On a recent episode of VRTAC’s Manager Minute, Dr. Chaz Compton, Co-director of the National Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center (NVRTAC) made a bold claim:
“Right now, not ten years from now, but right today, we have the capacity to turn our administrative burden into an AI-driven function that alleviates that burden.”
He called out SaraWorks as one of the solutions.
NVRTAC’s Front-Row Seat to a Changing VR Industry
Dr. Compton and his team work “in the trenches” alongside vocational rehabilitation agencies, giving expert guidance on everything from performance and resource optimization to employment strategies. They’ve zeroed in on the key factors driving the administrative burden in VR today:
- WIOA implementation and its growing requirements
- The new youth majority: how to cater service to participants 24 and under
- How VR service delivery changed during and post-pandemic
- How to weather the wild swings of the fiscal landscape
While the default solution might once have been to increase headcount, that’s no longer sustainable—especially in the face of widespread industry staffing shortages. And now, it doesn’t have to be.
Don’t Hire More Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors?
The days of throwing money or people at the problem are over. AI and automation are stepping in—not to replace VR counselors, but to support them by automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks. When integrated into existing workflows, automation tools like SaraWorks can handle tasks such as outreach, follow-up, and even case notes—freeing counselors to focus on the human side of their work so they can get home on time at the end of the day.
Listen to the full Manager Minute podcast episode:
“Reimagining VR: How the NVRTAC is Transforming Technical Assistance Nationwide”
SaraWorks & VRTAC: A History of Innovation for VR
SaraWorks is proud to be at the forefront of vocational rehabilitation and workforce innovation. For over a decade, we’ve worked as a VR Technical Assistance Center partner—first with WINTAC, and more recently, with VRTAC‑QM, by invitation.
SaraWorks originally joined this consortium to show how tech could help agencies process more participants while improving service quality.
This cycle, we aim to strengthen program management and evaluation of pre-employment transition services (pre-ETS)—by improving how they communicate with students with disabilities, especially about how students perceive pre-ETS impact.
Curious to see how SaraWorks applies automation to increase capacity and service quality? Book a Demo With us Today.
