Funding
Sources: DHHS hiring agency/facility is responsible for the
payment of DSSP vendors for services rendered from their program budgets.
Number of Individuals
Served: Approximately 50 DeafBlind staff, consumers,
and clients of DHHS programs/facilities.
Preferred
Terminology: Driver/SSP
Certification/Endorsement: The
Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing has a DeafBlind
SSP/CoNavigator training that we encourage volunteer and contract vendors to
complete, but we will accept certificates of participation in SSP/CN trainings
provided by HKNC, PLI or the NC Division of Services for the Blind.
Types of
Service Requests: The NC DHHS Driver/Support Service Provider
Vendor List (DSSPVL) is a list of qualified individuals approved to provide
driver and support services for DeafBlind clients, staff and consumers of the
NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on an as-needed basis. NC DHHS has developed the vendor list to
satisfy the demands of state and federal laws, the Americans with Disabilities
Act, as well as the NC DHHS Communication Accessibility Provision to benefit
their clients, consumers and staff in providing reasonable accommodations which
include drivers and support services.
Training
Requirements: Eligibility:
·
Applicant must be
18 years or older
·
To provide
transportation, applicant must possess a valid driver’s license for a minimum
of two years and possess a good driving record as verified through the N.C.
Department of Motor Vehicles.
·
Applicant
possesses necessary skills to perform services for DeafBlind individuals as
stated in the scope of work, which includes: a) Provide transportation, b) Serve
as Human Guide/CoNavigator, c) Assist with communication in informal settings
if vision is an issue, d) Provide access to printed materials and e) Provide
visual, environmental and social feedback information.
Program
Coordination: Each NC-DHHS division and office can utilize
the DSSPVL list to easily identify and secure qualified services for DeafBlind
consumers, clients, or staff and/or mixed group meetings, trainings, community
forums or public hearings and other division or office events, in the shortest
amount of time possible at a standard hourly rate.
Transportation: Driver/SSP
vendors can provide transportation but a statement from their insurance company
is required indicating the vendor has the minimum liability coverage as required
by the contract and acknowledgement that the vehicle is used for business/for
hire.
SSP Pay
Rate:
·
SSP
Only $24/hour base rate
·
Driver/SSP
$30/hour base rate
·
Specialized
Skills: +$2 TASL and +$2 Haptics/Protactile
Other: This
program is limited to DeafBlind consumers accessing DHHS services, DHHS
DeafBlind employees’ work duties or DeafBlind Medicaid beneficiaries’ or
companions’ Medicaid-billable services.