Vermont Supported Employment and Customized Employment for Adults with Disabilities

Two Employment Models, One Goal

Vermont offers two distinct employment service models for adults with disabilities: supported employment and customized employment. Both aim to place individuals in competitive, integrated jobs — real work in real workplaces alongside people without disabilities, earning at or above minimum wage. The difference is in how the job is found and structured.

Supported employment starts with an existing job. A job coach helps the individual learn the position, develop workplace routines, and navigate social dynamics. The coach fades over time as the individual builds independence, though ongoing support remains available. This model works well for individuals who can perform the core functions of an existing position with initial coaching and occasional check-ins.

Customized employment starts with the individual, not the job. An employment specialist conducts a discovery process — observing the person in different settings, identifying their strengths and interests, and then negotiating a position with an employer that matches those strengths. The job may not have existed before. It might combine tasks from several existing positions, modify the workflow of an existing role, or create an entirely new position that meets a genuine business need.

Customized employment is the better fit when standard job descriptions don't match the individual's profile — when they have strong skills in specific areas but can't perform the full range of duties in any existing position.

How the Services Are Delivered in Vermont

Employment services for adults with developmental disabilities flow through Vermont's Designated Agencies (DAs) and Specialized Service Agencies (SSAs), funded through the Global Commitment to Health 1115 waiver administered by DAIL's Developmental Disabilities Services Division.

The service delivery chain after the 2025 restructuring works like this:

1. The individual's Case Management Organization (Benchmark Human Services or The Columbus Organization) includes employment services in the Individualized Service Agreement
2. The CMO allocates funding for employment support within the individual's budget
3. A Designated Agency or Specialized Service Agency provides the direct employment services — the job developer, the job coach, the ongoing support

HireAbility Vermont also provides employment services through its vocational rehabilitation program, which operates separately from the DAIL/DA system. A formal VR case with HireAbility can fund job development, on-the-job training, assistive technology, and supported employment services. For transition-age youth, HireAbility is often the first employment service provider they encounter — through Pre-ETS and then through a formal IPE.

The two systems (HireAbility VR and DAIL-funded employment support through DAs) can operate concurrently, and for many individuals, a smooth transition from HireAbility's time-limited VR services to DAIL's ongoing employment support is the ideal path.

What "Competitive Integrated Employment" Means

Vermont, like most states, prioritizes competitive integrated employment — jobs in the community rather than in sheltered workshops or facility-based day programs. This reflects federal policy direction under WIOA and the Olmstead decision, but in Vermont it also reflects the state's System of Care Plan priorities.

Competitive integrated employment means:

• The individual works alongside people without disabilities
• They earn at least minimum wage (Vermont's minimum wage is among the highest in the country)
• The position is in the community, not in a disability-specific facility
• The individual has the same opportunities for advancement as other employees

This doesn't mean every individual with a disability is expected to work 40 hours a week in a traditional job. Employment services in Vermont include part-time work, job sharing, self-employment support, and microenterprise development. The emphasis is on meaningful work that matches the individual's abilities and preferences, not on meeting an arbitrary hours threshold.

The Discovery Process in Customized Employment

Discovery is what makes customized employment different from traditional job placement. Instead of reviewing job listings and trying to match the individual to an opening, an employment specialist spends time — typically 20 to 40 hours — learning about the individual through observation and conversation:

• What activities hold their attention and produce their best performance?
• What environments bring out their strengths (quiet vs. active, indoor vs. outdoor, small groups vs. solo work)?
• What tasks do they do naturally and well without prompting?
• What connections do they have in their community?

The specialist then approaches employers with a proposal: here's what this person does well, here's how that could benefit your business, here's a position structure that works for both sides. The negotiation is collaborative — the employer gets a worker who excels in specific areas, and the individual gets a position designed around their strengths.

Connecting Employment to the Transition Plan

For families still in the school system, employment services after graduation should be planned during the IEP transition process — not discovered after exit. The IEP team should be asking:

• Is the student on track for supported employment, customized employment, or independent competitive employment?
• Has a HireAbility VR case been opened, and does the IPE include post-secondary employment goals?
• Has the family applied for DAIL developmental services through PCG, and does the intake include employment as a priority?
• Does the student need discovery-based assessment to identify their employment strengths, and if so, when will that happen?

Starting the employment planning conversation early gives families time to coordinate between HireAbility and DAIL — building the support structure before the school system's obligation ends. The Vermont IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide maps the employment coordination timeline across agencies so families know which referrals to make and when.

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