Montana Vocational Rehabilitation VRBS

What VRBS Does in Montana

Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services (VRBS) is a division of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) that helps people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep competitive employment. For families navigating the turning-18 transition, VRBS matters because it provides tangible skill-building services that can demonstrate a young adult's capacity to function independently — evidence that strengthens the case for supported decision-making over court-ordered guardianship.

VRBS services are voluntary. A young adult can self-refer or work with a vocational rehabilitation counselor without their parents holding guardianship, power of attorney, or any other legal authority. The young adult signs their own Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) and directs the goals of their vocational program.

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)

Pre-ETS are available to students with disabilities ages 14 through 21 who are enrolled in secondary education or a recognized transition program. Montana VRBS delivers five core Pre-ETS activities:

• Job exploration counseling — career interest inventories, informational interviews with local employers, and guided visits to workplaces
• Work-based learning experiences — paid or unpaid internships, job shadowing, and on-the-job training coordinated through the school and VRBS
• Counseling on post-secondary enrollment — guidance on community college, vocational training, and certificate programs that match the student's strengths
• Workplace readiness training — social skills coaching, time management, financial literacy, and self-advocacy in employment settings
• Self-advocacy instruction — teaching the student to communicate their accommodation needs, understand their rights under the ADA, and navigate workplace disclosure decisions

Pre-ETS do not require a formal VRBS case to be open. Students can access these services through their school's transition coordinator, who partners with a VRBS Pre-ETS counselor to integrate employment goals into the IEP transition plan.

How to Access Full VRBS Services

When a student is ready for individualized vocational rehabilitation (typically around age 16-18), they apply directly to VRBS for a full case. The process works like this:

Step 1: Application. The student (or their parent, with the student's consent) contacts the nearest VRBS field office. Montana has offices in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Miles City, and Missoula.

Step 2: Eligibility determination. VRBS must determine within 60 days whether the applicant has a physical or mental impairment that creates a substantial impediment to employment and can benefit from vocational rehabilitation services. An IEP or documented disability may support an application, but eligibility is not automatic.

Step 3: Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The student and counselor develop a written plan identifying the student's employment goal, the services VRBS will provide, and the timeline. Services can include assistive technology, job coaching, transportation assistance, college tuition support, and workplace accommodations.

Why VRBS Matters for Guardianship Decisions

Transition planners across Montana emphasize that a young adult's participation in VRBS — and the employment skills they develop through Pre-ETS and vocational rehabilitation — creates a documented track record of independent decision-making. When a family is evaluating whether guardianship is truly necessary, a VRBS case file showing that the young adult can set employment goals, communicate with a counselor, and participate in workplace learning provides concrete evidence that less restrictive alternatives are working.

Under MCA § 72-5-316, Montana district courts cannot appoint a guardian unless they are satisfied that the person's identified needs cannot be met by a less restrictive alternative. A VRBS employment record strengthens the argument that supported decision-making and voluntary instruments — not court-ordered guardianship — are sufficient.

For families working through the full sequence of alternatives and voluntary instruments before making a guardianship decision, the Montana Guardianship & Alternatives Guide maps out each option step by step, from SDM agreements and powers of attorney through the court petition process.

Coordinating VRBS with DDP and School Services

VRBS, the Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP), and the school's IEP team all serve the same student — but they operate independently, with different eligibility criteria, different timelines, and different funding sources. Coordination falls on the family.

The most common mistake is assuming that one agency's involvement covers the others. A student can simultaneously participate in VRBS Pre-ETS, hold an open DDP case for 0208 waiver services, and receive special education transition services through their school district. Starting the VRBS referral during the student's sophomore or junior year ensures there is time to build a work history before the IEP ends at graduation or age 21.

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