VocRehab Reach-Up Participants & Services
Welfare recipients referred to VR have a wide range of disabilities. For the most part, the eligible participants are people with “hidden disabilities” such as severe learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, substance abuse, and most commonly a large variety of mental health problems. The commonly reported mental health problems are Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, severe depression, bi-polar disorder, and personality disorders. In addition to the disability-related barriers, this population is further hampered by minimum employment skills, lack of safe and reliable transportation, lack of education, domestic abuse and violence, lack of childcare, and an inability to manage basic money and budget issues.
The program is staffed with 12.5 full-time counselors covering all of Vermont. A full time caseload is capped at 30 individuals due to the complexity of the barriers and the need for intensive involvement with each family.
Services include, but are not limited to:
- Disability screening
- Assessment
- Identification of disability-related barriers to employment
- Provision of supportive services related to disability
- Plan development
- Intensive case-management and counseling
- Job placement
- On and off site job support
- Follow-up services
This list of services represents the most typical services utilized by people with significant disability-related barriers to employment. However, it has been the experience with VR that an individualized approach to serving people with significant disabilities and multiple barriers to employment increases the likelihood that the recipient will gain and maintain employment. Therefore, counselor and program discretion determine what actual services and supports are to be provided for each participant.
