OKLAHOMA CITY – Effective June 17, the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation has resumed job preparation and employment services for job seekers with severe disabilities, known as Priority Group 2.
Rehabilitation counselors and technicians from DRS’s two employment divisions, Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, will immediately begin serving job seekers who have been moved off the wait list.
DRS resumed services to applicants in Priority Group 1, those with the most severe disabilities, on February 15, 2023. The agency must continue to defer services to applicants with disabilities in Priority Group 3, which includes those who are not determined to have severe disabilities.
“When there are not enough funds to provide services to everyone, applicants with the most severe disabilities are served first because they are the ones who need the most help finding employment,” DRS Executive Director Melinda Fluent said. “Other applicants who have less significant barriers to employment remain on a waiting list until funds are available to pay for their services.”
Waiting lists only affect new applicants; existing clients will continue to receive the same level of service. These waiting lists began in 2017 due to budget constraints. The unprecedented changes brought about by COVID closures have since extended the length of the wait lists.
Since July 12, 2017, DRS has moved 24,301 applicants from the waiting list to the active caseload.
“As the economic turmoil from the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, resources are being returned to ensure DRS can adequately serve job seekers with severe disabilities,” Frundt said. “We have ample funding this year, and although we do have staff vacancies, our analysis shows that we can absorb the influx of new clients into our existing caseload.”
DRS contracts with vendors across the state to provide clients with products and services, managed by its staff, to help job seekers with disabilities achieve their employment goals. DRS receives approximately $4 in federal matching dollars for every state dollar allocated to VR and SBVI employment programs.
To contact your nearest DRS Blind and Visually Impaired Services or Vocational Rehabilitation office, visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdrs/information/office-locator.html or call 800-487-4042.
In 2023, DRS’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Vision Services division provided services, including counseling, medical and psychological services, training, and job placement assistance, to 13,363 job seekers with disabilities. According to the DRS 2023 Annual Report, 1,055 VR and SBVI clients became employed taxpayers and no longer required DRS services. These workers earned an average annual wage of $28,414 and paid an average annual tax of $4,262.