Supported Employment in North Dakota for Transition-Age Adults

What Supported Employment Means in North Dakota

Supported employment in North Dakota is a funded service that helps people with disabilities find and keep competitive, integrated jobs — real positions in the community that pay competitive wages, alongside coworkers without disabilities. It's not sheltered work, and it's not volunteer placement.

For families navigating the transition from high school special education, understanding how supported employment works is critical because it often bridges two separate funding systems: the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) handles the initial job development and placement phase, while long-term on-the-job supports shift to the Traditional IID/DD HCBS Waiver once DVR closes the case.

The DVR Employment Pipeline

The DVR pathway begins with a formal application and eligibility determination. To qualify, the young adult must have a documented disability that creates a substantial impediment to employment and must need vocational rehabilitation services to prepare for, secure, or retain competitive work.

Once eligible, the student and their DVR counselor write an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) — a contract that specifies the vocational goal, the services DVR will provide, timelines, and funding. DVR-funded supported employment services typically include:

• Job exploration and career counseling matched to the student's interests
• Job development — a specialist identifies or creates positions in local businesses
• Intensive job coaching during the first weeks and months of employment
• Workplace modifications and assistive technology
• Short-term follow-along services to stabilize the placement

DVR's involvement is time-limited. Long-term support after DVR's job-development and placement phase requires separate planning, often through the Traditional IID/DD HCBS Waiver for individuals who qualify.

Long-Term Support Through the DD Waiver

For individuals who need ongoing job coaching beyond DVR's closure — which is common for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities — the Traditional IID/DD HCBS Waiver picks up where DVR leaves off. Waiver-funded supported employment can provide long-term job coaching and other employment supports for eligible individuals.

Accessing this requires the young adult to be enrolled in the DD waiver system through their regional Human Service Center. The intake process, including the eligibility determination and level-of-care screening, should ideally be started at age 17 or earlier so that waiver services are in place before DVR closes its case.

The handoff between DVR and waiver-funded services is where gaps happen. If the waiver enrollment isn't complete when DVR closes, the young adult loses their job coaching support and the placement often fails. Families need to coordinate both timelines simultaneously.

Day Habilitation as an Alternative

Not every young adult is ready for competitive employment immediately after high school. North Dakota's DD waiver funds day habilitation programs — structured daytime activities focused on community integration, socialization, and building pre-employment skills. These programs operate in community settings and can serve as a stepping stone toward supported employment.

Day habilitation is authorized through the Person-Centered Service Plan developed with the regional Developmental Disabilities Program Manager. Hours and intensity depend on the individual's assessed level of support, determined by the SIS and ICAP evaluations.

Customized Employment

For young adults whose skills don't match traditional job descriptions, customized employment creates a position tailored to the individual's strengths and the employer's unmet needs. A customized employment specialist conducts a discovery process — observing the person in various settings to identify what they do well — and then negotiates a job description with a local business that uses those specific strengths.

DVR can fund the customized employment process, and the DD waiver can fund the ongoing support. North Dakota's rural geography makes customized employment particularly relevant because the standard job market in small towns is limited, and creative placements often work better than trying to fit into existing openings that don't exist locally.

Starting the Process During High School

The best time to set up supported employment is before graduation, while the school's transition services are still active. If your child has an IEP with transition goals related to employment, request that the school coordinate directly with DVR to begin the application process. Many schools invite DVR counselors to transition IEP meetings — your written consent is required before the school can share records.

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) through DVR can begin as early as age 14 and include work-based learning experiences that feed directly into the supported employment pipeline. Pre-ETS can help students build work-based-learning experience and clarify interests before they apply for full DVR services.

The North Dakota IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a DVR Pre-ETS Referral Tracker and worksheets for coordinating the DVR-to-waiver handoff timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does supported employment pay minimum wage?

Yes. Supported employment in North Dakota means competitive integrated employment in community settings, so it is paid employment rather than sheltered or volunteer work. The actual wage depends on the position and applicable wage law; many placements pay above the minimum wage.

Can someone receive both day habilitation and supported employment services?

Yes. Some individuals participate in day habilitation on days they're not working, or transition gradually from full-time day habilitation into part-time employment. The Person-Centered Service Plan can authorize both services based on the individual's goals.

What if there are no supported employment providers in my rural area?

Rural provider shortages are a real challenge in North Dakota. Families in areas without local providers often use the waiver's self-directed services option, which allows them to hire, schedule, and manage support staff directly — including qualified family members or community members who serve as job coaches.

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