Empowering through Employment

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities make many valuable contributions to the workplace and to our economy.  The Division promotes a person-centered planning process for individuals with I/DD to explore their interests, skills, dreams and goals, including those related to employment.  

Employment services are offered by the Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) must be accessed before using Division-funded employment services. 

If DVRS services are not available or an individual is not eligible, the Division provides Supported Employment, Career Planning, and Prevocational Training services.  Support Coordinators are ready to explain the variety of services and supports available to assist individuals become employed, keep their jobs, and build careers.  These Division services include assistance with things like developing job skills, writing a resume, completing job applications, interviewing, getting to work, and having support staff available during the work day.  

Individuals must maintain Medicaid eligibility to receive these services from the Division and there are programs in place so that individuals can work without losing Medicaid benefits.  The Divisions recommends that individuals contact the NJ Work Incentives Network Support program to understand the various options.  For example, Workability, NJ's Medicaid buy-in program, allows an individual to make more than $5,000 per month or $60,000 per year and still remain Medicaid eligible.  Similarly, the NJ ABLE program allows individuals to save money without impacting Medicaid eligibility.

Our Support Coordinators are available to explain these services in more detail and to develop an integrated employment plan that uses each service to meet specific goals.

Career Planning

• A focused, time-limited service that engages an individual in identifying a career direction and developing a plan for achieving competitive, integrated employment.
• If an individual is already employed, Career Planning may be used to find other employment or advancement opportunities that are more consistent with the individual’s skills and interests.

Prevocational Training (individual or group)

• A focused service with specific outcomes related to employment preparation, such as effective communication, workplace conduct, problem solving, and the ability to follow directions and complete tasks.
• Provides learning and work experiences, including volunteer work, where the individual can develop general skills that contribute to employability.

Supported Employment (individual or group)

• Can be provided for both an intensive period upon job start and as ongoing (“follow along”) support to sustain employment.
• Supports may include training and systematic instruction, job coaching, benefit support, travel training, and other workplace skills that enable the individual to successfully integrate into the job setting.
• Group services for 2-8 individuals may include mobile crews and other business-based workgroups employing workers in integrated settings.

 Competitive employment in the general workforce is the first and preferred post education outcome for people with any type of disability. 

Association for People Supporting Employment First

U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy 

LEAD Center (National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities)