Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by sections 101(a) and 606 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA.
h. Waiver of Statewideness.
The State plan shall be in effect in all political subdivisions of the State, however, the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (Commissioner) may waive compliance with this requirement in accordance with Section 101(a)(4) of the Rehabilitation Act and the implementing regulations in 34 C.F.R. § 361.26. If the VR agency is requesting a waiver of statewideness or has a previously approved waiver of statewideness, describe the types of services and the local entities providing such services under the waiver of statewideness and how the agency has complied with the requirements in 34 C.F.R. § 361.26. If the VR agency is not requesting or does not have an approved waiver of statewideness, please indicate “not applicable.”
Current Narrative:
During the 2022 State Plan Modification, DVR requested a waiver of statewideness related to a pilot of the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) initiative. The DPN initiative is a partnership with Workforce Development Programs within CDLE’s Division of Employment & Training and local workforce areas. Four local workforce areas, Adams County Workforce and Business Center, Arapahoe/Douglas Works!, Denver Workforce Services, and Jefferson County Business & Workforce Center each entered into an intergovernmental agreement (IA) with DVR. The IA stipulates each of the local workforce areas must provide non-federal funds covering 50% of the program cost, which will expand access to VR and workforce services for individuals with disabilities. As part of the IA, each local workforce area was required to develop and submit a budget identifying the program costs, which was used for determining the total contract amount, including non-federal match. Workforce areas participating were provided with tools for accurately submitting match funds and billing DVR for DPN costs.
The purpose of the DPN pilot was to improve collaboration and co-enrollment between DVR and Workforce Centers, support increased competitive integrated employment outcomes, and improve community linkages to disability resources for Coloradans with disabilities. The DPN provided employment-related assistance to Participants with disabilities who experience barriers to employment, including coordination and alignment of services for individuals eligible for both Title I and Title IV services to support co-enrollment, while minimizing duplication. The DPN also provides periodic post-exit follow-up, ensuring ongoing access to community resources with the goal of increasing job retention. The DPN pilot expands partnership between the local workforce area and DVR through technical assistance and cross training to improve programmatic accessibility and collaboration at the local level.
All services provided by the DPN pilot are clearly agreed to and defined in the IA, which is approved by DVR. Further, individual services require careful collaboration with the local DVR office, including inclusion on the Individualized Plan for Employment for Participants. Both individual and monthly progress reports must be provided to DVR documenting services provided in accordance with the terms of the IA. Further, DVR will participate in monitoring of the local area to review compliance of the DPN pilot with the IA and all requirements. All requirements of the Combined State Plan apply to services provided through the DPN initiative.
The DPN initiative has a planned expansion throughout the state, with many local workforce areas interested in participating. While all areas clearly see benefits to the job seekers with disabilities in their local areas, the contract management has presented challenges. DVR continues to navigate these challenges with local areas, including match rate, method of providing match, and similar details. Depending on how these details are negotiated, it may be necessary to maintain a waiver of statewideness.