Louisiana Rehabilitation Services

Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) assists persons with disabilities in their desire to obtain or maintain employment and/or achieve independence in their communities by providing rehabilitation services and working cooperatively with business and other community resources.

Programs & Services

Blind Services
Provides both vocational rehabilitation and independent living services to eligible individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

• Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program - Provides career opportunities for qualified individuals in the food service field.
• Older Blind/Visually Impaired Program - Expands independent living services for persons who are age 55 or older and have a severe visual impairment.

Independent Living Program
The Independent Living program allows individuals to have the option to choose to live or remain in their home or community setting, with emphasis on community based supports and services. This includes such services as information and referral sources, independent living skills training, peer support, system and individual advocacy, and other independent living services.

Louisiana Rehabilitation Council - works with LRS to ensure the involvement of individuals with disabilities in the development and delivery of vocational rehabilitation services to Louisianans with disabilities.

Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Provides comprehensive rehabilitation services that go far beyond those found in routine job training programs. This frequently includes work evaluation and job readiness services; assessment for and provision of assistive technology, such as customized computer interfaces for persons with physical or sensory disabilities; job counseling services, and medical and therapeutic services.

Employer Services - offer a cost-effective alternative to advertising for job candidates and can save employers time and money. LRS offers placement services for job ready individuals to help employers achieve their goals.

LRS State Offices

LRS Regional Offices

The following programs were transferred from Louisiana Rehabilitation Service to the Department of Health and Hospitals effective July 2010.

Louisiana Commission for the Deaf
Insures that Louisiana's public and private services are accessible to deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and speech impaired citizens.

• Interpreter Services - provide interpreter services to Deaf people in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the Commission. Certifies interpreters and maintain a registry of certified interpreters.
• Telecommunication Access Program - provides eligible Louisiana citizens with hearing or speech disabilities the use of a text telephone, telebrailler, or amplification equipment.

Home and Community Services

• Community and Family Support Program - provides individuals with severe disabilities with the ability to become independent in the community by providing services in an integrated setting at a cost lower than the cost of institutionalization.
• State Personal Care Attendant Program - provides a personal care attendant to persons with severe disabilities to assist them with their activities of daily living.
• Traumatic Head and Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund Program (TH/SCI) - provides services in a flexible, individualized manner to Louisiana citizens who survive traumatic head or traumatic spinal cord injuries. The TH/SCI program enables individuals to return to a reasonable level of functioning and independent living in their communities.

The Disability Determinations Services (DDS) program operates under the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), formally the Department of Social Services.

Disability Determinations Services (DDS)
This is the state agency responsible for determining if individuals are disabled within the Title II/XVI requirements. The Social Security Act provides benefits to disabled individuals under Title II (Disability Insurance Benefits) and Title XVI (Supplemental Security Income). All disability benefits, as well as the administrative costs of operating the DDS Program, are 100% federally funded.