Narrative: III. b. 3. A.

Arkansas Department of Workforce Services The Department of Workforce Services administers nine of the thirteen programs represented in this plan. The agency goal is to provide quality workforce services that support the development of a well–trained workforce that meets employer needs. The Department provides many services that support both jobseekers and employers and helps people succeed throughout their working lives. We support workers during times of unemployment, track and analyze labor market trends, and link businesses and jobseekers to a diverse range of employment services provided by the state’s workforce system. Through DWS’ local offices, the needs of employers and job–seeking individuals are facilitated by matching qualified workers with an employer’s specific employment needs.

DWS avidly supports Arkansas’s employer community and is cognizant of their needs. DWS offers many services to Arkansas jobseekers and residents including: referral to suitable employment opportunities; job training assistance to economically disadvantaged individuals and those dislocated due to business closings, layoffs, and natural disasters; case management for disabled veterans; assessment of an individual’s needs and referral to supportive agencies and programs.

The agency director is appointed by the Governor and is a member of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. The agency has approximately 1,000 employees and has eight divisions which include: Unemployment Insurance, Employment Assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Legal Services, Financial Management and Administrative Services, New Hire Registry and Career Readiness Certification, and Field Operations.

Below is a list of programs administered by the Department.

• Wagner–Peyser Employment Services
• Local Veterans Employment Representatives
• Disabled Veterans Outreach Program
• WIOA Youth Program
• WIOA Adult Program
• WIOA Dislocated Worker Program
• Rapid Response and Layoff Aversion
• Trade Adjustment Assistance
• Alien Labor Certification
• Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Transitional Employment Assistance
• Arkansas Work Pays Program
• Labor Market Information
• Unemployment Insurance
• Trade Readjustment Allowance
• New Hire Registry
• Career Readiness Certification
• Discretionary Grants

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services also serves as the Governor’s Administrative Entity for WIOA Title I funding, provides staffing support for the Arkansas Workforce Development, provides technical assistance to local workforce development boards, and monitors their activities. The agency operates the above listed programs through a budget of just over $1 billion annually and awards funding for WIOA Title services to ten local workforce development boards for delivery of services locally in addition to numerous subgrantees for delivery of services through the TANF program and discretionary grants awarded to the agency from multiple sources.

An organizational chart of the agency is included in Appendix 3.

Arkansas Department of Career Education The Arkansas Department of Career Education (ADCE) is under the authority and leadership of the Career Education and Workforce Development Board. The State Board is appointed by the Governor and is charged with the responsibility for overseeing and directing the work of ADCE. The Director for the agency is appointed by the Governor. The agency has four divisions and includes Adult Education, Career Technical Education, Office of Skills Development, and Rehabilitation Services. The mission is to provide leadership and contribute resources to serve the diverse and changing career educational needs of Arkansas youth, adults, and persons with disabilities. Arkansas is fortunate to have two of the four required core partners under one agency along with an optional partner, Career Technical Education.

The Arkansas Department of Career Education (ADCE), Adult Education Division funds 47 local adult education programs and literacy councils and the Arkansas Adult Learning Resource Center (AALRC), the adult education’s professional development training center. The adult education program is supported with $5.2 million received under Tittle II of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act and $19 million in state funding.

The Designated State Agency for General Vocational Rehabilitation in Arkansas is the Arkansas Department of Career Education (ACE) division of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS). Title IV of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and as amended in 1998, provides for states receiving federal vocational rehabilitation funds to appoint a state director and to create a State Rehabilitation Council (SRC). The state director of the Arkansas vocational rehabilitation program is the Commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and is appointed by the ACE Director. The ARS Commissioner and the senior leadership of ARS provide oversight and coordination for three major components including, Field Services, the Arkansas Career Training Institute, and the programs under Access and Accommodations.

Field Services personnel provide the local level coordination and facilitation of all general vocational rehabilitation services. This includes, but is not limited to, vocational rehabilitation counseling, vocational case management, eligibility determination, individual employment plan development, transition services, and job placement. The Arkansas Career Training Institute is a comprehensive vocational rehabilitation center and provides an array of training, vocational evaluation, accommodation, and supportive services for ARS clients. The programs organized under Access and Accommodations provide an array of assistive technology, technical assistance, and advocacy services for consumers with significant disabilities, and their potential employers, concerning ergonomics and accommodations in the workplace, i.e., flashing light systems, modified keyboards, voice activated software, and text magnification aids.

The organizational chart for the Arkansas Department of Career Education can be found in Appendix 3.

Department of Human Services The Department of Human Services (DHS) is Arkansas’s largest state agency, with more than 7,500 employees working to ensure citizens are healthy, safe and enjoying a high quality of life. The agency’s skilled and passionate staff cares for Arkansans of all ages. People needing support will find at least one local DHS office in each of the state’s 75 counties. Arkansans may apply for a vast array of services at their local county office as well as online. Services include ARKids First health insurance for children, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) and Medicaid. Through a blend of federal and state Medicaid funds, DHS pays for 64 percent of the babies born in Arkansas each year and for the care of 69 percent of the state’s nursing home patients. Additionally, DHS protects children and the elderly who have been abused or neglected; finds adoptive homes for foster children; funds congregate and home–delivered meals for the elderly; regulates nursing homes and childcare facilities; supports high–quality early childhood education; treats and serves youth in the juvenile justice system; oversees services for blind Arkansans; runs residential facilities for people with developmental disabilities; manages the Arkansas State Hospital and Arkansas Health Center for those with acute behavioral health issues; and supports nonprofit, community and faith–based organizations that depend on volunteers to continue programs vital to our communities. The agency also works with a system of community mental health care centers to provide mental health services to nearly 74,000 people each year. In all, DHS serves more than 1.2 million Arkansans every year. To manage these services and programs efficiently, DHS has ten divisions and five support offices headquartered in Little Rock in addition to the 85 county offices.

Two of DHS’ programs are represented in this plan including Vocational Rehabilitation Services provided through the Division of Services for the Blind and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment & Training Program.

The Department of Human Services, Division of Services for the Blind is the designated State Agency to provide services for rehabilitation and social services to blind and severely visually impaired persons age 14 and above in Arkansas. The agency has a director appointed by the Governor, but federal regulations stipulate the vocational rehabilitation designated state unit must utilize a commissioner. The DSB Director and the senior leadership of DSB provide oversight and coordination within the constraints of state and federal laws to fulfill its mission through the following goals:

• Employment – To assist Arkansans who are blind or visually impaired to secure or maintain employment and consistent with their skills, abilities, and interests.
• Rehabilitation – To assist Arkansans who are blind or visually impaired to live as independently as possible through the development of skills, accommodations, or adaptations that are necessary to perform all activities of daily living.
• Prevention of Blindness – To assist in preventing blindness stabilizing vision, and, where possible, restoring vision.

Field Services personnel provide the local level coordination and facilitation of all general vocational rehabilitation services for individuals with blind or visual impairment issues. This includes, but is not limited to, vocational rehabilitation counseling, vocational case management, eligibility determination, individual employment plan development, transition services, and job placement.

Business and Technology personnel provide assistance to educate consumers to develop management and business ownership within the Vending Facility Program (VFP). The Vending Facility Program Services are available to eligible blind persons who are interested in and have the necessary skills to manage snack bars throughout the state. VFP locates the sales site, equips and stocks the facility initially, maintains the equipment, and provides oversight and record keeping.

The organizational chart for the DSB may be found in Appendix 4.