Louisiana LRS Pre-ETS: Pre-Employment Transition Services for Students With IEPs

The Employment Pipeline Most Families Don't Know About

Your teenager has an IEP. They're between 16 and 21. They want to work — or at least, you want them to have the option. Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), a division of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, offers Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) specifically for students in this situation. The services are free, they don't require full vocational rehabilitation eligibility to start, and they're designed to build the foundation for competitive employment after school.

The problem is that most families never hear about Pre-ETS until years after their child became eligible. Schools are supposed to coordinate with LRS, but the referral often falls through the cracks — especially in rural parishes where the nearest LRS office is an hour's drive away.

What Pre-ETS Includes

LRS provides five core Pre-Employment Transition Services under federal WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) requirements:

Job exploration counseling. Not career day presentations — structured sessions where students research specific occupations, visit workplaces, conduct informational interviews, and assess how their skills and interests match real job requirements. For students on Jump Start career pathways, this aligns directly with their Industry-Based Certification (IBC) goals.

Work-based learning experiences. Actual workplace exposure — job shadowing, internships, on-the-job training, and paid or unpaid work experiences in community settings. LRS coordinates with local employers to create structured placements where the student learns job duties with support.

Counseling on postsecondary opportunities. Guidance on college, vocational-technical programs, and Louisiana's nine approved Comprehensive Transition Programs (CTPs) for students with intellectual disabilities. This includes help with applications, understanding the shift from IEP accommodations to ADA/Section 504 self-disclosure, and financial aid options.

Workplace readiness training. Practical skills that employers expect but schools don't always teach — punctuality, communication with supervisors, workplace social norms, following multi-step instructions, managing a schedule, and basic financial literacy like reading a pay stub.

Self-advocacy instruction. Teaching students how to communicate their needs, request accommodations from employers, understand their rights under the ADA, and make informed decisions about their own career path. This becomes especially important after the transfer of rights at age 18.

Who's Eligible

Pre-ETS eligibility is broader than full LRS vocational rehabilitation:

• Age: 16 to 21 (some Pre-ETS services begin as early as 14 under certain federal guidance, but Louisiana's standard intake begins at 16)
• Disability documentation: An active IEP, a Section 504 plan, or medical documentation of a disability
• Enrollment: Must be enrolled in an educational program (public school, charter, approved home study, or postsecondary)
• No eligibility determination required: Students can receive Pre-ETS without going through the full 60-day VR eligibility process. This is the "potentially eligible" category — students who qualify for Pre-ETS based on their school disability documentation alone

Full vocational rehabilitation services — intensive job coaching, assistive technology, vehicle modifications, college tuition support — do require a formal application and eligibility determination. But Pre-ETS is the entry point, and starting there establishes the relationship with LRS that makes the transition to full VR services seamless.

How to Get a Referral

You don't have to wait for the school to initiate the referral. Parents can self-refer directly to LRS.

Through the school: At the transition IEP meeting (required by age 16), request that the school invite an LRS representative. Under 34 CFR 300.321(b)(3), the school must invite outside agencies to the IEP meeting with your written consent. Once at the table, the LRS counselor can begin the Pre-ETS intake process immediately.

Self-referral: Contact your regional LRS office directly. Louisiana has eight regional LRS offices. You'll need:

• A copy of the student's current IEP or 504 plan
• Proof of age and Louisiana residency
• Any recent evaluations or medical documentation of the disability

The LRS counselor will conduct an initial interview, review the documentation, and set up Pre-ETS services — often within a few weeks.

The Pipeline From Pre-ETS to Full Vocational Rehabilitation

Pre-ETS is the beginning, not the end. Here's how the full LRS pipeline works for transition-age students:

1. Pre-ETS (ages 16–21): Job exploration, work-based learning, and readiness training while still in school
2. VR application and eligibility (60 days): When the student is ready for placement-focused services, they apply for full VR. LRS must determine eligibility within 60 days
3. Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) (90 days): Once eligible, LRS develops an IPE within 90 days — a detailed plan specifying the employment goal, services LRS will fund, and the timeline
4. Job development and placement: LRS funds assessments, job development, placement, and intensive job coaching
5. Stability period (90 days): Once the student holds a job at their maximum level of independence for 90 days, a joint transition meeting with OCDD determines whether ongoing support shifts to Medicaid waiver funding
6. Case closure: LRS closes the case when the student achieves stable employment; long-term follow-along support (if needed) transfers to the OCDD Supports or NOW Waiver

What to Do When LRS Is Slow

LRS has mandatory timelines — 60 days for eligibility, 90 days for the IPE — but delays happen. If your child's case is stalling:

Document everything. Keep a log of every call, email, and meeting with LRS. Note dates, who you spoke with, and what was promised.

Escalate to the regional manager. Each LRS regional office has a supervisor who can reassign cases or expedite processing.

Contact the Client Assistance Program (CAP). Administered by Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA), CAP provides free advocacy specifically for problems with LRS services. They can negotiate directly with LRS, file formal complaints, or represent you in administrative hearings. Call DRLA at 1-800-960-7705.

Use the OCDD bypass. Under the joint LRS-OCDD employment protocol (Form OCDD-PC-25-002), if LRS has an active waitlist, experiences a spending freeze, or fails to implement the IPE within 90 days, the student can bypass LRS and use their OCDD waiver for direct employment supports — provided the delay is documented in the case file.

The Louisiana IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes referral checklists, a regional LRS office directory, and the complete LRS-to-waiver employment pipeline mapped step by step — so you can track your child's case through every milestone and know exactly when to escalate.

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