Vocational Evaluation

Individuals Served: adults with disabilities whose life goals include successful long-term community integrated employment. Included are individuals with cognitive limitations related to mental retardation or brain injury, persons with physical disabilities which limit their ability to independently achieve successful long-term community integrated employment, and individuals who are dually diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder coexisting with a developmental disability.

Length of the Program: maximum of 20 days, minimum of 5, as determined by individual needs.

Program Goals: to identify and maximize the vocational potential of people served; to determine job types for placement; to provide recommendations for employment-related services and potential work-site accommodations.

Program Description: the evaluation phase is a planned and systematic process which features testing, as well as real and simulated work, to determine an individual's vocational strengths and needs. The result of the evaluation is a qualitative analysis of the following employment-related factors:

Work skills
Work attitudes, values, and motivation
Vocational abilities and aptitudes
Vocational interests
Personality and temperament
Physical capabilities
Learning, coping, and social styles
Job modification requirements
Compensatory strategies

Vocational Evaluation Activities and Techniques: the Vocational Evaluator compiles findings derived from formal and informal testing, work samples, daily observations, and community-based assessments if requested by the individual/PA OVR counselor. The Vocational Evaluator administers testing and coordinates the collection of observational data. Assessment resources include the following:

Intellectual Functioning
Achievement Levels
Adaptive Behavior Assessment
Interest Assessment
Correlations of Values, Interests, and Abilities
Personality/Maturity Profiles
Manual Dexterity
Computer/Data Entry
Comprehensive Evaluation Systems
Work Skills Assessment