Employment

There is not just one pathway to getting a job. Work with your IEP team and ask what services you can access through the Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) and Vocational Rehabilitation (Voc. Rehab or VR). Explore your own interests and needs. You may not want or need to access every service, but you will want to know the options so if the opportunity is available, you can access them. Here are additional resources and examples to guide you. Most people have to try several things before they find the right fit. You may have to move from path to path at times to fulfill your work goals and dreams. Once you have identified a job you would like to try, ask yourself if you have the right skills for it. If not, how can you learn those skills?

Connect with your local Vocational Rehabilitation Office (VR) or the Division of Services for People with Disabilities DSPD). Pre-ETS or Pre-Employment Training Services is just one of their services.

VR or Voc Rehab: This agency has counselors for every high school and charter school in the state, and can help connect you to pre-employment services, self-advocacy groups, job opportunities, job coaches, and other supports you need to get started. This introductory video and the following flowchart will guide you through the process.

VR Process Flowchart

What is Competitive Integrated Employment? In simple terms: real work for real pay.

Voc Rehab Job Coach

Pre-Employment Services (Pre-ETS)

Pre-Employment Services (Pre-ETS) Handout
Customized Employment
DSPD or the Division of Services for People with Disabilities.
DSPD Supported Employment

Talk to friends, family, teachers, and your support team. Often times you can find opportunities within your network once people know you are looking. Look for volunteer and internship opportunities around you. Before you are ready to find a paid job, it can be helpful to get experience by volunteering or finding a mentor who can give you an internship. This can give you a chance to work on soft skills, and find out more about the type of work you are most interested in doing long term. In addition, many times volunteer positions turn into paying jobs.

Refer to the RED section of the UPC’s Choices book to understand how employment and public benefits like SSI are connected. ABLE accounts and utilizing services like UWIPS can help you navigate employment while still receiving public benefits like SSI and Medicaid.
Choices Book

Employment-related Personal Assistant Services (EPAS) is available to those who work and need personal assistance in order to remain employed. For more information and to review the eligibility criteria, visit the EPAS site

UPC Employment Resources
Governor’s Committee on Employment for People with Disabilities (GCEPD)
Soft Skills for keeping and getting a job
Utah State Board of Education Toolkit for Coordinating Employment Services
Institute for Disability Research, Policy, and Practice at Utah State University – How to work with your team of service providers to reach employment goals
DSPD Employment Pathway tool
Independent Living Centers
Assistive Technology
Advantages to Hiring Individuals with Disabilities
Building a Resume
Career Exploration
Disclosure on the Job
Additional Soft Skills information
How Can I Help My Youth Get a Job?
How Can Families build Soft Skills at Home
Resources Related to Employment