TRANSITION SERVICES FROM THE UTAH STATE OFFICE OF REHABILITATION

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Aimee Langone

USOR Transition and Supported Employment Coordinator

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The Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR) is a state agency, under the Department of Workforce Services, that provides services to individuals with disabilities, whose disabilities cause them impediments to employment. Our mission is to assist eligible individuals with disabilities to prepare for and obtain employment and increase their independence. 

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Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselors are licensed by the State of Utah and nationally certified. Our counselors are specially trained in disabilities and employment. 
 

VR Counselors provides Transition Services to eligible students with disabilities as they transition from school to adult life. Our goal is to provide students with a smooth transition, holistic team approach, and services that are necessary and reasonable to help prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment. These services may include: 

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• VR Counseling and Guidance

• Medical/Psychological Restoration

• IEP and 504 Planning 

• Job Development and Placement

• Supported Employment

• Career Exploration Services

• Work Adjustment and Life Skills Training

• Employer Supports and Accommodations

• Assistive Technology 

• Training and Education

• Job Clubs and Training in the schools 

• School/Parent orientations and presentations 

• Parent Teacher Conference/Agency Fairs

 

Our goal, as Transition Counselors, is to provide the most appropriate counseling and guidance for your successful transition from high school to adulthood, independence, and employment. Because every service we provide is individualized, we will customize each student’s transition plan to meet their own needs. Every public high school and charter school has a dedicated Transition Counselor that can assist them through their transition period. They work closely with school district personnel to provide these specialized benefits: 

 

• You can start working with your counselor as early at 16 years old!

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• Your counselor can attend your IEP or 504 planning meetings, which can be a helpful resource in transitioning into adult services, training, and/or employment. 

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• Having an assigned Transition Counselor to your school helps keep everyone on the same page. Your teachers, counselor, principal and parent etc. will all know who your VR Counselor is, and the best way to get them involved in your plan.

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• Sometimes it can be scary leaving high school and not having your teachers or friends with you every day. Having a Transition Counselor involved in your transition planning as early as 16, helps you build a relationship with them so that you understand the services you may receive, build trust, and feel confident in your transition into adult hood.

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• Transition Counselors can help make sure you have everything planned out, and all the steps in between taken care of, so you have a game plan right when leaving high school, rather than having added anxieties to your graduation, such as “where do I go from here?”

 

USOR believes that all persons with disabilities can become successfully employed. We partner with school districts and other adult service agencies to ensure eligible students have all the supports needed to become employed.

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For more information, visit our website at https://jobs.utah.gov/usor/vr/services/student.html. 

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