Vocational Rehabilitation, more commonly known as V.R. or Voc Rehab, is a division of the Department of Economic Security that focuses on assisting individuals with disabilities overcome barriers to employment. The types of support offered to each person is individualized to their needs and desires for employment. To be able to receive services through Voc Rehab an individual must complete an application, participate in an in-take interview, and provide any medical and educational documentation that supports the individual's disability. Once all of these steps are completed, Voc Rehab will assign an "Order of Selection". This means that Voc Rehab will determine how much, and what type of support the individual would need to overcome the barrier. It is important to know that the "Order of Selection" is a key component to the types of support an individual will receive. At this time individuals deemed a priority status 2 or 3 will receive very little if any support, and will be placed on a "wait list". This is why it is imperative to have help in understanding and navigating the process to ensure that individuals are not brushed aside when they truly need services.
Click here to access the Vocational Rehabilitation website
The Division of Developmental Disabilities, also commonly known as DDD, within the Department of Economic Security, provides services and funding to individuals and their families. To qualify for DDD services the individual must suffer from a traumatic brain injury, or be identified as having an intellectual disability before 18 years of age.
It is important to know that a lot of the funding for DDD services comes through Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTECS), because without ALTECS funding no services are offered to the individual with disabilities. If the individual is in need of any type of services (i.e. speech therapy, respite care, etc.), those services might be an out-of-pocket cost to the individual or family without ALTECS. Individuals must apply for ALTECS funding after a determination is made regarding eligibility for DDD services. The knowledge an advocate can provide regarding DDD practices, procedures, and paperwork could be the difference between receiving funding for services and having to do without.
Click here to accesses the Division of Developmental Disabilities website.
Below are great resources right here in our community
"AZ ASSIST is a community of families of teens and young adults on the autism spectrum where self-advocacy and independence are promoted and encouraged".
"Ability360 continues a 35-year tradition offering and promoting programs to empower people with all disabilities to take personal responsibility so that they may achieve or continue independent lifestyles within the community. The independent living philosophy states that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, options, and control over choices in their own lives as do people without disabilities."
I have a very personal connection to the Foundation for the Blind Children. They were the first point of contact for my family when I was first diagnosed with Albinism at just a few months old. I attribute a large part of my successes, and my passion for education to the support and encouragement I received at the Foundation for Blind Children.
Their mission: "To provide education, tools and services that enable all persons with vision loss to achieve greater independence."
Their Vision: "To have a world where vision loss is a diagnosis, not a disability."
"Project SEARCH is an international program model empowering young adults with significant disabilities to make a successful transition from school to adult life. Participants are taught relevant, marketable skills while immersed in the working world. The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program is a unique, business led, one year school-to-work program that takes place entirely at the workplace. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations. West-MEC is proud to partner with Project SEARCH and offer these services to our community."
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"Established in 1997, the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) is an internationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to autism research, education, evidence-based treatment, and community outreach. We are one of the only autism organizations in the world that provides a lifetime of services for individuals and their families while also conducting cutting edge research."