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:
When a student who is eligible based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) standards reaches the age of fourteen, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, as defined by 34 CFR § 300.344, formulates a statement of transition service needs as a component of the IEP. The TDOE provides the DSU with data regarding students who are eligible for and receiving special education services under the IDEIA to better identify the statewide needs for pre-employment transition services.
The Division’s staff maintains a working relationship with special education supervisors, vocational education supervisors, directors, secondary school guidance counselors, and LEA administrators for the purpose of providing outreach for students with disabilities and technical assistance to school personnel to assist LEAs in preparing students with disabilities for career opportunities. The Division participates in in-service training programs for LEAs, as well as in statewide special education conferences for the purpose of providing information regarding VR services. The Division also participates in and organizes local community job fairs, job clubs, attends civic club/organization meetings to inform students and parents of the purpose of the VR program, the application procedures, the eligibility requirements, and the potential scope of services that may be available.
Other activities to identify students who are potentially eligible for Pre-ETS and are meet the eligibility requirements of Section 504 include completion of student health survey forms coordinated with guidance counselors or general education teachers.
Lastly, the Division, in partnership with ten local education agencies and the Council on Developmental Disabilities, operates 13 High School Transition Project SEARCH® Sites. Those Sites are located as follows:
- BlueCross BlueShield – Hamilton County Schools
- Embassy Suites – Rutherford County Schools
- Embassy Suites – Metro Nashville Public Schools
- Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital – Shelby County Schools
- Maryville College – Blount County Schools
- Methodist North Hospital – Shelby County Schools
- Parkwest Medical Center – Knox County Schools
- Sheraton Hotel – Shelby County Schools
- Tennova – Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools
- The Peabody – Shelby County Schools
- Welch College – Sumner County Schools
- West TN Healthcare – Jackson-Madison County Schools
- Wilderness in the Smokies – Sevier County Schools
Through the Project SEARCH programs, each site follows the national model for providing transition services to students. The primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities. Project SEARCH is driven by collaboration with many community partners: a host business, an education partners, a supported employment provider, VR, and a state or local developmental disability provider. Through this nine-month internships program, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities participate in three 10-week internship rotations where they are able to be fully immersed into that career. In addition, the interns receive daily workplace readiness training. This increases the intern’s ability to be successful in the workplace setting, learn and generalize employability and marketable work skills, and explore a variety of career paths.
The Division contracts with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for Community Rehabilitation Provider training and assistance with site development and curriculum implementation. The Division also compensates Community Rehabilitation Providers for workplace readiness training and work-based learning experiences provided to eligible individuals per day. A match requirement is not mandated for this service.