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Brian Dennis, IWD’s Bureau Chief for Disability Services and an adjunct instructor at Drake University’s counseling master’s degree program, was named Interim Administrator of Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS).

IVRS is slated to become a division within IWD as part of a statewide government reorganization that takes effect July 1.

Effective July 1, 2023, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services will no longer be part of the Iowa Department of Education and instead will become a division inside Iowa Workforce Development. This change is being made as part of a broader state government realignment to bring together entities that work with similar subject matter – in this case, helping Iowans find jobs. 

At the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) 2023 Legislative Reception, three IVRS counselors who are deaf were guests to share the ways they help to better serve the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHOH) community in Iowa with legis

The Iowa Self-Employment (ISE) Program, operated by Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), is pleased to announce the addition of Yvette Clausen as a Business Development Specialist to the Self-Employment team. She will work with job candidates in the Des Moines, Ames, Ottumwa, Council Bluffs, Sioux City and Central Iowa area. She joins Kochell Weber-Ricklefs who has been a Business Development Specialist with the ISE Program since 2008. Kochell works with job candidates in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Davenport, Iowa City, Burlington and Mason City.

153 online applications and 15% of people referred apply online with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services. IVRS recently launched online applications in the fall of 2022. This service is something new, getting much positive feedback from staff and applicants.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month was celebrated by IVRS and our many offices all over the state, with events happening all throughout October.

Juvenile Re-entry Systems Effort (JReS), is a program that works with students with disabilities that are in correctional facilities, helping them to safely reenter back into the community.

JReS was first started in 2021. This program has assigned facilities around the state, such as Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, where the youth are placed. These youth get help when they enter this facility and up to a year after being placed.

Mary Jackson, the Assistant Bureau Chief of Transition, is one of the front runners of the program, to better help the youth of Iowa.

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) staff have gone through special training and certification to better meet the needs of people with autism and recently received an Autism Friendly Designation from Autism Speaks. IVRS is the first state agency in the country to achieve this special designation. To qualify for the designation 199 employees, 86 percent of total staff in 13 area vocational rehabilitation offices across the state of Iowa completed the training.

Local Look at National Disability Employment Awareness Month

This article was originally distributed by the Lyon County Reporter and was written by Dominique Kooiker. You can reach Dominique at dkooiker@ncppub.com.

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Ellen Sokolowski, an Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services' (IVRS) Counselor, has been interviewed by the National Resume Writers' Association (NRWA).

Every month, the NRWA spotlights one or more of its members for their online newsletter. 

Ellen talks about her experience with assisting adults and students in rural areas in attaining employment.

Read NRWA Member Spotlight: Ellen Sokolowski