Washington, D.C. – Today, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King announced that the Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) will receive $7,632,256 over a five-year period through the U.S. Department of Education’s Disability Innovation Fund (DIF). The funding will support a project aimed at improving the successful transition to adulthood for children and youth with disabilities in Maine by enhancing access to coordinated transition services.

Despite recent progress, many students with disabilities in Maine graduate from high school each year without ever researching potential future careers, gaining paid work experience, applying for Vocational Rehabilitation, or being aware of Independent Living services.

“It is critical we work to ensure all Maine students have access to the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions at important crossroads in their development,” said Senators Collins and King. “This investment will transform the lives of children and youth with disabilities in Maine and contribute to building a more inclusive and prosperous future for our state. Every single individual deserves the opportunity to thrive and play a part in the success of their community.”

Maine DVR's proposed project will leverage the resources of the Maine DVR, the Maine Department of Education, and Alpha One – Maine’s Center for Independent Living, in partnership with three Local Educational Agencies as pilot sites.

Specifically, this project, the “Pathways to Partnerships Model Demonstration,” will focus on achieving five primary objectives:

1. Launching a web-based sustainable hub for cross-agency transition information, training, and learning opportunities.

2. Developing accessible on-demand curricula on various transition topics for children, parents, educators, and service providers.

3. Enrolling participants in virtual services, including career exploration, peer mentoring, and independent living skill building.

4. Increasing stakeholder knowledge of work incentives and benefits counseling for individuals receiving Social Security benefits.

5. Promoting the use of work-based learning, internships, pre-apprenticeship, and Registered Apprenticeship for children aged 10-13 and youth aged 14-24, as well as educators, families, service providers, and other stakeholders.

Maine DVR expects to increase enrollment and access to Pre-Employment Transitional Services (Pre-ETS), enhance career readiness, and employability skills for 300-500 children aged 10-13, and improve the employment rate and quarterly earnings of 300-500 transition-age youth eligible for Pre-ETS or Vocational Rehabilitation services.

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