Vocational Rehabilitation Staff

Welcome!

The overall goal of the RPRJ EPIC approach is to effectively eliminate Subminimum Wage Employment (SWE) in Virginia.  This approach will support Individuals with Disabilities (IWDs) currently working in SWE to transition to Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) and will prevent youth with disabilities, particularly youth who are students currently in receipt of services through a Medicaid Waiver, from pursuing SWE or nonintegrated employment.

Resources:

DARS - Virgina Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services

With the goal of sustainable employment, DARS provides vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to individuals with disabilities – from high school students to adults. Through 30 field offices across Virginia, our VR staff offer personalized career planning, skills assessment, job readiness and placement, advocacy and support, job accommodations and assistive technology.

Behind every successful agency, there is a dedicated team of specialists providing essential support. Welcome to the Division of Rehabilitative Services' Employment Services & Special Programs (ESSP). This dynamic team is composed of experts who are the backbone of our operations, ensuring seamless service and exceptional results.

The Team partners with community rehabilitation providers to deliver employment and vocational services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. We provide long-term support fund management; standards oversight of Employment Service Organizations (ESOs); and coordination, training, and technical support of special programs such as, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Autism Services & Customized Employment, Transition & Pre-Employment, Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders, Behavioral Health Services, Individual Placement & Support (IPS) Services, and Older Worker Programs.

The Division of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) works together with students, youth, families, schools and community agencies and organizations to provide services that promote successful transitions from school to work and adult life. DRS offers two sets of services to help students with disabilities move from school to post-school life: pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) and vocational rehabilitation (VR) transition services.

Virginia Department of Education IDEA Transition Services

The Virginia Department of Education and the Commonwealth’s public schools work in partnership to support and improve teaching and learning through a variety of programs and activities, promoting the safety and well-being of students and staff.

Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services: Understanding Benefits and Medicaid Waiver

The Medicaid waivers are home and community-based offering supports and services to a Medicaid individual, both children and adults. The waiver services will differ based on individual need and program criteria met. Virginia Medicaid administers Developmental Disability Waivers jointly with the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. There is a waiting list for these waivers, and the slots are assigned based on urgency of need.

Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center

Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center (WWRC) residential campus in Fishersville provides workforce-driven training programs and life skills supports for individuals with disabilities beyond high school. Students can earn workplace credentials or certifications for high-demand careers in manufacturing technology, logistics, business, building trades, culinary skills and auto mechanics.

Center for Innovative Training Vocational Rehabilitation (CIT-VR)

The focus of the CIT-VR is on developing innovative methods to train VR personnel in their work at State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies to deliver services to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Virginia Works

Virginia Works - the Commonwealth's Department for Workforce Development and Advancement - seeks to create, sustain, and retain a viable workforce that supports the current and future talent needs of Virginia's business and industry. We do this through public-private partnerships and while recognizing unique regional attributes and capabilities.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as part of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. BLS collects, calculates, analyzes, and publishes data essential to the public, employers, researchers, and government organizations.

Virginia Employment Commission

The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) administers the state’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits program, providing temporary financial assistance to individuals who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Funded by employer-paid taxes under the Virginia Unemployment Compensation Act, this program supports workers, families, and communities while stabilizing the economy. VEC connects individuals to employment services and training managed by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement (DWDA), aka "Virginia Works.”