Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
__________
[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- g. Coordination with Employers
Describe how the designated State unit will work with employers to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities in order to facilitate the provision of:
- g. Coordination with Employers
g. 2. Transition services, including pre-employment transition services, for students and youth with disabilities.
Current Narrative:
LWC/LRS and LDOE, specifically the LEAs, are responsible for coordinating transition services in Louisiana. LRS is required to make Pre-Employment Transition Services available statewide to students with disabilities, and this is done through collaboration with the local school districts to coordinate these activities. Pre-Employment Transition Services are provided in various ways across Louisiana to comply with the needs and desires of the LEAs. Services are provided through Third Party Cooperative Arrangements (TPCAs), fee for service agreements with Community Rehabilitation Programs, and direct services provided by LRS Rehabilitation Counselors.
LRS has thirteen (13) TPCAs established with school districts in Bossier, DeSoto, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Livingston, and Natchitoches parishes; and the following collegiate academies or charter schools; Sci Academy, Livingston Collegiate, GW Carver, Collegiate Baton Rouge, New Harmony, and Educators for Quality Alternatives. Through these TPCAs, a Transition Specialist provides the required Pre-Employment Transition Services to students with disabilities.
LRS assigned Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) to each public high school statewide not having a TPCA with LRS, including Charter schools, to make Pre-Employment Transition Services available to students who receive special education services through IDEA funds or students who are considered individuals with disabilities for the purpose of section 504 of the Act (29 U.S.C. 794). Assigned CRPs provide the five required Pre-Employment Transition Services as identified as needed for each consumer by the consumer and Rehabilitation Counselor, and CRP’s also identify employers in the area to give students opportunities for work-based learning experiences.
Through all of these formats, students with disabilities are provided access to local employers through Work Based Learning Experiences, both paid and unpaid, Employer Site Visits, Job Shadowing and Internships.
In PY 2021, LRS partnered with DOW Chemical, The Iberville ARC and the Iberville Parish School System to provide the first Project SEARCH program in Louisiana. DOW hosted 8 transition students with disabilities as interns and provided a minimum of three different work environments to enable these students to learn while on the job. Project SEARCH expanded the students’ skill sets and allowed them to have work experience in their community. LRS has another potential employer interested in starting a Project SEARCH site.
LRS also has been part of the State as a Model Employer (SAME) initiative which was started to increase the number of persons with disabilities employed in State government. A point of contact has been established with each state agency to coordinate hiring of individuals with disabilities. This initiative will benefit students with disabilities by enabling them to participate in Work Based Learning Experiences at state agencies and to interview for and be considered for state employment once they are job ready.