Narrative: i. 2. C.

Staff Development and Training Activities

The selection of WVDRS participants for training activities is based upon documented organizational, unit, or individual training needs. Training programs will be provided for all classes and types of staff members on an internally assessed priority basis. Particular emphasis is placed on programs addressing assessment, vocational counseling, job placement, policy and procedure, ethics, and rehabilitation technology. WVDRS does not discriminate in the selection of trainees for these programs based on age, sex, religion, disability, and national or ethnic origin.

WVDRS is committed to utilizing only institutions or training facilities that are accessible programmatically and architecturally free of other barriers with respect to trainees with disabilities. In addition, WVDRS will ensure that program materials are accessible in the most appropriate format for all participants with disabilities (assistive communication devices, interpreters, large print, audio tapes, Braille material, etc.). The technology to ensure these accommodations is available through various support units within WVDRS. Moreover, to promote equal access for individuals with disabilities in facilities of higher education, WVDRS houses a rehabilitation counselor on campus at Marshall University and West Virginia University.

Typically, the majority of the training needs are met through local training and the agency’s annual State Training Conference. WVDRS staff also participate in other training opportunities, when appropriate, through institutions of higher education, particularly those receiving funds from the Rehabilitation Services Administration to train rehabilitation professionals. This is to ensure that personnel needed within WVDRS are appropriately and adequately prepared for employment. In 2022, 20 WVDRS staff participated in Pre-ETS training provided by West Virginia University Research Corporation through an RSA Innovative Training program grant.

Throughout PYs 2022 and 2023, WVDRS continued to utilize a group training approach for newly hired counselors and RSAs; 20 new counselors and counselor trainees and 34 RSAs were trained during PY 2022, and 25 new counselors and counselor trainees and 17 RSAs were trained during PY 2023 through October 2023. The training is led by QA Unit staff members and consists of multiple sessions, provided on an as-needed basis for new hires (minimum of 2 new hires per cohort). The training begins with introductory materials, as well as training on case management and agency policies and procedures. Later sessions cover Decision Tree Training, detailing appropriate casework practices from referral to closure. In addition to the training, as part of their NCT/RSA module training, new hires receive a CRP services overview and information about the agency’s Rehabilitation Services Programs Unit and a tour of their work area(s), including the Rehabilitation Technology Unit. This approach ensures that all rehabilitation counselors and paraprofessionals receive standardized and accurate training.

QA Unit staff members and branch office managers conduct regular case record reviews to ensure compliance with federal, state, and agency casework standards. Any deficiencies identified from the reviews are addressed through appropriate training.

All WVDRS-sponsored programs provide continuing education credits that assist WVDRS CRCs, Licensed Professional Counselors, and members of other certified groups to maintain or obtain their certification. WVDRS has received approval authority from the CRCC to provide CRC continuing education credits for training programs meeting CRCC criteria.

WVDRS managers and supervisors also attend management training events to meet the requirements for the West Virginia Division of Personnel Policy 18, which mandates specialized training for all supervisors and managers. New managers and supervisors are required to take eight classes in their first two years.  During PY 2022, 45 managers or supervisors participated in 154 DOP-18 training courses. 

In June 2022, WVDRS held a WIOA Partners Conference in Morgantown, WV. Thirty-three partner agencies were represented, including representation from WV Combined State Plan agencies, with a total of 216 participants. This conference was followed by the WVDRS State Conference, also held in Morgantown, WV, with 220 participants. In June 2023, WVDRS held a Statewide Conference in Morgantown, WV, with 200 staff members in attendance and with 16 exhibitors from around the state. In September 2023, WVDRS held a Clerical Conference at its Administrative Office in Nitro, WV; 52 staff members attended this conference.  These conferences help ensure that all staff members are connected to the overall mission and vision of the agency.

WVDRS staff confront the challenge of refining and improving their skills and knowledge while dealing with the current explosion of knowledge, technology, and treatment modalities. WVDRS will continue to make intensive efforts to provide ongoing information that will ensure the skills of WVDRS employees are responsive to the needs of the people they serve.

With respect to training implemented in coordination with entities carrying out State programs under section 4 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, WVDRS maintains a working relationship and a formal memorandum of understanding with the West Virginia Assistive Technology System (WVATS). In West Virginia, the WVATS, under the Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University, is the administrator of the assistive technology grant. WVDRS is also represented on the West Virginia Assistive Technology Board and works with WVATS in a number of ways, including:

• Maintain an updated resource database for Assistive Technology services in West Virginia.
• Participate in special projects (i.e., finding and advocating for accessible recreational resources).
• Provide information resources, awareness, and training for consumers and professionals in assistive technology services and devices.
• Provide information to WVATS partners regarding WVDRS and other disability-related subjects; and
• Participate as a member on an interagency team, Partnerships in Assistive Technologies, with a focus of interagency collaboration for the provision of Assistive Technology training and conferences.