An Investigation of the Collaborations Between Educators and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors in Providing Pre-Employment Transition Services

Employment has historically provided a person with value and the ability to live a self-determined and independent life. Interagency collaborations have been found to play a key role in promoting employment for those with special needs. However, there is little research on identifying the needs of the field for collaborations between vocational rehabilitation and educational agencies. We conducted a series of eight focus groups in a large state in the United States and identified needs from educators and vocational rehabilitation counselors. Participants regularly noted that they needed increased collaboration and a need for additional training and education for all stakeholders. They also identified many barriers to this increased collaboration and training, including access to the community that they served, limitations on time for training, collaboration, and access, challenges in communication, including language limitations and trust, and limitations around the support that they received. On the other hand, they often felt supported by their administration, and, when collaboration was possible, their co-workers and external providers served as great resources.