Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)

I am dissatisfied with my experiences at the Frederick DORS office. I have been in the DORS program for 2 years total. At times I have given up trying to obtain help from DORS because it was too complicated, too difficult to get a response, required multiple emails to get clear answers to legitimate questions, and I repeatedly have to ask for accommodations and they are not always granted. This organization has me listed as disabled but they arent very good at accommodating their disabled clients. I feel DORS program reps should be required to respond to clients within 48 hours. When a rep is on leave they should use auto responses or auto forward to another rep to help the client. I wait weeks, sometimes months for responses. I wait many months for services to be scheduled. Services are not scheduled when reps say they will be and many more months go by while I believe I am waiting for the next part of the program, it isnt even happening because the rep hasnt bothered to schedule it. I have email documentation of this. DORS reps should also be required to be proactive and reach out to clients instead of months going by and not contacting disabled people. DORS should be required to have a written protocol or step-by-step plan explaining exactly what is needed from disabled clients (like a check list to help them stay on track) and how the program will help them. DORS reps should help clients through the steps and explain each step. They treat it like its secret and clients have to find the right questions to get answers, that is if/when DORS reps respond. It has been frustrating for me and has contributed to my anxiety. As a client at DORS I do not feel like helping me get a job is a priority for my case manager. I often have to send multiple emails to get questions answered. It is difficult to get an appointment with my DORS rep. I dont feel they meet my requests for accommodation due to my disability. I dont feel like they understand why I am asking for accommodation. After two years and all the documentation and explanation I have provided, I feel like she should know the accommodations I need. Why is it so hard to use this program? Why do I have to keep being the proactive party in this exchange...shouldnt DORS be doing that? I qualify for this program and I need the help, but I cant access benefits to this program easily because DORS reps do not communicate in a timely fashion, and do not communicate how the program works. As a customer I often feel I am accommodating DORS when I am the one who is disabled with a brain injury. This is a great program on paper. When its pitched to you it sounds great still. But the people working at this office do not know how to treat their clients, do not know how to accommodate a disabled person, and do not communicate well. If you are considering applying, I recommend you read all you can about their policies and hopefully you get a better representative than I did. Be prepared to fight to get this program to do anything for you. It is not a client-centered program.
Dec 5th, 2021

No one there when you walk in , lights come on when you walk in the door. you need to ring a bell or door bell then wait for someone to come out. You can't understand what they are saying due to to mask procurement. They are behind a plastic shield trying to talk to you from a small round hole with mask on. Just typical govt office. So sad we live this way now......
Nov 23rd, 2021

Wonderful, caring and professional counselors
Feb 24th, 2020