Narrative: d. 2. D.

Outreach efforts will include a description of the vocational rehabilitation program, including the pre-employment transition program and the transition program within vocational rehabilitation. The potentially eligible definition, the eligibility requirements, the application procedures and the scope of services that may be provided to students with disabilities will be included in outreach efforts.

Outreach efforts include, but are not limited to, attendance at IEP and transition planning meetings, career fairs, back to school nights, group orientations, transition fairs, and presentations coordinated throughout the year. The process includes:

1. Transition counselors to identify and outreach to all students with disabilities to make available the five required pre-employment transition services. 2. Outreach to students with disabilities as defined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities for purposes of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, students with disabilities receiving school psychological, health, nursing or social work services; and students with disabilities enrolled in an educational program and not in receipt of disability-related services from the educational program. 3. Coordination with the Department of Education, Special Education Unit to outreach to youth in Department of Youth Services settings, youth who have dropped out of an education program, and students who are at risk of dropping out of high school. ARS will work with schools to assist the student in identifying and selecting vocational programming that will enhance a student’s ability to pursue appropriate career objectives. ARS counselors will provide information to schools about VR services, meet with special education teachers during the school year, and ensure schools have appropriate forms and information for students to apply for services. In addition, ARS has a Transition Manager and Vocational Education Coordinator that will assist with managing transition services as an agency, and will also ensure services are appropriate and efficient for the clients, schools, and partnerships. Additionally, the transition manager will work directly with the schools and community partners to provide education on Pre-Employment Transition services and Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act. Furthermore, the agency will be providing detailed information about pre-employment transition services for students with an IEP and 504 plans. The agency will work directly with the Arkansas Department of Education and the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) through intensive technical assistance. NTACT will provide intensive technical assistance and professional development to the state education agency, VR, LEA, and VR service providers to implement evidence based and promising practices ensuring student with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities, graduate prepared for success in postsecondary education and employment. Arkansas has established a core team consisting of stake holders and partners within transition. The core team will participate in NTACT’s sponsored capacity building activities, such as but not limited to The Capacity Building Institute and related regional and/or national meetings. Arkansas has established a state implementation team, which will support personnel development opportunities for educators and service providers across Arkansas annually, structured on the mode of convening interdisciplinary teams from local communities for personnel development, data review, problem solving, and facilitated strategic planning. The state implementation team will explore the use of NTACT’s data analysis and planning tools (i.e., transitionprogramtool.org, STEPSS) for use in this process. The Transition Employment Project (TEP) is designed to give high school students the skills, knowledge, and attitude necessary to successfully transition to adult life through engaging in a variety of instructional assessments and training activities. Through TEP students participated in a five-week project the previous year to prepare them for paid work experiences in the summer of 2016. During the project they completed assessments and had opportunities to participate in on the job training site and receive their Career Readiness Certificate (CRC). During the June 2017 enrollment period, TEP received 237 applications from 75 high schools resulting in 153 students matriculating. Of the total matriculating, the TEP program graduated 49 junior high school students with a disability representing 22 high schools throughout the state. All 49 students successfully mastered training in their respective areas of instruction, including: Material handling ServSafe, Customer Services, Fork Lift Operator (3). Moreover, all the students enrolled completed three work based learning and work place training internships. Forty-nine 11th grade high school students representing 22 Arkansas high schools with disabilities graduated from TEP 2016. One hundred percent of them successfully completed the General Industry OSHA Certification. Most of them also completed: Material Handling, ServSafe, Customer Services, Fork-Lift Operator Certification (3), One hundred percent successfully completed three work-based learning and work-place training internships. ARS received 237 TEP applications from 75 high schools, and 153 students enrolled in TEP on June 18, 2017. Project SEARCH assists with adult VR services, and transition. A new high school model is planned for the Hot Springs area. The Fayetteville site was recognized as 1 of 53 sites recognized for 80 — 90% competitive integrated employment outcomes. A high school Project SEARCH® model was developed and implemented in Hot Springs (the CHI St. Vincent Project SEARCH site fall 2016); the first class graduated May 2017. The employment outcomes for the UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and Washington Regional Medical Center — Fayetteville achieved 100% competitive integrated employment outcomes for FY 2016/2017 graduates. The official employment outcomes for CHI St. Vincent FY 2016/2017 will not be reported until summer 2018; however, the unofficial competitive integrated employment outcome is 90%. The Promise Grant is the 32.5 million-dollar five-year research grant designed to promote the readiness of minors on SSI (Supplemental Security Income) for success beyond high school. Arkansas is one of five single states and one collaborative group of states to be awarded this grant. Currently, 1,367 AR Promise youth have been recruited as of 8/17/15, and 164 employers provided work experiences from 25 counties. The goal for 2016 is 550 employer provided work experiences.