Narrative: d. 2. O. i.

DCRSA has engaged in a number of efforts over the past three years to expand and improve the services it provides to people with disabilities in the District of Columbia. Based on results from the 2013 CSNA, the agency expanded and directed its outreach activities in order to reach people who were identified as unserved and underserved in the state. Unserved and underserved included people who are blind, people of Hispanic and Asian origin and Ethiopians. The 2013 CSNA had identified wards 7 and 8 as underserved; however, in the 2014 CSNA, people in these wards of the city were no longer identified as underserved, as they now represent approximately 50% of the people served by DCRSA. However, these are two wards of the city that have much higher rates of unemployment and less access to services. Therefore, DCRSA continues its efforts to further expand outreach to these wards in order to ensure that services are accessible in these wards where the services are most needed. In addition, in order to address concerns about the unserved and underserved groups, a number of new outreach sites were established. These included Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, the Ethiopian Community Center and the Mayor’s Office of Asian and Pacific Island Affairs. In addition, services are provided in the American Jobs Center; located in the same building with the Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs, and a new agreement was established in FY 2014, to locate a counselor at Unity Health Care, in Upper Cardozo. These outreach efforts provide easier access to applicants and clients to complete applications and see a VR counselor. As indicated in the CSPD, the agency is very concerned about the current lack of Spanish speaking counselors. Therefore, there is a concerted recruitment effort to hire qualified VR Specialists who are bilingual in Spanish and English, as this is the largest minority group served by DCRSA (the majority of the people currently served by DCRSA are US born African Americans).

In 2013 and 2014, the agency undertook a number of steps to improve compliance with federal requirements regarding timely determination of eligibility and timely completion of IPEs. Compliance with these measures improved considerably and has been maintained at over 90% in both areas during all of FY 2015. In FY 2016, DCRSA has instituted new quality review protocols, to ensure high quality service provision. In addition, in FY 2016, the agency established a new position, a VR Specialist for Re-Engagement. This new position was created as the agency recognized the high number of people who lose contact with their counselor. This VR Specialist will be referred people who have had no contact with a counselor for more than three months. She will attempt to engage the person and identify any barriers to continuing in services, determine their interest in returning to services and once services are re-established, refer them back to the VR Specialist for ongoing services.

Beginning in program year 2016-2017, DCRSA will establish a mechanism for reaching out quarterly to people whose cases are closed successfully in order to check on their status in employment and remind them of the availability of supports that are available to assist them in retaining employment. The rehabilitation assistants in each VR unit will be responsible for sending notices quarterly, from the unit supervisor in order to identify any barriers to people continuing in employment early to ensure positive outcomes on the new WIOA performance measures related to post-closure employment.

DCRSA is engaged in a number of efforts with the state education agency, local education agencies and the Department of Employment Services in order to improve outcomes for transition youth. These efforts are described in more detail above in the section on Goals and Priorities. These efforts will primarily be funded using funds reserved for Pre-Employment Transition Services dollars, rather than innovation and expansion funds.

DCRSA is working with the Center for Independent Living and the Statewide Independent Living Council to improve coordination of independent living and vocational rehabilitation services. The need for improved coordination between DCRSA and the CIL was identified as a need in the 2014 CSNA. In addition, the passage of WIOA, and the adoption of an additional IL core service, i.e., transition (from nursing home to the community and from secondary school to post-secondary education, training or employment), further highlights the need for closer collaboration. DCRSA will assist in supporting the resource plan of the SILC, in order to maximize the limited resources available in the District to meet IL needs of people with disabilities.

Consistent with requirements under WIOA to assist people, particularly those with most significant disabilities to obtain competitive, integrated employment, DCRSA has significantly increased the level of supported employment services it is providing. In FY 2016, we have doubled the number of Evidence Based Supported Employment Providers that contract with the agency and are in the process of finalizing an MOA with the Department of Behavioral Health to clarify the coordination between our agencies in provision of supported employment services to people with serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED). In addition, we have improved coordination of services with the Developmental Disability Administration in the Department on Disability Services in order to increase the number of people with intellectual disabilities who receive supported employment services. We expect to see a significant increase in the number of people with SMI, SED or IDD who achieve successful employment outcomes. However, we also expect to see a very significant increase in the cost of providing supported employment services, far in excess of the amount provided in the supported employment grant.