Guaranteeing Special Education Rights: Individualized Education Plans

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Introduction to Vocational Rehabilitation

"THE TYPES OF SERVICES WE PROVIDE Services depend on the individual client's needs. All of our clients receive vocational rehabilitation advice, when the outreach worker discusses with a client his or her individual goals for employment and the steps to take to reach those. We provide services to meet the individual client need. For one person, that may be help filling out job applications. For another, it could be paying to get new glasses so that he can read the computer to do data entry. For some other client, we may pay for new tires on a car needed to get to a job. Before you can receive any services from vocational rehabilitation, however, you must be determined eligible. An individual is eligible if he or she has a physical, learning or mental disability and is able to benefit from vocational rehabilitation services. "

EMPLOYMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

For lots of people, with disabilities or without, getting a job is not a big deal. They apply for a job for the first time, get hired, go to work and anything they don’t already know about the job they learn as they go. Sometimes they like the job and keep it. Sometimes they dislike it and go find another job. What if it is not that easy? There is a joke on some reservations that VR stands for "vehicle repair" as the only thing some people know about the section 121 projects is they can help you get your car fixed. They are usually amazed when they find out the great variety of services vocational rehabilitation can provide.

Vocational rehabilitation services can include:

• An assessment to determine the person’s abilities, skills, interests, and needs
• Assistance with job-seeking skills, resume development, and other work assistance.
• Help with becoming accustomed to a work setting and requirements of the job.
• Financial assistance to buy needed tools, glasses, repair a vehicle needed to get to work or buy clothes for a job interview.

If you live on or near a reservation, you may get any of these services from a state program, a section 121 tribal program, or both.

Whether employed by a tribal program or the state, to assist an individual with a disability to find or keep a job, a vocational rehabilitation counselor might try a variety of options. These include job analysis, job carving, supported employment, employment preparation for college students and rehabilitation counseling services. We do not have time to discuss these services here but we review each of these in the Caring for Our People Training vocational rehabilitation workshop.

Learn more: Recommended reading list on vocational rehabilitation