Missouri Department Of Elementary And Secondary Education

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Vocational Rehabilitation/Disability Determinations Division, doing business as Vocational Rehabilitation, is a state government entity registered in SAM.gov since October 2009 and headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri. The division operates as a child entity within the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and serves as the designated state vocational rehabilitation agency responsible for administering federal grants that support comprehensive employment and independent living services for individuals with disabilities throughout Missouri. Through its federal grant portfolio, the division provides critical services aimed at helping individuals with disabilities achieve economic self-sufficiency, competitive integrated employment, and full community participation.

The division has received substantial federal grant funding from two primary agencies: the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Administration on Disabilities (AOD). The core services delivered through these grants include State Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR), which represent the largest funding stream with awards exceeding $26 million in FY2026 under CFDA 84.126, providing vocational assessments, career counseling, job training, placement assistance, workplace accommodations, and assistive technologies to individuals with disabilities. The division also administers State Supported Employment Services (CFDA 84.187) with multiple formula grants totaling over $135,000 annually, designed specifically to help individuals with the most significant disabilities obtain and maintain competitive integrated employment through collaborative partnerships with public and private nonprofit organizations. Additionally, the division receives Independent Living Services Grants (CFDA 93.369) totaling over $116,000 in FY2026 from the Administration on Disabilities, which support comprehensive independent living services that promote full integration and inclusion of individuals with significant disabilities into mainstream society. These formula grants have been awarded consistently on an annual basis since at least 2021, demonstrating the division's established role as a reliable steward of federal disability services funding, with service delivery occurring through direct state operations and coordinated partnerships with local and nonprofit service providers throughout Missouri.