Vocational work services

Maisy

Member
Has anybody's adult child used Vocational therapy for jobs? My therapist recommended that our son check into that to find an appropriate fit for a job. My son has been out of work for a year and a half and we recently told him he needs to find a job by January because we are cutting back on his support. He does not live at home and though he has started medication, still struggles mightily with anxiety and depression. He worries that his employer will not understand his issues, so isn't actively looking for a job much to our frustration. So going to have to pull the plug. It is getting to the point where disability may be in his future but it won't pay for everything. I was so depressed today about him and my sister said that I am going to have to start living as if I never had kids.! My daughter lives out of state and she is doing great and I love being with her but she has her own life to live and my son is always depressed and upset about his life. I know that I want to stop worrying about my son and it is getting to the point where I just don't care because he never seems to take the initiative to help himself. My husband goes soft on him whereas I am ready for tough love.
 

Frieda

Member
My son has a VRS worker. My son is in 11th grade and she will do assessments with him, help with college applications and job placements. My son has a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, it might be that your son will need a medical diagnosis to qualify. A friend of mine had a sister who had a head injury in her late twenties and VRS did job trainings with her until she found employment. In the end your son will have to want to participate but as I was recently told by an Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) expert "a fulfilling job is better than Prozac" . Very true.I think it is definitely worth a try.
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
Maisy, Frieda gave you some good information which fits with my own experience. While benefits and services may differ from State to State, here they offer testing, counseling, coaching, training, job placement. They also offer stipends to employers for taking on an employee such as tax benefits, and possibly reimbursement of partials salary. For the past 8 years I have urged my son to go to Vocational Rehabilitation but he did not follow through.
 
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