Narrative: c. 1.

County Human Services Agencies

While DVR does not currently have formal interagency cooperative agreements in place with any county human service agencies, there is strong partnership at both the state and the local levels to enable human services recipients with disabilities to reduce their dependency on public assistance through employment. Counselors and supervisors have increased efforts and activities with county social service agencies in working with recipients of services, who have disability related employment issues. In several counties, DVR staff participate on county human services advisory boards. Local DVR offices have working partnerships with county human services agencies. The partners have developed referral processes to and from county human service agencies and collaborate to obtain necessary services for DVR clients that DVR is unable to provide, including Medicaid, food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), child care assistance and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

The Corrections System

DVR understands that many individuals who are involved with the Colorado corrections system are also individuals with disabilities. Colorado’s correctional system is complex, with separate departments serving adults and youthful offenders, and juveniles. Additionally, there are regional and local jurisdictions, as well as state and private correctional facilities and providers. Individuals with disabilities who are involved with the criminal justice system continue to be underserved. DVR is committed to increasing the number of applicants from this demographic. To this end, local DVR staff have developed, and will continue to develop, working partnerships with probation offices, parole offices, and diversion programs, as well as working directly with many of the youth and adult correctional institutions in the state. For individuals who meet DVR eligibility, staff work to coordinate timely referral processes and services that complement release plans that are mutually developed by the individual with the disability and the correctional program to which they are attached.

MINDSOURCE - Brain Injury Network

MINDSOURCE Brain Injury Network operates under the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) and is the lead State agency on brain injury. MINDSOURCE administers the Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund, established in 2002, when Colorado passed legislation that allows for the collection of surcharges on certain traffic violations such as Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI), Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Speeding, and other moving violations. The statute requires the following three program areas: services for children/youth and adults with brain injury (specifically case management); research regarding the care and treatment of brain injury; and education to increase the awareness and understanding of brain injury. Through the TBI Trust Fund, case managers partner with DVR to help counselors understand how brain injury may impact the individual’s ability to work and/or follow through with vocational planning. The program also works to provide education and consultation to DVR on a broader level. Finally, the program works across agencies and divisions to ensure policies and practices are inclusive of individuals with brain injury ultimately to ensure access to support for individuals with brain injury. MINDSOURCE strives to not only provide supports to individuals with brain injury and their families, but to also provide support to the systems that individuals with brain injury and their families interact with to obtain support, including DVR.

Rocky Mountain ADA Center

DVR does not have a formal cooperative agreement with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center, but has maintained an engaged partnership for several years. Currently, DVR’s Partnership Engagement and Communication Manager serves as a Brand Ambassador, attending regular meetings to share information and strategies across the region. This partnership has also facilitated additional training for this member of DVR’s staff, which will ultimately result in certification as an ADA Coordinator, allowing DVR to provide more comprehensive technical assistance to programmatic and business partners. DVR further supports the work of the Rocky Mountain ADA center through authoring blog posts, disseminating information, and developing accessibility tools.

Colorado Institutions of Higher Education

Colorado has a variety of institutions of higher education, including publically supported institutions, private accredited schools, area technical schools and private occupational schools. DVR routinely supports post-secondary training when necessary for an eligible individual to achieve his or her employment outcome. To ensure these services are well coordinated, local DVR offices work closely with each school to arrange for appropriate disability support services. This coordination is critical to individuals enrolled in training to complete their training and achieve their chosen employment outcome. The Colorado/Wyoming Consortium of Support Programs for Students with Disabilities (the Consortium) recently joined forces with the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD).  Through this partnership, representatives from post-secondary disability services offices, DVR, and the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) meet twice annually for institutes that support communication between the community colleges, universities, CDE and DVR with regard to accommodations and professional development. DVR is currently seeking to renew memorandums of understanding with higher education to ensure compliance with the requirements of WIOA and effective partnership.

Collaboration with American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Colorado has two American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Services (AIVRS) Program Grant Awardees. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe are located in the southwestern part of Colorado, and the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation extends into New Mexico and Utah. DVR has cooperative agreements in place with both programs outlining the roles and responsibilities within each partnership and is beginning to plan for updating these MOUs prior to reaching their end dates. All programs have experienced staff turnover, requiring renewed effort and intention to ensure cooperation.

