Students eligible for the service will:

• have a diagnosed disability or IEP (Individual Education Plan) 

• be at least 14 years old and enrolled in secondary school 

• be within 4 to 5 years from graduation

• be able to care for their personal needs

• be a student for good standing 

• express and interest/intent to actively participate in the service activities

• have parental/guardian consent to participate in activities

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIAO) expanded educational opportunities for students with disabilities by creating a program called Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). The goal is to prepare high school students who are 14 to 21 years of age for meaningful careers by addressing at least five (5) core areas. Those areas are 1) Job Exploration Counseling, 2) Work-Based Learning Experiences, 3) Counseling for Post-Secondary Education, 4) Workplace Readiness Training, and 5) Instruction in Self-Advocacy. 

MARVA’s Pre-ETS Services focus on students with disabilities 14-21 years old who are in need of additional learning opportunities to explore and expand their interests, skills, and resources in planning for their life after graduation. The goal of our program is to instill a sense of excitement and possibility within a group of individuals that often have experienced social isolation and lowered self-expectations. Individuals will be guided through a specialized learning process to explore and experience their interests, abilities, preferences, and the options available to them in the community. The curriculum allows for individualized discovery and goal setting with an emphasis on community integration that implements the student’s informed choice as the driving force.

Adults eligible for these services will:

• have a diagnosed disability

• be at least 18 years old

• be able to care for their personal needs

• be an individual of good standing 

• express and interest/intent to actively participate in the service activities

• have parental/guardian consent, if needed or legally required

Arkansas Dept. of Health defines Employment First as “raising the expectation that all working age Arkansans with disabilities can work, want to work, and can achieve competitive integrated employment; and each person will be offered the opportunity to work and earn a competitive wage before being offered other supports and services.”

Arkansas' path to Employment First began October 21, 2010, when the Employment First Executive Order (EO 10-17) was issued directing state agencies to coordinate efforts to increase employment of Arkansans’ with disabilities. The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) was charged to create a task force, which included representation and input from agencies administering disability services, vocational rehabilitation services, workforce services, education, as well as consumer advocates and disability service providers.

In 2014, Arkansas was selected by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) as a core state in their Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program. With ODEP’s assistance, the Arkansas Employment First Core Team was formed to guide state agencies in their planning, decision making, implementation, and evaluation of services supporting Arkansans with disabilities to make employment the first and preferred option. (Arkansas Rehabilitation Services)

In agreement with The Arkansas Employment First Initiative, MARVA Transition Options shares the values of people with disabilities, including people who have complex and significant disabilities, who:

• Want to work

• Can be competitively employed or self-employed, earning at least the minimum wage and benefits.

• Should be fully integrated physically, functionally and socially within the workplace.

MARVA’s E-1st Services focus on adults with disabilities who are in need of additional learning opportunities to explore and expand their interests, skills, and resources in planning for their career. The individual will be guided through a specialized learning process to explore and experience his or her interests, abilities, preferences, and the options available in the community. Like Pre-ETS, the program also allows for individualized discovery and goal setting with an emphasis on community integration that implements an informed career choice for adults with disabilities as the driving force.

Adults eligible for these services will:

• have a diagnosed disability

• be at least 18 years old

• be able to care for their personal needs

• be an individual of good standing 

• express and interest/intent to actively participate in the service activities

• have parental/guardian consent, if needed or legally required

MARVA’s Job Placement Services focus on adults with disabilities who are in need of assistance with searching and obtaining job opportunities. This includes completing job applications and job applications assessments as well as drafting a resume and preparing for the interview. After a job offer is accepted, Job Placement services also provides the client with a minimum number of hours for job coaching to assist with onboarding and learning the essential functions of the job.