West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services: Vocational Rehab, Pre-ETS, and Employment First

What DRS Does

The West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) is the state's vocational rehabilitation agency, federally mandated under the Rehabilitation Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). DRS provides vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities who want to prepare for, obtain, or maintain competitive integrated employment.

For families navigating the transition from school to adult life, DRS is often the single most underused resource. The agency provides vocational assessments, job coaching, assistive technology evaluations, on-the-job training, and direct placement services to eligible individuals; ask the counselor which services are available without cost and whether any financial-participation rules apply.

Pre-Employment Transition Services Start at 14

Under WIOA, DRS must provide Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities starting at age 14. These five services are available before the student even applies for full VR services:

1. Job exploration counseling — career assessments, interest inventories, labor market research
2. Work-based learning — job shadowing, internships, paid work experiences
3. Counseling on post-secondary options — college, trade programs, certificate programs
4. Workplace readiness training — soft skills, financial literacy, self-advocacy
5. Self-advocacy instruction — understanding rights, requesting accommodations, communicating with employers

Schools can refer students directly to DRS, but families can also initiate contact. The earlier the referral, the more time the student has to explore career paths and build work history before graduation.

The Individualized Plan for Employment

When your adult child applies for full DRS services, the counselor conducts a comprehensive vocational assessment and develops an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The IPE is a binding agreement between the individual and DRS that specifies:

• The employment goal
• The services DRS will provide (training, education, assistive technology, job coaching)
• The timeline and milestones
• The responsibilities of both parties

West Virginia operates under an Employment First framework, meaning the default expectation is competitive integrated employment in the community — not sheltered workshops or segregated day programs. DRS counselors connect clients with certified Employment Support Professionals who provide job development, on-site coaching, and long-term follow-up.

How DRS Coordinates with SSI and the I/DD Waiver

DRS services do not affect SSI eligibility. The wages your child earns through DRS-supported employment are subject to SSI's earned income rules — the $65 exclusion plus the one-for-two reduction — but DRS itself is not an income source.

For individuals on the I/DD Waiver or its waitlist, DRS employment services can complement waiver-funded supported employment. The funding streams are separate, but responsibility varies by service; ask DRS and the waiver case manager which program will cover job development, placement, and ongoing coaching.

The Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) shelters up to $2,410 per month in earnings for SSI-eligible students under 22 who attend school regularly — making Pre-ETS work experiences during high school particularly valuable from a financial planning standpoint.

For a complete map of how DRS fits into the broader transition timeline alongside SSI, Medicaid, and the I/DD Waiver, the West Virginia Adult Disability Benefits Guide coordinates all the agencies into a single chronological plan.

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