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Plan: Colorado PYs 2024-2027
Combined Plan C

Section: Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

Narrative: a. 4.

Published
Located in:

a. 4. In accordance with the requirements in Section 101(a)(21)(A)(ii)(III) of the Rehabilitation Act, include a summary of the Council’s input (including how it was obtained) into the State Plan and any State Plan revisions, including recommendations from the Council's annual reports, the review and analysis of consumer satisfaction and other Council reports.

View corresponding narrative from PYs 2022-2023 (Mod)

Current Narrative:

The Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has had a State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) for more than thirty years. The SRC mission statement is: "The Colorado State Rehabilitation Council reviews, analyzes, advises and partners with Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to effectively deliver services that are equitable, inclusive and lead to quality of life for Coloradans with disabilities through competitive integrated employment, community integration and independent living."

The SRC depends on committees to help carry out its responsibilities, which include: Employment First; Customer Satisfaction and Program Evaluation; and Planning, Policy, and Education. The SRC is also responsible per state law for managing the Employment First Advisory Partnership, which makes recommendations to support Employment First policies and practices across programs with the goal of removing systemic barriers to competitive integrated employment. DVR continues to work closely with the SRC to share and discuss information on finances, personnel, provision of services, agency policies, state rules, WIOA common performance measures, customer satisfaction, and any other items that impact the extent, scope, and effectiveness of rehabilitation services. 

The SRC evaluates DVR program participant satisfaction evaluation processes, which includes electronic surveys available to all stakeholders and individuals served. The SRC has been involved in focus groups conducted as part of the Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA), and is invited to participate in public meetings hosted by DVR to gather stakeholder input. Each of these provide opportunities to gather feedback. The results from DVR initiated customer satisfaction surveys, along with guidance from the SRC are used to drive more effective and efficient vocational rehabilitation services. The SRC also conducts its own customer satisfaction surveys to gather additional information and they share this information with DVR.

DVR regularly seeks the advice of the SRC on pertinent issues, including the development and implementation of the state plan. To this end, DVR and the SRC jointly developed and conducted the 2021 DVR triennial Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment to determine the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities in Colorado. The SRC and DVR established the goals of the CSNA and developed a plan for dissemination. Results were analyzed and findings were used to make recommendations to DVR that informed the state plan’s goals, priorities, and strategies. The SRC and DVR will continue to conduct public hearings in person, by telephone, and electronically to obtain comments on the DVR state plan and on potential policy changes that are a part of the state plan.  

The SRC makes formal and informal recommendations to DVR throughout the year, including: 

  • Providing SRC with key performance metrics at each full council meeting in order to better understand progress toward goals, gaps in outcomes, and allow for the Council to make more timely recommendations to impact performance.
  • That DVR implements a more robust background check policy for all providers who are approved to provide vocational rehabilitation goods and services. 
  • That DVR ensures comprehensive policies and procedures are in place for how individuals receiving services report a concern about mistreatment or abuse from a provider or member of DVR staff, along with clear procedures for how these reports are investigated, reported, and resolved. 
  • That the SRC and DVR partner to develop a formal process for the SRC to make recommendations and document responses from DVR throughout the year to allow for a more engaged and interactive process. 
  • That DVR ensures assistive technology and digital literacy skills are addressed by DVR counselors early in the VR process, particularly as services continue to be offered through a hybrid approach. 

Additionally, while the SRC has not made specific recommendations, they have expressed  interest in understanding how staff turnover and vacancies have affected the customer experience and decreased customer satisfaction rates, as well as strategies DVR employs to mitigate these challenges, improve staff retention, and minimize extended vacancies.