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
- c. Cooperative Agreements with Agencies Not Carrying Out Activities Under the Statewide Workforce Development System
Describe interagency cooperation with and utilization of the services and facilities of agencies and programs that are not carrying out activities through the statewide workforce development system with respect to:
- c. Cooperative Agreements with Agencies Not Carrying Out Activities Under the Statewide Workforce Development System
c. 1. Federal, State, and local agencies and programs;
Current Narrative:
The West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) maintains cooperation and coordination with various agencies and entities. This section describes DRS association with agencies or entities that are not in the statewide workforce development system, education officials, private non–profit vocational rehabilitation service providers, and supported employment and extended services providers for individuals with the most significant disabilities.
DRS continues to maintain strong relationships with many agencies and organizations that are not in the statewide workforce development system and whose functions, in some capacity, involve the provision of services to individuals with disabilities. The association with other organizations occurs with varying degrees of involvement depending upon joint initiatives that may be planned and/or that may occur within any given year. Generally, DRS representatives may be included in advisory functions for other agencies, as are other agencies with the strategic planning that occurs within DRS. Some examples include:
– A DRS representative is actively involved with the West Virginia Behavioral Health Planning Council in the monitoring and oversight of behavioral health services in the state. The DRS representative participates in quarterly Council meetings and serves on various subcommittees.
– DRS representatives participate with the West Virginia Developmental Disabilities Council. DRS maintains a close working relationship with the staff and members of this Council and has provided support and received effective feedback for its work.
– DRS is represented on the State’s Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT), a group (including agencies not under the state workforce development system) centered around WorkForce WV to provide on–going attention to addressing issues that will build and continually improve the statewide Workforce Development System (WDS). The team is the single State–level interagency group for addressing issues or concerns regarding building and maintaining the most effective and efficient implementation of the overall WDS in WV. DRS participates in and hosts regular, monthly meetings of the ICT, and is one of the signatories of the ICT Memorandum of Understanding, which is drafted annually. The ICT membership includes:
- Department of Commerce – WorkForce WV – WV Employment Service
- Department of Commerce – Division of Rehabilitation Services
- Department of Commerce – Development Office – Community Development Division
- Department of Commerce – Development Office – Business Industry Development
- Bureau of Senior Services – State Unit on Aging
- Council for Community and Technical College Education
- Department of Education – Office of Adult Education and Workforce Development
- Department of Education – Office of Diversion and Transition Programs
- Department of Health and Human Resources – Bureau of Children and Families,
- Department of Health and Human Resources –Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Department of Health and Human Resources – Food Stamp Employment and Training, United States Department of Agriculture
– DRS has a good working relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the district level, which allows direct referrals of appropriate veterans from VA facilities to its rehabilitation technology unit for assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering services. Furthermore, DRS maintains liaisons for all VA offices in WV.