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. C. Description of staff development policies, procedures, and activities that ensure all personnel employed by the VR agency receive appropriate and adequate training and continuing education for professionals and paraprofessionals:
i. Particularly with respect to assessment, vocational counseling, job placement, and rehabilitation technology, including training implemented in coordination with entities carrying out State programs under section 4 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998; and
ii. Procedures for the acquisition and dissemination of significant knowledge from research and other sources to VR agency professionals and paraprofessionals and for providing training regarding the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act made by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Current Narrative:
i) MVR has a comprehensive program for in-service training and staff development for all positions. Staff at all levels will attend training in cultural diversity, sexual harassment prevention, and customer service. Each new MVR employee completes a new employee orientation program in Bridge, VR’s Learning Management System, which includes items on a hiring checklist. All new counselors attend New Counselor Training consisting of four monthly sessions. New counselors also receive online training through the Counselor Training and Resource Guide Program in Bridge and on-the-job training with a supervisor. New administrative support staff receive online training through the Administrative Training Guide Program in Bridge and on-the-job training with a supervisor. Supervisory staff and upper management personnel are required to attend training in leadership, supervision, hiring, interviewing, and other training offered through the state. MVR is invested in its leadership training program for supervisors and emerging leaders. Many MVR employees have graduated from, and some are currently participating in, the National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute. MVR utilizes an internal training consultant who assists in leadership training.
All new counselor staff, together with their district supervisor, completes the New Counselor Training and Resource Guide Program in Bridge or New Administrative Staff Training Program in Bridge, which assists in the development and understanding of the rehabilitation field and the agency’s goals, priorities, and responsibilities in serving individuals with disabilities under the federal/state VR program. MVR gathers ad hoc teams to address and evaluate specific staff development needs including topics such as leadership development, training manuals, training evaluations, new counselor orientations, and MI.
In addition to New Employee Orientation, new counseling staff receives training specific to vocational counseling/career development, job development/job placement, vocational services, and case management techniques from MVR staff.
MVR supports staff attendance on an annual basis to the Power Up Conference, which promotes the use and understanding of assistive technology and rehabilitation technology services and resources across the state. This conference is sponsored by the Missouri Assistive Technology Project (MoAT). MVR convenes an ad hoc assistive technology team when necessary, which assists the agency in staff development activities for assistive technology.
MVR has an assistant director of independent living/rehabilitation technology and an assistant director of deaf and hard of hearing/assistive technology. These staff members specialize in assistive technology related to independent living and deaf/hard of hearing services. They interact with MoAT and CILs across the state. They attend assistive technology services training and provide resources and information when appropriate to MVR staff. An MVR staff member is a representative on the MoAT Advisory Council.
MVR supports staff attendance at the National AgrAbility Conference. Additionally, statewide training has been provided on services and technology supports for agricultural careers.
Staff attend the Missouri Reentry Conference, which highlights best practices of state agencies and business/community/faith-based organizations serving justice-involved individuals. MVR participates in the Missouri Reentry Process.
MVR staff attend the annual Missouri and Illinois Behavioral Health Conference sponsored by the Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare. The coalition represents Missouri’s not-for-profit community mental health centers, which participate in the implementation of Individual Placement and Support services in collaboration with MVR and the Department of Mental Health’s Behavioral Health division.
Staff development needs are established in a number of ways. A survey of training needs is administered annually to all counseling and paraprofessional staff to ascertain the needs and interests of all MVR staff. Other methods to determine staff development needs are quality assurance reviews, evaluation of consumer satisfaction surveys, and feedback and recommendations from the State Rehabilitation Council.
Results of the training needs survey are shared with members of the administrative team and regional managers. MVR works to provide training in a variety of ways to accommodate staff needs. Staff members regularly participate in both in-person, virtual/remote, and web-based trainings.
The nature and scope of the staff development program is tied to MVR’s overall goals and priorities. MVR is committed to improving staff competencies to ensure that the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, will be fully implemented and the philosophy embraced. MVR training supports the goals and priorities that have been established in the comprehensive statewide needs assessment.
ii) MVR continues to participate and has collaborative relationships with research programs and partner agencies.
Other training areas, which MVR frequently sponsors, or staff participate in, are the following:
- Motivational Interviewing
- Legal and ethical issues in rehabilitation
- Medical and psychological aspects of disability
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder
- Vocational counseling/assessment
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Informed choice
- Social Security work incentive programs, including Ticket to Work
- Sexual harassment prevention
- Cultural diversity
- Job development/job placement/supported employment
- Transition from school to work and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA issues)
- Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Rehabilitation technology
- Missouri Rehabilitation Association annual conference
- Leadership training
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing for counselors working with this population
- Individual training requests pertinent to the field of rehabilitation
- Attendance at conferences/workshops related to MVR (e.g., traumatic brain injury, APSE-MO, Power Up, rehabilitation technology)
When applicable, staff can receive CRC and continuing education credits.