Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits and Work Incentives Planning Services Restructure, Effective July 1, 2026

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From DDARS

The Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services conducted four listening sessions in June 2025, to identify opportunities to improve benefits and work incentive counseling for job seekers with disabilities. The feedback gathered from these discussions helped BRS with outlining a restructured service delivery approach to benefits and work incentives planning for BRS Vocational Rehabilitation participants, as was outlined in Request for Proposal (RFP) 26-85149 Statewide Financial Planning Services for Vocational Rehabilitation Participants, posted in September 2026. 

A key goal of the VR program is to improve competitive, integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. Benefits and work incentive counseling is one of many critical services to support this goal. Based on feedback from listening sessions as well as stakeholder and participant input during the most recent VR Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment, this restructured benefits and work incentives planning service approach seeks to:

  1. simplify and streamline service provision
  2.  improve consistency around benefits and work incentives counseling that encourages individuals to maximize employment earnings while reducing misinformation and fears
  3. reduce duplication and better leverage financial and benefits planning resources
  4. address capacity challenges for the timely provision of benefits and work incentive counseling services
  5. support a continuum of financial planning services, before and after employment 

The restructured benefits and work incentive counseling approach is centered around a three-tiered service structure designed to offer varying depths of financial planning information based on participants' needs, before and after achieving employment. Of particular note, is the inclusion of benefits follow through services to be provided during the VR participant’s first 90 days of employment to support effective implementation of the participant’s benefits plan and a more streamlined referral to other benefits counseling and financial planning resources. 

The Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community (IIDC) at Indiana University has been selected through RFP 26-85149 as the statewide financial planning entity for benefits and work incentive counseling services to VR participants. CCLC will serve as the centralized unit to provide direct service delivery for benefits, financial planning and work incentive counseling, replacing the current Benefits Information Network (BIN) service structure. 

  • The new structure will be implemented July 1, 2026. 
  • Starting July 1, 2026, all VR referrals for benefits and work incentive counseling services will be routed to CCLC who will provide services through a team of Community Partner Work Incentives Counselors (CPWICs). Shifting to a small team of highly qualified CPWICs is a key strategy toward achieving the five objectives outlined above. 
  • Additional BIN training and new BIN certifications are no longer available.
  • VR BIN service codes remain active at this time to ensure uninterrupted service delivery and billing for services provided through June 30, 2026. All billing will need to be submitted by August 31, 2026.
  • Certified BIN Liaisons will continue to receive referrals through May 1, 2026, and conduct BIN services until June 30, 2026.
  • Additional information will be provided to entities currently registered with VR to provide services through BIN liaisons (Benefits Review and Education, and Personalized Benefits Counseling), including a timeline for discontinuation of BIN service codes and updates to vendor registrations when this service is expired. 

BRS and CCLC will work in close collaboration through this transition process, and will assess the strengths and areas for improvement, as with any process change. More details will be provided over the next few months regarding the restructured approach to benefits and work incentives planning services for VR participants. BRS is also collaborating with the Bureau of Disabilities Services to align this approach with benefits planning services through BDS Home and Community Based Waiver Services.

BRS looks forward to collaboration with CCLC toward improving benefits and work incentive planning services that lead to increased employment outcomes for VR participants.

Questions can be sent to VRprovider@fssa.in.gov.

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