Starting your partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation is highly individualized and will look different for every single person. With that said, however, there are general procedures and timelines to keep in mind when preparing for your very first meeting with Vocational Rehabilitation.
The first step towards receiving services with Vocational Rehabilitation is attending your Intake appointment. This appointment is a time for you to meet
Vocational Rehabilitation staff and discuss your disability/disabilities and discuss how your disability/disabilities impact your ability to prepare for,
enter, engage in, retain and/or advance in employment. This appointment is a time for you to be as forthcoming and open as possible regarding the barriers
that you face in all aspects of employment including independent living skills. While it may be tempting to begin discussing specific services that you
would like to receive, this appointment will primarily focus on gathering the information necessary to determine you eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation
Services.
Your counselor may request a variety of documentation including proof of SSI/SSDI status, medical/educational/psychological documents (including vision
reports, Individualized Education Programs, psychological reports, etc.), your resume and documentation of previous formal post-secondary education. Bringing
these documents to your first appointment may help expedite your application.
You can expect for your first appointment to last approximately 1 hour and you will be asked to sign a variety of documents including Releases of Information
so that Vocational Rehabilitation may collaborate with relevant medical, psychological and/or other professionals that may assist with your case.
After your first meeting, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors have up to 60 days to determine you eligible for services. This time period is used to collect
and analyze your documentation to ensure that you meet federally mandated eligibility requirements. If your counselor reaches out to you during this time
period be sure to provide them with any information that they request.
Have questions about the first step in collaborating with Vocational Rehabilitation? Comment below and we will get you taken care of and be sure to keep
an eye out for our next blog post about planning for services with Vocational Rehabilitation.
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