Q&A for Parents
BROCKTON OFFICE
LAWRENCE OFFICE
ROXBURY OFFICE
55 City Hall Plaza
Brockton, MA 02301
(508) 583-1530
One Parker Street, 2nd Floor
Lawrence, MA 01843
(978) 685-1731
40 Dimock Street, 3rd Floor
Roxbury, MA 02119
(617) 442-5510
BROOKLINE OFFICE
LOWELL OFFICE
SALEM OFFICE
320 Washington Street, 2nd Fl.
Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 739-9080
325 Chelmsford Street, #4
Lowell, MA 01851
(978) 458-4544
35 Congress St., Bldg. #2
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-8085
CAPE & ISLANDS OFFICE MALDEN OFFICE
SOMERVILLE OFFICE
181 North Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
(508) 775-6173
157 Pleasant Street, 1st Floor
Malden, MA 02148
(781) 324-7160
5 Middlesex Ave., 3rd Floor
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 776-2662
BOSTON OFFICE
MILFORD OFFICE
SPRINGFIELD OFFICE
59 Temple Place, Suite 905
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 357-8137
FALL RIVER OFFICE
170 Pleasant Street, Rm 300
Fall River, MA 02721
(508) 678-9041
FITCHBURG OFFICE
76 Summer Street, Room 330
Fitchburg, MA 01420
(978) 345-1713
FRAMINGHAM OFFICE
463 Worcester Rd, Suite 305
Framingham, MA 01701-5356
(508) 370-4700
GREENFIELD OFFICE
238 Main Street, 3rd Floor
Greenfield, MA 01301
(413) 774-2326
HOLYOKE OFFICE
187 High Street
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 536-8200
Home National Office Plaza
100 Medway Road, Suite 102
Milford, MA 01757
(508) 792-7750
1 Federal St., Bldg 102-1
Springfield, MA 01105
(413) 736-7296
NEW BEDFORD OFFICE
STURBRIDGE OFFICE
888 Purchase Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 993-6255
57 Main Street
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-7661
NORTH ADAMS OFFICE
TAUNTON OFFICE
37 Main Street, 3rd Floor
North Adams, MA 01247
(413) 663-5391
21 Spring Street, 1st Floor
Taunton, MA 02780
(508) 823-8141
PITTSFIELD OFFICE
WORCESTER OFFICE
6 Clinton Avenue
Pittsfield, MA 01201
(413) 499-2720
359 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
(508) 754-1757
PLYMOUTH OFFICE
SUPPORTED
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
40 Industrial Pk. Rd., Suite 206
Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 747-5922
600 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 204-3854
QUINCY OFFICE
275 Hancock Street, 2nd Floor
Quincy, MA 02171
(617) 471-1600
To find out more about MRC, call:
1-800-245-6543 (voice or TTY)
Or go to the website at:
http://www.mass.gov/mrc
FACT: When students plan ahead for
adult life, they are more successful in...
 Completing school
 Going to college
 Pursuing a career
By age 16, your child should
be thinking about...
 What kind of job he or she wants
 How to get that job
 Where he or she can learn the skills to
qualify for that job
About MRC
The Massachusetts Rehabilitation
Commission operates a Public Vocational
Rehabilitation (VR) program for individuals
with disabilities. MRC’s VR program can
help an eligible person with a disability:
Vocational
Rehabilitation
Services for
High School
Students with
Disabilities
Massachusetts
Rehabilitation
 Work with their special education
counselor to develop their Individualized
Education Program (IEP) and receive VR
counseling
 Plan for a career
 Identify college and vocational training
choices and help with financial aid
applications
 Participate in paid work experiences and
on-the-job training
 Get training to achieve work goals
 Work with employers or colleges to
ensure needed reasonable
accommodations, assistive technology
and other supports are received
 Find a job that matches their abilities,
interests and needs
1
Who is eligible for MRC’s
vocational rehabilitation
(VR) services?
To be eligible for vocational rehabilitation
services, a person must have a physical,
mental, emotional, or learning disability
that interferes with their ability to work.
They must also need and be able to
benefit from vocational rehabilitation
services in order to get and keep a job.
Why should we begin
career planning and think
about our child’s
employment during high
school?
Time spent receiving special education
2
services should support a student’s
future work goals. Students also need
to make the right choices to assist with a
smooth transition to adult services.
