RehabServices

Morgan County Workforce Development Resource Guide

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services

Mission: To enable Alabama’s children and adults with disabilities to achieve their maximum potential.

One department providing a continuum of services to assist Alabamians with disabilities at home, in school and on the job.

Website: http://www.rehab.alabama.gov

Contact Information: Wanda Manosky, Field Representative

wanda.manosky@rehab.alabama.gov

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services PO Box 1686 Decatur, AL 35602‐1686 256.353.2754

Program/Services: • VRS Transition Service: Whether you are preparing to go to college, to technical school, or directly into the work place, Vocational Rehabilitation Service’s Transition Service will help you get ready for the big move from high school to adulthood. Your rehabilitation counselor will work closely with you to develop the educational and employment opportunities that are best suited for you.

Career interest testing, career counseling, individualized goal‐setting, assistive technology, self‐advocacy training, on‐the‐job training, guidance services, job‐readiness services, labor market information, job development, job placement, job coaching, supported employment, job accommodations, and follow‐up services are provided. o

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Maximum College Potential for Alabama’s students with disabilities: The transition from high school to college is a crucial time, particularly for young people with disabilities. Since 1990, Vocational Rehabilitation Services has helped college‐bound students prepare for life after high school.

One‐on‐one counseling will teach you how to take good notes, find your best study style, improve your computer skills, manage your time, polish your social skills, improve your reading, writing, and math skills, handle stress, manage your money and advocate for yourself. College prep also includes a taste of college life – mock lectures, campus tours, and college computer labs. o

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Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds?: Students with disabilities.

Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds?: Alabama students with disabilities referred by a VRS counselor

Maximum Employment Potential for Alabamians with disabilities: Vocational Rehabilitation Services assists people with a broad range of disabilities, including: blindness or other visual impairments, deafness or other auditory conditions, diabetic

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Morgan County Workforce Development Resource Guide

conditions, head injury, mental/emotional problems, orthopedic impairments, cerebral palsy, respiratory conditions, specific learning disabilities, epilepsy, and alcohol/substance abuse.

Services are based on your needs and choices and may include any combination of the following: Evaluation and assessment Necessary medical examinations Vocational assessment Psychological examinations On‐the‐job evaluations Counseling and guidance Disability‐related issues Vocational planning Job‐readiness Physical restoration Medical equipment Purchase of assistive devices Training and related services Vocational skills and necessary equipment Academic training On‐the‐job training Transportation As needed for training or employment Job development and job placement Labor market data Job leads Job analysis and job matching Job site coaching Job clubs Rehabilitation technology Post‐placement assistance Follow‐up after employment o

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Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds?: To be eligible for services, you must have a physical or mental impairment which results in a substantial impediment to employment, and must be able to benefit from services in terms of becoming employed.

Once you have been determined eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation Service, you will work with a rehabilitation counselor to choose an employment goal and plan your vocational rehabilitation program to reach an employment outcome; receive appropriate services to develop and prepare you for a job; and receive assistance in finding and keeping the right job.

AL‐ WIN of Central and Northern Alabama: A Work Incentives Planning Assistance program for individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or

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Morgan County Workforce Development Resource Guide

Supplemental Security Income (SSI). ALA‐WIN of Central and Northern Alabama is a cooperative program of the Social Security Administration, Independent Living Resources of Greater Birmingham, Inc. and United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham.

An ALA‐WIN Community Work Incentives Coordinator will help you plan how to use work incentives or other benefits for a successful return to work. They will answer your questions about how work would affect your health insurance, individual disability benefits and other benefits you may receive from Federal, State, and local programs.

They will discuss your individual employment goals, including possible barriers and the resources or services you would need to overcome any barriers. A community work incentives coordinator can also help you find those resources and services. They help you work with your local Social Security Office to put in place the work incentives that you need and help you use your Ticket to Work and find the Employment Network that is right for you. o

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Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds? Individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and are over the age of 14. This service is for those who may or may not be employed.

RAVE‐ Retaining A Valued Employee: RAVE, Retaining A Valued Employee, is a unique program of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services that helps businesses find solutions to issues involving employees injured on or off the job, or employees whose performance is affected by a disabling condition. The program’s goal is the same as yours: to retain a valued employee, with or without accommodations. And though some specific work‐site accommodation costs may be shared, most services are free.

RAVE can help businesses retain a productive worker, reduce recruiting and retraining costs, minimize job‐related frustration, reduce “lost days” and down time, access technical expertise and customized accommodation options, and provide seamless service delivery from job jeopardy through job stabilization. RAVE services meet your company’s individual needs and may include: on‐site job assessment, problem‐solving for return to work and performance of essential tasks, identification of accommodations, counseling and education about medical and emotional issues, provision of job‐site trainers, comprehensive communication with employee and employer from initial meeting through job stabilization and modified duty/transitional work options. o Who Qualifies for these Services or Funds?: An employee is a RAVE candidate if his or her job performance is negatively affected by a physical or mental impairment, his or her job is in jeopardy because of a physical or mental impairment, he or she is ready to return to work but is currently on disability leave, or a promotion is affected by physical or mental impairments.

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