Illinois Dept of Rehabilitation Vocational Services Program (DRS)

Walking Through the Process

Step 1- Open DRS Cases & Eligibility

DRS services are designed to be a temporary support to help individuals gain skills, connect with job opportunities, and secure employment, including self-employment.  Therefore, these services are provided until the individual achieves their desired employment goal, then the services ends.  Service length can range from 90 days up to 2-4 years for individuals between 14-24 years old with significant disabilities.  The service can be re-activated if there is a new or different need, however since there is no on-going support where caseworkers are tracking an individual’s employment success or status, the individual must initiate contact with DRS to re-activate their account to begin receiving services again.  

For an individual to be approved for DRS services they must meet the eligibility criteria found HERE with additional information found HERE.   If the individual receives SSI Social Security benefits, then they are presumed to be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services (or DRS services) via the Social Security Administration disability determination, unless their needs are lower on the ‘Order of Selection’ or ‘closed’ for services at that time.  

DRS may refer to the individual and the services they provide as their ‘case,’ ‘client,’ ‘customer,’ or ‘account.’   These terms all mean the same thing.   Also, DRS services and vocational rehabilitation program, or VR services, are used interchangeably.  DRS is also referred to as DORS and may be spoken phonetically, sounding like the word ‘doors.’ 

An individual or family member/loved one can refer an individual for DRS services, however high school students or individuals receiving transition services through a secondary transitional experience program at a local public Illinois school, then they may already have an open DRS case.  This case may be called a ‘STEP case’ as the funding the school receives to support the student in learning job skills is called a STEP grant.   A family member/loved one would need to have provided the local or school’s DRS Coordinator or DRS Counselor with the individual’s Social Security Number and likely signed some paperwork to be initially enrolled in DRS.   This process would not have been completed without student or family knowledge, however there is no need for a family to ‘renew’ the DRS status while the student is in school, so if the student was enrolled their junior year of high school, their DRS STEP case may still be open if they are still receiving transition services at 21 years old.  

Schools may use the DRS STEP grant funds to offer vocational training and work-based learning experiences for students, either in school or community based.  Information about other DRS STEP programs and services can be found HERE. 

For students who are in their last year of school, either high school or transition, and have an open DRS case, their case will be transferred to a Community Rehabilitation Program, or CRP.   More information about the transfer of the open case from one program to the other can be found HERE.  

For individuals who have since graduated or exited from special education services, they may have had an open DRS case while they were in school and, due to inactivity since graduating or exiting, the case may be a currently closed. 

DRS services also include tuition assistance at Illinois Community Colleges.  Specific criteria for eligible people can be found HERE.   An individual would likely need to choose between receiving DRS vocational rehabilitation or DRS tuition assistance funding.  

Step 2- Refer & Respond

Anyone can complete an online referral for DRS Services.  Completing the referral will take about 1-2 minutes.  The first question is a checkbox and for individuals seeking DRS Services, check the 1st box (I would like help getting or keeping a job.)

The following information is needed to complete the referral:

• Full name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Social Security Number
• Phone number
• Email address (as a copy of the submitted information will be sent as a confirmation to this email)
• Language preference 

The online referral can be completed to open a new case or to reactivate a previous DRS or DRS STEP case that was closed due to inactivity (i.e. student completes high school graduation requirements and plans to pursue college).  

There are NO asset limits for individuals completing a referral.  Therefore, the individual does not have to wait until a specific age or move money into special accounts to be considered financially eligible.  

If someone other than the individual is completing the online referral, like an educator, then they would complete the Referral Source which includes sharing name, phone, and email.  

Submit the security code as seen on the website and click Submit.  

Both the person referring and the individual’s email address that’s provided in the referral will receive an emailed receipt of the submission.  Search ‘DHS.DRS’ in email to retrieve the receipt.  

After submitting, the referral will be given to a local DRS caseworker.   The caseworker will reach out to the individual using the phone number and email provided in the referral.   The caseworker has around 30 days to reach out to the individual after the referral was made, however this may take longer as the department is notoriously understaffed.   While the time between submitting a referral and contact from a DRS caseworker may feel long, once the individual is contacted, they must respond ASAP!  

A DRS caseworker must make 3 attempts to contact the individual/primary caregiver to begin the process after a referral is made.   A DRS caseworker will reach out by phone and email.  So, if checking voicemails or emails is not part of the individual’s or caregiver’s typical routine consider creating a daily alarm to check both around 30 days after submitting the online referral.  If the caseworker does not reach the individual after 3 attempts, they will close the case, meaning the individual will not be interviewed to be considered for funding.  A DRS caseworker can reach out via phone and email (2 attempts) in 1 day.  Therefore, not responding within 1 day could result in a case being closed.  This is why it is so important to respond to both emails and calls and reply ASAP! 

If calls or emails were missed and not returned before the case closes, another referral can be completed, and the process will start again.  There is no required wait time between submitting referrals. 

When the DRS caseworker connects, they will verify the information on the referral and ask a few basic questions about the individual.   The DRS caseworker will request that the individual/primary caregiver gather some paperwork and documentation to prove their disability.  Paperwork may include recent medical records, evaluations from doctors, a recent IEP (if the individual is still in school), among other tests and scores documentation.   Then, they will set-up a time to complete a trial work experience and assessment. 

The trial work experience is to observe the individual’s current skills and capabilities in work settings.  The DRS case worker will use the trial work experiences and additional paperwork and documentation to determine whether the individual will benefit from DRS services or not.  

