~ Denver, Colorado - The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) has announced that its Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has been selected as a "core state" to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor's National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) initiative. This marks the fourth NEON award for DVR.

The selection will provide targeted technical assistance to connect the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and their lead partner at the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). The focus will be on expanding job opportunities and improving financial stability for Americans with serious mental health conditions, including those with co-occurring disabilities.

Previous NEON awards have successfully removed barriers for people with disabilities to access benefits planning services. An analysis comparing those who received benefits planning services to those who did not showed that VR participants who received intensive benefits planning had a median increase in weekly earnings of $561.60, compared to a median increase of $54.62 for those who did not receive benefits planning.

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Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, who began her career in the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, expressed excitement about the progress made in providing opportunities for people with disabilities in Colorado. She stated, "Colorado continues to lead the nation in opportunities for people with disabilities. This program builds on that momentum and is another step towards ensuring that everyone in Colorado has access to meaningful employment."

In addition to serving as Lt. Governor, Primavera also served on the Behavioral Health Task Force and co-chaired the Mental Health Matters: Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy funded through the US Department of Labor's State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED), the Council of State Governments (CSG), and National Council of State Legislators (NCSL). She is currently serving as interim Commissioner of BHA.

Kristin Corash, Director of CDLE's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, believes that this grant will provide Colorado with the opportunity to expand and sustain proven employment programs for individuals with serious mental illness and additional disabilities, especially youth. She also expressed pride in DVR's consistent recognition as an innovative partner by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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This effort was endorsed by Colorado's Employment for All Partnership, with support from partners at Colorado's Behavioral Health Administration, Department of Human Services, Department of Education, Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing, Colorado Disability Opportunity Office, and the Colorado Workforce Development Council. Self-advocacy organizations, service providers, and people with disabilities also showed their support.

Colorado will join Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New York, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia in receiving the fiscal year 2026 NEON grant award.

The Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, provides a wide range of individualized employment services to people with disabilities based on their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities and interests. These services include education, vocational training, job placement assistance, on-the-job support and more. DVR also helps employers recruit and hire workers with disabilities. The division administers state and federal grants for the Centers for Independent Living (CIL), the Business Enterprise Program (BEP), and Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB). It is funded by federal and local government funds. To learn more about DVR's services or to follow them on Facebook visit dvr.colorado.gov.

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