Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The following are frequently asked questions.

• Who is the transition tool for? Who designed it?
• What is a Transition Plan?
• What is an Age Appropriate Transition Assessment?
• What are Transition Services?
• How long can transition services be provided through school?
• What services are available from the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVRS)?
• How to apply for Vocational Rehabilitation Services?
• Will the VR staff be the ones to provide employment services?
• How do CRPs help me?
• What will change after high school?
• How can the student be an effective advocate with the IEP team?
• What is a career cluster?
• What are Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)?
• Eligible Students for Pre-ETS
• How can a student get Pre-ETS?

Who is the transition tool for? Who designed it?

This transition tool is intended to serve as a guide to New Jersey students, family members, and educators during the transition planning process. It is based on the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA - http://tinyurl.com/jcvoaz3. As an New Jersey student with a disability who is 16 years or older, or a family member of a transition age student, this tool can help prepare for the Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting where transition planning will be discussed and a transition plan will be created. Individuals residing outside of New Jersey may use this free tool, but the information needed for transition plans in other states may be different.

This tool was originally designed by the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, a non-profit organization. The tool was adapted by the Disability Rights New Jersey staff and designed to meet transition planning needs in New Jersey. For more information about Disability Rights New Jersey, please go to https://disabilityrightsnj.org/

What is a Transition Plan?

A transition plan helps the student move into adult life after high school. In New Jersey, the school must develop a written transition plan as part of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) by the age of 16. However, you can start the transition planning process at age 14. Having an effective, person-centered transition plan is important to help plan for the student's goals after high school so that the right services and supports needed will be obtained to meet the student's goals. A well written plan can help achieve things like getting a job, training for a job, living independently and going to college.

The transition plan must be focused on the student's strengths, needs, and preferences. It should also include goals and timelines for IEP team members to follow. This will help to make sure progress is being made towards the student's transition goals. Beginning at age 16 or younger, the student should be involved in discussing their transition planning wants and needs prior to the IEP team meeting. The IEP team writes the transition plan during the IEP team meeting. The transition plan is a legal part of the IEP and must be attached to the IEP the school sends to the student and family. The student and their family can also request an IEP meeting specifically to discuss transition needs and goals at any time. This request should be submitted in writing.

What is an Age Appropriate Transition Assessment?

Transition assessments help the student learn more about what they would like to do after high school. The teacher may ask about the student's goals after high school and what they are good at. A teacher might ask family members and other teachers about the student's skills and interests. The student might complete a career assessment on the computer, or try a few different jobs to see what skills, strengths and needs the student has in community employment settings. They may also take academic assessments to help prepare for college. The Transition Plan must be based on at least one recent age-appropriate transition assessment.

What are Transition Services?

Transition services are a part of the transition plan. They are activities completed while in school to help meet the student's goals for after high school. These activities will help the student improve on skills needed to help get a job, keep a job, go to college and live independently.

Beginning the year when a student turns 16, the IEP must explain the transition services needed for that student. Services should be person centered and individualized. A list of classes and supports the student needs to help prepare them to move to adult life must also be provided.

How long can transition services be provided through school?

Transition services are focused on the student's needs, preferences and strengths. Transition services start through transition planning the year a student turns 16 in New Jersey, or earlier if appropriate. Determined by the student's IEP team, students in New Jersey can continue to receive transition services through the end of the school year in which they turn 21. The IEP team must discuss the types of transition services needed and how long those services should be provided.

What services are available from the New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVRS)?

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program can provide many services and supports to help qualified students with disabilities move to adult life. VR may pay for things like college classes, technical training, getting a job, developing new job skills, work-related items – such as tools, clothing, assistive technology … and so much more.

The IEP team will provide information on VR services and may invite a VR counselor to the IEP team meeting with parent/guardian or adult student consent. It is VERY important for the student and family to apply for VR services and follow through with the responsibilities as a consumer of those services provided. Too often students and their family do not follow up with VR. That means they lose out on receiving VR’s great services that assist with supporting the student's employment plan.

How to apply for Vocational Rehabilitation Services?

