• Intro to Vocational Rehabilitation
  • How VR Helps in Employment
  • What is section 121
• Vocational Counseling
  • Tips from the Field
  • Counselors as Leaders - 7 Traits
  • 7 Critical Traits (continued)
• School to Work Transition
  • The Beginning
  • Preparing Youth for VR
  • Writing a Transition Plan
  • Transition Plan Specifics
  • Academic Instruction
  • Transition Links
• Individual Plan of Employment
  • Setting a Goal
  • Factors to Consider
  • Services on the IPE
  • Developing Job Skills
  • Work & Professionalism
• Services Under IPE
  • Soft Skills: Becoming employable
  • Job Analysis & Job Carving
    • Job Analysis Example # 1
    • Mary's Job
    • Job Analysis Example #2
    • Job Carving
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Spectrum of Services
• Difficult Clients
  • Understanding Difficult People
  • Non-working lifestyle
  • Fear & Hopelessness
  • Fear, Hopelessness & VR
  • Fear & Hopelessness (cont.)
  • Fear & Hopelessness, Part III
  • Clients Don't Want to Work
• Legal Rights
  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
    • Legal Rights - IDEA
    • Allan's Story
    • IDEA - Later Changes
    • IDEA links
  • Section 504
    • Accommodations & Modifications
    • Accommodations VS Modifications
• Self-Advocacy
  • Steps to Self-Advocacy
  • Tools of the Trade
• Resources
  • Spirit Lake Resources
  • Under-used Resources
  • VR Links

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. "

RECOMMENDED READING LIST

Spirit Lake Vocational Rehabilitation Handbook. Even though this was written for the Spirit Lake Project, there is a lot of general information that applies to any vocational rehabilitation program.

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.