Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

Great Seal of Oklahoma
Agency overview
Formed	July 1, 1993
Headquarters	3535 NW 58 Street, Suite 500 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Employees	986 (FY16)
Annual budget	$148.8 million (FY16)
Ministers responsible	Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services Wes Hilliard, Chair of the Commission
Agency executive	Melinda Fruendt, Executive Director
Parent agency	Commission for Rehabilitation Services
Website	www.okdrs.gov

The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for providing people with physical, mental and visual disabilities with the opportunity to obtain employment and independent living through counseling, job training and other individualized services. DRS helps bridge barriers to success in the workplace, school and at home. DRS has five program divisions, Vocational Rehabilitation, Visual Services, Disability Determination, Oklahoma School for the Blind and Oklahoma School for the Deaf. These divisions operate dozens of specialized programs that help Oklahomans lead more independent and productive lives.

DRS is governed by the Commission for Rehabilitation Services, composed of three members appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma, the President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The Commission, in turn, appoints the Director of Rehabilitation Services to serve as the chief executive officer of the Department.

The current Director of Rehabilitation Services is Melinda Fruendt who was appointed by the Commission on November 5, 2018.^[1][2]

The Department was established in 1993 during the term of Governor David Walters