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.
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
In accordance with the requirements in Section 101(a)(7) of the Rehabilitation Act, the VR agency must develop and maintain annually a description (consistent with the purposes of the Rehabilitation Act) of the VR agency’s comprehensive system of personnel development, which shall include a description of the procedures and activities the State VR agency will undertake to ensure it has an adequate supply of qualified State rehabilitation professionals and paraprofessionals that provides the following:
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
i. 2. B. The VR agency’s plan for recruitment, preparation and retention of qualified personnel, which addresses the current and projected needs for qualified personnel; and the coordination and facilitation of efforts between the VR agency and institutions of higher education and professional associations to recruit, prepare, and retain personnel who are qualified, including personnel from minority backgrounds and personnel who are individuals with disabilities.
Current Narrative:
WVDRS Recruitment Efforts
WVDRS will continue its efforts to recruit and advance employees of traditionally underrepresented groups such as people with disabilities, seniors, women, and members of racial or ethnic minority groups.
In PY 2023, WVDRS continued efforts to recruit with several postsecondary institutions in West Virginia. Through a partnership with West Virginia University, WVDRS is providing internship opportunities for graduate students in several programs of study, including Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. WVDRS is also working with West Virginia State University, one of the state’s historically black colleges and universities, to provide internship opportunities for its students. WVDRS allows up to three interns per district for a total of 18 interns possible each semester (Spring, Summer, and Fall). Interns must express interest in vocational rehabilitation and be in a bachelor’s- or master’s-level program with a vocational rehabilitation-related degree to be considered. WVDRS works with each university to comply with their program requirements to the extent possible, while providing real-world training similar to what the Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee receives.
In addition to offering internships, WVDRS posts all permanent positions available to the public on Handshake (https://joinhandshake.com/employers/). Handshake is connected to each postsecondary institution in West Virginia and allows WVDRS job postings to be seen by current students and graduates.
WVDRS Re-training Efforts for Existing Rehabilitation Professionals
WVDRS is in full compliance with the CSPD requirement and its standard to employ only rehabilitation counselors who (1) possess a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or a counseling-related field, or (2) are employees who have two years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in the position of Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee. As stated above, WVDRS makes no exceptions to the state standard when hiring new rehabilitation counselors. Therefore, WVDRS provides for existing personnel to receive the training necessary to meet requirements of the state standard.
As part of its non-discriminatory employment practices, WVDRS ensures that all personnel are selected for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, and genetic information (including family medical history). The WVDRS affirmative action plan is updated annually, and the agency has formally adopted this policy of non-discriminatory employment practices.