Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

In DVR Central Office, there is a Transition Program Director who supports all transition activities statewide. The DVR Transition Program Director, DVR Linking Learning to Careers Director, and DVR Director routinely meet with Vermont Agency of Education staff to coordinate services, and include Department of Labor, Developmental Disabilities Services Division, Department of Health, VT Assistive Technology Program, and Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired staff in these meetings. 

Vermont DVR has a long-standing commitment to serve students in transition. With the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in July 2014, DVR built on their existing infrastructure for transition aged youth, to implement Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). DVR currently has fourteen Transition Counselors that serve exclusively in-school students and focus on Pre-Employment Transition Services activities as required in WIOA. DVR Transition Counselors recruit students eligible for Pre-ETS services ages 14 to 22 from the local school districts and other independent or private secondary educational programs. The Transition Counselors are operating out of all twelve DVR district offices and cover all Vermont high school districts.  Counselors serve as a community resource to the schools, facilitating inter-agency partnerships through routine Core Transition Team meetings in each of the twelve DVR districts. The goals of these teams are to share resources, partner to support youth, and act as catalysts for change to improve the transition process for youth with disabilities. For student consumers found eligible for VR services, the Transition Counselor is required to develop and IPE prior to high school exit. DVR tracks IPE completion prior to high school exit as part of our quality assurance dashboard. The Transition Counselors also coordinate with Adult Counselors each spring to facilitate moving VR consumers to adult caseloads to ensure that students graduating and moving on to either post-secondary education or careers have consistent, seamless support during this important transition.

To provide Pre-ETS, DVR determined we needed specialized employment placement services designed to meet the needs of students. Therefore, DVR created the Youth Employment Specialist model, and contracted with the Vermont Association of Business, Industry, and Rehabilitation (VABIR) for youth employment services in Vermont. VABIR provides Youth Employment Specialists (YES) to work one on one with Transition Counselors to support Pre-employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) in all areas of the state. The YES and the Transition Counselor work as a team with each high school, and these teams meet regularly with the Transition Program Director to provide training and share best practices. 

The Jump on Board for Success (JOBS) program provides supported employment services for out of school youth aged 16-22 with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities.  Transition Counselors and JOBS staff collaborate to identify youth who are at risk of dropping out of school or are within six months of graduation and may be eligible for JOBS services. The Transition counselors and JOBS staff coordinate with local high schools for services to help youth successfully transition from high school.  There are ten JOBS programs around the state and a total of 13 JOBS sites operated by the Designated Agencies. 

The Developmental Services (DS) program also works collaboratively with the Transition Counselors to ensure that students who may be both eligible and meet funding priorities for developmental services are referred through the schools to the local Designated Agencies.  The Transition Counselors and DS staff coordinate with the local high schools for services to youth exiting high school.  There are fifteen DS programs around the state run by Designated Agencies or Specialized Service Agencies.

The Transition Counselors collaborate with the VR Benefits Counseling program to provide services to youth and families in high schools.  The VR Benefits Counseling program provides information and resources about state and federal benefits as well as information on Social Security work incentives.  It is crucial that students and their families have access to accurate and appropriate information when making informed decisions around employment and education choices.

The Linking Learning to Careers (LLC) Work-Based Learning grant funded through the Rehabilitation Services Administration is a five-year research study to improve career and college readiness outcomes for Vermont high school students with disabilities. This initiative will provide qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding the impact of LLC services on students’ early career outcomes, including paid competitive employment, post-secondary school enrollment, and improved confidence to achieve career goals. The partnership between Community College of Vermont, Agency of Education, Vermont Association of Business, Industry, and Rehabilitation, high schools and career and technical educational centers throughout the state, and DVR, is integral to effective delivery of the services provided within the model.  A Linking Learning to Careers Director and Assistant Director support one FTE Career Consultant, ten PTE Career Consultants, and two FTE Assistive Technology Specialists, who provide these individualized services to students in the treatment group.  There are currently 441 students who are receiving Enhanced Services as part of the grant.