Improved Administration of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program Would Provide More Effective Utilization of Program Funds

Gao ID: HRD-82-95 September 22, 1982

GAO reviewed certain activities of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in five States to determine: (1) the extent to which State rehabilitation agencies are adhering to the eligibility requirements for accepting applicants into the program; and (2) the reliability of program statistics as measures of program performance and success in achieving the goals established in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The review showed that there is an opportunity to maximize the utilization of funds made available for the program, as mandated by the Act, through: (1) providing rehabilitation services only to individuals who have substantial handicaps to employment and who can reasonably be expected to become gainfully employed; and (2) seeking other sources for funding the cost of any postsecondary educational training provided to individuals as a part of their rehabilitation services. The review also showed that statistics reported by State and local agencies on the number of individuals successfully rehabilitated as a result of the services provided under the program were exaggerated.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Morton E. Henig Team: General Accounting Office: Human Resources Division Phone: (202) 275-5365


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