If the student wants to work and has a disability that makes it difficult for them to get or keep a job, they can apply for services with VR.

1. Contact your local DVRS office
Find the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) office nearest you using the Office Location list or call 1-866-871-7867 (toll free). If you are an individual who is blind, deaf-blind, or visually impaired, you would contact the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Their locations can be found here.

2. Complete a referral for services
Find out if you're eligible by completing the referral form, located at https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=0cN2UAI4n0uzauCkG9ZCpzVnFpBuuFNArhLYruJEYsRUM0FOTFk1UTNVOVlEOTBZT000Tk5HWkI5TCQlQCN0PWcu, which will be sent directly to DVRS.

3. Make an appointment to see a counselor at your local VR office
Bring any records or information about your disability, including records from your doctor, psychologist or school. They may ask for this information prior to the meeting. If you do not have any information, your VR counselor will arrange an evaluation. You may bring someone with you to your appointment. You should also bring your IEP or 504 plan. You’ll be given an application at this meeting. Your VR counselor will discuss and assess your disability, your interests, skills, and paths for employment. You may be asked to sign a Release of Information form so you counselor can obtain additional information to determine your eligibility.

To be eligible for services, you must have:

• Documented physical or mental impairment (disability)
• Substantial impediment (barrier) to employment
• Requires VR services to become employed
• Ability to benefit in terms of an employment outcome

or

• SSI or SSDI recipients who intend to achieve an employment outcome

4. Next steps if eligible
Your VR counselor will help you develop your Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). This plan outlines the steps to take toward obtaining employment with choices to help fulfill your goal. Together, you and your VR counselor will:

• Choose the type of employment that is best for you and that you want.
• Determine services for reaching your employment goal.
• Connect with the person or agency that offers services you need

5. Follow Up (only for a traditional VR case)
When you become employed, your case will remain open for at least 90 days, so your VR counselor can provide guidance and support during this transition to employment. You will be considered successfully employed after 90 days of employment.

Will the VR staff be the ones to provide employment services?

VR is the first agency the student meets with to begin their employment journey as they can help with preparing for a job. If the student qualifies, VR helps pay for employment services, but VR does not provide those services directly. Instead, VR will provide options of different agencies that will help further the student’s skills in preparing for work, look at the job skills they already have, help match job skills to a job and help find and keep a job. It will be important for the student to call or meet often with their VR Counselor and the agency that helped them find a job.

How do CRPs help me?

A CRP is a "community rehabilitation program." It is a program that helps connect individuals with disabilities to vocational rehabilitation services or provides those services directly to maximize work opportunities. Some CRPs help students reach referral services and fund services provided by DVRS or CBVI. Contact your VR counselor for more information.

What will change after high school?

After high school, the student has the right to reasonable accommodations at college and work under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A college or university may not discriminate against an individual solely based on disability. They must provide reasonable accommodations to the student's known disability. These accommodations must give the student an equal opportunity to participate in the school's programs, activities, and services. This includes everything from the classroom to extracurricular activities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provide students with disabilities powerful protections from discrimination. For more information visit, https://www.ada.gov

A student must have a mental or physical impairment that:

• substantially limits one or more major life activities, or
• has a record of such impairment, or
• is regarded as having such impairment.

Below are a couple of examples of help a student may receive from a college:

• Free auxiliary aids (ex. taped texts, note takers, interpreters, closed captioning). http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/auxaids.html
• Modifications to participate and benefit from their education (ex. extra time, notes, specialized materials, audio books, special technology). There are limitations to your rights in college. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act only applies to schools that receive federal funds. Some schools do not receive financial aid or federal funding. Colleges do not have to modify class content or academic standards if it fundamentally alters their program. This simply means that colleges are not required to reduce their standards for grading or degree requirements because of a person’s disability. Colleges can request adequate medical documentation from the student that proves the need for the requested help and the connection to the student’s disabilities.

