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URC/CHS Projects
Education & Training
Migratory Agricultural Workers and Seasonal Farmworkers with Disabilities Service Projects
Client: United States Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration
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Migrant and seasonal farmworkers picking peaches in Cumberland County.
Photo by Iris Pacheco |
U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that agricultural workers experience the highest rate of employee fatality and injury in the country. A significant percentage of the agricultural workforce is comprised of migrant and seasonal farmworkers, most of whom are immigrants of Latin American origin.
Prevented by language and cultural barriers from accessing traditional services, migrant and seasonal farmworkers with disabilities frequently face alienation and estrangement. Under five-year grants for Vocational Rehabilitation for Migrant Farmworkers with Disabilities, URC's Center of Human Services (CHS), continues to provide vocational rehabilitation services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFWs) living in four counties in Pennsylvania and in Cumberland County, New Jersey. The grants, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, directly address the problems caused by high rates of worker injury. URC-CHS helps MSFWs with disabilities to overcome the barriers that impede them from taking full advantage of existing vocational rehabilitation and employment opportunities.
The projects use an innovative model that links its unique client population with agencies that provide vocational rehabilitation services to the larger community. By closely coordinating and matching the special needs of its clients with a range of local resources and providers, URC-CHS seeks to fully address the diverse needs of this historically disadvantaged and underserved target group.
URC-CHS Services
- Identify and recruit migrant and seasonal farmworkers with disabilities and their families
- Assist program participants to develop a comprehensive individualized written rehabilitation plan (IWRP)
- Facilitate migrant and seasonal farmworkers with disabilities with vocational rehabilitation services from the projects
- Facilitate restorative and rehabilitative services, job training, job placement, career counseling, and occupational skills training through the Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey
- Assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers with disabilities to achieved employment outcomes
- Assist the community to develop outreach services to include the disabled migrant and seasonal farmworker community
- Provide information, training, and consultation to community-based agencies, medical professionals, educators, and members of the business community
- Disseminate information on the social and cultural needs of disabled migrant and seasonal farmworkers
- Provide Spanish language interpretation and translation services
Partners
- Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
- New Jersey Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
- New Jersey State Employment and Training Commission
- New Jersey State Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
- Cumberland County College
- Millville Housing Authority
- Rural Opportunities Incorporated
- Tri-County Community Action
- Vineland Adult Education Center
- Community Healthcare Care Inc.
- Cumberland County Guidance Center
- Cumberland County Health Department
- Gloucester County Special Services School District
Products
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION INTERVIEW:
Frequently Asked Questions
English to Spanish Translation Guide
 En el Camino del Alcohol allaras las Muerte, a series of booklets offering ideas and feelings on the consequences of alcohol abuse and importance of prevention.
Geographic Focus
- Cumberland County, New Jersey
- Pennsylvania: Adams, Franklin, York, and Lancaster counties
For more information contact
New Jersey:
Louis Marino
Bridgeton Learning Center
Center for Human Services
PO Box 775
Bridgeton, NJ 08302-0451
lmarino@urc-chs.com
Pennsylvania:
Grogan Ullah
Gettysburg Learning Center
Center for Human Services
P.O. Box 3924
108 N. Stratton Street , RearGettysburg , PA 17325
groganu@earthlink.net
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