If the individual is considered eligible, they will receive a Certification of Eligibility and if they are considered not eligible, they will receive a Certification of Ineligibility.  

If eligible, the DRS caseworker will complete an assessment of the individual.  The goal of the assessment is to paint a complete picture of the individual’s interests, skills, capabilities, and employment needs and interests so that an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) can be developed.  The IPE is the plan that indicates what services will be provided to help the individual achieve their employment goals.   Therefore, the assessment is an important part of the process of accessing DRS services because it informs the need for future services.  An assessment may include input from family.  

The IPE should be shared with the individual within 10 business days of the local DRS office accepting the case and should be updated yearly, if support extends beyond the one-year mark. 

Given the steps between applying for DRS services and receiving services it would be the best use of an individual’s time to complete an application for services as soon as they are interested in pursuing employment.  If an application is completed after an individual has accepted employment, expect for there to be a lapse in time between the first day of work and the implementation of DRS services.  

During this contact (phone or email) or any future communications, if the DRS caseworker refers the individual to the Center for Independent Living or another community rehabilitation program, then the individual may not be considered eligible for DRS services.  

Step 3- Types of Services Provided

The goal of DRS is to provide services to support the individual in achieving community integrated employment.  To achieve community integrated employment, an individual may receive supported employment services.  

A general overview of supported employment can be found HERE and additional details about supported employment can be found HERE.   More specifics regarding Supported Employment can also be found HERE. 

According to the Community Rehabilitation Manual FY2023, the types of Competitive Employment Services for Community Based Employment include (Source, 2024):

1. Assessment- Assists the individual through observation of job readiness, transferable skills, social and personal characteristics, vocational interests, employment preferences, and retention and coping skills to develop a job match profile.
2. Job Coaching - Support provided to an individual to maintain competitive, integrated employment. This may be one-on-one training, observations, or by other methods deemed necessary to achieve satisfactory work output or to maintain or retain employment.
3. Job Development and Placement - Uses job match techniques and assists the individual in identifying specific jobs that are available and accessible in the community. Job readiness, job seeking, and retention skills training can be used to develop necessary skills to enable the individual to secure the job and to develop an understanding of how to keep the job.
4. Job Stability - Provided to the customer if he or she needs training, monitoring, or job coaching for specific tasks associated with the job. Services may also involve working with the employer, co-workers, and family members to enhance the individual's job stability. These services are expected to decrease in frequency and eventually be discontinued as the individual's performance on the job is stabilized.
5. Job Training - Trainees become acquainted with the daily routine of work and develop specific vocational skills, including the use of basic occupational tools and equipment. Training is provided for the purpose of employment in a specific occupation.
6. Career Development Services (CD) - Supports an individual in developing a clear vision regarding the individual's preferred employment outcome, establishes the steps needed to achieve this outcome, and supports the individual in directly connecting with appropriate identified community-based employment opportunities. 

The services deemed most appropriate for achieving the individual’s desired employment outcomes will be outlined in the IPE. 

The services listed in the IPE are to be provided by the DRS caseworker and/or local DRS office.  Therefore, an individual would not need to find their own job coach, but rather the DRS office would hire and pay someone specifically for that role.

Also, many of these services will likely be provided by DRS staff remotely.  For those services which DRS has connections with and provides funding to other organizations, they may refer or connect the individual to other local agencies to receive specific supports.  

DRS may provide support in accessing other services, such as assistive technology, needed for employment, if deemed necessary in the individual’s IPE.  A full list of services can be found HERE. 

An individual will need to maintain a high level of communication with their DRS caseworker to ensure coordination of services. 

While the IPE is in place, taking the time to confirm that the services outlined in the plan are being provided will be time well spent.  If a part of the IPE is not being provided, advocate directly to the DRS caseworker.  Managers at the job site can also report concerns or need for additional training or support to DRS caseworkers.  

DRS caseworkers must complete periodic reports and conduct staffings with the individual, sharing progress towards the employment goals outlined in the IPE.  More information about staffings can be found HERE.

Step 4- Follow-Up

If the individual was found ineligible and you believe they meet the eligibility requirements, an appeal can be filed with DRS.   Additional support is available through Client Assistance Program (CAP) through Equip for Equality.  

Once the individual has reached their IPE outcomes then DRS services will end, and their account will be closed.  A successful outcome is defined HERE.   As mentioned in Step 1, closed accounts can be reactivated by completing a new online referral or calling the local office for assistance.  A change in job responsibilities at the same place of work may be enough to reinstate DRS services.  For example, if an individual was working as a greeter and scanning member cards at a fitness center and then moves into setting up group class equipment, these job responsibilities are very different, and the individual may want to re-open their DRS account to receive more on-the-job support.  

Once employment has been secured, if the individual receives SSI payments, then reaching out to a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance, or WIPA, agent for guidance on how employment impacts SSI benefits will help the individual understand the adjustments made to their SSI payments.  A WIPA agent can also assist the individual in understanding how to access other incentives to maximize their SSI payments while employed.  The closest office with a WIPA agent can be found HERE. 

As mentioned in the SSI benefit guide, it will always be to the individual’s advantage to work and receive SSI because they would need to earn more than double their SSI payment value in income to completely cancel their SSI payment. 

Also, if the individual’s employment situation or interest in becoming employed changes for any reason, a new DRS referral can be made at anytime and the process will begin again.