Division of Rehabilitation

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Do you have an IEP or see your doctor for a condition on a regular basis? You might be elegible to be part of Voc. Rehab

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to help you to get your Career and they pay for it. Check it our.

Application Process

1. Contact your local VR office:

Find a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office nearest you using the online Office Map or call 1-866-454-8397 (toll free).

2. Attend a welcome session and/or obtain an application.

Contact a VR office to attend a welcome session in person or you can view an online Welcome Session and download an USOR Application or a Large-Print Application. Find out if you're eligible by completing the application and scheduling a meeting with a VR counselor.

3. Make an appointment to see a counselor at your local VR office.

Bring any records or information about your disability, including records from your doctor, psychologist or school. If you do not have any information, your VR counselor will arrange an evaluation. You may bring someone with you to your appointment. You should also bring your completed application, a form of identification and your Social Security card. Your VR counselor will discuss and assess your disability and paths for employment. You may be asked to sign a Release of Information form so your counselor can obtain additional information to determine your eligibility.

To be eligible for services, you must:

1. Have a significant physical or mental impairment.

2. An impairment that results in a substantial impediment to employment.

3. You must require vocational rehabilitation services to obtain or maintain employment.

4. You must benefit in terms of an employment outcome.

Your counselor has up to 60 days from the day of your appointment to determine your eligibility for services. In unique circumstances, it may take additional time to obtain the appropriate information to determine your eligibility. If you are determined to not be eligible for services, you can request a file review by calling the office in your area. Please note there is an Order of Selection Wait List.

4. Next steps if eligible.

Your VR counselor will contact you when services are available and will help you develop your Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). This plan outlines the steps to take toward obtaining employment with choices to help fulfill you goal. Together, you and your VR counselor will:

• Choose the type of employment that is best for you.

• Determine services for reaching your employment goal.

• Connect with the person or agency that offers services you need.

5. Follow-up:

When you become employed, your case will remain open for at least 90 days so your VR counselor can provide guidance and support during this transition to employment. You will be considered successfully employed after 90 days of employment.

Supported Employment Services

We provide supported employment services for individuals with the most significant disabilities who require support to find, learn and keep a job. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, serious mental illness, acquired brain injury and other significant disabilities are assisted to work in competitive, integrated employment through supported employment services. We partner with Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRP), the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) and the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) to assist individuals in their employment goals. Utah has different models of supported employment:

Traditional Supported Employment

In a traditional supported employment pathway, an individual with a disability and their vocational rehabilitation counselor determine that the individual needs support to find and maintain employment. Often the job seeker will work with a CRP to find and maintain the job through Job Development, Job Placement and Job Coaching services provided by the CRP, but paid for by USOR. Once the job seeker has secured competitive, integrated employment for 24 months, other extended support providers, such as DSPD or DSAMH, will provide support to the job seeker for as long as they need.

• Learn more about working with a CRP partner

Individual Placement and Support

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based, specific type of supported employment model developed out of Dartmouth College to assist individuals with a primary or secondary diagnosis of mental illness in finding employment that meets their specific needs, interest and skills, and supports them in ways that promote success in the workplace. We partner with the DSAMH to implement this model in different areas in our state. To learn more about the IPS model in Utah, visit: dsamh.utah.gov/services/supported-employment.

Customized Employment

Customized employment services are an extension of supported employment services. Under a customized employment pathway, the job seeker’s skills, interests and needs are identified in a process of "discovery." Job content, tasks and environment are tailored to the job seeker’s skills and interests in a process of negotiation and collaboration between the client, the CRP and the employer.

• Essential Elements of Customized Employment

• Customized Employment Services

Contact

Aimee Langone

Program Coordinator

alangone@utah.gov