785-966-8331

Mission

To assist American Indians with disabilities to find employment or help clients with disabilities that are already employed to maintain employment.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) was created out of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. VR Programs are designed to help people with disabilities get jobs, whether the person was born with a disability, develops a disability or becomes a person with a disability while working.

VR serves people with a wide variety of disabilities such as:

Mental illness;
Hearing impairment;
Impaired functioning of arms or legs;
Back injury;
Substance abuse;
Intellectual or development disabilities;
Learning disability;
Traumatic brain injury; and,
Other physical or mental disabilities that prevent the person from finding or keeping a job
This list is not a comprehensive list of disabilities, but rather examples of disabilities.

Eligibility

• Enrolled with a federally recognized tribe
• Physical or mental disability
• Your disability causes a barrier to employment
• You need assistance adapting your disability for employment
• Live in Jackson, Atchison, Brown, Nemaha, Pottawatomi, Shawnee, Doniphan or Jefferson county, Kansas.

Services

The services provided by VR must be consistent with the client’s individual strengths, abilities, capabilities, resources and priorities, and must take into account the client’s concerns and provide the opportunity for informed choice. The services offered must prepare clients for employment including self-employment, subsistence, and business ownership.

• Vocational Assessment, Counseling and Guidance
• Training
• School to Work Transition
• Physical and Mental Restoration Services
• Job Search and Placement

Required Documents

1. Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB)

2. Driver’s License or State ID, if applicable

3. Social Security Card

4. SSI/SSDI Statement, if applicable

5. Proof of address

6. Names and contact information of doctors and specialist for disability

7. VR will need to know what type of help you are requesting (you will need to have some type of plan put together to discuss with VR intake worker)

8. VR will need to know what type of job/career you are looking for

a. Not sure what type of job/career you should be looking for, visit www.onetonline.org and take the free interest assessment quiz.

• Vocational Rehabilitation Application – This is a fillable pdf. Download the form to complete, save file before sending.
• Email completed applications to vocrehab1@pbpnation.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

• VR is an employment program; the intention of the program is to get people with disabilities employed.
• VR does not pay bills or fix vehicles unless you are a VR client and it is needed to assist with your disability. If you only need your bills paid or your vehicle fixed, then VR is not the right program for you.
• VR does not “find” clients jobs, however, VR will provide job leads. It is the client’s responsibility to find a job.
• VR is not an entitlement program. Because you have a disability does not mean you are eligible for VR; your disability must impede employment and you must need VR services to be eligible for VR.