Program Description

Program/Practice Description: Since 2001, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Vermont has worked with the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)1 recipients who have been identified as having a disability that is a barrier to employment. These recipients are referred by DCF to VR for services. They are provided with a specialized VR counselor who also serves as the TANF Reach-Up case manager. This means a single counselor provides all services, thus blending the resources of both VR and DCF to provide intensive vocational services and case management.

VR Reach-Up clients are single mothers in their 20s or 30s who are experiencing a disability that affects their ability to obtain or keep a job. Disabilities, often trauma based, include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, and other personality disorders. The current program is the result of 5 years of learning about ways to assist TANF recipients stabilize their lives and obtain meaningful employment.

Innovations and Results: Several program innovations and a new program model have been developed from the VR Reach-Up program. These innovations take place at both the individual and systems levels.

Individual-level innovations. VR Reach-Up focuses on three concepts that underlie the supported employment model: treatment addressing the identified disability, individualized support, and tailored employment experiences. VR has a wealth of resources that can be provided, including a job developer, job coach, home visits, and various assistive technologies. This results in stability and increased likelihood that VR Reach-UP customers maintain stable employment.

Systems-level innovation. VR Reach-UP uses cross-agency integration to reduce boundaries and facilitate partnering and relationship building with DCF Reach-Up staff. This includes cross-agency training and joint case review meetings that contribute to improved communication and collaboration.

New model. A new model of service delivery for VR Reach-UP was developed to increase participation rates of Reach-Up clients who were consistent "no-shows" for therapy and other employment-related activities. The new model facilitates caseload movement and addresses the predominately mental health barriers of participants. It combines group therapy, work skills enhancement, and work experience placements that can support participants in gradually increasing work participation while learning how to overcome functional barriers. The model encourages development of a support group growing out of the group therapy experience, and incorporates a process of using group affiliation to establish employment and career goals, training, and other employment seeking activities. The model is demonstrating early successes in helping to demystify mental health therapy, developing positive informal support services, and helping clients develop concrete skills to solve problems.

Operations: A "hand off meeting" takes place between Reach-Up intake staff and VR Reach-Up staff when a client with a disability has been identified as eligible for VR services. This hand off includes both DCF (Economic Services Division) and VR staff, along with the TANF/Reach-Up client.

Funding: The DCF Economic Services Division provides $1.7 million per year to VR to provide vocational rehabilitation services to individuals on TANF who have a disability. VR contributes additional funding to support disability-related services.

Staffing: VR Reach-Up has 13 full-time employees working in VR and employment training specialists. VR Reach-Up staff provide intensive wraparound services. Whereas general TANF Reach-Up clients may see a counselor once a month, VR Reach-Up staff see their customers on average about three times per month. VR Reach-Up staff can provide mental health/substance abuse case management plus vocational services. The VR Reach-Up counselor is the TANF case manager for their customers with disabilities. Caseloads are capped at 40 customers per case manager. Some offices have waiting lists.

Additional Information: VR Reach-Up offers intensive support to employers and Reach-Up participants during trial work experience. VR assures employers they are under no obligation as a result of a work placement, and VR Reach-Up staff engage in daily monitoring with the employer to ensure a positive work experience for both the VR Reach-Up customer and the employer.

1 Reach-Up is the TANF program in Vermont.