Narrative: l. 2.

Mission: Working in partnership with Kansans with disabilities to achieve their goals for employment, independence and self-reliance.

KRS Goals and Priorities: As the State’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, KRS will:

• Collaborate with the Core Partners under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to achieve the performance accountability requirements of the Kansas workforce development system.
• Establish an ambitious strategic direction for the VR program, as described below, emphasizing employment outcomes for Kansans with disabilities, empowerment, collaboration, innovation and accountability.

VR Principles

The following core principles will be infused into all VR operations:

• Competitive, integrated employment is a key component to reaching self-reliance, independence, inclusion, economic equality, and integration into society for people with disabilities.
• All people with disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities, are presumed to be capable of engaging in gainful employment.
• KRS, its consumers, providers and partners will be accountable for the achievement of employment and the effective use of resources.
• KRS expects and encourages meaningful involvement of people with disabilities, public/private partners, employers and other stakeholders in KRS programs, services and activities.
• KRS promotes the use of evidence-based practices in VR service delivery to empower Kansans with disabilities to maximize employment and economic self-reliance.
• KRS emphasizes employer engagement activities that market the skills and abilities of qualified workers with disabilities have to contribute to the success of Kansas business and industry.

VR Goals, Strategies and Indicators

Baseline indicators listed below are based on WIOA Program Year (PY) 2018 (July 2018 through June 2019).  The KRS goal throughout the period of this plan is to show continuous improvement.

Empowerment —

• Increase the quality and quantity of employment outcomes for Kansans with disabilities.
• Emphasize the employment potential of students with disabilities and improve the outreach and outcomes for transition-aged students.
   

1. Number of persons achieving stable competitive integrated employment.
   PY 2018:  1,201
    
2. Average hourly earnings of persons employed.
   PY 2018:  $10.91
    
3. Percent of persons employed who report their own earnings as their primary source of support.
   PY 2018:  75.7%
    
4. Timely access to services:  60% of consumers have access to services within 45 days of signed application. (compared to federal timeframes of 150 days).
   PY 2018:  24%
    
5. Number of students with disabilities participating in Pre-Employment Transition Services, including work-based learning experiences. (unduplicated count of students with disabilities with a Pre-ETS plan during the year)
   PY 2018:  1,455
    
6. Percent of students receiving Pre-ETS services who are also in foster care.
   PY 2018:  10%
    
7. Number of youth with disabilities who achieve competitive, integrated employment.
   PY 2018:  273

To support these employment-focused outcome measures for all consumers with disabilities, KRS will implement the following strategies:

• Implement plan to improve recruitment and retention of VR counselors, and thereby improve capacity, timeliness and quality of services.
• Update the Career Counseling, Information and Referral process with a stronger focus on empowering individuals earning subminimum wage to achieve competitive integrated employment.  Coordinate with KDADS on CMS final rule on integrated settings and its impact on persons working at subminimum wage in sheltered workshops.
• Identify and implement options to streamline equipment purchases for VR clients, thereby improving the quality and timeliness of services.

KRS will also implement the following strategies to empower youth and students with disabilities to achieve their goals for direct entry into employment and/or post-secondary education.

• Build partnerships with school transition personnel to encourage career-focused and work-based experiences to be incorporated into transition Individual Education Plans and to increase referrals of students with disabilities to the VR program.
• Increase the number of targeted outreach activities with students, parents, and school personnel in order to foster a cultural shift that emphasizes employment expectations for students with disabilities.
• Collaborate with employers, centers for independent living, and workforce development system partners to increase opportunities for youth with disabilities to participate in paid work-based learning experiences, explore career options, and develop the soft skills necessary for lifelong employment success.

Collaboration —

• Partner with service providers, grantees, contractors. MCOs, and other state agencies to increase the quality and quantity of VR employment outcomes. 

To support collaboration, KRS will implement the following strategies:

• Evaluate/maintain provider and contractor agreements that deliver quality services and outcomes.
• Establish/maintain provider rates that allow our partners to be successful.  Established enhanced rate, and related training/certification requirements for supported/customized employment job coaching.
• Establish ongoing service provider quarterly regional meetings.
• Build and maintain the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act core partnerships. 
  • Explore a co-location pilot with workforce centers. 
  • Finalize MOUS and IFAs with Local Areas. 
• Coordinate outreach efforts with KDADS for individuals impacted by new protected income levels and CMS final rules on integrated settings to encourage VR as an avenue to employment.  Secure necessary benefits counseling.
• Explore options and analyze capacity to issue a competitive RFP to fund collaborative and innovative approaches with community partners to increase access to services and employment outcomes.

Accountability —

To assure accountability, KRS will implement the following strategies:

• Establish capacity to report on WIOA common performance accountability measures.  Seek technical assistance from RSA regarding RSA-911 data integrity.  Participate in the State Wage Interchange System (SWIS) process.
• Continue emphasis on collecting Social Security Reimbursement funds used for grants to Centers for Independent Living.   Secure Ticket Tracker software to assist in identifying Social Security Reimbursement eligible cases.
• Establish annual training conference to assure that regional staff have learning opportunities about best practices, policy and fiscal accountability.
• Update the case review and performance management processes to focus on outcomes, timely access to services and effectiveness in case/caseload management and customer service.
• Provide staff training and implement data collection strategies to assure that Measurable Skill Gains (MSG) are accurately reported and reflect the achievements of clients.  The negotiated performance level for PY 2020 is 20%.  For PY 2021 it is 21%.

Innovation —

To foster innovation, KRS will implement the following strategies:

• Modernize the Kansas Management Information System, a 30-year old legacy system for case management, fiscal processing and data reporting. Coordinate with IT to hire a business analyst and project manager.
• Engage an evaluation entity to conduct a process review of the KRS service delivery structure, and to make recommendations regarding best and promising practices, efficiencies, improvements, innovations, and partnerships. 
• Investigate options for virtual consumer meetings.
• Replicate successful evidence-based practices implemented through the End-Dependence Kansas initiative.
• Implement a Comprehensive Planning Initiative for the Pre-ETS and Transition Services provided by KRS and its key partners for students and youth with disabilities.