Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Orientation Part I: Eligibility and the Process Hi, my name is Sarah. I've been asked to tell you a few things about Voc Rehab.They say I'm a star graduate of the program. Now, I don't know about that but I do know that Voc Rehab's made a big difference in my life. A couple of years ago I was at a crossroads.I was a certified nursing assistant at a nursing home. It was hard work but I really liked my job.Then when I injured my back skiing for the third time, my doctor told me I had to call it quits. I needed to change jobs, not exactly the happiest day for me. First, I walked around really bummed out.And then a friend told me to give Voc Rehab a call. So the next day I made an appointment with my Voc Rehab Counselor. I couldn't believe all the services they had available. At first I thought I'd like to try nursing. After all I had attended some college and I did ok. But then my counselor helped me understand that the physical demands of nursing can be pretty tough too. So together we looked at my talents and needs and matched them with a job more suited to what I could. Now, after training and some blood sweat and tears, I have a new career. Meet Sarah Johnson the Phlebotomist. I professionally draw blood at a nice new clinic surrounded by friendly people. I'm even taking home more pay. Am I happy? You bet I am, thanks to Voc Rehab. They go to work, for you. When I told friends I was going to Voc Rehab, I got sympathetic looks. You know, when some people hear the word rehabilitation they automatically think, "Oh no, poor you." But Voc Rehab is an employment program for people with disabilities. They help you qualify for and find a job. It's a voluntary, individualized and time limited program. They work with you only as long as needed for you to find work. The average person receives Voc Rehab services for just a little over 2 years. To qualify for rehab services, you must have a physical or psychological disability that's diagnosed by a doctor, psychologist or licensed professional. In my case, I was evaluated by no less than an Orthopedic surgeon. A doctor who specializes in back pain and such. Actually I'd been seeing this doctor for my back for some time. Also to qualify for services, your disability must keep you from getting or keeping a job. After you apply for vocational rehabilitation services, your counselor has 60 days to gather the necessary information and make a determination about your eligibility. If you're not eligible for Voc Rehab, your case is closed and you are directed to other resources. If you're unhappy about any decision made by your counselor including your eligibility, you can request a review by contacting the Client Assistance Program or CAP. You're counselor will tell you about CAP. Just because you're eligible for Voc Rehab doesn't mean you're entitled to all the services they offer. The services are based on your particular need. For example, I would've liked Voc Rehab to buy me this powerful laptop I've had my eye on, which would also help me with my school work. However, my counselor and I identified that I did not really need a laptop to complete my course work and get to my job goal because I could use the school's computer lab. So the laptop did not go into my plan. You don't have to be out of a job to speak to services at Voc Rehab.I didn't quit my job at the nursing home right way. But because of my back problems I knew that I wouldn't be able to keep that job.There's no stigma or embarrassment involved in accessing the services of Voc Rehab. Everything they do is kept confidential. Disabilities vary greatly, from depression and learning disabilities to disabilities resulting from a serious accident. Voc Rehab works with people from all walks of life with all types of disabilities. Back problems, like the one I have, are common. I met a guy at Voc Rehab named John. He was a Business Administration major. However, an injury from military days was affecting his problem solving ability and he was having difficulty in school.Since he was injured while in the service, he was also eligible for services from veterans affairs. So Voc Rehab worked with the VA to put together John's rehab plan. John loves to bike, he's even competed. Through his hobby John established a number of contacts in the bicycle industry and he started purchasing and selling bicycle parts on the internet.With the help of Voc Rehab and special training, John went into this full scale.Now he has his own parts business. Isn't that a great story? Almost as good as mine. The Voc Rehab process begins when you go to your Voc Rehab office to apply or submit a written application. Next, you meet with your counselor and that's where, as they say, the rubber really meets the road. A lot goes on during you're first meeting with the counselor. That could be a long one. You undergo a comprehensive assessment,as the counselor gathers as much information as possible about your work history, education and training, abilities and interests,rehabilitation needs, and possible career goals. You might be asked questions such as what you expect out of Voc Rehab? And if you had a magic wand and could be anything you wanted to be, what would that be? If existing information is not enough to determine whether you are eligible for services, Voc Rehab will provide assessment services to determine the exact nature of your disability and how it might affect your employment prospects. For example, you might be sent to a physical therapist who will test your physical ability to lift, bend, twist, or carry. Or you might be interviewed by a psychologist or another specialist. Your Voc Rehab counselor will help setup and pay for these assessments. Be sure to bring any information regarding your disability to your first Voc Rehab appointment. Things like the names of doctors or therapists you might have seen along with dates and a list of medications you're taking. Past employment information will be helpful too. The process of vocational guidance and counseling continues as you and your counselor draw up what is called an Individualized Plan for Employment or IPE. The IPE lists, among other things, all the steps necessary to achieve your employment goal. The services needed to help you along the way and how you and your counselor are going to measure progress towards your goal. Accomplishing your goal could take anywhere from several months to several years. You and the counselor both agree to and sign a copy of the plan. The last phase of your employment plan is getting a job in your chosen field. After 90 days of satisfactory employment, you're considered successfully employed. Your case is closed and you may continue your new career. That's me, successfully employed. Well that's a little bit about eligibility and the Voc Rehab process. Always feel free to ask questions of your counselor. About anything. Remember, having a disability does not mean you lack abilities. Voc Rehab is there to put those abilities to work for you. Overview of the Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Part