Narrative: c. 2.

MVR's goals and priorities are based on information from the most recent comprehensive statewide needs assessment, the performance accountability measures, and other available information on the operation and effectiveness of the VR program. MVR and the SRC developed strategies to achieve the goals and priorities.

(1) The Most Recent Comprehensive Statewide Assessment, Including any Updates  

In developing its goals and priorities, MVR analyzed information and results obtained from the most recent comprehensive statewide needs assessment (CSNA). The assessment includes feedback from the SRC, public hearings and consumer satisfaction surveys. This information is given to the administrative and strategic teams to develop strategies. MVR utilizes a variety of teams to assist with the development and implementation of many of the strategies identified in this section. Team members include MVR staff, management, providers, former consumers and school personnel. MVR’s Management Team monitors outcomes and progress toward goals on a regular basis. To illustrate MVR’s use of the CSNA, one area revealed that youth with disabilities need guidance with job exploration, work-based learning experiences, exploring opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive or postsecondary educational programs, workplace readiness training and instruction in self-advocacy. Findings indicate that this population has difficulty accessing employment, education and community services, and that youth need to develop the skills necessary to prepare for, obtain, retain or advance in competitive, integrated employment. MVR has made it a priority to improve outcomes for youth with disabilities as evidenced in the setting of goals and objectives in its current state plan.

(2) The State's Performance Under the Performance Accountability Measures of Section 116 of WIOA

MVR reviewed the requirements for the performance accountability indicators under section 116 of WIOA when goals, priorities, and strategies were in development. Available data and performance were taken into consideration. MVR utilized the performance indicators and its previous performance when setting its goals.

Under WIOA, MVR and the Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind together determine and submit their expected levels of performance as well as negotiate levels of performance with the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). Until recently, VR agencies were required to only report an expected level of performance and negotiate a performance level for measurable skills gain (MSG). Missouri estimated its expected MSG level of performance for PY 2020 would be 18.0% and 18.5% for PY 2021. The agencies negotiated 20.0% for PY 2020 and 20.5% for PY 2021. MVR's actual level of performance for MSG in PY 2020 was 77.9% and 74.8% in PY 2021. MVR's performance rate more than tripled its expected and negotiated levels.

In 2022, agencies were required to submit expected levels of performance and negotiate performance levels for the first five indicators for PY 2022 and PY 2023. These levels are reported below along with MVR’s actual levels of performance for PY 2022. Because PY 2023 has not ended, actual levels are not available at this time (*NA).

Indicator 1 - Employment Rate 2^nd Quarter After Exit

Expected Levels:        PY 2022: 58.8%         PY 2023: 58.8%

Negotiated Levels:     PY 2022: 58.8%         PY 2023: 60.0%

Actual Levels:            PY 2022: 65.96%       PY 2023: *NA

Indicator 2 - Employment Rate 4^th Quarter After Exit

Expected Levels:        PY 2022: 54.5%         PY 2023: 54.5%

Negotiated Levels:     PY 2022: 54.5%         PY 2023: 55.0%

Actual Levels:             PY 2022: 63.54%       PY 2023: *NA

Indicator 3 - Median Earnings 2^nd Quarter After Exit

Expected Levels:        PY 2022: $5,435        PY 2023: $5,435

Negotiated Levels:     PY 2022: $5,450        PY 2023: $5,550

Actual Levels:            PY 2022: $5,590        PY 2023: *NA

Indicator 4 - Credential Attainment Rate

Expected Levels:        PY 2022: 24.0%         PY 2023: 24.0%

Negotiated Levels:     PY 2022: 28.0%         PY 2023: 29.0%

Actual Levels:            PY 2022: 64%            PY 2023: *NA

Indicator 5 - Measurable Skill Gains

Expected Levels:        PY 2022: 65.0            PY 2023: 65.0

Negotiated Levels:     PY 2022: 77.9%         PY 2023: 78.0%

Actual Levels:            PY 2022: 73.26%       PY 2023: *NA

MVR exceeded its expected and negotiated levels of performance for indicators 1, 2, 3, and 4. MVR will continue to evaluate the levels of MSG for individuals with disabilities and determine appropriate next actions.

On February 23, 2024, the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education issued a final rule defining the sixth performance indicator, Effectiveness in Serving Employers, as “Retention with the Same Employer.” The rule is effective March 25, 2024. As of this writing, complete implementation guidance has yet to be released.

(3) Other Available Information on the Operation and Effectiveness of the VR Program, Including Any Reports Received from the State Rehabilitation Council and Findings and Recommendations from Monitoring Activities Conducted Under Section 107.

Other available information on the operation and effectiveness of the VR program utilized in the development of the goals and priorities are:

• SRC input and recommendations
• RSA monitoring feedback from Section 107 Monitoring Reviews
• other sources, e.g., CRPs’ legislative input, consumer satisfaction surveys, input from the Client Assistance Program and public hearings

Goals, Priorities, and Strategies

The goals and priorities for the VR and Supported Employment programs are listed below. The strategies to achieve the goals and priorities are part of methods used to expand and improve services to individuals with disabilities.

VR Program

Goal 1: Increase the number of participants receiving training services.

Target: Increase the number of participants receiving training services by 2.5% per program year.

Baseline data: PY 2021: 3,260         PY 2022: 3,499

Objective: Maximize the potential of those we serve.

Strategies:

1. Emphasize career pathways, ensuring integration in staff training.

2. Expand middle skills pilot program for training services in collaboration with the Office of Workforce Development and Career and Technical Education.

3. Simplify postsecondary training authorization process.

Goal 2: Increase the number of students with disabilities who access VR services.

Target: Increase the number of students with disabilities accessing VR services by 1.5% per program year.

