Transition from School to Work
OVR Programs and Services
Any high school student with a disability who may need vocational guidance and assistance in preparing for, obtaining, or maintaining competitive employment should be considered for referral to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR).
Ideally, students should be referred two years prior to graduation, although referrals can be made earlier when appropriate. A referral to OVR can be made by anyone, including the student, a family member or school personnel. However, for students under age 18, permission from the student's parent or guardian must be obtained before information about a student can be released to OVR.
MAKING THE INITIAL REFERRAL
At the time of referral, OVR will need the following information about the student:
- Student's name, address, telephone number, date of birth and social security number.
- Brief statement about student's disability.
- Name of student's teacher, school and (if applicable) student's special program or placement.
- Student's anticipated graduation date.
- Description of student's employment goals.
AFTER A REFERRAL IS MADE
After a referral is made, OVR will need the following information from school records:
- Documentation of student's disability, which should include available medical and psychological information.
- Current Individualized Education Program (IEP) including the Transition Plan, Multidisciplinary Evaluation (MDE), and the Comprehensive Evaluation Report (CER).
- Vocational tests and reports that are available, both formal and informal.
- Information about student's employment strengths and weaknesses
- (e.g., teacher classroom observations, description of student's involvement in school to work activities, etc.)
THE INITIAL INTERVIEW
Following referral, an OVR counselor will contact the student and family to schedule an initial interview. During the interview, the student and family should expect to discuss the student's disability and how it may affect his or her ability to work. The student and family also should be prepared to provide the following information to OVR during the meeting:
- Medical history related to student's disability (e.g., names and addresses of doctors and specialists, hospital admissions, names of medications, etc.)
- Educational history.
- Job history, including volunteer and paid work experience, if applicable.
DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY
Since OVR's program is based on an eligibility for services and not an entitlement to services, a student must be certified by an OVR counselor as being eligible. First, the counselor must determine that the student has a disability. The counselor also must determine that the student's disability substantially interferes with his or her ability to prepare for, get or keep a job.