II: Services Trying the services at Voc Rehab are four general guidelines. One: The services provided are Individualized. What works for someone else may not work for you. Two: All services must be employment or disability related. Three: The services must be jointly developed and agreed upon by you and your counselor. In other words, nothing is forced on you. Voc Rehab calls this informed choice. Four: Services are time limited. Your rehabilitation plan is designed with an end in mind, securing employment. This sentence from one of Voc Rehab brochures says it pretty well: "Voc Rehab identifies and provides services consistent with an individuals strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choices." That takes a lot into consideration. The Voc Rehab services fall into six broad categories.The first is Evaluation and Assessment. This includes all types of medical, physical, psychological, educational, or work evaluations. Whatever is necessary to help the counselor determine your unique capabilities and needs. To me, maybe the most important Voc Rehab service was the Vocational Guidance and Counseling. During my second appointment, I took some interests testing, right on their computers. Interests testing helps you figure out what kind of work you might be best suited for or would enjoying doing. That's how we confirmed that my job had to involve people contact. Something I really need as a person. I like helping people and that's why I do well in Healthcare. Once you and you're counselor pinpoint possible career choices, Voc Rehab helps you check out the job market. You know they are part of the Alaska job center network. And if you don't think that helps, looking at the job market helps you judge how quickly you might be able to find a job, and where and what the expected pay range would be. My counselor helped me develop my Individualized Plan for Employment, or IPE. Something I finally call my road map to success. The plan includes: Your specific job goal and when you expect to reach it. A list of the services needed to reach your job goal, who the service providers will be, the starting and projecting ending dates of the service, and funding arrangements. This includes services and benefits from other programs other than Voc Rehab that will help you reach your goal. The IPE also outlines the tasks and responsibilities you need to accomplish. After all it's a two way street. My plan said I was responsible for completing my required course work, among other things. In addition, the plan describes ways you and your counselor will measure progress towards achieving your job goal. My progress was measured every time I got my course grades and then later each time I completed a job interview. Finally your Individualized Plan for Employment includes what part of the services you would pay for, if any. Voc Rehab determines if you have financial resources to help pay for services such as training. Before providing certain services, your counselor will see if another source such as medical insurance or Medicaid can pay for the service. There certain Voc Rehab available to all eligible individuals regardless of their financial resources. They are: - Assessments to determine eligibility and rehabilitation needs. - Vocational Counseling, Guidance, and Referral services. - Interpreter, Reading, and Tutoring services. - On-the-job training and - Job Search and - Placement services. Training is another major service offered by Voc Rehab. For my new vocation I needed to go to school to learn how to draw blood for different lab tests. Voc Rehab training can also take place on the job through job coaching or job mentoring. I met the neatest high school student and his mom while I was at the Voc Rehab office. He received OJT. That stands for on the job training. Voc Rehab started working with Adam while he was still in high school. His mom told me he has a learning disability in reading along with an attention deficit disorder when it comes to listening. Needless to say Adam didn't do well in lecture classes in high school. He did get good reports from his teachers in art and mechanic classes. But Adam didn't want to be an artist or a mechanic. Voc Rehab did some interests and aptitude testing and what almost identically matched Adam's interests and abilities was dental lab technician. Voc Rehab contacted a dental lab in Adam's hometown and the owner agreed to have him come in and do some work. The rest is history. Adam is now earning about $11.00 dollars and hour making crowns and bridges that are shipped to dentist offices all over the US. When it comes to training and other Voc Rehab services, there may be some things you need but Voc Rehab won't necessarily provide. For example, you might prefer to train at a school in New York, but if the same training or degree is available in Alaska, Voc Rehab would financially support you to attend school here. Sure, you can go to New York, but you would need to pay the difference. Voc Rehab also provides Employment Services. I needed a lot of help in this area. I hadn't written a resume before and they showed me how. Plus I did a number of mock job interviews within a safe confines in the Voc Rehab office before my first real interview. Voc Rehab does a lot of job referral, placement and follow-up work too. Voc Rehab also provides services in the area of Accommodations. Adaptive aids, assistive technology, accessibility and work site evaluations are available. I met Olof at Voc Rehab. He's amazing! He's 83 years old and still working. He and his wife work together at a cafe that is a site for senior meals and services. The couple's job is to put together meals for delivery to local homebound residents. Olof had become legally blind and t was getting harder and harder for him to complete his work properly. Voc Rehab arranged for instruction in adaptive techniques. Things like labeling food containers with extra large letters, using a magnifier, recipes in large print and several other things. Today Olof's happy to be working and making a contribution to his community. I hope I'm still doing that when I'm 83. The sixth and final major classification of services offered by Voc Rehab is called Restoration. This could be medical or psychological and might include such things as treatment or what they call orthotic or prosthetic devices like special braces and supports. Voc Rehab helped me get my back therapy. I learned some stretching exercises that help prevent me from re-injuring my back. Let's review: Evaluation and Assessment, Vocational Guidance and Counseling, Training, Employment Services, Accommodations, and Restoration. That covers most of the services of Voc Rehab. There's others too like interpreter services, reader services, and post employment services. Whatever it takes to help you achieve your employment goals. You and your counselor will choose just the right combination of services based on your capabilities and needs. Remember, just because you have a disability doesn't mean you lack ability. Voc Rehab is there to put those abilities to work for you.