Narrative: a. 4.

Introduction 

This section is developed in partnership between the Washington State Rehabilitation Council (WSCR) and the Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DSHS/DVR). Included are recommendations of the WSRC and the response of DSHS/DVR provided during FYY 2023-2024. 

The Washington State Rehabilitation Council (WSRC) 

The WSRC partners with DSHS/DVR to provide feedback and advocates to improve vocational rehabilitation services in Washington state. 

Order of Selection

WSRC was an active partner in public review and comment on DSHS/DVR’s proposal to amend the 2024-2027 State Plan to implement order of selection. WSRC’s Executive Director led a team of DSHS/DVR and WSRC staff to prepare and distribute communications to customers and partners about the State Plan amendment and the opportunity to comment. Notices about the amendment and a public forum were distributed from August 9-16, 2024, and posted on DSHS/DVR’s website. On September 16, 2024, DSHS/DVR and WSRC jointly facilitated a public forum to present the reasons for the amendment and its impact and address comments and questions from attendees. About 180 individuals attended the forum. Most questions were related to customer concerns about their case. They were advised to contact their counselor or the customer service email address. 

One participant had questions about equitable access to services and engagement with diverse communities and advocacy organizations. A provider recommended that cases currently in eligibility status not be impacted by Order of Selection or that it only apply to new applicants. Commenters also requested that providers be advised of customer service priority category and asked whether the category closures would result in sufficient savings.

DSHS/DVR notified the WSRC in early June that it was assessing the need to implement Order of Selection, based on projected growth in caseloads and spending. DSHS/DVR completed the State Plan draft amendment the first week of August and sent the draft to WSRC for review on August 6. On August 8, the DSHS/DVR Director made a presentation to the WSRC about the plans for implementing Order of Selection. WSRC did not provide formal comments on the amendment but indicated support for the rationale. WSRC members participated in the public forum and had the opportunity to provide written feedback.

WSRC Item 1 – May 2022  

The WSRC recommends implementing the Counselor Reassignment Best Practices Checklist as developed by the Policy & Planning subcommittee to support proactive communication with customers when they experience a counselor change. Customers experience significant impacts to the continuity of services when there is a counselor reassignment. The Customer Satisfaction & Program Evaluation subcommittee has received a significant level of feedback over the years in our Customer Satisfaction Surveys, Focus Groups, and Listening Sessions about this issue.  

The primary objective of the checklist is to ensure customers are informed when their case is reassigned and that there is continuous case progress. This recommendation is also in support of Goal One in the 2020-2023 State Plan indicating that Customer Service & Outcomes are DSHS/DVR’s Highest Priority along with the strategies to identify and address barriers, timely services, and continuous case progress throughout the VR process.    

As advocates for DSHS/DVR customers, we believe implementation of a statewide consistent practice will assist in addressing the State Plan goal as well as increase customer satisfaction. 

WSRC Item 2 – April 2023 

The WSRC recommends implementation of Rapid Engagement as a best practice to maximize the likelihood that customers will be active participants throughout the VR process. As part of Council responsibilities, we administer a quarterly customer satisfaction survey to customers in the following case status. One of the questions that we ask in the survey is “DVR moves quickly enough for me”, and consistently it is the lowest rated score on the survey. In FFY22 the statewide results for this question range from 58-62%. In support of this recommendation, we encourage technology modernization including implementation of digital and/or electronic signatures as well as advancing records retention technology such as email to text and cell phone to text.  

Summary of Customer Satisfaction   

Between October 1, 2022, and September 30th, 2023, customer satisfaction input was gathered through Customer Satisfaction Survey and Customer Listening Sessions.   

Customer Satisfaction Survey  

In 2023, we are in our third year partnering with Washington State University’s Social and Economic Sciences Research Center to administer the DSHS/DVR Customer Satisfaction Survey. In effort to ensure we are supporting best practices in language accessibility, we are offering the survey in the following languages: Amharic, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, English, Farsi, Korean, Laotian, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrigna, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.  

Our survey asks customers the following seven questions, allowing them the opportunity to rate their responses on a five-point Likert scale:  

• My counselor does a good job keeping in touch with me.   
• My counselor understands what is important to me.   
• My counselor understands how my disability affects me.  
• My counselor cares about my input.  
• DVR moves quickly enough for me.   
• Overall, I am satisfied with DVR.  
• Open end comment for dissatisfied customers.  
• Comment box with option to share additional comments with DVR.  

DSHS/DVR customers receive an invitation by mail and email to participate in our survey via a web portal or a phone-in option. Customers are surveyed in three of the four phases of the Vocational Rehabilitation process: plan, closed-employed and closed-other.   

The council shares survey results and comment highlights with DSHS/DVR leadership and partners at each of our quarterly meetings. We look forward to seeing how DSHS/DVR’s adoption of Results, an Enterprise Performance Management System, will elevate staff access and awareness of survey data to support informed decision and discussion to make improvements in service delivery.  

The survey is sent to a randomized sample of customers on a quarterly basis. We are reporting results from the question “Overall, I am satisfied with DVR” for FFY22 3rd quarter through FFY23 2nd quarter with a total of 1,647 respondents.   

