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Topic 1 – Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)

Supported Employment is a service designed to help people with significant disabilities to find, obtain and maintain Competitive Integrated Employment.   

In Kentucky, Supported Employment always begins service with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. As an Employment Specialist, you work for a Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP,) an agency that OVR contracts with to provide vocational services, including Supported Employment. OVR will refer job seekers, or consumers as they call them, to your agency and you will be required to follow their process for supported employment, including turning in required documentation in a timely manner.  

The main purpose of OVR is to help Kentuckians with disabilities to find, obtain and maintain Competitive Integrated Employment. Any job you find someone must meet this definition: 

  • Paid no less than minimum wage and at least what coworkers without disabilities who do similar work are paid, 
  • Eligible for benefits and promotions as other employees doing similar work, 
  • Opportunity for interaction with people without disabilities to the same extent as other employees who do not have a disability who do similar work.

The video was created to provide an overview of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation for anyone thinking of seeking assistance. Watch this video to learn more about OVR in Kentucky: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLLxhYblQBlYPHORZcLZ5eWpR-duXFqRH3&v=yY_1kQZPk7E&feature=emb_title

To apply for services from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (if you are helping someone to apply): 

Contact the local office for an appointment and it is helpful to take the following to the appointment:  

  • Any Medical Documentation that you can legally release.  Bring names and addresses of Doctors/Hospitals/Schools/etc. that they will need to request information from. 
  • Let the counselor know if the person is receiving SSI/SSDI. 
  • Let the counselor know if the person is in a Medicaid Waiver program (such as Supports for Community Living or SCL, Michelle P. waiver or MPW, or the Acquired Brain Injury waiver or ABI) or on a waiting list. 
  • Bring a list of all medications the consumer is taking. 
  • These are not mandatory but bringing this information with you (the job seeker) will expedite the eligibility process.  

This course will talk about other funding agencies that offer supported employment, but everyone begins with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation prior to billing other sources.