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:
__________
[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. 4. Non-educational agencies serving out-of-school youth; and
Current Narrative:
DRS works with a variety of non–educational agencies serving out–of–school youth. The primary coordinated activities serving this population are with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners – WorkForce WV and the regional workforce development boards. DRS strives to coordinate referrals and services to eligible out–of–school youth served by the WIOA youth programs that are overseen by WorkForce WV and the regional workforce development boards. These partnerships allow for improved service delivery through the blending of resources and expertise among the agencies. For example, sharing costs allows DRS and other agencies to enhance outreach efforts, serve increased numbers of out–of– school youth, and improve outcomes for participants.
In addition to DRS’ reliance on WIOA partners in serving out–of–school youth, the agency continues to use community rehabilitation programs (CRPs) that have become a DRS–acknowledged vendor, to support the needs of this population across the state.
DRS also maintains communication and works with other non–educational agencies that serve out– of–school youth in order to introduce and provide VR services. These agencies include Youth Reporting Centers under the WV Division of Juvenile Services and Peer Support Centers, funded by the WV Bureau for Behavioral Health. Youth Reporting Centers are community–based centers that provide intervention programs for at–risk youth and also provide reintegration services for youth returning to the community. The Peer Support Centers provide a variety of support services for qualifying youth with behavioral health conditions.