FFY22 3rd quarter – April to June 2022 (Response Rate 35%)  

• Region 1 – 74% (Margin of Error +/- 9%)  
• Region 2 – 66% (Margin of Error +/- 7%)  
• Region 3 – 58% (Margin of Error +/- 9%)  
• Statewide – 65% (Margin of Error +/- 5%)  

FFY22 4th quarter – July to September 2022 (Response Rate 35%)  

• Region 1 – 79% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Region 2 – 70% (Margin of Error +/- 7%)  
• Region 3 – 72% (Margin of Error +/- 7%)  
• Statewide – 73% (Margin of Error +/- 4%)  

FFY23 1st quarter – October to December 2022 (Response Rate 44%)  

• Region 1 – 75% (Margin of Error +/- 7%)  
• Region 2 – 70% (Margin of Error +/- 6%)  
• Region 3 – 64% (Margin of Error +/- 7%)  
• Statewide – 69% (Margin of Error +/- 4%)  

FFY23 2nd quarter – January to March 2023 (Response Rate 39%)  

• Region 1 – 68% (Margin of Error +/- 9%)  
• Region 2 – 73% (Margin of Error +/- 6%)  
• Region 3 – 61% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Statewide – 68% (Margin of Error +/- 4%)  

Customer satisfaction survey results from the question “DVR moves quickly enough for me” for FFY22 3rd quarter through FFY23 2nd quarter with a total of 1,647 respondents.   

FFY22 3rd quarter – April to June 2022 (Response Rate 35%)  

• Region 1 – 62% (Margin of Error +/- 10%)  
• Region 2 – 60% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Region 3 – 43% (Margin of Error +/- 9%)  
• Statewide – 55% (Margin of Error +/- 5%)  

FFY22 4th quarter – July to September 2022 (Response Rate 35%)  

• Region 1 – 65% (Margin of Error +/- 10%)  
• Region 2 – 60% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Region 3 – 62% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Statewide – 62% (Margin of Error +/- 5%)  

FFY23 1st quarter – October to December 2022 (Response Rate 44%)  

• Region 1 – 66% (Margin of Error +/- 10%)  
• Region 2 – 59% (Margin of Error +/- 6%)  
• Region 3 – 55% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Statewide – 60% (Margin of Error +/- 4%)  

FFY23 2nd quarter – January to March 2023 (Response Rate 39%)  

• Region 1 – 55% (Margin of Error +/- 10%)  
• Region 2 – 65% (Margin of Error +/- 6%)  
• Region 3 – 51% (Margin of Error +/- 8%)  
• Statewide – 58% (Margin of Error +/- 4%)  

Listening Sessions 

Assistive Technology

In October 2022, council members held listening sessions with DSHS/DVR Assistive Technology Assessment Practitioners and customers who have received their services. DSHS/DVR currently employs four ATAPs serving customers statewide with their assistive technology needs. Some examples of assistive technology include computer keyboards, laptops, accessibility software, vehicle modifications, etc. Some general themes we heard from customers include that their ATAP providers do an excellent job building rapport with their customers. Several customers expressed that services are provided in a caring and professional way. Customers feel “seen” and understood as a whole person. Their ATAPs understand the many ways their disability affects different aspects of their lives. ATAP providers are very knowledgeable and resourceful. Nearly every customer spoke about the high competencies of their provider, explaining that they felt they were in good hands because the ATAP is knowledgeable about what options of assistive technology would be best for their unique need.  

Council members concluded that building awareness of ATAP services with DSHS/DVR staff can include further training for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors to increase awareness and scope of ATAP services to support successful rehabilitation outcomes. Additionally, there is a great need for additional administrative support. Seven of the 10 participants spoke to how they can tell that their ATAP provider is very knowledgeable and capable, and how response times are often slow and other steps to receive their assistive technology devices are delayed because the ATAP must manage every aspect of process. Customers expressed their sincere understanding and awareness that staff manage high caseloads, but they pointed out the need for additional support for their ATAP provider.  

Rapid Engagement  

As the national conversation unfolds about the importance of meaningful engagement of customers throughout the vocational rehabilitation process, the council held listening sessions in March 2023 with executive leadership and field staff on the topic of rapid engagement.   

What is rapid engagement? As defined by the VRTAC-QM, it is “a strategy whereby individuals with disabilities are moved through the rehabilitation process (referral to application, application to eligibility determination, eligibility to IPE development) as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to maximize the likelihood that they will be active and full participants in their rehabilitation plans and achieve successful outcomes.”   

Why is rapid engagement important? As part of council responsibilities, we administer a quarterly customer satisfaction survey to customers in the following case status. One of the questions that we ask in the survey is whether “DVR moves quickly enough for me”, and consistently it is the lowest-rated score on the survey. Vocational Rehabilitation programs are talking more about rapid engagement to seek new ways to meet customers’ needs and increase engagement and retention of customers in the VR program.  

To gather feedback from staff, the Council held a combination of individual meetings with leadership as well as four listening sessions. A total of 38 DSHS/DVR staff participated with representation from each region, and most job classes, including the director, regional administrators, supervisors, counselors, and rehabilitation technicians. DSHS/DVR staff shared best practices they were already utilizing and new ideas to support this effort. The council carefully analyzed all feedback received and categorized it into three main groups: technology, partnerships, and service delivery.   

• Technology: Staff addressed the need for additional and upgraded technology to allow for efficient service provision. Modern technology could greatly reduce the significant time staff spend tracking down and maintaining documentation, resulting in more time available to provide services to customers.   
•   Partnerships: For rapid engagement to be effective, partnerships with Community Rehabilitation Providers, Developmental Disabilities Administration, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery services, workforce system, Tribal VR, the public school system, as well as other agencies, need to be utilized throughout the process—from intake to case closure. Working relationships between DSHS/DVR and CRPs need to be strengthened and restored. Additionally, consistent feedback from field staff supported the importance of strengthening Memorandums of Understanding with DSHS/DVR’s partners.  
•   Service Delivery: We heard how simple strategies can increase customer engagement and make work easier for staff throughout each aspect of the process, from application, intake and eligibility, to plan development and case progress.