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:
__________
[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:
- 1. System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- A. Qualified Personnel Needs
Describe the development and maintenance of a system for collecting and analyzing on an annual basis data on qualified personnel needs with respect to:
- A. Qualified Personnel Needs
- 1. System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
i. 1. A. ii. The number of personnel currently needed by the State agency to provide VR services, broken down by personnel category; and
Current Narrative:
Figure 10.01Personnel Employed by FDBS
| Bureau | Positions |
|---|---|
| Administrative Office | 17 |
| Fiscal | 8 |
| Information Technology | 6 |
| Operations and Compliance | 12 |
| Business Enterprise | 16 |
| Braille and Talking Book Library | 26 |
| Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired | 46 |
| Client Services | 159 |
| Total | 290 |
FDBS obtains data to determine the counselor-to-client ratio from Aware case management system. FDBS served 5,129 individuals in the VR Program in SFY 2020-2021, which represents an increase of 139 from the previous year. The FDBS served 4,990 individuals in SFY 2019-2020. The average ratio of clients per counselor is 56 to 1 in the VR Program. A comparison of the four years prior indicates a statistically insignificant change in the ratio of clients served per counselor (See Figure 10.02). There are occasions when these ratios fluctuate based on counselor vacancies within each district. There were 12 counselor vacancies throughout eight districts during the drafting of this report.
Figure 10.02
FDBS Counselor to Client Ratio
| State Fiscal Year | Total Cases | Ratio (person served/counselor) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,928 | 56 |
| 2020 | 2,769 | 44 |
| 2019 | 2,884 | 48 |
| 2018 | 2,878 | 45 |
| 2017 | 3,006 | 48 |