Individuals up to 21 continue to receive services based on their Individual Education Plan (IEP). These services are to be delivered in the least restrictive environment. The IEP is reviewed annually and reevaluated at least every three years.

The transition from educational services to adult Developmental Disabilities services requires a great deal of joint planning and discussion for each individual. Referrals for Developmental Disabilities services should be made as early as possible (as early as 14 depending upon the needs of the individual) so that eligibility may be determined and a service coordinator may join the school team in planning for transition to adult services.

In regards to Developmental Disability services, individuals are considered to be “children” until the age of 21. Vocational Hours usually start June 1st following the completion of a transition program or at age 21. Currently in Nebraska, individuals are entitled to receive day services once they have reached age 21 and have left the Nebraska school system. Due to limited funding, other services may not be available, such as residential or respite services, and the individual may be placed on a waiting list for services.

Day/Vocational Services are designed to assist individuals in becoming employed with the acknowledgement that some people may need special assistance long term. Services may range from supporting the person in a job in the community to teaching job skills in a sheltered setting. Services funded through the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) are provided by contracted certified providers of developmental disability services. These providers are located across the state and offer a variety of services to meet the needs of persons with developmental disabilities. ¹

Locate Service Providers - Listing of Nebraska Developmental Disabilities Provider Profiles

Assisted Day Services
Assisted Day/Vocational - Adult: staff is on site and immediately available at all times.

Work Station in Industry - Adult: workstations are located in a community business or industry where persons without disabilities are employed and where there may be several persons working on different job duties or contracts. Staff is available to people receiving these services at all times. The provider may contract with business or industry. Examples may include enclaves, workstations, or mobile work crews. Workstations do not include provider workshops.

Assisted Day -Child (Waiver Only): are provided in day service settings such as workshops or work stations where community-based developmental disabilities (CBDD) provider staff are on-site and immediately available. This service is available only to individuals who receive services through the Home and Community-Based Services Waiver for Children with Developmental Disabilities. This service is available only to individuals who are currently enrolled in a public or private school or who have graduated in the same year as their 21st birthday but are not yet 21.¹

Supported Day Services
Supported Day/Vocational: staff is periodically available and is not constantly on site or available. Services may be provided at work sites where persons without disabilities are employed or volunteer.

Supported Employment: a service that provides 1:1 habilitation (training and supports) necessary to assist the individual in maintaining employment. Staff is intermittently available to the individual during employment hours.¹

Vocational Rehabilitation (Voc Rehab) – If you do not qualify for Developmental Disability services through the Department of Health and Human Resources and need help finding employment, you can contact Vocational Rehabilitation. The following types of services are offered by Voc Rehab: Vocational Counseling, Job Matching, Custom Training, Assistive Technology, Independent Living, and Job Placement. Even if you do qualify for Developmental Disability services, you can still apply for assistance from Voc Rehab. For a listing of Voc Rehab offices, click here, or call 1-877-637-3422 (1-877-NE REHAB) to locate a service office near you.

Before deciding on a specific day/vocational service provider or any job for that matter, it is important to make sure that you find the right service provider for you. Keep your goals and needs in mind and tour the facilities you are interested in. Listed below are questions to ask yourself and the service provider as well as things to consider when touring different facilities.

Questions to ask yourself or check out with your family or friends:

• What is your “dream job?”
• What are you good at?
• What does work mean for you?
• Do you need transportation or other supports?
• Do you want part-time or full-time work? Days or evenings? Week or weekends?
• If walking to work, can you call a cab or take a bus in bad weather and pay for it? Who could you call in emergencies?
• Will you have vacation and holiday pay? What will it take to get a raise?
• What makes a “good” work day? What can prevent a “bad” work day for you?
• Imagine ways you could get to know co-workers. (Ideas: Share family/pet photos; bring in a snack for break; offer to take turns making coffee. How could you join in with others? Volunteer help?)²

 
Questions to ask job coaches or provider employment services/supports:

• I can tell you what I am good at and what my dream job is. How would you help me get the job I want or get as close to what I want if “beyond reach?” If my ideal job is “beyond reach," will you learn what is about that job that is important to me.
• In respecting my decisions and me, will you offer me a job that makes sense for me but accept a “No” if I do not want it? If saying no is my way of saying I am scared, will you encourage me without forcing me to try a new job?
• How will you model for co-workers to understand how I learn, how to support me, and to get to know me as a person?
• Will you or a co-worker help me learn the culture and “positive work rituals?”
• How will you support me when other parts of my life change or people leave or pass away?
• If I get tired of the job or need to change with whom I work, how will you support me in making changes? (Like you, I want to build on success and find new jobs without having to fail to get out of a job I no longer want.)²

Things to consider when touring:

• If the facility close to public transportation or home?
• Are there time clocks, shift schedules, or meal schedules to follow? When are breaks and for how long?
• Would you feel safe here?
• Observe: Where do supervisors spend their time?
• Will you be wearing a uniform or protective gear? Will you be sitting or standing up for most of the job?
• Are people introducing you by speaking respectfully with you?
• Do most of the people working there seem happy?
• Would you like to work here?²

¹ Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Information on Nebraska's Community Based Developmental Disabilities Service Providers, "2008 Nebraska Developmental Disabilities Provider Profiles" (July 2008)
² The Arc of Nebraska, "just ask!...about employment services and supports" Handout dated August 2001.