Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

2021 data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows the following labor force participation and unemployment rate for youth:

Labor Force Participation for Youth:

• Age 16-19 with Disability:  24.3%
• Age 16-19 with No Disability:  36.8%
• Age 20-24 with Disability:  46.7%
• Age 20-24 with No Disability: 72%

Unemployment Rate for Youth:

• Age 16-19 with Disability: 21.1%
• Age 16-19 with No Disability: 11.4%
• Age 20-24 with Disability: 16.5%
• Age 20-24 with No Disability: 8.7%

Data highlights from the CSNA pertaining to services to youth and students are provided below:

Total Individuals Served: Age

Nearly half of all individuals served were 30 years of age of younger with a continued drop in individuals age 40-70 served. The increased focus on serving students through Pre-ETS could be contributing to the increase in this younger population served in VR.

VR Eligible and Potentially Eligible Students Served Through Pre-ETS

Over 4,000 students with disabilities received services during PY19 and PY20. The majority of students who received Pre-ETS in both years were those potentially eligible students who were not yet receiving VR services under an IPE.

The following is a summary of survey questions and responses in regard to youth and students with disabilities:

What are the biggest barriers students with disabilities have when making the transition from school to work? 

Highest reported barriers by combined respondents:

1. Transportation (example: can’t drive, bus not reliable)                                                          12.50%
2. Gap in services from school to work (student leaves school without connections                                    

to services)                                                                                                                                                             11.35%

3. Employers' willingness to hire individuals needing significant support                         10.86%
4. Concerns of individual or family about loss of benefits (examples: Social                

Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing assistance)                                                                                9.90%

5. Lack of information or confusion about available services                                                    9.51%

Highest reported barriers by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:12,

1. Employers’ willingness to hire individuals needing significant support                        12.51%
2. Expectations from professionals about individuals with disabilities working             11.97%
3. Transportation (example: can’t drive, bus not reliable)                                                         10.50%
4. Concerns of individual or family about loss of benefits (examples: Social                

Security, Medicare, Medicaid, housing assistance)                                                                               9.88%

5. Gap in services from school to work (student leaves school without connections                                   

to services)                                                                                                                                                              9.65%

While reported barriers were similar across both groups overall, of note is that respondents with disabilities reported expectations from professionals about individuals with disabilities working as the 2^nd highest barrier, and this was not included in the top five barriers for combined respondents. Also of note is that while transportation was ranked as the top barrier by combined respondents, both employers’ willing ness to hire individuals needing significant support and expectations from professionals ranked as higher barriers than transportation by respondents with disabilities.

What are the needs of students with disabilities as they transition to employment and/or post-secondary education?

Highest reported needs by combined respondents:

1. Skills to get ready for work and independent living                                              26.89%
2. Work experience, internships                                                                                          23.85%
3. Self-advocacy and self-determination skills                                                            19.22%
4. Job exploration counseling                                                                                             17.73%
5. Counseling on post-secondary education programs                                            10.01%

Highest reported needs by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:

1. Skills to get ready for work and independent living                                              24.95%
2. Work experience, internships                                                                                          23.82%
3. Self-advocacy and self-determination skills                                                             21.00%
4. Job exploration counseling                                                                                              16.57%
5. Counseling on post-secondary education programs                                            10.55%

Responses were very similar across both groups.

What would improve VR services for students and youth with disabilities? 

Highest reported needed improvements by combined respondents:

1. Additional opportunities for work experience                                                                            17.17%
2. Increased knowledge of resources and opportunities that support employment     15.39%
3. Better coordination between VR and schools                                                                             15.15%
4. Earlier access to VR services                                                                                                                12.23%
5. Additional opportunities for career exploration                                                                         10.64%

Highest reported needed improvements by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:

1. Additional opportunities for work experience                                                                            18.43%
2. Increased knowledge of resources and opportunities that support employment    15.93%
3. Better coordination between VR and schools                                                                            14.30%
4. Additional opportunities for career exploration                                                                       12.58%
5. Earlier access to VR services                                                                                                              11.89%

Responses by both groups were similar, except respondents with disabilities ranked additional opportunities for career exploration as a higher area of improvement v. earlier access to VR, in contracts to combined respondents.

How can employers be more involved with helping students and youth with disabilities transition to work and/or post-secondary education?

