190 likes | 357 Views
Vermont Vocational Rehabilitation. Creating Inclusive Environments. What Is Vocational Rehabilitation?. An agency that assists individuals with disabilities to obtain and maintain employment. Referrals are received from a multitude of resources. Office Locations Throughout Vermont.
E N D
Vermont Vocational Rehabilitation Creating Inclusive Environments
What Is Vocational Rehabilitation? • An agency that assists individuals with disabilities to obtain and maintain employment. • Referrals are received from a multitude of resources.
Office Locations Throughout Vermont. • 12 district offices are located throughout Vermont in Barre, Burlington, Rutland, Springfield, Bennington, Brattleboro, Middlebury, Morrisville, Newport, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury and White River Junction.
Eligibility Requirements • Must be a State resident. • Have a disability that is a substantial barrier to employment. • Disabilities may include physical limitations, mental illness, learning disabilities as well as other disorders.
Eligibility Requirements • Requires the assistance of Vocational Rehabilitation to become or remain employed. • There is no income eligibility for Vermont DVR services.
Vocational Rehabilitation Process • Group intake. • Assignment to a counselor. • Initial interview with a counselor. • Determine eligibility for services.
Vocational Rehabilitation Process • Assessment (informal and formal). • Identify vocational goals and develop Individual Plan for Employment. • Referral to workshops, other agencies, training programs, assistance with job development (referral to VABIR or Employment Training Specialist program).
What Services Are Provided? • Basic vocational rehabilitation services include counseling and guidance, job assessments, education, occupational training coursework, books, tools, sign language interpreter services, adaptive equipment or prosthetics and job placement, etc. • All services must relate to a Vocational goal.
Vocational Rehabilitation Process • Remediation of their disability. • Monitor and follow up with the individual for a minimum of 90 days after job placement before case is closed. • Case may be re-opened if additional services are needed.
Clientele and Placement • Serving approximately 5,800 people per year throughout Vermont. • Successfully placed approximately 1,000 individuals with disabilities in competitive employment last year.
Department of Employment and Training Department of Social Welfare Social Security Administration Vermont Association of Business, Industry & Rehabilitation (VABIR) VT Center for Independent Living Recycle North Old North End Training Center Essex and Burlington Technical Centers Local colleges Northlands Job Corps VR Works Collaboratively With:
Northlands/Vocational Rehabilitation Partnership • Benefit to Northland. • Benefit to VR.
Northlands/Vocational Rehabilitation Partnership • Vocational Rehabilitation assisted with an accessibility awareness survey for Northlands Job Corps. • Structural changes were recommended for the important buildings and prioritization was given.
Northlands/Vocational Rehabilitation Partnership • Vocational Rehabilitation provided a presentation to students and staff at Northlands to make them aware of services available through Voc Rehab. • Trainings have been provided to the staff at Northlands on Learning Disabilities.
Northlands/Vocational Rehabilitation Partnership • Northlands Job Corps refers their students who are diagnosed with a disability to Vocational Rehabilitation. • Northlands Job Corps works with Voc Rehab to provide accommodations that may be needed for students. • VR refers individuals to Northlands to participate in training opportunities.
Why the VR/Northlands Relationship Works • Team approach to working with the students. • Relationship provides a win-win situation for both agencies. • VR Counselor goes on site to Northlands Job Corps approximately every two weeks.
My Role at Northlands • Division’s liaison with Northlands. • Meet with prospective referrals. • Work with students while they continue through their program. • Refer students to the appropriate VR office when they leave Northlands. • Provide Northlands with information on disabilities.
Inclusion within Northlands • VR Consumer input. • VR Counselors input. • Examples of cases.
Recommendations to others • Request that a representative from your Job Corps Center attend a local VR staff meeting. • Invite VR staff to visit your Center and learn more about the programs offered. • Make VR aware that Job Corps is a good resource. • Propose to VR that both agencies develop a “working relationship.”