Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
__________
* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- O. State's StrategiesDescribe the required strategies and how the agency will use these strategies to achieve its goals and priorities, support innovation and expansion activities, and overcome any barriers to accessing the VR and the Supported Employment programs (See sections 101(a)(15)(D) and (18)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act and section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)):
- O. State's Strategies
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
d. 2. O. i. The Methods to Be Used to Expand and Improve Services to Individuals with Disabilities.
Current Narrative:
In July 2015, VR implemented major revisions to VR Employment Services to address the following needs of consumers based on stakeholder feedback:
- To develop a system that is responsive to all, including individuals with high support needs as well as consumers with minimal support needs;
- To refocus on Discovery, especially for individuals with minimal/no prior work experience;
- To ensure that individuals with MSD have access to adequate Supported employment services which includes ongoing support services;
- To ensure that individuals reach stabilization, or their highest level of independence, prior to VR case closure;
- To retain a system that focuses on outcomes, but also recognizes quality and individualization and allows for flexibility;
- To retain a system that is not difficult to administer; and
- To aim to improve the consumer experience.
Key revisions included:
- Increased focus and re-emphasis on Discovery and Supports needed to achieve true stabilization;
- Discovery activities are provided prior to milestone payments, funded per activity, and are no longer paid under a milestone. The menu of VR-funded Discovery activities is greatly enhanced.
- SE services (including ongoing support services) may be provided and funded outside of, and in addition to, milestone payments.
- Increased flexibility to allow for more individualization based on consumer needs;
- Elimination of 2 separate tiered milestone payments
- Development of 3 new Milestones:
o Milestone 1 = Job Development and Placement (1 week on the job)
o Milestone 2 = Support and Short-term Retention (4 weeks on the job)
o Milestone 3 = Retention (90 days AFTER stabilization)
- Reduced financial incentive to quickly reach ‘stabilization’ and closure by ensuring adequate supports are available, including up to 24 months of VR-funded SE services to ensure true stabilization.
- Changes to rates and expectations
- Increased VR Counseling engagement in the employment services process
This year, VR also continued its presence on social media. Beginning with an outreach campaign on Twitter that targeted the transition age youth, the Work4LifeIN campaign was the first of its kind in Indiana. The logo was printed on small posters and handed out to the targeted population for pictures to be posted on the Twitter page. Following the success of Twitter, a Facebook page was launched midyear. This has going to quickly expand the audience receiving messages about Vocational Rehabilitation Services and specifically, the initiatives of VR. This platform helps communicate a consistent message about the program.
Furthermore, VR is increasing the provision of training to both VR staff and provider staff to improve the quality of services provided to VR consumers. VR has contracted with additional training entities to bring increased training to staff in FFY2016 including counseling and guidance training for VR Counselors, and employment services training to provider staff. Training will be delivered through a variety of modalities including web-based, classroom based, and hands-on workshops. BRS will also examine strategies for improvement of community rehabilitation providers to ensure capacity to carry out increased expectations under the new model.