Office of Rehabilitation Services

A public state and federally-funded program that assists individuals with disabilities to choose, prepare for, obtain, advance in, and maintain competitive integrated employment. Employment being the successful outcome of services provided through the public vocational rehabilitation program. It is expected that individuals with disabilities who apply for services are interested in becoming employed and understand that this is the focus of the VR program.

• Students with disabilities including students with 504’s can qualify for services with ORS. Students do not need to be unemployed to get these services. If you believe a student will need support with employment they should be referred to ORS services.

The Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals 

Who are they?

• The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) provides an integrated, community-based system of services and supports for adults with developmental disabilities (DD). This system allows individuals with DD to utilize natural supports within their community while safeguarding their health and safety, promoting self-sufficiency, human rights and ensuring equitable access to and allocation of available resources to be responsive to the needs of each individual. Our vision is for all individuals with developmental disabilities to live a full and satisfying life in an integrated, community-based setting.

• If eligible they can help with: Support Coordination • Supported Employment • Day and Community Activities • Transportation • Community Supports • Residential Supports • Emergency Assistance

• BHDDH application: Here

• BHDDH Eligibility Criteria: Here

• Transition Road Map: A Guided Tour of Accessing Adult Services

• Supports Intensity scale information: SIS notes 

• Why does RIPIN sometimes show up and BHDDH sometimes show: Click here for timeline explanation

• Our contact Carolee.Leach@bhddh.ri.gov

RESOURCES

General Transition Resources:

Guardianship:

• When students turn 18 they are their own guardians this is true for financial and medical decisions as well. Some families choose to support their adult with power of attorney/guardianship here are some resources to support them 

  • Guardianship and Alternatives to Guardianship | RIPIN 

  •  https://drri.org/

  • Rhode Island Parent Information Network: Family supports 

  Social Security:

• When students turn 18 they will need to reapply for social security benefits

  • SSA 

Adhere to post-secondary timelines to get services!

• Education is protected by IDEA - we have timelines that we follow and procedures and processes; once your adult is out of the school system it is their choice to apply for adult services; we hand the torch over and will support you but it is imperative to follow through on these services or they will not be there when your adult completes school services.

Community Resources

For more information, please visit the websites below:

• Pacer Center: General information about transition 

• Charting the Life Course: Helpful for helping students envision the good life

• Rhode Island Parent Information Network: Family supports 

• Sherlock Center Introduction to Self-Directed Supports

• FAQ BHDDH

• For information on Transition into Adulthood for youth with Behavioral Health needs, check out the Take Charge of Your Behavioral Health Guidebook. This is a great roadmap to help locate and use available resources as teens transition into adulthood. You can also view the Take Charge of Your Behavioral Health Guidebook in Spanish. 

Helpful Information: 

SSOP (student summary of performance): 

Students, and/or their guardians, receive the Summary of Performance, with accompanying documentation, in their final year of high school. Please make copies of recent testing, current IEP, and any other information you feel will be helpful for the students to utilize to ensure support in their transition. 

College Accommodations:

High school accommodation plans do not transfer to college. Students must initiate the process, and they must be able to articulate the impact of their disability in the academic setting. No longer can parents and school personnel put accommodations in place for students. 

Students must contact the college’s disability services office (DSO) to indicate that they would like accommodations. Registering with the DSO obligates them to absolutely nothing, and it remains confidential. 

Even if students don’t use accommodations right away, they will have this important step done, which makes it easier to begin using accommodations should they ever decide to do so. Students may register with the DSO at any point, but it’s ideal to do so a few weeks before classes begin.  

Work Place Accommodations: 

• ORS can help with this (which is why a referral is so important)

• Request a 504: 504 Plan for Adults in the Workplace: Rights & Accommodations. 

History of disability rights legislation

Over time, several key pieces of legislation have helped to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

• 1975: Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act passed. This law secures the rights of students with disabilities to a free and appropriate education.

• 1990: The Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law. This law prohibits discrimination and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else.

• 1999: United States Supreme Court holds in Olmstead v. L.C. that segregation of individuals with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act in all aspects of public life.