Highest reported responses by combined respondents:

1. Provide more work experiences/internships                                                                      24.72%
2. Increase their awareness of employment resources and supports (example:                   

Vocational Rehabilitation, job coaching, accommodations)                                                  24.08%

3. Mentor students and youth                                                                                                        16.95%
4. Provide job fairs at schools (mock interviews/application practice)                       15.04%
5. Offer tours at business sites                                                                                                         9.28%

Highest reported responses by respondents reporting as a person with a disability:

1. Increase their awareness of employment resources and supports (example:                   

Vocational Rehabilitation, job coaching, accommodations)                                          24.49%

2. Provide more work experiences/internships                                                             21.73%
3. Mentor students and youth                                                                                               17.81%
4. Provide job fairs at schools (mock interviews/application practice)              13.71%
5. Offer tours at business sites                                                                                             10.06%

Responses by both groups were similar, except combined respondents ranked increased work experience/internships as a higher need v. increased awareness of employment resources and support, in contracts to respondents with disabilities.

According to the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) “Memorandum to State Board of Education Regarding Child Counts” for December 1, 2020, there was a non-duplicated child count of 169,169 students in special education.  This is down from the year before by 22 students (-.013%). The breakdown according to disability is shown in the chart below.

Child Count Comparisons (December 2, 2019, and December 1, 2020)

Ages: 5B (kindergarten eligible)-22- Unduplicated State Totals by Disability

Source: DOE-Special Education and DOE-Special Education for Voucher Students

The following is information as to Indiana’s progress in meeting the Federal Indicators for IDEA in 2019, (LEAD, n.d.):

• 24.17% of youth no longer in secondary school had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14a). 
• 64.33% of youth who are no longer in secondary school had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14b). 
• 75.83% of youth who are no longer in secondary school had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were enrolled in higher education or in some other postsecondary education or training program; or they were competitively employed or in some other employment within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14c). (M. Oja personal communication, December 18, 2021).

With the advent of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), VR agencies must earmark 15% of federal VR funds for the provision of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities. Students with disabilities is defined as students in secondary or postsecondary school between the ages of 14 through the school year in which the student becomes 22, who are eligible for, and receiving, special education or related services under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or is an individual with a disability for purposes of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Students may be eligible for and receiving VR services, or they may be “potentially eligible.”  VR considers a potentially eligible student to be a student with a disability as defined above who is not currently receiving VR services under an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).

Indiana provides Pre-ETS to students with disabilities in all 92 counties through both contracted community rehabilitation programs and internal VR staff. Both students who are eligible for VR services as well as those potentially eligible for VR services receive Pre-ETS. Over 7,000 students, served by 12 contracted providers, received pre-ETS through the program year ending June 2021.

Additionally, Pre-ETS contracts were amended in the fall of 2021 to align contractors’ updated budget estimates with actual contract budgets to assist VR in reaching their 15% pre-ETS required spend. Additionally, stipends for students participating in certain work-based learning activities were added to contracts to encourage more student involvement in work-based learning, which is a clear predictor of post high school success.

The number of students served through Pre-ETS and type of Pre-ETS activities received is outlined in the Tables below.

VR Eligible and Potentially Eligible Students Served Through Pre-ETS

Over 4,000 students with disabilities received services during PY19 and PY20, with a significant increase to over 8,000 students in PY21. The majority of students who received Pre-ETS in both years were those potentially eligible students who were not yet receiving VR services under an IPE. There may be a need to implement strategies to increase the number of students receiving pre-ets who apply for VR services.

In 2019, Indiana created eight VR Youth Counselor positions to assist with pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS) and general transition outreach to students, families, schools, and providers. They completed local area needs assessments to better understand availability of and access to pre-ETS, develop methods of expanding pre-ETS, improve relationships among VR, schools and providers, and determine the technical assistance and training needs of schools, providers, and VR staff. These assessments led to our youth counselors bringing pre-ETS to more school systems throughout the state, assisting with training of pre-ETS career coaches, and providing community and business outreach to increase work-based learning activities and strengthen overall programming for students with disabilities. Additionally, youth counselors act as liaisons between local education agencies and Vocational Rehabilitation, working on improving referrals processes, attending case conferences, and assisting schools and VR with understanding each other’s systems to improve outcomes for transition aged youth.