Process: Referral

1. Determine with the client if a vocational evaluation would be beneficial in addressing any of the following issues:

• Client is uncertain of a vocational goal or direction and needs further career planning and vocational assessment to make an informed choice regarding next steps in relationship to employment.
• Client has a job goal but needs vocational assessment to determine if he/she has the skills and abilities to pursue the job goal(s).
• Client needs a Community Work Assessment (CWA) to determine eligibility or prioritization or an on-the-job evaluation to explore their interest, skills, abilities, stamina, and/or work habits to help him/her identify a realistic job goal(s).

2. Complete the following before making a referral for a vocational evaluation.

• Move case from Information and Referral to the Employment Program in QE2.
• Request appropriate medical, psychological, and/or school records for eligibility and planning purposes.
• Encourage the client to complete Step 1 of the Discovery Booklet.
• Complete referral to Assistive Technology Partnership (ATP) if assistive devices or technology are needed prior to beginning the evaluation.
• The evaluator prefers to have the information prior to the start of evaluation and it is in the client’s best interest to do so. If the information has not been obtained in advance, the evaluation process can still begin; however, the evaluator and client will not arrive at final job goals or recommendations until the relevant information has been received.

3. Complete the Vocational Evaluation Referral Auto Fill Form (link) or the Vocational Evaluation Referral Print Form (link) and provides the referral to the vocational evaluator specialist or associate either by email or in person.

4. For Pre Employment Transition Students who need more in-depth exploration:

• Leave case in I & R status in QE2.
• Complete Pre ETS Job Exploration Referral Form (link)
• Share any available medical, psychological, or school records with Evaluator at referral.

Process: Conducts Vocational Evaluation

1. Review the available client information prior to beginning the evaluation.

2. Conduct the vocational evaluation including completion of appropriate assessment activities, observations, interpretation and career exploration to help the client identify job goal(s) and/or recommendations to assist the client in becoming successfully employed.

*For Pre-Employment Transition Services eligible students, exploration must be within one of the five areas of approved services:

(1) job exploration counseling;

(2) work-based learning experiences;

(3) counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or post secondary educational programs at institutions of higher education;

(4) workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent living;

 and,

(5) instruction in self-advocacy, which may include peer mentoring

3. Staff the results of the evaluation with the referring specialist, client and the vocational evaluator all attending when possible.

4. Document the results of the evaluation in a Vocational Evaluation Report in the Assessment Tab in QE2. Click on the Completed Report icon in the Vocational Evaluation Tab to generate a task note indicating the report has been completed. 

Vocational evaluation services are to be made available for any client needing to obtain greater self and work knowledge related to his/her vocational skills, interests, abilities and the functional impact of his/her disability.

Any Pre-Employment Transition student who can benefit from further exploration can also be referred to the Vocational Evaluator who can provide these services.