Close more clients in self-employment
VR-eligible services ·
Rehabilitation Act employment outcome ·
Business plan suitable for PASS plan documentation ·
Supports transition from benefits to earned income ·
Leverage Strengths to Move Past Financial Fears ·
Supports clients' self-employment goals ·
VR-eligible services · Rehabilitation Act employment outcome · Business plan suitable for PASS plan documentation · Supports transition from benefits to earned income · Leverage Strengths to Move Past Financial Fears · Supports clients' self-employment goals ·
The tools to help your clients get there.
People with psychiatric disabilities often face the additional challenge of finding and keeping sustainable work opportunities. The Rehabilitation Act explicitly recognizes self-employment and small business ownership as appropriate employment outcomes.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is constrained in their assistance for entrepreneurship, and at the same time, mainstream business startup services aren’t sure how to work with people with disabilities, trauma, and neurodivergence.
VR closures in self-employment have declined by 37% over the past decade. One of the biggest barriers is a lack of specialized tools designed for this population.
Reclaiming Employment (RE) was built to fill that gap.
How RE Fits Your Service Array
The completed business plan satisfies common VR documentation requirements for self-employment cases and can support PASS plan applications
Delivered entirely via virtual meeting software; available to clients in any state
Coaches are trained and certified peer support specialists
Designed for clients at the “preparation” stage: motivated to pursue self-employment, ready to develop a plan
Fits within typical IPE budgets for self-employment cases
Using participatory action research and curriculum co-development, the Live & Learn, Inc. team created Reclaiming Employment: an interactive online business startup program. Reclaiming Employment provides peer business coaching, courses, workbooks, a community forum for mutual support.
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Service Array
By the end of the program, clients have a complete, written business plan, which is one of the most common documentation requirements for VR self-employment cases and a prerequisite for a Social Security PASS plan.
REcoach was designed for clients at the “preparation” stage: motivated to pursue self-employment, ready to develop a plan.
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Certified Peer Specialists
Clients work one-on-one with a peer business coach who has lived experience with both mental health challenges and self-employment. The coaches are also certified peer specialists who have completed the training and credentialing standards in a U.S. state.
In addition to their foundational training as peer support specialists, coaches have been trained in our evidence-based learning program, and are experienced in delivering the REcoach 12-week curriculum to diverse participants.
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Strengths-Based Approach
Coaches use a non-directive, strengths-based approach rooted in peer support principles — helping clients find their own answers rather than prescribing steps. Weekly sessions alternate between individual coaching and small group meetings, building both skills and community.
By the end of the program, clients will experience increased confidence in their ability to run a business and a network of other aspiring entrepreneurs.
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Documented Effectiveness
REcoach was tested in a federally funded randomized controlled trial with 165 participants across 33 states — nearly a third were VR clients and a quarter were SSI or SSDI beneficiaries.
Almost 85% of the participants attended all 12 coaching sessions. As a result, 72% completed a business plan vs. 39% of the control group. Coaches were highly rated on measures of peer support, coaching, and mentoring effectiveness.
Addressing gaps in self-employment support
Publicly available business development resources like SCORE and Small Business Development Centers are often not a good fit for people with psychiatric disabilities. Research shows these providers tend to look unfavorably on small, part-time, or home-based businesses — the kind most often pursued by this population. They are also typically unfamiliar with SSI/SSDI regulations, Medicare/Medicaid, and work incentives like the Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS).
As a result, entrepreneurs with psychiatric disabilities who use mainstream resources report lower satisfaction with self-employment than those with other disabilities. One-third of people served by VR have psychiatric disabilities — yet they have lower closure rates than those with other disabilities, and only 1% of people with disabilities who receive VR services are closed in self-employment, compared to 12% of the broader disabled population who are self-employed.
Get in Touch
We work with State VR agencies, VR counselors, and community rehabilitation providers. Contact us to learn more about referral arrangements, cohort scheduling, or how to incorporate REcoach into your clients’ individualized plans for employment.