Circular No. 01/2015/TT-BLDTBXH guides the management of cases involving persons with disabilities.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for managing cases involving persons with disabilities

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Pursuant to Decree No. 106/2012/NĐ-CP dated December 20, 2012, of the Government, stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to the Decree No. 28/2012/NĐ-CP dated April 10, 2012 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Persons with Disabilities;

Pursuant to Decision No. 32/2010/QĐ-TTg dated March 25, 2010 of the Government approving the Social Work Profession Development Project for the period 2010-2020;

At the proposal of the Director of the Social Assistance Administration;

The Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs issues this Circular guiding the management of cases involving persons with disabilities.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Application and Regulatory Scope

1. Scope of application:

This Circular applies to civil servants, public officials, employees, social work volunteers, and social service providers related to assisting persons with disabilities and their families.

Article 2. Scope of Regulation

This Circular stipulates the management of cases involving persons with disabilities at social service provision facilities and communes, wards, towns (hereinafter referred to collectively as commune level).

Article 3. Case Management Process

The case management process includes the following steps:

1. Collecting information and needs of persons with disabilities;

2. Developing assistance plans for persons with disabilities;

3. Implementing assistance plans for persons with disabilities;

4. Monitoring and reviewing the implementation of assistance plans for persons with disabilities;

5. Evaluating and concluding the management of cases involving persons with disabilities.

Article 4. Terms Used in This Circular

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Case management for persons with disabilities refers to the process of identifying social assistance needs, developing and implementing assistance plans for persons with disabilities, coordinating activities to provide social work services to help persons with disabilities stabilize their lives and integrate into society.

2. Case manager refers to civil servants, public officials, employees, or social work volunteers working at social service provision facilities or communes, wards, towns who are assigned the task of managing cases involving persons with disabilities.

3. Social service provision facility includes: Social Service Provision Centers; social welfare institutions; social education and labor rehabilitation centers; convalescent centers for war veterans; child assistance facilities; social houses; counseling, advisory, elderly care, disability care, special circumstances children care, HIV/AIDS patients care, mental health patients care, drug addicts care facilities, and other social assistance facilities.

Chapter II

TASKS OF CASE MANAGEMENT

Article 5. Collecting Information and Needs of Persons with Disabilities

1. Information about persons with disabilities

a) Basic information, including: Full name, date of birth, gender, marital status, place of residence, contact information, national identity card number;

b) Occupation;

c) Educational and professional qualifications;

d) Social services and policies that persons with disabilities are currently benefiting from;

đ) Priority support needs of persons with disabilities;

e) Income of persons with disabilities.

2. Disability information

a) Type of disability, degree of disability, and cause;

b) Self-care ability in daily life of persons with disabilities;

c) Physical and mental condition.

3. Information about the family of persons with disabilities

a) Number of family members;

b) Economic situation;

c) Main sources of income of the family, including: Income from employment, monthly social allowance policy, and other social assistance programs;

d) Expenditures on food, clothing, school fees, medical treatment, and other expenses and payment capacity;

đ) Living conditions and living environment;

e) Family's ability to care for persons with disabilities;

g) Priority support needs;

h) Other relevant information if any.

The collection of information and needs of persons with disabilities shall be detailed according to Model No. 1 attached to this Circular.

Article 5. Assessment of Needs for Persons with Disabilities

1. The case manager shall assess the needs of persons with disabilities in the following areas:

a) Livelihood support;

b) Health care and medical services;

c) Education, vocational training, and employment;

d) Family and social relationships;

đ) Life skills;

e) Participation and integration into the community;

g) Psychological and emotional needs;

h) Other needs.

2. In cases where persons with disabilities cannot provide sufficient information, the case manager shall be responsible for coordinating with family representatives or guardians to assess the needs of persons with disabilities.

The assessment of needs for persons with disabilities shall be detailed according to Model No. 2 issued together with this Circular.

Article 6. Development of Assistance Plans for Persons with Disabilities

1. Based on the results of the assessment of needs for persons with disabilities, the case manager shall determine that persons with disabilities require case management based on the following criteria:

a) Need for continuous assistance;

b) Need for long-term assistance;

c) Voluntary participation;

d) Eligibility to receive services at the local level.

Criteria for determining persons with disabilities eligible for case management shall be detailed according to Model No. 3 issued together with this Circular.

2. Development of Assistance Plans for Persons with Disabilities

The case manager shall take the lead and coordinate with persons with disabilities, their families or guardians, and related organizations and individuals to develop assistance plans for persons with disabilities. The content of the assistance plan includes:

a) Specific goals to be achieved;

b) Specific activities to be carried out in priority order to achieve the goals;

c) Timeframes for each activity;

d) Necessary resources to implement the proposed activities;

đ) Responsibilities of organizations, families, and individuals participating and the person responsible for each task;

e) Service providers participating in implementing the plan.

The assistance plan for persons with disabilities shall be detailed according to Model No. 4 issued together with this Circular.

Article 7. Implementation of Assistance Plans for Persons with Disabilities

1. The case manager shall be responsible for submitting the assistance plan for persons with disabilities for approval by the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune or the head of the service-providing organization.

