Narrative: a. 1.

The Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has had a State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) for more than twenty–seven years. The SRC mission statement is: 

The Colorado State Rehabilitation Council increases opportunities for Coloradans with disabilities to pursue success as they define it. Our members work in service of equity and access to full participation in all aspects of life, by advocating for the budgetary and programmatic integrity of the vocational rehabilitation program in the Centennial State, a resource for increasing employment and economic advancement. 

The SRC meets quarterly, plus an annual retreat. The SRC depends on the following committees to help carry out its responsibilities: Employment First; Customer Satisfaction and Program Evaluation; and Planning, Policy, and Education. The SRC is also responsible per state law for managing the Employment First Advisory Partnership, which makes recommendations to support Employment First policies and practices across programs with the goal of removing systemic barriers to competitive integrated employment. Minutes are maintained of all SRC meetings, committee meetings and retreats. Minutes summarize the advice and recommendations provided to DVR by the SRC. DVR continues to work closely with the SRC to share and discuss information on finances, personnel, services to clients, agency policies, state rules, WIOA common performance measures, customer satisfaction, and any other items that impact the extent, scope, and effectiveness of rehabilitation services. 

The SRC is currently evaluating DVR’s customer and DVR program participant satisfaction evaluation processes, which includes electronic surveys available to all customers, along with  surveys available in each office. The SRC has been involved in focus groups conducted as part of the Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA), and participates in public meetings hosted by DVR to gather stakeholder input. Each of these provide opportunities to learn about customer satisfaction. The results from customer satisfaction surveys along with guidance from the SRC are used to drive more effective and efficient vocational rehabilitation services for customers. Quarterly customer satisfaction results are one data element of DVR’s CSNA, and as such, are used as part of the development of the state plan. 

DVR regularly seeks the advice of the SRC on pertinent issues, including the development and implementation of the state plan. To this end, DVR and the SRC jointly developed and conducted the 2021 DVR triennial Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment to determine the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities in Colorado. The SRC and DVR established the goals of the CSNA and developed a plan for dissemination. Results were analyzed and findings were used to make recommendations to DVR that informed the state plan’s goals, priorities, and strategies. The SRC and DVR will continue to conduct public hearings in person, by telephone, and electronically to obtain comments on the DVR state plan and on potential policy changes that are a part of the state plan. 

As a result of the 2021 CSNA and the SRC’s related activities, the SRC makes the following recommendations to DVR for the upcoming state plan period: 

SRC Recommendation 1 

The SRC recommends DVR increase the number of individuals served from rural areas and culturally and socioeconomically diverse communities. This will be done by encouraging and welcoming new applicants with disabilities that are in need of services in order to obtain employment. DVR will work to ensure offices are open and friendly, with staff who are culturally competent. Additionally, SRC recommends that new materials be developed for each targeted audience that focus on the successes of DVR; and the website should also reflect this. Based on information from the CSNA, SRC believes that DVR should target unserved and underserved populations including justice involved individuals; individuals with limited education; people with behavioral health conditions; those experiencing homelessness; individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities; those with multiple disabilities; and others. 

SRC Recommendation 2 

SRC recommends DVR assess counselor turnover, effective caseload numbers, and communication expectations to address: timely communication with individuals receiving services, communication with individuals receiving services during staff transitions, timely applications and plan process, as well as ongoing follow-up with individuals. SRC recommends DVR refine a plan to increase staff retention and decrease caseload size to enable counselors to communicate effectively and with regularity with each person served. 

SRC Recommendation 3 

The SRC recommends all DVR staff receive ongoing training in order to provide effective and high quality services to all customers. An interdisciplinary approach may be employed where counselors and others with expertise work with staff to build skills. The SRC recognizes a need for training in these areas: excellent customer service skills that exemplify persistence, problem solving, curiosity, and openness; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Self-Employment/Supported Self-Employment; Assistive Technology; Poverty; Trauma Informed Services; Disability Sensitivity; and Person-Centered Planning, as indicated by the results of the 2020 and 2021 customer satisfaction surveys.  

