Vocational Resources Inc

What is VRI?  Vocational Resources, Inc. (VRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that has been providing individualized employment assistance to persons having disabilities and other barriers to vocational success for 15 years.

VRI is accredited by CARF. What does that mean?CARF accreditation ensures that an organization meets internationally accepted standards that emphasize an integrated and individualized approach to services and outcomes. CARF-accredited programs undergo regular independent, external reviews to identify strengths and areas for improvement based on objective expectations and guidelines.

Where will my donation go?  Contributions to our agency are promptly put to work to fund our programs and services that make a genuine difference in the lives of deserving individuals who want nothing more than to go to work and earn a living just like everyone else.

Is VRI successful?  Many of the hundreds of persons we’ve served still hold the jobs we helped them obtain. Our work gives individuals with disabilities the opportunity to make a contribution and hold meaningful employment. We provide consumers with the means to achieve independence, self-advocacy, and self-sufficiency. We also help employers make the accommodations necessary to hire individuals with disabilities.

Tell me about one person served by VRI. We have hundreds of success stories. Here's one: Joey (not his real name) had Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. He came to VRI at age 21. He had dropped out of high school because the other students made fun of him. Why? Because people who have Asperger's syndrome sometimes behave a little differently from most folks, or may seem aloof when they are around other people. Also, another manifestation of his disability was that he constantly pulled at his hair, and after a while, he was completely bald. Wearing a wig didn't prevent the bullying he was subjected to on a daily basis, so finally, his folks permitted him to quit school. He did okay helping his dad on the family farm, but he wished he could get a "regular" job. A VRI Employment Specialist met with Joey and his father, and asked lots and lots of questions--about Joey's hobbies, daily activities, special skills, and, most important, his likes and dislikes. Then VRI set out to develop a good job match for Joey. Three months later, Joey started to work--in a "regular" job at a grocery store in his own community. Today, Joey is still doing great at his job, and he has received a promotion and a raise. He has passed all but one of the sections of the GED test. In addition, his social skills have improved greatly. Today, the sky's the limit for Joey--he's thinking about things he never thought he'd do--going to college, getting a better job, even dating. This is not to say that VRI is completely responsible for Joey's successes--but the job VRI developed for Joey was the catalyst that made the other successes possible.

Contributions from the community are a vital part of VRI's financial well-being. Your support will let VRI continue to participate in creating success stories for Alabamians who just want a regular job like everyone else. 

Could you give me more details about the work VRI does?  VRI’s individualized approach to employment assistance, drawn from the field of rehabilitation, includes preparation of an individualized vocational profile, job development, job coaching, and job retention/follow-up, and has resulted in a high success rate at “matching” our consumers with jobs they want to keep. In particular, our job coaching service, which places a coach on the job with the individual during the initial employment period, improves the ability of the persons we serve to learn and feel comfortable in a job and it relieves employers of the burden of providing extra training for individuals with disabilities. Both the individualized process and eventual employment have a positive effect on the mental attitudes of our consumers, bringing improved economic well-being, a more positive self-image, and greater self-sufficiency.

Keywords: work, jobs, disability, disabilities, employment, disadvantaged, vocational, accredited, supported, training, advocacy, rural. well-being, occupation, coaching, rehabilitation, Fayette, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston, Jasper, Hamilton, Vernon, Birmingham, Sulligent, Haleyville, Hackleburg, Guin, Winfield