DVR has given primary responsibility for managing these relationships to the local supervisor to continue to strengthen the partnerships and implement the cooperative agreements. The partnership is particularly strong with the Southern Ute Mountain Tribe. The local DVR office meets monthly with the staff of AIVRS program and work collaboratively to meet the vocational rehabilitation needs of individuals eligible for both programs. Additionally, DVR’s district supervisor attended CANAR and participates in training with the Southern Ute Mountain VR program. The partnership with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is still developing with current staff. However, DVR’s district supervisor has begun meeting with representatives from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe to support this relationship and it is hoped that similar cross training and collaboration can be developed in this community as well to ensure the vocational rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities are met. Recently, the Manager of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe VR program was appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council, further supporting ongoing partnership and collaboration between DVR and the AIVRS programs in Colorado.

Collaboration with the State Independent Living Council, the Centers for Independent Living and the Older Individuals who are Blind Program

DVR administers two programs mandated by Title VII of the Act:

• The Colorado State Independent Living Services (SILS) program and
• The Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) program.

SILS programs are currently run out of Colorado’s statewide network of ten Centers for Independent Living (CIL), which provide services to individuals with significant disabilities who face barriers to living self–directed lives in their communities. The OIB program is provided through a competitive process every three years for contracts. Currently seven of Colorado’s CILs and one Community Rehabilitation Program are awarded contracts on a three year cycle. Under the SILS program, Centers provide independent living skills training, individual and systems advocacy, peer counseling, information and referral, transition services for people leaving nursing homes and for youth moving into adult responsibilities, assistance with social security applications, transportation, housing and many other services that support clients to set and achieve their goals of living independently in their community. This diverse and extensive list of service types allows Centers to provide the holistic support that many clients with significant disabilities may need. DVR’s local offices evidence close working partnerships and collaboration with all ten Centers. Together the partners share referrals, develop collaborative plans with clients, communicate to avoid duplicative service provision, and meet regularly to strengthen their relationships and cross–educate one another. The OIB program serves people who are 55 and older who are blind or have impairments to their vision. Clients tend to be people who are experiencing vision loss from age–related factors and who are concerned about losing independence, either in their home or in their community. The OIB program helps clients learn new skills and identify community resources that will support their participation in full, independent lives.

Office of Employment First, JFK Partners – University of Colorado Medical School

Beginning July 1, 2019, DVR received funding to establish an Office of Employment First through an interagency agreement with the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), JFK Partners, at the University of Colorado Medical School. The Colorado Office of Employment First (COEF) is expected to be the primary source of training across Colorado communities in the area of Employment First philosophy, programs, policy, and practices. The COEF hired a Director in November 2019, who immediately began recruitment efforts to hire the remaining 6 staff positions that will support the work of the Office. COEF is responsible to coordinate, evaluate and monitor implementation of recommendations made by the Employment First Advisory Partnership (EFAP); develop and provide training and education regarding Employment First principles to individuals with disabilities, families, state agencies, employers, case management agencies, service providers, and communities; provide technical assistance to all relevant parties for developing and implementing supported employment models resulting in competitive integrated employment; serve as the focal point for Employment First resources and communications; develop and implement strategies for the sustainability of the COEF and Employment First in Colorado.

As the COEF becomes fully operational, it will become a vital partner for DVR to successfully implement its Employment First initiatives and build system capacity to increase competitive integrated employment outcomes for all individuals with disabilities in Colorado who wish to work.

Colorado Initiative for Inclusive Higher Education

In 2016, the Colorado Legislature created an Inclusive Higher Education pilot at 3 institutions of higher education, University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, and Arapahoe Community College. As these programs have developed, a team consisting of inclusive higher education program staff, Colorado Initiative for Inclusive Higher Education, parents, and DVR have collaborated to identify strategies for improving access to these programs when necessary for students with I/DD to achieve their employment outcomes. As a result of this work, training and policy guidance has been provided to DVR Counselors to support their work with individuals who may be considering these programs. Additionally, training and technical assistance is provided to inclusive higher education staff to better understand the vocational rehabilitation program. Local offices and programs have teamed to provide orientation to families, further assisting them to understand when and how DVR might be able to assist students during their academic programs, as they begin to participate in work experiences, and ultimately when they are ready for permanent employment. All sides of this partnership continue to work toward strengthen this collaboration to best meet the needs of students with disabilities.