SRC Recommendation 4 

The SRC recommends DVR find ways to address provider capacity, particularly for employment services and assistive technology services and ensure access to high quality services offering outreach and mentorship to potential employment and assistive technology vendors, offering training on how to become a vendor and addressing rates. While addressing rates, DVR should consider the recent Rate Structure and Rate Methodology Study Report, published by the Colorado Office of Employment First, and similar sources citing promising practices with using value-based or incentive-based payment structures to increase provider capacity and improve outcomes. Further, these models point to a cost of doing business methodolgy for determining rates, which will ensure providers are reimbursed for the full cost of providing services rather than the current fee-for-service model that leaves unbillable hours uncompensated. Addressing the historically low rates for providers may be one solution in solving the employment provider crisis, as well as assisting our state to eliminate subminimum wage employment as instructed by SB21-039, Elimination of Subminimum Wage Employment.   

SRC recommends DVR lead, or engage in efforts led by partners, to explore and resolve the systematic issues limiting capacity to provide supported employment services, particularly related to the rate structures many providers cite as a limiting factor in their ability to expand services leading to competitive integrated employment for individuals with the most significant disabilities. Vendors working with DVR must receive training so that they have a clear understanding of the rehabilitation process and will be effective and qualified to work with both counselors and the individuals they serve for the customers’ success. Training topics for employment vendors should include specifics on the rehabilitation process, increased cultural competence, assistive technology, clear understanding of disability issues, supported employment, customized employment, and use of interpreter and translation services, among others. Training may also include best practices for implementation of the key elements of WIOA, including customized employment, using “discovery” as part of the assessment process, and person-centered planning practices. 

SRC Recommendation 5 

The SRC recommends DVR consistently recognize assistive technology as a critical strategy for improving access to competitive integrated employment. DVR should ensure persons entering into a DVR plan have access to assistive technology assessment to understand what technology might be helpful to be successful in the training process, employment, or independent living of the individual.  DVR should identify opportunities to ensure a variety of qualified vendors to improve access to assistive technology. 

SRC Recommendation 6 

Despite ongoing efforts to improve and expand transition services, families and students still express difficulty accessing DVR services early enough to support an effective transition from secondary education. SRC recommends DVR create and implement an active plan to provide innovative and effective transition services to youth with disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities, across the state of Colorado. To be as effective as possible, these strategies will need to include working with all stakeholders including the Colorado Department of Education, special education teachers, parents, workforce centers, and youth with disabilities. It is critical these stakeholders have a clear understanding of DVR’s role, including DVR participation in Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings for transition age students. SRC recommends transition services through DVR align with Employment First principles, including assessments such as Discovery, Project SEARCH, and Customized Employment to support the success of students with the most significant disabilities. DVR should continue to collaborate with schools and workforce centers to provide pre-employment transition services to younger students with disabilities prior to their referral to vocational rehabilitation. SRC recommends including the provision of informational sessions coordinated with DVR’s school partners to increase awareness of transition services and provide materials to transition youth and their families about the availability of services and supports through DVR. 

SRC Recommendation 7 

While DVR has successfully obtained sufficient non-Federal dollars to fully access the available Federal funds through the Rehabilitation Services Administration, SRC recommends DVR continue to actively work with the executive and legislative branches of Colorado government to ensure the stability of this funding moving forward. In order to create effective and far reaching success in the employment of people with disabilities in Colorado, it is critical the full allotment of Federal funds continues to be available and DVR minimize any risk of potential Maintenance of Effort penalties due to reduction in State funds. Ongoing communication with the legislature will need to focus on the success that DVR is having in all areas of operation. 

SRC Recommendation 8 

The SRC recommends DVR continue to emphasize a dual customer approach, ensuring quality services to business partners to support the employment of individuals with disabilities, including significant disabilities. Through outreach, training, and ongoing support, DVR can gain an understanding of the business community's need for qualified employees and assist businesses to find motivated and skilled workers by drawing upon highly talented and diverse workforces, inclusive of people with disabilities. Thus, helping both the customers of DVR and the businesses where they will work

SRC Recommendation 9 

The SRC recommends that DVR explore and identify steps to close the disparity in training dollars spent among the racial groups served through DVR based on the 2020 Racial Equity Report. We also recommend that all staff at DVR take a cultural self-assessment and that DVR leadership creates an action-based plan on the assessment results. In addition, SRC recommends that DVR create and implement a plan to seek, attract, and hire staff who represent our culturally diverse communities.

SRC Recommendation 10

The SRC recommends that DVR expand its marketing efforts to potential DVR users, employers, potential employment providers and referring agencies. Consider using the survey data to understand where most referrals come from and where referrals are still lacking. Outreach and education to community partners, including workforce centers, employers, educators, parents, and others to generate referrals will be crucial. As outreach is provided, technical assistance should be given to educate all communities about the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.