Vocational Rehabilitation: Eligibility

• Definition
• Purpose & Mission
• Eligibility
• IPE & Service Provision
• Transition

Eligibility is based on the following criteria:

• You must be an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian Tribe living on or near the reservation.
• You must have a medically or psychologically diagnosed physical or mental impairment(s) which has caused substantial impediment(s) to employment.
• There must be reasonable expectation that you can benefit in terms of an employment outcome from vocational rehabilitation services.
• You require vocational rehabilitation services to enter, engage in, or retain gainful employment.

If you think you may be eligible for services, contact the Vocational Rehabilitation Project office. An appointment can be made to begin the Steps to Rehabilitation which are: Step 1: Application; Step 2: Diagnostics; Step 3: Individual Plan of Employment (IPE); Step 4: Service Provision; Step 5: Placement; and the last, Step 6: Follow Up and Closure. These six steps are expedited in as much of a professional manner as possible. In determining eligibility of potential clients and providing rehabilitation services, the activities are explicitly defined in the Department of Education; Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS); Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) policy guidelines.

We begin the six steps as follows:

1. Initiate & complete application materials
2. Diagnostic Evaluation & Assessment - in this phase we determine eligibility/ineligibility
   1. Gather medical, psychological, educational, employment and other information/documentation
   2. Assess obtained information; arrange for further diagnostics or assessment if necessary (all diagnostics requested by the Vocational Rehabilitation Project will be paid for by the Vocational Rehabilitation Project).

If an applicant is determined eligible we move on to Step 3 (see next section).