After students with disabilities leave
school, no single agency is required to
coordinate all needed services. Each
agency has its own eligibility criteria,
application process and manner of
providing services.
3
What vocational
rehabilitation services are
available through MRC?
If your son or daughter is found eligible
for MRC-VR services, a vocational
rehabilitation counselor will work with
your child to define a vocational goal
and develop an employment plan. This
plan is called an Individualized Plan for
Employment (IPE) and includes the
vocational goal and the services needed
to achieve that goal. Depending on
what your child requires, services
may include counseling, vocational
guidance, work evaluation, planning,
skills training at a college or
community rehabilitation program,
adaptive equipment, benefits
counseling and support services while
completing training or placement
services. Placement services may
include job-seeking skills training,
work tryouts and on-the-job services,
such as job coaching and arranging
for reasonable accommodations,
employer referrals, occupational tools
and occupational clothing.
4
When should my son or
daughter apply for VR
services?
We strongly recommend that
students be referred to the MRC
vocational rehabilitation program two
years prior to graduating high school,
or turning 22 years of age.
This timing allows the VR counselor
to work with you, the school and
students to help identify a suitable
work goal and suggest work
readiness activities that should be
taking place during high school.
Before a student leaves school, the
VR counselor will develop an IPE to
arrange for additional training,
education or placement services still
needed beyond school to achieve
their work goal.
5
What is the process for
applying for VR services?
You may contact an MRC-VR office
directly or someone from your school may
talk with you about MRC during your
child’s junior year. With your child’s
permission, or yours if you are their legal
guardian, the school will send MRC
information already in the records about
the nature of their disability, as well as
your child’s vocational interests, abilities
and needs. If more information is needed
to determine eligibility or develop a service
plan, the counselor will discuss what
additional medical or vocational
assessments are needed and how to get
these at MRC expense, if appropriate.
6
Is this information
confidential?
Yes. MRC will not gather or release any
information without signed consent. If the
student is under 18, the signed consent of
a parent or guardian is required. If your
son or daughter is unable to understand
the consent process, a parent or
guardian's consent is required at any age.
7
What can I do as a
parent?
Participation by parents is very important,
especially when your child is less than 18
years of age. You know your child best;
go with them to their first meeting with the
VR counselor. Stay in touch with your
child’s VR counselor to make sure
planning for post-high school activities is
consistent with the plans you and your
child have been making with the school.
8
My child works part-time.
Does this mean he or she is
not eligible for VR services?
No. In fact, work experience is often an
important part of the Individualized Plan for
Employment (IPE). However, your child’s
capacity to work regardless of a disability
is an important consideration in
determining eligibility. Your child’s VR
counselor will discuss how work activities
relate to eligibility, service planning and
selection of career goals.
9
Will I have to pay for
services for my child?
There is no cost for planning and
assistance provided by the VR counselor
or for determining if and how MRC can
assist you. Once it is decided that your
son or daughter is eligible, except for
those receiving SSI or SSDI benefits,
family resources and level of need are
considered when providing some paid
services that may be needed to
accomplish their work goal.
Commensurate with your means, a family
may be expected to share in the costs of
services such as attending college,
purchasing equipment, or making
necessary
modifications to your
home. Financial need is NOT considered
for counseling, guidance, plan
development or job placement. Your
counselor will discuss financial planning
as part of developing the plan.
10
How will VR services affect
SSI or SSDI benefits?
VR services will not have a direct impact
on benefits. The VR counselor can
advise you generally about how benefits
may be affected when your son or
daughter begins earning wages. In
addition, your counselor can arrange for
a confidential, detailed benefit plan to be
conducted that will be specific to their
public benefits, resources, working
arrangements and estimated earnings.
You may also directly contact the Social
Security Administration District Office to
obtain specific information about the
impact of your child’s employment on
benefits and about available work
incentive allowances.
11
We receive other state
agency services. How will
that affect MRC services?
Inform your VR counselor so that all
services can be coordinated to best meet
your child’s employment needs.
12
Can MRC find residential
placements or help with
services not related to my
child’s job preparation?
The MRC-VR program does not provide
these services directly, but can refer you to
other agencies that can help, including the
MRC Community Services program. Your
local Independent Living Center may also
be able to assist you.