Our Special Village

Resource Library/Vocational Rehab

Vocational Rehab: free help toward a real job

Tennessee’s Vocational Rehabilitation program helps people with disabilities — including autistic teens and adults — train for, find, and keep work. It costs your family nothing, and for students it can start at 14.

●Last reviewed August 2026 · program details change — confirm on the official pages

What VR actually does

Vocational Rehabilitation (run by the TN Department of Human Services) pairs your teen or adult with a VR counselor who builds an individualized plan for employment. Depending on the plan, VR can fund or provide job-skills training, career counseling, assistive technology, workplace supports, job coaching, and help actually landing the position. The goal is real, paid work in the community — not busywork.

For students: Pre-ETS starts years before graduation

Pre-Employment Transition Services are for students roughly 14–22 who are still in school and have an IEP, 504 plan, or documented disability. Job exploration, work-based learning (real worksites!), workplace-readiness and self-advocacy training — all free. Ask your child’s school transition team to connect you, or call VR directly. The earlier this starts, the more natural work feels by graduation.

How to apply

  1. Call and schedule an intake appointment

    Call 833-751-0597 to schedule intake (the statewide main line is 833-772-8347). Middle Tennessee is served by Region 5, with community rehabilitation centers in Murfreesboro, Franklin, Gallatin, and Clarksville.

  2. Bring documentation of the disability

    Diagnosis paperwork, IEP or 504 plan, evaluations — the same folder you’ve been keeping since step one does the job.

  3. Complete the application and get an eligibility decision

    Then work with the counselor on the employment plan. Be specific about interests and support needs — the plan is only as good as what it knows.

  4. If the process stalls, you have a free advocate

    Disability Rights Tennessee runs the Client Assistance Program — independent, free help for families navigating VR disagreements or delays: 800-342-1660.

Parent-to-parent tips

  • VR is an adult-world system: it moves at the speed of follow-up calls. Put a recurring reminder on your phone and be politely persistent.
  • Pair it with ECF CHOICES. VR handles getting the job; TennCare’s ECF CHOICES can fund ongoing supports to keep it. The Teens & Independent Living guide covers how they fit together.
  • Let your teen do the talking where possible — VR counselors respond to the applicant’s own voice, and self-advocacy is itself a Pre-ETS goal.

The official links

TN Vocational Rehabilitation

The program’s official home: what VR provides and who qualifies.

833-772-8347

Pre-ETS for students

The five Pre-ETS service areas for students 14–22 with an IEP, 504, or documented disability.

via 833-772-8347

Applying for VR services

The official step-by-step, including the intake number and the Client Assistance Program safety net.

Intake: 833-751-0597 · CAP: 800-342-1660

VR office locator

Find your regional office — Middle Tennessee counties are Region 5, including the Murfreesboro center.

Celebrating a first paycheck?

So are we. Bring the story to a Wednesday meeting — first-job wins are this group’s favorite kind of news. Come find us.