Employment Service & Special Programs (ESSP)

Behind every successful agency, there is a dedicated team of specialists providing essential support. Welcome to the Division of Rehabilitative Services' Employment Services & Special Programs (ESSP). Lead by Director Donna Bonessi, this dynamic team is composed of experts who are the backbone of our operations, ensuring seamless service and exceptional results.

The Team partners with community rehabilitation providers to deliver employment and vocational services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. We provide long-term support fund management; standards oversight of Employment Service Organizations (ESOs); and coordination, training, and technical support of special programs such as, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Autism Services & Customized Employment, Transition & Pre-Employment, Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders, Behavioral Health Services, Individual Placement & Support (IPS) Services, and Older Worker Programs.

In addition to our own activities, theProvider Directory offers a search capability for organizations across the state.




Meet the Team

Supported Employment Services

Who: Anita Mundy, Supported Employment Services Manager, Carrie Worrell & Dionca Coleman – Administrative Support Staff.

What: The Supported Employment and Long-Term Follow Along team ensures that Long Term Employment Support Services (LTESS) and Extended Employment Services (EES) state funds are utilized appropriately by monitoring usage by 75+ Employment Services Organizations. The team ensures compliance with all state and federal regulations. Training, technical assistance, problem solving, and interpretations of guidelines to both DRS/DBVI counselors and ESOs is provided. Conducting jobsite visits to determine if jobsites meet WIOA’s definition of competitive integrated employment (CIE) occur on as requested basis. Expansion and onboarding of ESOs. Additionally, they maintain all ESO Provider Agreements, ensuring all ESOs maintain CARF accreditation and are up to date with all documents, service codes, and approved service areas.


Transition and Pre-Employment Transition Services

Who: Matt Luther - Transition and Education Services Manager, Stephanie Carter – Statewide Transition Specialist for Capacity Development, Patti Hodge - Statewide Transition Specialist for Staff Development, & Traci Branch Statewide Transition Specialist, Deaf & Hard of Hearing (DHH) Services

What: The Transition Team assists the field by providing training, technical assistance, support, coordination, and capacity development to enable the local field offices to provide transition services for students with disabilities. The Transition Team is available to help offices individually or as a group with identifying support needs, problem solving and assisting with the arranging and provision of Pre-ETS and the continuum of transition services.


Behavioral Health Services

Who: Margie Millner, Behavioral Health Services Coordinator, and Teri Nunley, Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Specialist & Trainer.

What: The DARS/ESSP Behavioral Health Services team consist of two key staff to include the Statewide Behavioral Health Services Coordinator/Margie Millner and the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Specialist & Trainer/Teri Nunley. The function of the Behavioral Health Services division is multifaceted, aiming to consult on all matters affected by DARS for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. A primary focus is placed on achieving outcomes, while promoting the effectiveness and efficiency for the behavioral health population in the provision of vocational rehabilitation services.

To achieve the statewide goals above, DARS/ESSP Behavioral Health Services embraces the following tasks in addressing the targeted needs of persons with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders:

  • Serves as statewide consultant.
  • Monitors and evaluates provision of behavioral health services.
  • Promotes staff development and training.
  • Provides comprehensive supports to develop and implement IPS programs statewide - to include training, ongoing consultation, and fidelity reviews.
  • Reviews and provides updated guidance on VR policies.
  • Identifies services strengths, weaknesses, needs and goals.
  • Promotes, enhances, and expands new service development.
  • Strengthens/expands community partners and joint efforts.
  • Serves as liaison to community partners and workgroups such as DBHDS, CSBs, NAMI, VOCAL, VADOC
  • Oversees the DBHDS agreement for DARS SUD/SMI services.

Senior Community Service Employment Program

Who: Megan Grey, Older Worker Programs Manager.

What: The SCSEP, or Title V helps low-income, unemployed older adults find employment by providing paid training and supportive services. While having a disability is not an eligibility factor, those with disabilities have priority of service. Serving older adults requires a collaborative approach, as lower-income adults tend to have complex barriers to employment. These can include lack of secure housing, lack of consistent, reliable transportation, physical or mental disabilities, and food insecurity. The 55 and older sector of the work force will be expanding rapidly in the next ten years, and increased prices on essentials like food and housing are bringing more older adults into the workforce. The Older Worker programs at DARS support the VR programs by providing assistance and connections to programs designed with older adults in mind, and employment services at DARS can incorporate the needs of older adults into employer outreach.


Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services

Who: Traci Branch, Statewide Program Coordinator, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHH)

What: The DHH services program consists of the Program Coordinator, Regional Counselors for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (RCDs), Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Unit, and the Clinical Audiologist housed at Wilson Workforce and Rehabilitation Center (WWRC). The DHH Program is multilayered in supporting individuals with deafness where the Program Coordinator has programmatic overview and serves as a consultant in deafness, communication, accommodation needs and resources.

In pursuit of its statewide objective, the DHH Services Program is committed to the following key activities:

  • Serves as a statewide consultant on all matters related to deafness, pre-employment & transition services and vocational rehabilitation.
  • Monitors and evaluates the quality and delivery of DHH services.
  • Coordinates all aspects of interpreting and captioning services to ensure full communication access for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing.
  • Promotes professional staff development through training and resource sharing.
  • Provides comprehensive support to establish and sustain awareness and services statewide, including ongoing training development and consultation.
  • Reviews and updates vocational rehabilitation policies to ensure alignment with best practices and community needs.
  • Identifies strengths, weaknesses, service gaps, and strategic goals.
  • Promotes and develops new services and initiatives to meet emerging needs.
  • Builds and strengthens partnerships through joint efforts and collaboration by representing DARS on various workgroups, boards, and councils. 
  • Serves as the DARS liaison for Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB) and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD).

Autism Services and Customized Employment

Who: Richard Kriner, Autism Services and Customized Employment Program Coordinator.

What: Provide technical assistance, consultation, and real time support on any questions or assistance needed to support VRCs work with Pre-ETS and VR clients with autism. In this role through technical assistance, consultation, and resource sharing support is given to FRS team members, their clients, VR vendors and other team members with identifying and implementing effective strategies, supports, and VR services to maximize meaningful participation, and vocational achievement for all clients with a specific emphasis on the unique needs of our clients with autism spectrum disorders. In addition, support to the field on customized employment services, along with other wrap around services and supports (Ex. TBS, CSS, PEERS Social Skills Group for Autism, etc.…) assisting with a range of training, consultation, teaming, and service/capacity development needs/request.


Real Pay for Real Jobs EPIC Model Project

Who: John Stewart, RPRJ EPIC Model Project Manager, Ingrid Gagnon, RPRJ EPIC Model District Coordinator- Southwest District, Donna Grumiaux, RPRJ EPIC Model District Coordinator- Capitol District, and Carla Berry, RPRJ EPIC Administrative Support Specialist

What: The RPRJ EPIC District Coordinators assist field staff to increase the accessibility of Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for VR participants in DARS’ Southwest and Capitol Districts. The RPRJ EPIC team supports field staff in providing access to Peer Mentoring, Family Navigation, Integrated Resource Teams, and Paid Work Experience. The team additionally works to build partnerships between agencies to provide wrap around services to participants and to build capacity for Supported Employment and Customized Employment services to support individuals.


Recent Updates, Vendor Agreements and Resources

Resources


Questions for ESSP Staff?

For questions regarding support services, please contact:

Carrie Worrell
Administrative Assistant
Carrie.Worrell@dars.virginia.gov
Main Office: (804) 662-7129
Toll Free Voice: (800) 552-5019
Toll Free TTY: (800) 464-9950