Minnesota makes cuts to employment services for people with disabilities

Emily Vuong went from almost weekly in-person meet-ups with an employment specialist to sporadic virtual meetings and slower replies to her emails.

The 19-year-old, who has autism and selective mutism, participates in Minnesota’s Vocational Rehabilitation program that provides employment services for people with disabilities. She said recent state changes to the service mean she is no longer getting the same level of support or responsiveness.

“I really want to work,” she said. “And I don’t know when that is going to happen.”

Nearly 14,000 Minnesotans with disabilities, such as autism, serious mental illness, traumatic brain injuries and intellectual disabilities, received services last year through the programs that help people find jobs and get the training and accommodations they need to participate and advance in the workforce.

But as demand for the services is growing, Minnesota is cutting back.

The Department of Employment and Economic Development is looking at voluntary layoffs and early retirement incentives for employees who provide Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) while having staff take on more work in-house instead of using outside providers.

People who work in the field say clients aren’t getting the same quality of services they previously did as fewer people are taking on higher caseloads. They expect many people seeking help will end up on waitlists.

“We’re going to see some people going backwards,” said Laura Johnson, executive director of Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center, which provides contract services through the program and has seen the number of clients referred to them plummet.