Nevada Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation: Pre-ETS and Transition Services

What BVR Does for Students With Disabilities

The Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR), housed within Nevada's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), provides employment-focused support for people with disabilities. For families navigating the turning-18 transition, BVR is one of the most valuable and underused resources available — and it starts far earlier than most families realize.

BVR offers Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities as young as 14. These services run in coordination with the school's IEP transition plan and continue through high school into the adult employment system. The goal is practical: move your child from school-based supports into real employment with the skills and accommodations they need.

Pre-ETS: Five Core Services

Pre-Employment Transition Services are available to students with disabilities as young as 14 and can be coordinated with the school's IEP transition plan. They are distinct from the application for full VR services. The five mandated Pre-ETS categories are:

Job exploration counseling. Career interest inventories, labor market information, workplace visits, and informational interviews with employers. This helps students identify realistic employment goals based on their abilities and interests.

Work-based learning experiences. Job shadows, internships, volunteer work, and supervised employment in real workplace settings. BVR coordinates with employers to set up these placements, and students gain hands-on experience while still in school.

Counseling on postsecondary enrollment. Guidance on community college programs, vocational certificates, and supported education programs. For students pursuing the Alternative or Adjusted Diploma track, this includes information about continuing education options that don't require a standard diploma.

Workplace readiness training. Practical skills: digital literacy, communication, time management, professional behavior, self-advocacy in the workplace. Many BVR programs partner with school transition coordinators to integrate this training into the IEP.

Self-advocacy instruction. Teaching students to understand their disability, articulate their accommodation needs, and navigate adult systems independently — or with a supported decision-making framework.

Applying for Full VR Services

Pre-ETS and full VR services have different entry requirements. To access BVR's full range of adult vocational rehabilitation services — job placement, assistive technology, vehicle modifications, training programs, and ongoing support — your child needs to apply for standard VR services.

Recommended timeline: Submit the application during the final two years of high school. BVR has a 60-day eligibility determination window from the date of application, and then 90 days from eligibility to establish an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). Starting early means your child can transition directly from school-based services into BVR-supported employment without a gap.

Eligibility: The applicant must have a physical or mental impairment that constitutes a substantial impediment to employment, and VR services must be necessary to prepare for, secure, retain, or advance in employment. For students who received special education services, school records and IEP documentation typically satisfy these requirements.

The IPE is the key document. Once eligible, your child and the BVR counselor develop an Individualized Plan for Employment. The IPE outlines the employment goal, the services BVR will provide, the timeline, and the responsibilities of each party. This plan should coordinate with the IEP transition goals — ideally, the BVR counselor attends transition IEP meetings.

Who Makes Decisions After 18

Once your child turns 18, they're the legal adult in the VR process. The BVR counselor works directly with your adult child — not with you, unless your child has authorized your involvement.

If your adult child has a supported decision-making agreement, the supporter can attend BVR meetings and help process information. If they have a power of attorney that covers the relevant decisions, the agent can act within its scope. If guardianship is in place, the guardian exercises only the decision-making authority granted by the order.

For families who haven't established any of these legal frameworks by the time the BVR application happens, the practical consequence is that parents may find themselves unable to participate in meetings, receive information about their adult child's progress, or advocate with the BVR counselor — even though they've been the primary advocate throughout the school years.

This is another reason the guardianship-alternatives conversation needs to happen well before the 18th birthday. The Nevada Adult Guardianship & Alternatives Guide walks through each option and helps you determine which legal framework ensures continuity of advocacy across school, employment, and healthcare systems.

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