Employment Services for Youth and Adults with Disabilities in Iowa
This matrix provides information on community agencies and Home & Community Based (HCBS) waivers that provide employment-related services and supports for youth and
adults with disabilities.
IowaWORKS
Iowa Vocational
Rehabilitation
Services
ID Waiver
Habilitation
Services
BI Waiver
www.Iowaworkforce.org/region9
www.ivrs.iowa.gov
www.ime.state.ia.us
www.ime.state.ia.us
www.ime.state.ia.us
All services open to general
public. Some job training
assistance programs have
eligibility requirements.
Age = 16+
Eligibility &
disability
determination
required
Diagnosis of
Intellectual
Disability
Diagnosis of
Chronic Mental
Illness
Diagnosis of Brain
Injury
Job Application Assistance
X
X
X
X
X
Child Labor Permit
Electronic Job Search
Enclave
Interest Inventories
Interview Preparation
Job Coaching
Job Development
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Agencies
&
Waivers
Eligibility
Services
Job Follow Up
Job Leads
Job Readiness Skills
National Career Readiness Certification
Occupational Tools, Equipment or
Licenses
Planning for Self-Employment
Resume & Cover Letter Writing
Specialized Adaptive Equipment or
Devices for Training or Employment
Transportation Training
Vocational Assessment
Vocational Counseling
Youth Summer Employment
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Developed by the Scott County, Iowa Transition Advisory Board (TAB) – Updated January 2014. For more copies or questions, contact Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, Carol Aden, 563-344-6287.
TAB Mission: To build community and educational partnerships that will empower youth with disabilities to develop and achieve their life goals.
Child Labor Permit: Youth under the age of 16 are required to have a work permit before starting work. Employer, parent and child complete the application.
Electronic Job Search: All jobs listed with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) are available on several Web sites, including www.iowajobs.org. Computers are available for
public use to search these openings at Iowa Workforce Development Centers. IWD receives job orders for all types of jobs, professional, clerical, production, agriculture, trucking,
etc. New jobs are listed daily.
Enclave: A small group of people (generally 5-8) work as a team in a community business, with training, supervision, and support provided by an on-site supervisor.
Interest Inventories: Evaluations of interests, likes, dislikes, aptitudes and values to assist in developing a career plan. IHaveaPlanIowa.gov is a web-based assessment and career
planning system used throughout secondary and post-secondary settings in Iowa.
Job Coaching: Specialized vocational training and support provided on-site to assist the employee in learning and completing the required job duties and adjusting to the work
environment.
Job Development: Working with both the individual and community employers to find and/or create jobs that match the abilities and interests of the job seeker as well as meeting
the needs of the employer.
Job Follow-up/Follow Along: Ongoing counseling, job coaching, and additional supports for the employee and community employer to assist with maintaining a successful
employment placement.
Job Readiness Skills: These are basic work skills that prepare a person for work and can be generalized to any work setting. Examples may include attendance, punctuality,
attention to task, safety, following instructions. Sometimes these are called “soft” skills.
National Career Readiness Certification: An assessment of applied math, reading for information, and locating information. Individuals completing the test can earn
certification of workplace skills to share with area employers.
Planning for Self Employment: Through Iowa Self-Employment (ISE), entrepreneurs may receive technical and/or financial assistance to start, expand, or acquire a business.
ISE offers orientations, business consultation, counseling services, and opportunities to collaborate with other professionals. Learn more at www.ivrs.iowa.gov.
Transportation Training: Assistance provided an individual in learning to use and arranging public and para-transit transportation as independently as possible.
Vocational Assessment: Identifying vocational strengths and weaknesses through formalized testing and/or work trials. This can be facility and/or community based.
Vocational Counseling: This assists people to identify their work abilities and strengths and help them develop a career plan.
Youth Summer Employment: Summer jobs program linked with academic learning.
While this matrix describes employment-related services in the community, high school students with IEPs will start to explore their adult life employment goals, strengths, interests, preferences
and needs related to those goals in high school. Students may have IEP goals related to employment skills, may take vocational courses, may receive guidance counseling, may get high school
credit for working, or may participate in other activities such as job shadows. To discuss any of these or other employment-related options, a student should contact his or her IEP teacher or
guidance counselor at the high school.
Developed by the Scott County, Iowa Transition Advisory Board (TAB) – Updated January 2014. For more copies or questions, contact Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, Carol Aden, 563-344-6287.
TAB Mission: To build community and educational partnerships that will empower youth with disabilities to develop and achieve their life goals.