Narrative: a. 1.

The State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) reviewed Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation’s (MVR) services portion of the Combined State Plan for the Title I and VI B programs. On behalf of the Council, Aimee Wehmeier, SRC chairperson, submitted the following comments and suggestions:

1. The SRC Planning Committee, acting for the SRC, had an opportunity to review and comment on MVR’s services portion of the Combined State Plan. We are in support of your plan.

2. We applaud MVR’s response to the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Your commitment to cooperating, collaborating and coordinating with other components of the statewide workforce development system is commendable. Improving partnerships and supporting people, including youth and students, with disabilities to obtain competitive integrated employment benefits everyone.

3. We would like to acknowledge MVR’s work on the goals and priorities for FY2015. Results demonstrate that though good faith effort was made, MVR was unable to achieve Goal 1: Improve the accountability and performance of service providers. We recognize that improving the accountability and performance of service providers is an ongoing process. The SRC recommends MVR continue to work on strategies to assist them in reaching the goal that was not met and provide an update at future Council meetings.

4. The SRC agrees that MVR’s goal of increasing employment outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is needed. We support your strategies to develop training in serving people with ASD as well as to collaborate with the Department of Mental Health and other agencies.

5. The SRC is pleased that MVR’s efforts to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness allowed the agency to currently eliminate its waiting list and place eligible applicants into services. The SRC recognizes the progress made on reducing the waiting lists. However, the SRC believes that any waiting list is undesirable and will force more individuals to become dependent on public assistance and increase the number of individuals who drop from the program before services are provided.

6. The SRC would like to commend MVR for meeting or exceeding five out of six required Standard 1 performance indicators in FY2015 and meeting two of the three required primary indicators. MVR also achieved successful performance on Standard 2. We acknowledge that all performance indicators were exceeded except 1.5. For performance indicator 1.5, the federal standard is .52, and MVR was at .51.

7. The SRC shares with MVR a concern that the economy makes MVR’s role in accessing employment opportunities for people with disabilities more challenging. SRC continues to support MVR’s efforts to find solutions by encouraging innovation and job creation and focusing on high quality employment outcomes.

The SRC had opportunities in the past year to provide input on other important matters with your agency. Some of these were reviewing and providing input to the FY2017 goals, priorities, strategies and state plan; the SRC FY2015 annual report; recommendations on policy revisions; state rule changes, collaboration with other disability–related councils; customer satisfaction survey results; the participation in and feedback from public hearings; hearing decision reviews; the recruitment and selection of an impartial hearing officer; and reviewing MVR’s outcomes and performance indicators.

The SRC appreciates the opportunity to work with MVR on these matters of importance to people with disabilities in the state of Missouri.