State: Rhode Island

Rhode Island Department Office of Rehabilitation Services Transition Services

“The Office of Rehabilitation Services has a strong commitment to assist students with disabilities with transition planning to adult life. ORS Counselors work with all school districts, families and students to prepare for job training, career development and employment opportunities after high school. ORS Counselors provide technical assistance, consultation, information and referral services to school systems and work in close partnership with the 5 Regional Educational Collaboratives, netWORKri and other agencies to improve transition planning.”

Links:

Rhode Island Department Office of Rehabilitation Services Transition Services

Rhode Island Employment First

“Changing Lives through Integrated Employment…
Employment First promotes community-based, integrated employment as the first option for employment services for individuals with disabilities. Conversations about Employment First are taking place in Rhode Island and across the nation. Rhode Island is part of the national movement toward a greater emphasis on community employment that echoes a general shift toward services designed to integrate individuals with disabilities into their communities, providing them with the same opportunities and responsibilities as all other citizens.”

Files:

Rhode Island Employment First Policy: A Time for Action (Word Document)

Links:

Rhode Island Employment First (Word download)

Rhode Island Governor’s Workforce Board: Incumbent Worker Training Grants

~~“The Governor’s Workforce Board Incumbent Worker Training Grant (IWTG) Program, funded by the State Job Development, addresses  this issue.   Encouraging Rhode Island employers to invest in their workforce enhances the overall competitiveness of the Rhode Island economy while delivering transferable skills to their employees which increases their earning potential and employability. “

 

Links:

Rhode Island GWB: Incumbent Worker Training Grants

Rhode Island Governor’s Workforce Board (GWB): Workforce Innovative Grant Awards 2016

"The Governor’s Workforce Board RI has awarded $2.4 million dollars in Workforce Innovation Grants, which bring employers and educational providers together to provide work-readiness, experiential learning, and career opportunities for students, out-of-school youth and unemployed or underemployed adults… Collectively, the grants will serve hundreds of participants in such industries as hospitality, health care, information technology, marine trades and construction."

Links:

GWB: Workforce Innovative Grant Awards 2016

Rhode Island ORS Business Engagement Team (BEST)

“ORS has a specialized unit, the Business Engagement Specialist Team (BEST), which consists of a team of experienced professionals, who market ORS’s services to the business community by educating businesses of the role of ORS and supporting their staffing needs, screening and identifying qualified job applicants, dispel myths around employing individuals with disabilities through education, and educating Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and job seekers about labor market demand. These services are at no cost to you.”

Links:

Rhode Island ORS Business Engagement Team (BEST)

Rhode Island Comprehensive Needs Assessment

“The Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS), as the designated state unit responsible for operating the federal-state vocational rehabilitation program in Rhode Island, continually assesses the vocational rehabilitation (VR) needs of people with disabilities. The 2025 Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) is a critical step in the ORS strategic planning process for the VR needs of Rhode Islanders with disabilities and is designed to meet the CSNA requirements of 34 CFR 361.2.”

Links:

Rhode Island Comprehensive Needs Assessment (PDF download)

Rhode Island Pre-Employment Transition Services

The intent of Pre-Employment Transition Services is to:

  • improve the transition of students with disabilities from school to postsecondary education or to an employment outcome.
  • increase opportunities for students with disabilities to practice and improve workplace readiness skills through work-based learning experiences in a competitive, integrated work setting.
  • increase opportunities for students with disabilities to explore post-secondary training options, leading to more industry recognized credentials, and meaningful post-secondary employment.

Pre-employment transition services:

  • represent the earliest set of services available for students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for VR services
  • are short-term in nature
  • are designed to help students identify career interests, which may be further explored through additional vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, such as transition services and other individualized VR services
  • are provided to all who meet the definition of a student with a disability who may need such services.

Links:

Rhode Island Pre-Employment Transition Services

Rhode Island Transition Services Out of School Youth

“3. Include an assessment of the needs of individuals with disabilities for transition career services and pre-employment transition services, and the extent to which such services are coordinated with transition services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act .
ORS currently has approximately 650 in-school youth with disabilities. The Transition and Pre-ETS program of ORS has been documented in descriptions (d) Coordination with Education Offices; (g) Coordination with Employers; and (i) CSPD. The CNA for 2017 will be examining unmet needs related to out-of-school youth up to age 24. The DOJ/State Consent Decree requirement to focus on in-school youth with I/DD may have a resulting effect on non-I/DD youth with disabilities being served by the transition program at ORS. Therefore, the new CNA may need to examine that area.”

Links:

Rhode Island Transition Services Out of School Youth (download PDF)

North Rhode Island Collaborative

In order to assist Local Educational Agencies in meeting the secondary Transition requirements, the three Rhode Island Educational Collaborative maintain four Regional Transition Centers (RTCs). These centers assist middle and high schools regionally and statewide through coordination of the four Regional Transition Coordinators.
 

Links:

North Rhode Island Collaborative

Rhode Island Medicaid Buy-In Program

“Medicaid Programs For Working People With Disabilities
The Medicaid Programs for Working People with Disabilities is for people who fall within two categories:

  • Ticket to Work for ages 16-64
  • Sherlock Plan for ages 65 and older”

Links:

Rhode Island Medicaid Buy-In Program
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