Customer and Community Field Services (BCCFS)

The Bureau of Customer and Community Services (BCCS) consolidates all the direct field and ancillary support services into one Bureau to provide a holistic approach to the provision of rehabilitation services. The Bureau assists individuals with disabilities in preparing for, obtaining, and maintaining quality competitive employment. Services include information and referral, evaluation, guidance and counseling, education, training, physical and mental restoration, assistive devices, job development, job placement, and post-employment services. The Bureau also provides a wide range of services to individuals with the most significant disabilities to enable them to remain in their homes and live as independently as possible.

FY23 Highlights

Successfully placed 4,456 customers in competitive, integrated employment.
Served 38,012 Vocational Rehabilitation customers.
Outreach to 4,204 Williams/Colbert class members to offer VR services.
DRS field office staff are engaging customers, employers, and providers within the community.
Solicited feedback from 110 Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRP) and STEP/Transition providers throughout the state for the Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment survey.
Engaged the Illinois State Board of Education, facilitated by the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition at UNC Charlotte, to strengthen partnerships and revise the MOU.
Collaborated with Illinois Center for Transition to Work (ICTW) at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Illinois State Board of Education, and local education agencies to develop a transition guide which serves as a roadmap for customers, parents/guardians, and others providing transition services.
Commenced the $14M Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment Demonstration (SWTCIE Illinois) Project funded by U.S. Department of Education - Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). The project aims to transition or divert customers from subminimum wage employment to competitive employment, along with assisting agencies in learning new strategies to support disabled Illinoisans in finding competitive employment.
Provided thousands of subminimum wage workers career counseling and guidance related to obtaining competitive integrated employment through DRS Vocational Rehabilitation services.

BCCFS Vision for 2024

Increase timeliness of case progression.
Increase referrals to DRS programs; in part, through improvements to our referral process and reduce the number of referrals closed prematurely.
Provide excellent customer service.
Increase engagement with Local Workforce Investment Boards, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act partners, and the DRS presence and involvement in local OneStop centers.
Increase engagement of youth with disabilities at an earlier age providing Pre-Employment Training Services
Engage participating Williams and Colbert Consent Decree prime mental health agencies to assist class members who are seeking VR services.
Fully executed MOU with Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to increase outreach to students with disabilities throughout the state of Illinois.
In partnership with ICTW and ISBE, finalize and distribute the Transition Guide to all DRS field offices and over 800 Local Education Authorities across the state.
Expand the Vocational Rehabilitation program by striving to achieve 5,000 successful outcomes and contacting up to 100,000 youth with disabilities.

Customer and Community Field Services (BCCFS)