MAKING IT WORK
A helping hand is often all a person needs to get back on their feet.
The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services recognizes this reality and seeks to meet the needs of Mississippians with disabilities, physical or cognitive.
Through various programs and services, MDRS assists its clients to find and retain employment, as well as gain independence.
Jan Schaffer, communication director for MDRS, said the first step before entering any of their programs is to undergo disability determination services. It is through this service that individuals are assessed for their disability.
“We serve about 75,000 Mississippians through this program every year, and we have about a 96% national accuracy rate on those determinations,” Schaffer said.
Following disability determination services, MDRS has many programs, including the vocational rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation for the blind. A service used by many clients actively seeking employment is Ability Works.
This program has 15 facilities across the state, one of which is located at Starkville’s industrial park.
Marie Portera, facility manager at Starkville’s Ability Works, said this program is designed to service nearly everyone who has a disability.
“We serve clients with all sorts of disabilities from cognitive, physical and mental disabilities to those in the alcoholic or drug population,” Portera said. “We also serve high school students. We serve pretty much anyone who has a disability and wants to go to work.”
Ability Works functions as a training program for MDRS clients who are referred to them from a vocational rehabilitation counselor. Once the client is sent to Ability Works, they will be assigned work based on the individual’s skills or abilities.
The clients begin their work on site at the Ability Works production floor. This work comes from contracts established with local business or manufacturers and varies throughout the year. Portera said these clients will stay at Ability Works an average of six to nine months.
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