Changes to Competitive Integrated Employment Incentive Payments

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This content is primarily intended for IRC Service Providers, however members of our community may find the information useful.

Effective July 2021, the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) has introduced changes to Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) incentive payments, in the form of new, Milestone incentives. These increased milestone payments will only apply to milestones reached within the time period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025. The CIE placement and earlier milestone payments may have occurred prior to July 1, 2021.

Competitive integrated employment (CIE) is full or part-time work for which an individual is paid minimum wage or greater in a setting with others who do not have disabilities. You can read more about CIE and other related information on our blog post titled Disability and Employment: The Facts.

The key changes include, but are not limited to:

The incentive payments for keeping a client engaged in Competitive Integrated Employment have changed for milestones reached after July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2025 or until further notice.
1. $2,000.00 for 30 consecutive days.
2. $2,500.00 for 6 consecutive months.
3. $3,000.00 for 12 consecutive months.
For milestones that were reached prior to July 1, 2021, the rates of payment remain at the original rates, for the entirety of the milestone.
1. $1,000.00 for 30 consecutive days.
2. $1,250.00 for 6 consecutive months.
3. $1,500.00 for 12 consecutive months.

To view the new guidelines in their entirety, links to the original letter and enclosure from the Department of Developmental Services are provided below:

Guidelines for Implementation of Changes to Competitive Integrated Employment Incentive Payments – Effective July 2021 | Enclosure A

Please visit IRC’s Consumer Employment Page to view up-to-date information on employment resources, as well as upcoming events related to employment.