Finding a job is an important step toward greater independence. Whether someone’s career goals include going to college, training, or employment preparation, a job can open the doors to living independently in your community.
The Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) and regional centers offer supports for youth and adults as they prepare for work.
These supports focus on “competitive integrated employment,” also known as CIE. This is when a person works alongside people with and without disabilities and earns the same pay as everyone else doing the same work.
Understanding how to navigate supports can be confusing, especially when different agencies are involved. To make things easier, the Department, DOR and the California Department of Education (CDE) created the Competitive Integrated Employment Roadmap. The roadmap shows how schools, regional centers and DOR work together to support people who want to work.
Professionals working with high school students and young adults receiving regional center services can use this roadmap as a guide. It shows them how to connect people with supports as they move from school to work, college, or adult life.
The roadmap identifies:
- When students and adults can be connected to their school or local
DOR office for services that prepare them for work.
- How to find services and move from one agency to another.
- What a person needs to qualify for employment services at each agency.
- Other ways students can gain skills and experience before starting a job.
The roadmap gives schools, regional centers, and DOR counselors a clearer way to work together.