Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation outlines transition services for students with disabilities

Jessica Miller, a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Missouri Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, spoke at a virtual Lunch and Learn hosted by the Family and Community Engagement Division of the Special School District St. Louis County about transition services available to students with disabilities.

Miller said the agency’s mission is “to support individuals with disabilities in achieving successful employment outcomes.” She described programs and eligibility rules, and gave contact information for families seeking services.

The presentation explained that pre‑employment transition services funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) can begin as early as age 14 when the appropriate language is included in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Those pre‑employment services are available to students even if they do not yet have an open VR case, Miller said.

Miller sum…