Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

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The Tribal ("Section 121") Vocational Rehabilitation Projects and OVRS seek to bridge cultural traditions and values to expand opportunities of employment and self-support. The Tribal VR Projects offer a greater understanding of the local, cultural, and familial needs on the Indian Nation while OVRS offers a broad understanding of the business and college environment off the native lands.

Together, we share a philosophy of:

• Respect for individual dignity, personal responsibility, self-determination, and the pursuit of meaningful careers.
• Respect for the privacy, rights, and equal access of the individual.
• Inclusion, integration, and full participation of the individual.
• Support for the involvement of an individual's representative if requested, desired or needed.
• Support for individual advocacy, systemic advocacy and community involvement.

The Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Projects and OVRS share compatible core services like:

• An assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs.
• Counseling and guidance, including information and support services to assist an individual in exercising informed choice.
• Referral and other services to secure needed services from other agencies.
• Job-related services, including job search and placement assistance, job retention services, follow-up services.

There are four common eligibility criteria questions shared by both of our programs:

• Does the applicant have a physical or mental impairment?
• Is the physical or mental impairment an impediment to employment?
• Is there a reasonable expectation that the applicant will benefit in terms of an employment outcome from VR services?
• Does the applicant require VR services in order to achieve a successful employment outcome?

To receive services from a Tribal VR Project, the individual must have an official tribal enrollment and must live on or near a tribal reservation. Individuals may choose to have a file open ONLY with Tribal VR, ONLY with OVRS or with both Tribal VR AND OVRS.

The Tribal VR Projects and OVRS assist in creating an Individualized Plan for Employment, or IPE. This is a plan of services to help the individual reach their employment goal. As part of this process, the programs:

• Provide for the IPE to be developed in partnership with the client.
• Provide the client with the opportunity to exercise informed choice.
• Has the IPE approved with a client's signature
• Give full consideration of comparable services and similar benefits.
• Provide a substantial service according to an IPE and wait at least 90 days after the client begins working before closing the case.
• Make post-employment services available, if they are needed.