Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
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
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
Describe the designated State agency's procedures and activities to establish and maintain a comprehensive system of personnel development designed to ensure an adequate supply of qualified State rehabilitation professional and paraprofessional personnel for the designated State unit, including the following:
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
i. 2. Plan for Recruitment, Preparation and Retention of Qualified Personnel
Describe the development and implementation of a plan to address the current and projected needs for qualified personnel including, the coordination and facilitation of efforts between the designated State unit and institutions of higher education and professional associations to recruit, prepare, and retain personnel who are qualified, including personnel from minority backgrounds and personnel who are individuals with disabilities.
Current Narrative:
MVR works actively in recruiting new counselors with master’s degrees in rehabilitation counseling or other related areas. As mentioned above, Missouri has one graduate level rehabilitation counseling program that, at this time, is not sufficient to produce the number of qualified rehabilitation professionals needed by MVR in all areas of the state. Even though graduate enrollment is high at Maryville University, many of the students are not willing to relocate from the St. Louis area. To address this issue, job announcements are sent to other postsecondary institutions that have rehabilitation counseling programs such as Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Emporia State University of Kansas, University of Arkansas, and Missouri universities that offer graduate-level counseling, social work and/or psychology programs.
MVR advertises all openings with the mocareers.mo.gov web page and lists all openings on the agency’s website. Additionally, MVR advertises all openings on multiple online job search sites, including Indeed.com, Simply Hired, LinkedIn and US Jobs among others.
MVR sends all job announcements to its state’s historically black college, Lincoln University-Jefferson City, Missouri; as well as other historically black colleges such as Southern University-Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Langston University-Langston Oklahoma; and Mississippi State-Starkville, Mississippi.
MVR utilizes a diversity consultant to assist with ongoing staff development activities and outreach to underserved populations around the state. The consultant and the MVR Diversity Team work with MVR staff. The diversity consultant presents training sessions every two years for all staff in each of MVR’s 25 offices and training to new counselors. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team, a subcommittee of the MVR Diversity Team, is developing a diversity and inclusion recruitment plan for the agency.
As of June 30, 2021, approximately 15% of all professional staff and 35% of support staff with MVR were persons from diverse backgrounds. MVR also actively recruits individuals with disabilities. District supervisors and VRCs in MVR district offices receive all VRC job notices. Other disability organizations, including CILs and CRPs, are consulted about recruiting persons with disabilities. Approximately 17% of all professional staff and 7% of support staff with MVR were persons with disabilities.
MVR continues to offer non-paid as well as paid graduate internships for potential employees. MVR also considers candidates who have completed their necessary coursework and need to complete their internship requirement for open positions with the agency. During PY 2020, MVR provided three students with an unpaid practicum and internship experiences to enable the students to complete graduate coursework. MVR was also open to job shadowing.
MVR is involved in a variety of activities to recruit and retain qualified rehabilitation personnel. Recruitment efforts are focused in part on maintaining good relationships with colleges and universities that offer degrees that meet state rule. MVR has a close working relationship with the graduate rehabilitation counselor program at Maryville University. MVR staff attends career fairs, serves as guest speakers, and makes regular contacts and visits to recruit students from the above master’s level rehabilitation program. MVR representatives sit on the advisory board at Maryville. Staff development needs and important future training/recruiting issues are discussed at these advisory meetings.
MVR provides a career ladder for counselors rewarding their success and tenure. MVR has a succession plan team that is working on recruitment plans and ideas to retain qualified personnel. Leadership development and capacity building is encouraged statewide through optional training, the Emerging Leaders program, tuition reimbursement, team membership, guidance from MVR’s leadership director and other activities. MVR encourages each staff member to view themselves as a leader in their current role.
The MVR team encouraged distribution of “Becoming a Counselor” brochure for potential VRCs, and new VRCs received a welcome letter after they were hired.