WELCOME!
Region II Community Services - West
P.O. Box 1730
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35403-1730
(205) 554-4155
Region II Community Services - West (RCS II-West) of the Mental Retardation Division of the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (DMH/MR) provides services to individuals with mental retardation, or those at risk for mental retardation, and their families. In certain instances, DMH/MR may provide services to persons with other developmental disabilities. Services are provided in local communities primarily through contractual agreements with community service providers. Individuals may be served throughout their life span. The thirteen counties in the RCS II-West catchment area include the following: Bibb, Choctaw, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Marion, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston.
Two such services offered by RCS II-West are Supported Employment and Transition. RCS II-West is dedicated to the placement of people into meaningful and enriching career opportunities that enhance the quality of their lives. One way of meeting this commitment is through staffing the position of Employment and Transition Planner. The Planner is responsible for providing technical assistance to community programs either on an individual program basis or through group workshops, inservices, and quarterly meetings.
- Aiding in the process of incorporating supported employment into the existing community program
- Training staff for job developer and or job coach or life skill coach positions
- Providing information on Department of Labor rules and regulations
- Assisting programs in solving barriers to employment, such as transportation, loss of SSA benefits, etc.
- Providing current information on supported employment issues to programs, notifying of workshops, etc.
- Developing community resources
Transition services are defined within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as “A” coordinated set of activities for a student, designed within an outcome-oriented process, which promotes movement from school to post-school activities, including postsecondary education, vocational training, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation. The coordinated set of activities shall be based upon the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s preferences and interests, and shall include instruction, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and, when appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation.”
Some of the duties of the Employment and Transition Planner include but are not limited to:
- Workshops for parents and providers on Special Education Law, etc.
- Assist the school systems in applying for Transition Grants through the Department of Special Education
- Assist the parent(s) and or responsible person(s) at Individual Education Planning meetings (IEP)
- Assist schools in developing training and or job sites for students in the community
For further information on these
and other services, please contact:
Brenda N. McComb
Employment & Transition Planner
P.O. Box 1730
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35403-1730
(205)-554-4166 Telephone
(205)-554-4177 Facsimile
bccomb@dbtech.net