Narrative: j. 1.

Organized within the New Hampshire Education Department, VRNH participates in the State’s transition initiatives. In August 2022, VRNH developed a transition service strategic plan with key stakeholders. This plan identified various strategies to advance student with disabilities employment and education outcomes statewide. A Transition Service Advisory Committee was established comprised of various stakeholders with the goal to ensure students and youth with disabilities are positioned to successfully transition from school to post-secondary options in NH. The purpose of the Advisory group is to: Leverage VRNH ‘s community partner relationships which support the successful transitions to the world of work for students and youth with disabilities. This will be achieved by fostering cooperation, collaboration, and the development of best practices among cross stakeholders to improve and strengthen transition and pre -employment transition services (Pre-ETS) outcomes for students with disabilities. (Refer to Transition Service Strategic Plan 2022-2026; Transition Advisory Committee Charter 2/2023).

The VRNH School Transition Services Strategic Plan was established in collaboration with a team comprised of internal and external key stakeholders. VRNH conducted several planning sessions facilitated by NTACT representatives. VRNH leadership and staff reviewed the following performance measures and customer service survey results (i.e., survey results; federally mandated metrics; VRNH staff survey needs analysis) to establish a strategic direction and focus for the upcoming years. The Strategic Plan will provide a roadmap for VRNH leaders and staff to follow.

Strategic Priorities

Strategic Priority #1: Build Awareness And Effective Communication to brand VRNH services which defines the value proposition to students, families, schools, and community partners.

Strategic Priority #2: Advance Partnerships And Collaboration. Bring together the skills and resources of identified stakeholders and build alliance to improve student transition service outcomes to advance innovative service delivery practices.

Strategic Priority #3: Invest In Our Staff, Pre-Ets Vendors, And Community Partners. Develop a system of professional development using evidence-based strategies.

Strategic Priority #4: Focus On Student Outcomes And Create Service Value. Focus on statewide innovative and evidence-based services which are student and youth driven and result oriented by aligning operations which are malleable and seize opportunities in response to the ever changing social and economic climate.

Strategic Priority #5:  Sound Fiscal Management. Implement sound fiscal management that aligns with federal and state regulations for accurate, consistent reporting for timely decision making on programmatic operations.

Strategic Priority # 6: Exceptional Customer Service And Continuous Quality Improvement. Establish and maintain a systematic and proactive continuous quality improvement process that promotes quality service delivery outcomes, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction. 

VRNH counselors across the state are involved in the local and regional partnerships which were developed to implement the activities of grants available. Counselors advocate for the inclusion of students with disabilities and special education staff in the systemic changes occurring in the schools.

VRNH understands the need for services to be identified and in place prior to a student leaving the school setting in order to assist the student with a smooth transition to post-school activities which may include postsecondary education, training, employment, and related vocational rehabilitation services which will lead to competitive integrated employment. To assure this planning, the Agency provides for the development and approval of an individualized plan for employment while the student is in school and within 90 days of eligibility determination.

The Agency continues to participate in an interagency agreement with the state educational agency with respect to transition planning. The updated agreement fully executed in August 2023. (Refer to detailed description below: Intra-agency Agreement with NHSES).

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) have re-shaped transition and the collaboration with schools.  The agency provides Pre-ETS in three main methods which may be provided individually or in group settings within the community:

1. Workshops provided by VRNH Student Transition Specialists (STS),
2. Contracted pre-ETS services provided by IMPACCT Academy(s); VABIR, and Big Brother Big Sister Mentoring program, and
3. Pre-ETS services provided to individual students by VR Counselors or by a Community Rehabilitation Program.

Over the last year, VRNH notes the following program improvements:

• stronger partnership between Pre-ETS (IMPACCT and Community Rehabilitation Provider) program staff and vocational rehabilitation counselors
• enhanced efforts to engage potentially eligible students in individualized vocational rehabilitation services.
• stronger partnership with NHSES through the development of joint activities outlined in the Intra -agency agreement.
• educating schools on how the STS workshops can be written into a student’s transition plan within their Individualized Education Program and meet requirements for Indicator 13
• exploration of certain STS workshops being offered to students for course credit through an Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO)
• co- hosting joint collaborative college and career events with NH community college system for students and engaging local employers.
• conducted a number of cross agency professional development and outreach opportunities for families.
• refined transition and pre its policy and procedures
• Increased options for service provision utilizing Community Rehabilitation Programs to ensure delivery of 5 Pre-ETS services. Expanded the accessibility and availability for statewide pre- ETS services.

Within the Department’s Dropout Plan, VRNH works with its partners via the Earn and Learn Opportunities Program and Second Start Alternative school summer program to help identify and assist youth with disabilities who may be at high risk of or who have already dropped out of school to remain in or return to school and continue with the transition process. This transition process might lead them to a post-secondary training institution or other training opportunity.

