Program Services

Program Services

Competitive Employment

Competitive Integrated Employment is work that is paid at least minimum wage, performed in the community alongside non-disabled workers, and presents opportunities for advancement. Services in support of competitive employment placement generally include:

  • Information and Referral
  • Counseling and Guidance
  • Vocational assessment
  • Career development
  • Job development and placement
  • Job retention and stability
  • Job coaching

Customers are provided employment services both directly by vocational rehabilitation counselors and/or through contracted services with community rehabilitation providers. An individual must be stable in a competitive integrated employment placement for a minimum of 90 days before the placement is considered successful.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in Competitive Employment: 4,456
  • Average State Spending per Successful Customer Placement: $7,657
  • Average Customer Weekly Wages: $520
  • Average Customer Yearly Wages: $27,026

Supported Employment

Supported Employment services are ongoing support services needed for individuals with the most significant disabilities to achieve and maintain competitive integrated employment. Services are individualized and customized to be consistent with the individual's unique strengths, abilities, interests, and informed choice. Supported employment are provided on a short-term basis and typically last 24 months after initial job placement; but can be extended as needed.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in Supported Employment: 219
  • Average State Spending per Successful Customer Placement: $7,657
  • Average Customer Weekly Wages: $241
  • Average Customer Yearly Wages: $12,517

Customized Employment

Customized Employment is competitive integrated employment for an individual with a significant disability that is based on individualized determination of the unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. The provision of customized employment takes many months, if not over a year. Discovery with the customer, job development, and then 45 weeks of support on the job, are integral to customer success and the success of the program, yet do not lead to rapid outcomes. Customized employment is designed to:

  • meet the unmet needs of the employers,
  • match with the skills and interests of the individual,
  • can be carried out through flexible strategies, and
  • services can include job creation, self-employment, and a business within a business.

Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Act was enacted effective January 1, 2020. The Act required that IDHS, through its DRS and in collaboration with the DDD, establish a 5-year Customized Employment (CE) Pilot Program. The implementation of a CE contract that took effect 7/1/2020 to serve at least 25 new CE individuals over the course of the five-year pilot period.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in Customized Employment: 60
  • Average State Spending for completion of all phases: $13,450

Self-Employment

IDHS-DRS can assist customers interested in self-employment. The VR counselor provides counseling and guidance to a customer to explore the possibility of self-employment opportunities consistent with the customer's unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and informed choice. The VR counselor assists the customer in connecting with a business mentor to build a business plan. Tools, equipment, supplies and initial stock necessary to begin a specific business may be provided to a customer in order for him or her to obtain a successful employment outcome.

Individual Placement and Support

DRS funds, administers, and provides technical assistance for the 56 Illinois teams that provide specialized services based on the Individual Placement and Support Model of supported employment (IPS) to thousands of Illinois' citizens with most significant disabilities in all parts of the state. DRS and Department of Mental Health (DMH) have worked with the IPS Employment Center (formerly the Psychiatric Research Center) to implement a fidelity-based service model that has proven to be very effective in assisting individuals with serious mental illness in becoming employed. The IPS model

  • is designed to help people living with behavioral health conditions work at regular jobs of their choosing.
  • places an individual into employment as soon as possible, placing less emphasis on the traditional concept of employment "readiness" an more emphasis on the idea that working is therapeutic for many individuals with a serious mental illness and therefore contributes to their recovery.

The DRS and DMH have a cooperative funding model in which DMH utilizes Medicaid funding to the greatest extent possible and DRS provides VR funds to support the vocational aspects of the IPS model.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in Individual Placement and Support: 352
  • Average State Spending per Successful Customer Placement: $7,657
  • Average Customer Weekly Wages: $420
  • Average Customer Yearly Wages: $21,816

Transition

In FY23 DRS served more than 20,000 students with disabilities. DRS offers employment age youth with disabilities a continuum of coordinated transition services. Services primarily surround:

  • Job Exploration Counseling
  • Work-Based Learning Experiences
  • Counseling on Post-Secondary Education
  • Workplace Readiness Training
  • Instruction in Self-Advocacy

In FY 23 a comprehensive Transition Guide was drafted for use statewide.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in Non-Step Transition Services: 173
  • Average State Spending per Successful Customer Placement: $7,657
  • Average Customer Weekly Wages: $458
  • Average Customer Yearly Wages: $23,798

STEP

Secondary Transitional Experience Program (STEP) is a program of transition services provided through a cooperative agreement of DRS and a Local Education Agency, typically high schools. The purpose of this program is to provide pre-employment transition services (PTS) to students with disabilities through contractual arrangements with high schools, school districts, and cooperatives across the state. Local high schools are the largest referral source and are key partners in the coordinated services provided to students. STEP is an assessment and work experience program that helps students with disabilities prepare to transition to employment and community participation during and after high school. Students learn to become productive, self-sufficient adults through a variety of STEP experiences. These experiences assist students in:

  • Developing desirable work habits and realistic career goals,
  • Opportunities for students to explore career,
  • Develop the social and personal skills needed to maintain successful employment, and
  • Offer meaningful work experiences in support of the overall goal of achieving competitive integrated employment. Meaningful work experiences can include in-school and work site training options, including internships and apprenticeships.

In FY 2023, DRS had contracts with 149 local education entities, 132 of which are third-party cooperative agreements. Collectively, these arrangements result in provision of pre-employment transition services (PTS) to over 10,000 students each year. As of May 2023, a total of 12,890 students were enrolled in STEP in 679 schools.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in STEP Transition Programs: 11,797
  • Average State Spending per Successful Customer Placement: $7,657
  • Average Customer Weekly Wages: $423
  • Average Customer Yearly Wages: $21,944

Fast Track Transition

Fast Track Transition is a program that serves students with disabilities who qualify under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) as potentially eligible individuals. These individuals must be at least 14 and not older than 21 years of age; enrolled in an education program; and not already a participant in the DRS vocational rehabilitation program. Fast Track transition services provide pre-employment transition services.

  • Engaged nearly 3,000 students.
  • FY Fast Track Transition contracts: 21
  • Youth Initiative Contracts: 17
  • Fast Track Customers Closed Successful: 23

College Training

DRS supports customers that wish to pursue their post-secondary education through two-year Associates programs in community colleges, vocational and technical degree or certificate programs, bachelor's degree awarding colleges and universities, and post-graduate studies. Support services available through programs like these may include tutoring; mentoring; assistance with goal setting, organizational and study skills; structured social gatherings and support groups; counseling services; and possibly occupational or speech therapies.

DRS has expanded its support of college transition support services throughout the state.

  • FY 23 Customers Closed Successful in College Training Programs: 924
  • Average State Spending per Successful Customer Placement: $7,657
  • Average Customer Weekly Wages: $689
  • Average Customer Yearly Wages: $35,828

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH prepares young people with significant disabilities for success in competitive integrated employment. The program provides work-based learning experiences, workplace readiness, job exploration and skills training through on-the-job internships. Project SEARCH is a collaboration between the host business, customer/family, school district, the Community Rehabilitation Program, Workforce Investment Board, Developmental Disabilities, and the Division of Rehabilitation Services.