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:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- a. Input of State Rehabilitation Council
All agencies, except for those that are independent consumer-controlled commissions, must describe the following:
- a. Input of State Rehabilitation Council
a. 3. The designated State unit’s explanations for rejecting any of the Council’s input or recommendations.
Current Narrative:
DBVI values the input of the SRC and will consider all the recommendations provided. Although the division may remove some of the objectives/strategies under goals 3, 4, and 5, DBVI will continue to work on the provision of Pre-ETS services, continue to provide outreach to the unserved and underserved and increase awareness of DBVI services and resources for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
INPUT FROM PUBLIC:
Question: How does the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired hope to provide services to the unserved or underserved populations in rural areas in a timely manner?
Agency response: Once the division has identified an individual(s) who is unserved or underserved, a DBVI staff member will connect with the individual to gain a better understanding of the unmet need(s). Once DBVI has received the appropriate documentation, referrals are made to the appropriate organizations for services, e.g., Vision Rehabilitation Therapists services referral to the Iris Network; Orientation and Mobility referral to the O&M within the appropriate DBVI region. Although the time of service provision can vary due to scheduling or a delay in receipt of documentation, providers generally see clients within a couple weeks wherever they reside.
Question: How does the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired hope to provide services in a timely manner in areas where there is limited staff?
Agency response: The division has experienced a number of vacancies over the last couple of years due to promotions, and retirements. In Maine, unemployment is at an all-time low impacting our ability to fill these vacancies. Many of the vacancies are specialty positions that require the employees to be certified in their field of expertise. This is not just a state dilemma but there is a national shortage of many of these professional positions. In an effort to address the workforce shortage, the division continues to recruit locally, nationally and work with colleges to offer programs that are economically and logistically (online courses) feasible for staff or new recruits to take advantage of. Simultaneously, the division reviews new referrals and strategically assigns regional areas to staff in order to provide services in a timely manner to all consumers – both new referrals and consumers who continue to work on their employment plan.