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:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
d. 2. D. Procedures for outreach to and identification of students with disabilities who need transition services.
Current Narrative:
At present, DRS has representation in all high schools in all 55 WV counties. DRS counselors/staff regularly communicate with local school personnel to promote the awareness and usage of VR services. When permitted, DRS school counselors maintain an office in high schools to strengthen the DRS resolve to serve students with disabilities (ages 14-21). DRS continually sponsors grants and activities to educate all stakeholders in high schools about VR services and employment opportunities for students with disabilities.
The State Education Agency (SEA) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have responsibility for providing appropriate special education and related services for each eligible student with a disability, ages 3 to 21, enrolled in the public-school system. For each eligible student with a disability at age 16 or younger, if determined appropriate, the transition service needs of the student must be identified, including interagency linkages. From the perspective of the SEA and LEAs, students with disabilities shall have equal access to services, which are normally provided by public schools for non–disabled individuals, provided that reasonable accommodations or modifications can be made.
It is important that Education and Rehabilitation work together to determine logistics for providing transition services. The IEP and the IPE must be developed with coordinated goals, objectives, and planned services for effective and successful transition to post–school settings. Each agency will cooperate to provide referral, support, and assistance to the agency with responsibility for services.
The formal agreement includes the following:
OUTREACH AND IDENTIFICATION
Rehabilitation and Education will continue to utilize a variety of activities to provide outreach to and identification of students with disabilities who are in need of transition and pre-employment transition services. These activities will be conducted both jointly and individually for students with IEPs, students with 504 plans, and other potentially eligible students with disabilities not currently receiving services. Activities may include, but are not limited to, participation in career/job fairs, presentations to students and parents, website links, brochures, surveys, conferencing between Rehabilitation School Counselors and School Counselors, and regularly scheduled contact with individual schools.
Outreach activities and student identification will be conducted as early as possible, preferably during the students' 10th grade year and shall include information regarding (1) the purpose of the Rehabilitation program; (2) the eligibility requirements of the Rehabilitation program; (3) the application procedures of the Rehabilitation program; and (4) the scope of services that may be provided by the Rehabilitation program.