The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) helps individuals with disabilities get accommodations on the job. As an employee the individual must be able to complete the job tasks expected on the job, however if the individual needs assistance to complete the tasks, they can ask the employer for a job accommodation or a change in their job that will help them complete the job duties requested. An employer does not need to provide the individual with exactly what they want but does need to provide the individual with some type of accommodation to meet their needs on the job.

How can the student be an effective advocate with the IEP team?

The student should state what they want their goals to be and what they feel they need to meet those goals. Be clear. The only purpose of the IEP team is to come up with an education program for the student. That means it is all about the student’s wants and needs. The student should give the IEP team examples of what they are asking for and how it will help them.

Remember that teamwork can help the student ask for what they want. Build strong relationships with IEP team members. The IEP team members have a lot of educational knowledge. The student is the expert about themselves. The student and their supporters know the student’s needs and goals best.

Special education has many professional terms. These terms can be confusing and scary to students and supporters. The student should ask the IEP team to explain any term they do not understand. Remember, no one on the IEP team knows the student’s needs, interests, likes, and goals better than the student and their supporters.

Good transition planning requires the student and supporters to tell the IEP team the student’s long-term plans and goals after high school. The more the student shares their hopes and dreams with the IEP team, the better their transition goal will be.

Transition meetings must focus on what the student wants to do. It is about the student’s interests. The IEP team must listen to the student. Students may find it difficult to tell their interests, dreams, and hopes for their future to the entire IEP team. The family and student should work together to find the best way for the student to tell the IEP team what they want and need in order to move to adult life.

Here are some ideas for a student to get their points across to the IEP team:

First, the student should ask themselves these questions:

• Has anyone asked you about your feelings and needs or do they ask people around you?
• Do you feel comfortable expressing your wants and needs? If not, how do you get comfortable? This is an individualized answer.
• How do you express yourself? Do you use verbal speech, signing, assistive technology etc.? Identify the ways in which you express what you want and need.
• How will you make sure you are included and at the center of your IEP meeting? Figure out if the IEP team members acknowledge your presence and your ability to advocate for yourself.

Next:

• Answer the questions. If you need help, you can ask a teacher, parent, or support person. When you finish answering the questions, you will print a copy or email yourself a copy of the TRAILblazer Transition Tool. You can bring this with you to a transition planning meeting or IEP annual review meeting. It contains education, employment, and independent living goals for life after high school. Use the TRAILblazer Transition Tool during the meeting to advocate for the transition evaluations and services you'd like to receive.
• Write down goals for adult life prior to the IEP meeting. Share these with the team.
• As needed, ask family members to help tell the IEP team the student’s goals.

What is a career cluster?

Career clusters are groups of occupations in the same field of work that require similar skills to what you may be interested in. New Jersey CTE includes information about career clusters. You can find out more at https://www.nj.gov/education/cte/secondary/clusters/.

What are Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)?

Pre-Employment Transition Services, also called "Pre-ETS," -- Offered to any student with a disability -- aids students in exploring and planning for successful future employment, through targeted training in:

• Workplace readiness training
• Post-secondary education counseling
• Job exploration counseling
• Work-based learning
• Instruction in self-advocacy

Eligible Students for Pre-ETS

1. Must be aged, 14-21, and
2. Must be enrolled in an official educational program, and
3. Must have a disability (Students working with mental health or other specialized providers are also eligible for transition services, even if not on a 504 or IEP; and student with IEP or 504)

How can a student get Pre-ETS?

Services Offered

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselors and Pre-ETS Instructors:

• Can be invited to attend individualized education program (IEP) meetings with parents and students
• Conduct Job Readiness workshops at schools
• Provide one-on-one counseling and coordination services with eligible clients

Community Partners*: Provide Pre-ETS instruction for clients in either one-on-one or group settings, in the following ways:

• Contracted Service: The New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired have contracted with community partner agencies to provide Pre-ETS instruction for eligible and potentially eligible students, helping to ensure these services are available statewide.
• Fee-for-Services: Community partner agencies provide specific Pre-ETS allowable services for eligible clients, authorized by a VR Counselor

Pre-ETS Providers: Speak to DVRS counselors about Pre-ETS providers.

Start the Transition Planning Tool