VRNH continues to be an active leader in the state Community of Practice on Transition (CoP). Using its strategy, it is intended to promote and to influence transition practice and policy on multiple levels, using more of a grassroots type of approach. The CoP sponsors an annual Transition Summit, and is currently focusing its efforts on, continuing to promote the use of successful transition practices and resources from a state and national perspective. As a result, the CoP now offers a six-month professional development series aimed at educating professionals, educators, and families on a variety of services, programs and practices that can enhance and support stronger transition outcomes for students with disabilities.

The Agency continues to be involved in the provision of sector-based employment opportunities through Project SEARCH. This program focuses on the healthcare industry. In 2023, Project Search National conducted fidelity reviews of all the 5 project search sites to increase the quality of employment opportunities offered and financial sustainability . VRNH is currently working in collaboration with the project site advisory committee and staff to implement recommended strategies. .

VRNH employs a full time Transition Service Administrator and Transition coordinator and has five full-time Student Transition Specialists to work statewide to improve services to students and youth with disabilities. In addition, the agency’s 29 VR Counselors work with students in their regions. The Administrator and Coordinator strives to ensure that changes implemented by WIOA are achieved. The activities these positions cover include:

• working with VRNH counselors to improve access and services provided to students and youth with disabilities.
• working with VRNH counselors to develop best practices and examples of best practices to students and youth with disabilities.
• providing training on activities occurring across the state as a result of implementation of WIOA
• coordinating efforts with VRNH counselors, school district staff, school- to-work staff, and other constituents, to ensure the inclusion of students and youth with disabilities in the systemic changes occurring in the schools as a result of the IDEA 2008 and the Rehabilitation Act.
• active participation on the State Advisory Committee on the Education of Children with Disabilities
• providing advocacy for students and youth with disabilities to a variety of constituents.
• improving connections between VRNH and other transition service agencies.
• providing information and guidance regarding Labor Laws as they relate to job shadow, internships, and work experience for students and youth with disabilities.
• marketing to school staff, students and families, adult service agencies, etc. through the communication plan and engagement action plan in a variety of areas, e.g., employment issues as a result of disability, transition of students with disabilities, availability of adult services, best practices in transition of youth with disabilities, accessing adult services, employer perspectives.
• developing relationships with other agencies providing services to students and youth with disabilities to maximize services offered.
• providing technical assistance on grants as they are developed with multiple agencies and programs to ensure the inclusion of all students and youth with disabilities; and
• providing continued support of transition service programs for students and youth such as the Earn and Learn Opportunities program, VABIR, Major Choice, Big Brother Big Sister mentoring program, IMPACCT, Bridges/UNH4U, MY TURN, and Project SEARCH.

VRNH staff actively facilitates meetings with school staff, VRNH counselors, and school-to-work staff to plan the inclusion of students with disabilities in the systemic changes occurring within the state. The Agency will continue to expand and solidify its interagency approach to ensuring a successful transition from school to employment or post-secondary training opportunities for students with disabilities throughout the State. On both the statewide and local level, VR Agency staff continues to participate in planning, program development, and funding of transition from school to work or post-secondary education initiatives with other agencies and school districts. The Agency continues to work closely with local school districts to develop, implement and expand programs designed to facilitate the transition process, such as provision of Pre- Employment Transition Services to those who are eligible and those who are potentially eligible for vocational rehabilitation services. As an Agency, we have allowed latitude from region to region in regard to how transition caseloads are covered. In some regional offices all counselors have mixed caseloads (i.e., adults and transition-age students), while others have only a certain number of counselors assigned to carry a full caseload of transition. This allows regional offices and the Agency overall to better respond to the needs of students with disabilities who are transitioning to the workforce or postsecondary education, work on strengthening existing school district relationships, and develop new school district relationships. All Student Transition Specialist and counselors are assigned as the liaison for schools statewide.

In an effort to develop, strengthen and foster relationships with schools, the agency continues to collaborate with NHSES to provide online professional development opportunities to the schools, families and community partners. These opportunities will offer professional development hours for participants and will be offered throughout the school year Such opportunities include but are not limited to educating LEAs on the intra- agency agreement between VRNH and NHSES. In addition, VRNH partners with the Parent Information Center to provide ongoing education about VRNH services. Education is provided to families through various strategies, such as VRNH attending the local school’s family orientations. .

Students served by the Agency represent all disability groups and not just those in special education programs. Counselors are frequently present in schools receiving referrals from teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators. Serving this population will remain a focus activity of the Agency. The Agency plans to include statewide training and technical assistance intervention for schools and families for developing natural supports, which is a school and work-based learning model including job training, monitoring, and general workplace competencies in its continued innovation and expansion activities.

The Agency continues to collaborate with the Agency of Developmental Services to support area agencies in the provision of the sector-based training fund. The State Rule governs how individuals with developmental disabilities will achieve long-term support funding. The rule will ensure that if someone is in an employment setting, they will have the long-term supports to maintain that job. It also supports that students still in high school can achieve long-term supports while still in school and prior to graduation. The rule also helps families understand that employment should be the first option when looking at goals after high school graduation.