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Plan: Arkansas PYs 2020-2023
Combined Plan C

Section: Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Blind)

Narrative: o. 6.

Published
Located in:
  • Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)

    The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:

    __________

    [13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA

    • o. State's Strategies

      Describe 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. 6. Strategies to improve the performance of the State with respect to the performance accountability measures under section 116 of WIOA

Current Narrative:

DSB has continued to track and maintain an internal analysis of the WIOA performance measures.  DSB uses annual reports, monthly reports, and the required federal reports to track and evaluate its performance throughout the program year. Using the ETA 9169 for PY17 and PY18, DSB was able to track the state performance on Measurable Skill Gains and work with ARS to develop a joint expected level for PY20 of 24% and PY21 of 25% for the state. This level came from averaging the state results for PY17 and PY18. DSB continues to track the employment rates for the program years to determine if they are improving and to measure the effectiveness of DSB’s strategies.

DSB will use the data gathered from its internal and federal reports to monitor progress towards the PY performance measures. These results will be used to improve the employment outcomes of individuals with blindness and visual impairment in Arkansas. Specifically, DSB will strive to increase the number of individuals who are employed and the wages of those individuals through labor market analysis, targeted counseling on job market areas and the availability of career tracks using Arkansas Labor Market statistics to help individuals make choices that will increase their employability and earning potential. DSB tracks the employment rate for 2nd and 4th Quarter After Exit using the data submitted in the RSA 911.  This data is also used to track the Retention with the Same Employer measure for DSB. The data for these measures is used to evaluate the effectiveness of DSB’s implementation of the WIOA standards each PY and to continue to improve the results for DSB each PY. DSB is committed to monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the six WIOA-required performance measures. DSB will continue to provide training to all DSB staff on the common measures and improve relationships with organizations in the Delta Region to reach the un-served and underserved minority populations in Southeast and South Arkansas. DSB staff will attend Chamber of Commerce events, Lions Club International events, and provide outreach to local area businesses to demonstrate the capabilities and successes of blind and visually impaired Arkansans to enhance relationships and employer willingness to provide on-the-job trainings, apprenticeships, internships, volunteer opportunities, and job shadowing for those we serve. The business and technology section will host "technology talk" seminars and provide demonstrations on college campuses. This activity increases awareness, acceptance, and opens doors for employment opportunities. A Case Review team has been developed to conduct regular independent reviews of case files to offer advice and best practices on service provisions using the new Quality Assurance Tool in the AWARE case management system. At this time DSB has also hired a case auditor to conduct monthly case file audits on all caseloads to improve quality and accuracy in case files. DSB has begun to discuss topics related to vision loss on the radio and on local television news programs. DSB has increased the number of certified rehabilitation counselors in the last year. DSB will continue to seek out certified rehabilitation counselors and provide skills enhancement opportunities to the current staff. DSB is working closely with World Services for the Blind to provide employment training tracks for our clients that result in careers.