West Virginia Supported Employment and School-to-Work Transition

The Two Phases of Employment Support

Employment support for West Virginia students with disabilities operates in two phases. The first phase is funded by the Division of Rehabilitation Services, which pays for job development, placement, and on-the-job coaching until the individual reaches "stabilization" — meaning they can perform the job with minimal support. The second phase is long-term maintenance, which is typically funded through the Medicaid IDD Waiver.

This two-phase model means that school-to-work transition planning must coordinate both DRS and Medicaid waiver services simultaneously. A student who gets job coaching through DRS but has no waiver slot for long-term support may lose that coaching when DRS closes their case after stabilization.

STEP: The West Virginia Model

The Student Transition to Employment Program is a West Virginia-specific approach that addresses one of the biggest problems in transition: the gap between the trusted school professional who knows the student and the unfamiliar community rehabilitation provider who does not.

STEP trains special education teachers and classroom aides to register as certified DRS vendors. This means the professional who has worked with the student throughout high school can continue providing job placement, on-the-job training, and coaching after graduation — without the student having to start over with a stranger.

The program is jointly funded by the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council and DRS. It creates a seamless bridge between the school system and the employment system by keeping the same support person in place.

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH takes a completely different approach. Instead of placing students in various community jobs, Project SEARCH embeds students directly into a single host employer's workplace for an entire school year.

The program combines daily classroom instruction at the worksite with hands-on vocational rotations across different departments. Students develop competitive, marketable skills while being fully immersed in a real work environment.

Project SEARCH sites in West Virginia typically operate through partnerships between school districts, DRS, and large employers (often hospitals or government agencies). The program targets students in their final year of eligibility who are ready for intensive vocational preparation.

Work-Based Learning Experiences

DRS funds short-term work placements through local Community Rehabilitation Programs. These are designed to give students hands-on work experience in a structured, supervised setting.

The parameters: students can complete a maximum of 40 work hours over a 60-day period and must be paid at least the state minimum wage. These placements are meant to build foundational skills and help the student explore different types of work, not to provide permanent employment.

Career Exploration Opportunities (CEOs) are a related program — an intensive 24-hour curriculum completed over four consecutive days. Students receive direct training in career planning, self-assessment, completing job applications, mock interviewing, professional dress, and self-advocacy.

Centers for Independent Living

West Virginia's Centers for Independent Living serve adults with disabilities through peer support, advocacy, independent living skills training, and community integration. For transition-age youth, CILs can provide:

• Independent living skills training (budgeting, cooking, transportation navigation, self-care)
• Peer mentoring from adults with disabilities who have navigated the transition
• Advocacy support for accessing community services
• Information and referral to employment, housing, and benefit programs

CILs are community-based organizations, not state agencies. They operate across West Virginia and can be a critical supplement to DRS employment services, particularly for students whose transition goals include independent living alongside employment.

Community-Based Instruction During the IEP

For students still in school, community-based instruction is the mechanism for practicing work and independent living skills in real-world settings. Instead of simulating a workplace in the school building, community-based instruction takes students out into actual businesses, stores, and community settings.

The IEP should specify what community-based instruction the student will receive, how often, and with what support. If the IEP only references classroom-based transition activities, parents should request genuine community placements that build functional skills for employment and independent living.

Coordinating Employment Services Before School Exit

The strongest approach sequences these programs so there is no gap between school-based supports and adult employment services:

1. During high school: Pre-ETS through DRS, community-based instruction through the school, and exploration through CEOs or work-based learning
2. Final year or two: STEP or Project SEARCH for intensive employment preparation, with a formal IPE in development
3. At school exit: Active DRS case with funded job coaching and placement services
4. After DRS stabilization: Long-term supported employment funded through the IDD Waiver (if the student has a waiver slot)

If the student does not have an IDD Waiver slot, DRS can still provide employment services, but the long-term maintenance funding gap is a real risk. This is why applying for the waiver early — years before school exit — is essential.

The West Virginia IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide covers the complete employment pipeline, explains how to coordinate DRS and IDD Waiver funding, and includes a timeline for ensuring every handoff happens before the student leaves school.

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