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:
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.
Recruitment, Preparation, & Retention of Qualified Personnel
DSHS/DVR’s FTE allotment is capped at 318.0 FTEs until June 30, 2021. The division is able to recruit all field service vacancies as they occur but may not exceed this FTE cap. Approval by the DSHS Secretary is required to fill any newly established exempt or program management positions, as part of ongoing budget savings policies.
Qualified Personnel Recruitment & Preparation Strategies
DSHS/DVR will maintain recruitment linkages and concentrated efforts with regional higher education institutions offering rehabilitation counseling programs. These include:
- Western Washington University
- Idaho State University
- Portland State University
- Western Oregon University
- San Diego State University
- Fresno State University
- Utah State University
DSHS/DVR will also continue to send recruitment announcements to higher education institutions offering rehabilitation counseling programs nationwide.
Recruiting qualified candidates in sufficient numbers to fill VRC positions is a continuing challenge. The national shortage of qualified VRC applicants has significantly affected DSHS/DVR’s ability to fill vacancies in a timely manner, especially in rural and high-cost-of-living locations. Counselor turnover in our most populous county, King County, results in insufficient staffing levels to adequately meet customer needs.
In response to recruitment challenges, DSHS/DVR has broadened its list of qualifying master’s degrees to include psychology, counseling, or a field related to vocational rehabilitation (i.e. fields which promote the physical, psychosocial, or vocational well-being of individuals with disabilities). While the list of qualifying master’s degrees has broadened, the required competencies that a VRC candidate must demonstrate have remained unchanged.
Per Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) revisions to Rehabilitation Act CSPD requirements, DSHS/DVR has incorporated the Bachelor’s level education qualifications into the VRC classification series. This has resulted in a broader recruitment pool and more timely appointments to vacant positions. However, a consequence of hiring graduates without a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling is the additional time required for these new staff to master the work.
New counselors without a Master’s in Rehabilitation complete 18 credit hours in rehabilitation counseling within their first two years with DVR. New counselors with a Bachelor’s degree have two years to complete a Master’s Degree. These counselors also carry fewer cases than journey-level counselors while completing the educational requirements and learning the job.
A particular focus of recruitment continues to be attracting candidates who identify as African-American, Latino, and American Indian, as these individuals are presently under-represented among DSHS/DVR personnel and in comparison to our caseload demographics. Targeted recruitment will continue in collaboration with Latino community-based organizations, American Indian VR Programs and other Tribal organizations, as well as African-American community-based organizations.
Retention & Advancement
To ensure that new employees have the support they need to be successful, DSHS/DVR continues to use a comprehensive employee onboarding program. Supervisors use this set of activities when new employees are hired to ensure that individuals receive adequate orientation and training to perform their roles and responsibilities and serve customers well.
An activity to support new staff was implemented in one of DSHS/DVR’s regions this year. New VR counseling staff formed a cohort that met monthly with two senior DSHS/DVR managers to discuss policy, practices and principles related to their vocational rehabilitation work. The sessions have proven to be valuable to new staff, and other areas of the state plan to implement similar approaches.
DSHS/DVR conducts an employee survey bi-annually, and uses the results to identify ways to improve employee job satisfaction.