§21.60. Vocational Rehabilitation Panel. — Inbound Citations

(e) Subject to the provisions of § 21.240, a veteran participating in VA's Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) program described in §§ 21.1 through 21.430 will receive VA care provided for in the “medical benefits package” set forth in § 17.38.

(a) A counseling psychologist or vocational rehabilitation counselor in the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Division will counsel an eligible person with a disability who is a child, spouse, or surviving spouse before referring the case to the Vocational Rehabilitation Panel (established under § 21.60) for consideration as to the child's, spouse's or surviving spouse's need for a course of specialized vocational training or special restorative training. After consulting with the panel, and considering the panel's report, the counseling psychologist or vocational rehabilitation counselor will determine if the child, spouse, or surviving spouse needs a course of specialized vocational training or special restorative training, and where need is found to exist will prescribe a course which is suitable to accomplish the goals of 38 U.S.C. chapter 35.

(c) The provisions of §§ 21.1 through 21.430, generally applicable to veterans eligible for benefits under chapter 31, apply except as added to or modified by the provisions of the following sections. Participants not found eligible for chapter 31 benefits may nevertheless receive counseling services under 38 U.S.C. 3104(a)(2) and placement and postplacement services under 38 U.S.C. 3104(a)(5).

(c) VR&E staff members will consult with the child when determining the rate and continuity of pursuit of a vocational training program. These staff members will also confer with the medical consultant and the Vocational Rehabilitation Panel described in §§ 21.60 and 21.62, as necessary. This rate and continuity of pursuit determination will occur during development of the individualized written plan of vocational rehabilitation, but may change later, as necessary to enable the child to complete training.