Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

DVR works closely with the Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) to provide supported employment services. This is a 35 year-plus partnership. Up until FFY17, DVR specifically allocated funds to provide assessment, training, and placement services until closure. Due to sudden and severe changes in DVR funding, Development Services agreed to pick up DVR’s contribution in order to continue the long-standing services. These funds are an integral part of the overall employment budget for individuals with developmental disabilities. The funding allows programs to create a seamless structure of upfront and ongoing support with dedicated positions.  DVR continues to jointly monitor outcomes and provide technical assistance alongside DDSD.  DVR also continues to open DS Supported Employment cases to provide individual case services which include Benefits Counseling and Assistive Technology services. Post-Secondary options are available to people with developmental disabilities through College Steps, Think College and Project Search.

DVR and DDSD only support individual integrated competitive supported employment. The State does not support any sheltered work or congregate work settings. The most recent employment rate data for individuals with developmental disabilities (SFY17) showed a 47% employment rate for working age adults in the DDSD system.

DVR and DDSD have no sheltered employment workshops since Vermont closed its last workshop for individuals with developmental disabilities in 2002. That same year, Vermont was ranked number 1 in the nation in the number of people with developmental disabilities who received supported employment to work per 100,000 of the state population.¹  In the past three years, the numbers of individuals with developmental disabilities employed in competitive jobs have continued to increase.

Adults with Significant Mental Illness

DVR has historically worked closely with DMH to support the integration of employment into the broad array of clinical mental health services available to individuals with significant mental health issues. Similar to its relationship with DDSD, DVR funding was braided with the DMH Community Rehabilitation and Treatment (CRT) Medicaid case rate to provide a seamless structure of upfront and ongoing support.

Up until SFY 2016, DVR funds have been specifically allocated to provide assessment, training, and placement services until closure, with the CRT Medicaid case rate funds providing the necessary long term follow up. Starting in SFY 16, DVR decided to reallocate the $700,000 in Title 110 funds committed to adult mental health to the JOBS program. This decision was made to enable DVR to come into compliance with the Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) requirement. In order to meet the 15% Pre-ETS expenditure target, DVR had to reassign funds from adult services to services  for students and youth. This was a very difficult decision for DVR and we are greatly saddened by the impact on supported employment services for adults with mental illness.

While DVR no longer has a formal contractual program with the CRT programs to deliver supported employment services, DVR continues to partner with CRT programs at the local level. Many CRT programs have sustained their supported employment services despite the loss of VR funding. Local VR offices continue to provide services for CRT consumers that supplement their Medicaid funded services such as Benefits Counseling, Assistive Technology, Employee Assistance Program services, and Career Counseling and Guidance.  DVR shares in Ticket to Work reimbursement with CRT programs for those mutually shared consumers.

DVR and DMH continue to work together at the state level, to support evidence based supported employment. Vermont was the first state to pilot a Johnson and Johnson Dartmouth initiative, now in 13 states, which continues to demonstrate that adherence to the principles of evidence based supported employment is key to increasing employment rates.

Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disturbances

The JOBS Program is an innovative supported employment and intensive case management service for youth with emotional and behavioral disturbances (EBD) that uses work as a means to reach this challenging population. As a result of a unique partnership between the Department of Mental Health’s Child, Adolescent and Family Unit (CAFU), the Department for Children and Families, the Department of Corrections, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and contract agencies, the JOBS Program is operational in twelve (12) sites across the state. The JOBS Program is funded through a combination of Medicaid Global Commitment funds and a VR grant funds.

JOBS involves employers and the business community in meeting the needs of youth through intensive job development, placement, and on and off site training support. JOBS differs from other traditional employment models by providing intensive case management services to assist young people in meeting other areas of need in their lives, e.g., dealing with legal issues, homelessness, drug/alcohol abuse, transportation and probation and parole. Within this model, DVR funds are used to provide the employment focus and upfront employment assessment, education or training, and placement services. The case management and ongoing support is provided through state general funds, (contributed by the different state departments noted above) which are matched to Medicaid through a fee for service arrangement with DMH.

Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury

DVR also works with the Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD) to provide seamless employment support to individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury. Similar to the collaboration that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, the DVR funds are used for the up—front assessment, training, and placement services, while individual Medicaid waiver funds are used to provide the ongoing support.

Use of VR Funds

For all the above program collaborations, if VR funds are used, Title I funds are used for pre-placement activities and Title VI or Title I funds for post placement supported employment services and extended services for youth with the most significant disabilities for up to four years until age 25. 

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¹ The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities:  2002 Study Summary, Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities & Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado, January 2004.