresses, and phone numbers of your doctors and others you have seen to treat
your disability;
□ Any records you have, like vision or hearing tests, records from your mental health provider,
or other records about your disability.
Please also be sure to bring the following information to help us with your application:
□ State Driver’s License or ID;
□ Social Security card;
□ Social Security Award Letter (SSI and/or SSDI) if you are receiving benefits.

If you do not have any records or reports to bring with you, you will need to bring the names and contact
information of any doctors, counselors, or other professionals who we may need to contact to ask for
information.
We try to make our decision about your eligibility for BVR services within 30 days of meeting with you.
Your help getting records, giving us up-to-date contact information, and coming to all appointments will
help us make a faster decision.
SSA and OOD retain the right to remove any participants from the Ohio Direct Referral Demonstration for
any reason, including participant misconduct.
CONTINUING YOUR SSI EVEN IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE DISABILITY RULES FOR AN ADULT
SSA and OOD asked you to join this demonstration because you have applied for benefits or you are
undergoing a review to see if you meet the adult definition of disability. If SSA finds that you do not meet
the disability rules for adults, you may be able to continue to receive benefits. SSA calls this rule “Section
301: Continued Payment under Vocational Rehabilitation.” To qualify for continued payments under
Section 301:
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You must have begun participating in a vocational rehabilitation program, using an IPE, before
the month your disability ended; and
SSA must review your plan and decide that it will make you likely to work at a level that would
keep you from returning to benefits.

Under Section 301, your benefits may continue until:
•
•
•

You complete your program; or
You stop following the program; or
SSA decides that your program would not lead to work that would keep you from returning to
benefits.

Thank you,
Darin McCoy
Assistant Deputy Director
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation