SC Vocational Rehabilitation Department

After a spinal cord injury some people may not be able to go back to the type of work they did before their injury. Others may need to go about their job responsibilities in a different way. Some South Carolinians, who were injured before entering the workplace, may not have a good idea of what type of work would be best suited to their interests, capabilities and disability.

The mission of the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department  is enabling South Carolinians with disabilities to prepare for, achieve, and maintain competitive employment. This is done through services such as vocational counseling, job-readiness training to gain real work experience, and job search assistance.

Some individuals may spend time at VR’s Evaluation Center on their West Columbia campus. During the comprehensive four-week program an individual’s disability and employment potential are thoroughly assessed.  The wide range of services provided during an individual’s stay at the center include  physical, occupational, and aquatic therapy; job interview preparation; communication and coping skills; muscular development; and nutritional counseling. “Our clients are evaluated up and down, and we train them in every area of life,” said Matt Daugherty, marketing director. In addition to a 30-bed facility, which houses out-of-town clients, 20 to 25 day clients from the Midlands can be served at a time. 

          Specific programs are also offered at the campus for individuals with brain injuries and those who are dealing with chronic pain. For VR clients with an aptitude for computer work, the Information Technology Training Center prepares them for jobs such as programming, computer aided drafting and design, information systems support and networking, and business applications such as Quick Books, medical simulation software, and Adobe Photoshop.

          Rehabilitation technology services are also available for clients at the center. The department’s technology specialist and engineers evaluate obstacles that could keep an individual with a disability from performing a job and find solutions to address these issues. This could range from changing the type of seating to modifying a vehicle to providing software that enables an individual to use a computer.

          The comfortable tree-lined campus is fully equipped for the clients who use VR’s services. The Muscular Development Center is stocked with exercise equipment for upper and lower body strengthening and cardiovascular endurance, as well as free weights. Once clients finish any of the programs at the campus, they are allowed to continue using the exercise facilities for a small monthly fee. This includes use of the saline pool that’s equipped with a wheelchair ramp and lift for access into the water. Equipment in the physical therapy department includes machines that are particularly helpful for individuals with spinal cord injuries, such as the EasyStand standing frame that provides lower body range of motion and upper body strengthening. “Our hope is that once clients are exposed to exercise and its benefits they become addicted to it for life,” said Daugherty.

          Daugherty added that clients also value the relationships they build while enrolled in the VR programs. “Many have felt like they were one in a hundred. Then they find themselves in a group in which everyone has a disability and understands their similar concerns.”

          SC Vocational Rehabilitation Offices are located throughout South Carolina.

To contact a counselor in a local community, consult their website at:

 www.areaoffices.scvrd.net.