Colorado Disability Job Provider Closes After DVR Waitlist Cut New Clients to 3
Updated
Updated · KOAA News 5 · Oct 26
Colorado Disability Job Provider Closes After DVR Waitlist Cut New Clients to 3
1 articles · Updated · KOAA News 5 · Oct 26
Summary
Mountain Employment Training has shut down in Colorado Springs after months of falling referrals, with owner Inga Carland blaming Colorado DVR policies and restrictions for making the business unsustainable.
Just 3 new clients arrived between late January and mid-June, down from a typical 2 or 3 each week, after authorization delays in late 2025 and a Jan. 28 waitlist created what Carland called a bottleneck.
The strain followed DVR's response to a $2.5 million 2026 funding deficit, which added approval layers for services and shifted some support to agency staff; Carland said client volume never recovered even after authorizations improved.
DVR said federal law required the waitlist when it could not immediately serve all eligible applicants and said 5,710 people were still receiving services under approved employment plans as of Oct. 19.
Carland said the closure's bigger cost will fall on people with disabilities left waiting months for job support, creating resume gaps and leaving some at home without services.