Vocational Evaluation Program

Vocational Evaluation Overview

Vocational Evaluation is a comprehensive, systematic process in which clients and staff work together to identify and assess the client’s vocational interests, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, aptitudes, and functional limitations relative to the client’s preferred rehabilitation goal or employment outcome. It is an educational process in which the individual learns about their vocational potential, barriers to employment and reasonable accommodations or assistive technology needed to remove those barriers, and the functional impact of their disability upon career options. They may identify transferable skills (dependant upon work history) and learn about the requirements involved in occupational areas of interest. The evaluation process encourages the individual to become more personally involved in the planning and development of their occupational careers. This knowledge empowers the individual and fosters a greater degree of confidence in career decision-making.

The outcome is a comprehensive vocational evaluation report that is used for further rehabilitation planning towards successful, sustained employment outcomes. This report outlines the services received at WWRC and the client’s performance during the vocational evaluation process. It identified the client’s vocational interests, aptitudes, acquired skills, functional limitations, and barriers to employment. The report also recommends services to enhance the client’s ability to fully participate in a rehabilitation program, achieve his/her individual rehabilitation goals, and maximize their employment potential. Examples of services recommended to enhance rehabilitation potential include: assistive technology/devices; reasonable job accommodations; further physical restoration; academic instruction; work adjustment training; vocational training; independent living skills instruction; mental health services; and supported employment options.

Information and recommendations from the vocational evaluation may be used, as appropriate, by the DRS Rehabilitation Counselor (or other sponsor) and the client in developing the client’s Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) or by school personnel, the student and his/her family in developing the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).

A wide range of vocational evaluation services is available to clients served through WWRC. The following service options are available, based on individual needs of the client and/or request of the sponsor:

• Feasibility Interviews
• Outreach (Mobile) Evaluations
• Clinic Evaluations
• Assessment – Occupational Focused
• Assessment - Career Exploration

VOCATIONAL EVALUATION
SERVICE OPTIONS

FEASIBILITY INTERVIEWS

Description:
A service designed to assist referral sources in determining a client’s current level of readiness to participate in and benefit from a structured vocational rehabilitation service program. The Vocational feasibility interview may also involve consultations from other disciplines involving residential, psycho-social, and medical staff members.

Feasibility interviews may be conducted on an outpatient basis or with clients residing on the Short-Term Rehabilitation Unit (STRU). Interviews may include separate consultations with other WWRC service delivery programs, as necessary. Based upon available case history information and interview with the client (and family, if appropriate), recommendations are made relative to the individual client’s level of vocational readiness and program needs. The interview may be individualized, in response to referral source questions, to address questions such as: independence, functional communication skills, stability of disability, residential/environmental concerns, client interest, disability awareness, socialization skills, and potential for benefit from additional services.

The feasibility interview may recommend additional ancillary services prior to referral for Vocational Evaluation or not recommend participation in the program. The interview may also result in referral for any of the following specific program options.

Length of Service: 1-2 hours

OUTREACH (MOBILE) EVALUATIONS

Description:
The Outreach Evaluation service option most effectively serves individuals with minimal special needs, established work history, and academic proficiency. It is considered a comprehensive vocational assessment but does not offer career exploration activities.
This service takes place on-site in the community (i.e., local DRS office, social services, etc.) in a group setting and may include:

• Aptitude assessment;
• Academic achievement testing;
• Interest Inventory assessment;
• Work behavior and social skills assessment;
• Job Seeking Skills (JSS) assessment;
• Work history and Transferable Skills Analysis.

Length of Service: One day.


CLINIC EVALUATIONS

This service option is designed to offer a short term, highly individualized vocational assessment responsive to individual needs and referral questions. It may be used to evaluate an individual’s current vocational readiness for employment in the community and/or participation in a WWRC program. This option is flexible and can be adapted to specific referral questions. Example questions might include, “what is the student’s readiness for longer-term center-based programs”, or “assist with identifying general strengths and barriers to employment to help develop a plan for community based services.”

Individuals that could be a good fit for this option might fall into several descriptive categories such as the following:
• clients with special needs who are not appropriate for participation in a traditional vocational work activity/sample evaluation due to either severity or combination of challenges involving physical, cognitive, emotional, academic, or other functional barriers
• clients who may be more “work ready,” but not want to participate in an extended vocational assessment - these individuals may be focused on getting some overall feedback on personal strengths, accommodative strategies or other well defined referral question

The outcome of the clinic will help determine appropriate job/training placements, along with service and supports necessary to maximize successful employment. It is intended to identify the individual’s specific functional parameters including vocational strengths, assets, deficits, weaknesses, and life skills in order to distinguish specific work tasks toward gainful employment outcomes. This evaluation may also result in an identified need for additional evaluation in either of the two service options described below depending upon the individual’s performance results in this area.

The relatively short time-frame of this service option would only allow one ancillary consultation service (i.e.- Behavioral Health, Physical Therapy, Audiology, etc.) during the clinic.

Length of service: 1-3 days


ASSESSMENT – OCCUPATIONAL FOCUSED

Description:
This service option offers a comprehensive assessment battery of academic, aptitude, and vocational abilities specific to one occupational area utilizing a hands-on, experiential work sample. The individual’s potential for successful training and employment in a specific occupational area is assessed to assist in determining the appropriateness of that particular vocational goal relative to the client’s interests and abilities.

Primary assessment components of the specific work sample assessment battery include:

• Work behavior and social skills;
• Work performance skills and abilities;
• Strengths/assets relative to successful employment outcomes;
• Barriers to employment; and
• Assistive technology and accommodation needs.

Length of service: 2-4 days


ASSESSMENT – CAREER EXPLORATION

Description:

A comprehensive evaluation of academic and vocational skills, interests, and aptitudes which utilizes interviews, observation, psychometrics, administration of WWRC developed work samples/activities, career exploration, vocational guidance and counseling. Utilization of a hands-on, experiential work sample approach provides a unique opportunity for clients to explore the world-of-work, to interact with Center-developed work samples/activities, and to acquire knowledge relative to individual vocational interests and abilities.

Primary assessment components of each work sample area include:

• Work behavior and social skills;
• Work performance skills and abilities;
• Strengths/assets relative to successful employment outcomes;
• Barriers to employment; and
• Assistive technology and accommodation needs.

Career information is available through individual counseling and guidance as well as a Career Lab providing information ranging from an introduction to the world-of-work to specific job requirements. Sources of information include: Internet web sites; Career Connect; VA VIEW Career Search & Profile; VA VIEW College Search; OASYS; O*NET; The Job Box and The Career Box; informational videotapes and catalogs for four year and community colleges.

Average length of service: May range from 1 to 3 weeks depending upon individual client and/or sponsor needs. For example, time may vary depending upon interest and abilities of the individual; referral questions; evaluation tools/techniques required; and the extent to which the client desires work activity/sample exploration. Program length may also be affected by the client’s involvement in medical/physical restoration programs involving their rehabilitation program through WWRC.