2. The case manager shall coordinate with communal agencies, mass organizations, and service-providing organizations to support persons with disabilities in implementing the plan. The contents of support include:

a) Advising and introducing persons with disabilities to access relevant agencies, units, or service-providing organizations for health, employment, education, social services, and other facilities;

b) Referring and connecting persons with disabilities to relevant agencies, units, or service-providing organizations for health, employment, education, social services, and other facilities to meet their needs;

c) Supporting persons with disabilities to access and benefit from social assistance policies and programs;

d) Mobilizing resources to implement the assistance plan for persons with disabilities.

3. Reporting on the Implementation Results of Assistance Plans for Persons with Disabilities

a) The case manager shall be responsible for monitoring, recording progress, and reporting on the implementation results of the assistance plan for persons with disabilities on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual basis;

b) The case manager shall review and propose competent authorities to adjust and supplement the assistance plan for persons with disabilities to meet their needs;

c) Recording progress and compiling reports on the implementation results of the assistance plan for persons with disabilities according to Model No. 5 issued together with this Circular.

Article 8. Monitoring, evaluation, and termination of management cases for persons with disabilities

1. The case manager shall monitor and evaluate the implementation process of the assistance plan for persons with disabilities according to the following contents:

a) Results of implementing the assistance plan for persons with disabilities;

b) Level of meeting the needs of persons with disabilities;

c) Ability to live independently and social integration capacity of persons with disabilities;

d) Suitability level of services provided to persons with disabilities;

đ) Service connectivity capability;

e) Other related contents.

2. Based on the results of evaluating the implementation process of the assistance plan for persons with disabilities, the case manager shall propose the termination of the case management for persons with disabilities and submit it to the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level or the head of the service-providing organization for social work to make a decision.

3. Termination of case management

a) Terminate case management for persons with disabilities in the following situations:

- Objectives have been achieved;

- Services provided to persons with disabilities are not suitable;

- Persons with disabilities do not contact for six months or longer;

- Persons with disabilities are transferred to another case manager;

- Persons with disabilities move out of the service-providing area;

- The service-providing organization terminates the contract with persons with disabilities;

- Mutual agreement to terminate services;

- Persons with disabilities are transferred to a program with more appropriate services;

- Persons with disabilities no longer need services;

- Persons with disabilities have died;

- Other reasons;

Termination of case management for persons with disabilities shall be detailed in Form No. 6 issued together with this Circular.

b) The case manager shall report to the competent authority to organize meetings with relevant agencies, organizations, persons with disabilities, families, or guardians of persons with disabilities to reach consensus on terminating case management for persons with disabilities.

c) The case manager, persons with disabilities, families, or guardians of persons with disabilities, and the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level or the head of the service-providing organization for social work shall sign the record of termination of case management for persons with disabilities.

Article 9. Recording and storing records

1. The case manager shall fully and accurately record all information regarding the monitoring process of case management for persons with disabilities.

2. Case management files for persons with disabilities shall be stored and kept confidential at the unit in accordance with current laws on archiving. Sharing personal information of persons with disabilities must have the consent of the person with disabilities, their family, or guardian, and the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level or the head of the service-providing organization for social work.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 10. Responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels

1. The People's Committee of the province/city shall direct the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to coordinate with relevant departments and agencies:

a) To guide and inspect the implementation of case management procedures for persons with disabilities within the province/city;

b) To compile and report periodically every six months, annually, and ad hoc on the situation and results of implementing case management procedures for persons with disabilities within the province/city;

c) To organize training and enhance professional skills and expertise in case management for persons with disabilities for the civil servants, employees, workers, and social work volunteers.

2. People's Committee at district level

a) To implement case management procedures for persons with disabilities within the area;

b) To compile and report periodically every six months, annually, and ad hoc on the situation and results of implementing case management procedures for persons with disabilities within the area.

3. Commune-level People's Committee

a) To implement case management procedures for persons with disabilities at the commune, ward, town level;

b) To direct and guide the case managers to develop and implement assistance plans for persons with disabilities;

c) To prepare annual plans and budget estimates for case management expenses for persons with disabilities within the area in accordance with current regulations;

d) To compile and report periodically every six months, annually, and ad hoc on the situation and results of implementing case management procedures for persons with disabilities within the area.

Article 11. Responsibilities of social work service providers

1. Implement case management services for persons with disabilities within their jurisdiction.

2. Organize training and capacity building to enhance the professional knowledge and skills of civil servants, public officials, employees, and social work volunteers regarding case management services for persons with disabilities.

3. Annually prepare plans and budget estimates for case management services for persons with disabilities on their territory in accordance with current regulations.

4. Regularly compile and report every six months, annually, and at any time about the situation and results of implementing case management services for persons with disabilities by the social work service provider.

5. The social work service provider shall be responsible for organizing and guiding the implementation of case management services for persons with disabilities on its territory.

Article 12. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from February 20, 2015.

2. During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties, units are requested to promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs for consideration and resolution./.