CRC Exam (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor) — All Questions

An individual submits a complete application for state VR services. No exceptional circumstances apply and no trial work experiences are needed. Within what time must the agency determine eligibility?

• a.60 days✓
• b.30 days
• c.90 days
• d.120 days

34 CFR 361.41(b)(1) requires an eligibility determination within 60 days after an application is submitted, unless exceptional and unforeseen circumstances lead the agency and the individual to agree to a specific extension, or trial work experiences are being carried out under 361.42(e). Ninety days is the separate deadline for developing the IPE after eligibility, and 30 and 120 days are not regulatory deadlines here.

How often must a client's individualized plan for employment be reviewed with a qualified VR counselor under 34 CFR 361.45?

• a.At least monthly
• b.At least quarterly
• c.At least annually✓
• d.Only when the client requests

34 CFR 361.45(d)(5) requires the IPE to be reviewed at least annually by a qualified VR counselor and the individual (or representative) to assess progress toward the employment outcome, and it must be amended when there are substantive changes. More frequent reviews are allowed but not required, and review is not left solely to the client's request.

A new VR applicant shows an award letter proving she receives SSDI. How does 34 CFR 361.42 treat her eligibility?

• a.She is automatically placed in the lowest priority category of the order of selection
• b.She is presumed eligible and considered an individual with a significant disability✓
• c.She must still prove her impairment is a substantial impediment using new records
• d.She is ineligible, because receiving SSDI shows that she is unable to work

34 CFR 361.42(a)(3) provides that an applicant determined eligible for Social Security benefits under title II or XVI is presumed eligible for VR services and is considered an individual with a significant disability, based on SSA's determinations. She does not need to re-prove the basic requirements, receipt of benefits does not make her ineligible, and significant-disability status would not place her in the lowest priority.

Before a VR agency buys a service for an eligible client, it must usually check for comparable services and benefits. Which service is exempt from that check?

• a.Vocational counseling and guidance✓
• b.Tuition at a community college
• c.Physical restoration services
• d.Maintenance for training costs

34 CFR 361.53(b) exempts assessment, counseling and guidance, referral, job-related services (search, placement, retention, follow-up), rehabilitation technology, and related post-employment services from the comparable services and benefits determination. Tuition, physical and mental restoration, and maintenance are not on the exempt list, and 361.48(b)(6) specifically requires maximum efforts to obtain grant aid for higher-education training.

A state VR agency projects that it cannot serve all eligible individuals this fiscal year. What does 34 CFR 361.36 require?

• a.A waiting list that serves applicants strictly in the order in which they applied
• b.A cap on services for each client so that more people can be served
• c.An order of selection serving those with the most significant disabilities first✓
• d.Priority for applicants whose goals have the lowest service costs

34 CFR 361.36(a)(3) requires a state that cannot serve all eligible individuals to establish an order of selection that assures individuals with the most significant disabilities are selected first, with information and referral for those not served. First-come order, per-client caps, or cost-based priority do not satisfy the rule, and 361.42(c) bars eligibility decisions based on anticipated cost.

A VR client asks whether she has to write her individualized plan for employment with her agency counselor. Under 34 CFR 361.45(c), what is correct?

• a.She may develop all or part of it on her own or with other help✓
• b.She must let the agency counselor write the full plan for her
• c.She may develop it only with a disability advocacy organization
• d.She may develop it herself only if she pays for all services

34 CFR 361.45(c)(1) requires the agency to tell eligible individuals that they may develop all or part of the IPE without assistance or with help from an agency counselor, a qualified counselor not employed by the agency, a disability advocacy organization, or other resources. The plan still needs the individual's signature and approval by a qualified agency counselor under 361.45(d)(3), but no option requires the client to pay for services.

A new client speaks limited English, and his bilingual 12-year-old son offers to interpret at the intake interview. What does the CRCC Code direct?

• a.Accept the son's help, since family members best understand the client
• b.Conduct the intake in English and summarize it later for the family
• c.Arrange a qualified interpreter so the client can communicate effectively✓
• d.Postpone services until the client completes English language classes

Standard A.3.c directs CRCs to communicate in developmentally and multiculturally appropriate ways and to arrange for qualified interpreters, translators, or other necessary accommodations when needed to communicate effectively. Relying on a child, proceeding in a language the client does not understand, or delaying services until the client learns English does not meet that duty.

A VR agency finds an applicant ineligible because it concluded he is incapable of achieving an employment outcome. What must the agency do afterward if he requests it?

• a.Review the determination only if his doctor submits new records
• b.Review the determination once, after five years have passed
• c.Review the determination within 12 months and annually after that✓
• d.Take no further action, since the decision is final once made

34 CFR 361.43(e) requires the agency to review, within 12 months and annually thereafter if requested, any ineligibility determination based on a finding that the individual is incapable of achieving an employment outcome, subject to limited exceptions such as refusal or a rapidly progressive or terminal condition. The agency must also provide written notice, information about the Client Assistance Program, and appropriate referrals.