Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS)

Pre-Employment Transition Services

Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) works to provide opportunities for Rehabilitation counselors and schools to develop partnerships in an effort to prepare high school students with disabilities the knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve a successful transition from high school to post-secondary life.

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Transition Counselor works with students, teachers, principals, and other appointed school staff, as well as families and community resources. Together they coordinate services and develop programs with the intent to improve and provide quality post-school outcomes through student engagement in Vocational Rehabilitation programs.

*ARS is seeking Pre-ETS vendors and WOLF/WIN! programming for school year 2024-2025 for the following counties: Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Sevier, and Union.   

Is your school interested in receiving Pre-ETS? Click Here for more information.

Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Counselors

  • Works with the student to discover their interest and life goals while discovering the student’s strengths.
  • Works with the student and local schools to coordinate, develop, and implement pre-employment transition services which include:

    • Job Exploration
    • Workplace Readiness training
    • Work-based learning experiences
    • Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in a comprehensive transition or postsecondary educational program at institutions of higher education
    • Instruction in self-advocacy
  • Works with the community to discover resources to support the student in their training and development needs.
  • Works with identifiable resources necessary to help the student make a successful transition from high school to adult life.

Maryanne Caldwell, M.S., CRC
Statewide Pre-ETS Manager
4058 N. College Ave. 
Fayetteville, AR 72703 
Cell: 501-515-9893
Office: 479-582-1286
[email protected]

Youth Leadership Forum

Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) is an innovative and intensive leadership program for high school students with disabilities throughout Arkansas. With the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), youth with disabilities have more opportunities to become contributing members and leaders in society. However, many challenges remain. YLF is designed to assist students with disabilities in developing leadership skills and using resources that can help them face such challenges and become full members of society.

Youth Leadership Forum 2025 is June 22-27 at Hendrix College in Conway.

Click here to apply. Application deadline is March 15, 2025.

For more information contact the Arkansas Rehabilitation Services Field Services Office at 501-296-1600.

Youth Leadership Forum Video

Opportunities for Work-Based Learning

The Work-Based Learning Opportunities Leading to Future Employment (WOLF), formerly OWL, and Working for Independence Now (WIN) programs offer students work-based learning opportunities in a collaborative effort between local school districts and Arkansas Rehabilitation Services to ensure students with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to gain work readiness training skills and work experiences prior to exiting the secondary setting.

View videos of the program produced by Joey Travolta’s Inclusion Films.

Arkansas Career Development Center (ACDC)

The Arkansas Career Development Center (ACDC) Student Access and Support Services (SASS) connects students with services that provide educational access, support services, workplace readiness, college orientation, advising, and academic support.

ACDC also provides a peer mentoring program and certificate opportunities such as OSHA, ServSafe, PGS, and CPR.

Please view more of the training ACDC has to offer.

Arkansas Workforce Connections

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

FROM THE ARKANSAS DIVISION OF WORKFORCE CONNECTIONS

No current notices. 

ADWS provides interpretation and translation services, at no cost, for clients who need assistance in accessing and participating in available services and programs. To request an interpreter or translator, please contact your nearest local office. 

ADWS ej lewaj jerbal in ukok ilo jeje im kennaan, ilo ejjelok wōnāān, ñan client ro am ak ro kimij jerbal ippair im rej aikuij jipañ ñan bok kunairilo jerbal ko iim pirokiraam ko. Ñan am kajjitōk juon ri-ukok, jouij im kepaake opij eo epaake ijo kwoj pād ie.

ADWS proporciona servicios de interpretación y traducción, sin costo alguno, para clientes que necesitan asistencia accediendo y participando en servicios y programas disponibles. Para solicitar un intérprete o traductor, por favor póngase en contacto con su oficina local más cercana.

ADWS cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch và phiên dịch miễn phí cho khách hàng cần trợ giúp trong việc tiếp cận và tham gia các dịch vụ và chương trình hiện có. Để yêu cầu thông dịch viên hoặc phiên dịch viên, yêu cầu liên lạc với văn phòng địa phương gần nhất.

ພະແນກ ADWS ຈັດຫາບໍຣິການນາຍພາສາແລະການແປເອກະສານ ໂດຍບໍ່ຄິດຄ່າບໍຣິການ ສຳລັບຄົນງານທີ່ຕ້ອງການຄວາມຊ່ວຍເຫລືອເພື່ອເຂົ້າເຖິງ ແລະເຂົ້າຮ່ວມໃນ ການຮັບບໍຣິການແລະໂຄງການຕ່າງໆທີ່ມີຢູ່ສຳລັບທ່ານ. ຂໍໃຫ້ທ່ານຈົ່ງຕິດຕໍ່ຫ້ອງການທ້ອງຖິ່ນທີ່ໃກ້ທ່ານທີ່ສຸດ ເພື່ອຂໍຮັບບໍຣິການຈາກນາຍພາສາຫລືນັກແປເອກະສານ.