Baseline data: PY 2021: 20,606           PY 2022: 20,794

Objective: Make pre-employment transition services and traditional VR services available to Missouri students with disabilities.

Strategies:

1. Increase number of high schools that VR and its providers engage.

2. Expand pre-employment transition services to justice and foster care involved and homeless or housing insecure students with disabilities through a pilot program.

3. Develop regional interagency partnerships focused on agencies serving youth.

4. Coordinate services with workforce development programs that target youth.

Goal 3: Strengthen relationships with employers across Missouri.

Target: Increase the number of employers served and the number of services provided by 1.5% per program year.

Baseline: MVR developed a system to capture employer services. In PY 2022, 3,075 employers were provided 16,481 services.

Objective: Provide more opportunities to those we serve.

Strategies:

1. Connect candidates to employers recruiting for apprenticeship opportunities.

2. Identify and connect with businesses offering career pathways paying above median wage.

3. Expand Nexus groups across the state to strengthen WIOA partnerships and gain access to employers.

4. Utilize the Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP) to connect candidates to employers.

MVR’s goals, priorities, and strategies for the distribution of funds from section 603 of the Rehabilitation Act for the provision of supported employment services are:

Goal 1: Maintain high quality supported employment services.

Target: Increase or maintain the number of annual CRP summits.

Baseline data: PY 2021: four CRP summits             PY 2022: four CRP summits

Strategies:

1. Identify and share best case practices around providing supported employment services.

2. Continue to provide training through annual CRP Summits.

Goal 2: Implement collaborative programs to promote braiding of services within the statewide workforce development system.

Target: Increase or maintain the number of agreements with Community Mental Health/Treatment Centers providing IPS services per program year.

Baseline data: PY 2021: 26       PY 2022:  33

Strategies:

1. Continue to provide and expand IPS services statewide in partnership with the Department of Mental Health-Behavioral Health Division.

2. MVR entered into contract with the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston to develop a plan for implementing customized employment services across Missouri.

The above strategies will also support innovation and expansion activities, aid in overcoming barriers to accessing VR and supported employment services, improve and expand services for students with disabilities, and improve the performance of the VR and Supported Employment programs.

(A) Support innovation and expansion activities;

MVR continues to support innovation and expansion activities through its commitment to supported employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Multiple ad hoc teams composed of MVR and CRP staff work together developing new ideas and designing processes to successfully support and implement those new ideas. A CRP-MVR team was created to assess service overlap between the Department of Mental Health’s Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD) and CRPs. The team identified ways to braid services.

MVR is also supporting innovation and expansion activities through new pilots in several areas such as apprenticeships and peer mentoring for students with disabilities involved in the justice and foster care systems. Homeless and housing insecure youths are included in these programs. Through these pilots, MVR is collaborating with numerous partners such as the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Social Services, Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, Centers for Independent Living, rehabilitation service providers, University of Missouri, Missouri State University, Office of Workforce Development, and employers. Braiding services through these collaborations opens opportunities to reach more Missourians with disabilities desiring to work.

MVR utilizes innovation and expansion funds to support activities of the Missouri State Rehabilitation Council and the Statewide Independent Living Council pursuant to 34 CFR section §361.35.

(B) Overcome barriers to accessing VR and supported employment services;

MVR developed the strategies below to overcome identified barriers relating to equitable access to and participation of individuals with disabilities in the VR and supported employment services programs.

MVR employs a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant to assist with improving services to underserved populations, developing training programs, and establishing outreach strategies for individuals from diverse cultures. The consultant presents diversity training sessions for all MVR office staff and during new counselor training. The consultant also leads the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team comprised of VR management, VR district office staff and Disability Determination staff. This team is dedicated to acknowledging diversity barriers and developing training to address these issues. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team developed a diversity and inclusion recruitment plan for the agency. Civility training is another strategy utilized to overcome these barriers as well as staff training opportunities on cultural competency that cover aspects of diversity.

To address barriers to services for students with disabilities involved in the justice and foster care systems, along with homeless and housing in-secure youths, MVR created a pilot project to provide peer mentoring.

MVR developed Employment Services Plus to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury or deafness/hearing loss who require additional supports to reach successful outcomes.

MVR works with DMH-DD and community rehabilitation programs to provide a customized employment pilot program for individuals who have not been able to achieve or maintain competitive, integrated employment. Some of the individuals in the program have encountered barriers to traditional VR services. The pilot promotes the specific abilities of the individual and identifies effective strategies to meet employer needs.

(C) Improve and expand VR services for students with disabilities, including the coordination of services designed to facilitate the transition of such students from school to postsecondary life (including the receipt of VR services, postsecondary education, employment, and pre-employment transition services); and

The methods to improve and expand VR services for students with disabilities, including the coordination of services designed to facilitate the transition of such students from school to postsecondary life (including the receipt of VR services, postsecondary education, employment, and pre-employment transition services) are included in MVR’s goals, priorities and strategies. Goal 2 is devoted to increasing the number of students with disabilities who access VR services. With the objective of making pre-employment transition services and traditional VR services available to Missouri students with disabilities, the following strategies were developed:

1. Increase number of high schools that VR and its providers engage.

2. Expand pre-employment transition services to justice and foster care involved and homeless or housing insecure students with disabilities through a pilot program.

3. Develop regional interagency partnerships focused on agencies serving youth.

4. Coordinate services with workforce development programs that target youth.

(D) Improve the performance of the VR and Supported Employment programs in assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve quality employment outcomes.

Below are additional methods and strategies to expand services and improve the performance of the VR and Supported Employment programs in assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve quality employment outcomes.

Assistive Technology Services and Devices

The following strategies will be utilized to ensure a broad range of assistive technology services and devices will be provided to individuals with disabilities at each stage of the rehabilitation process and on a statewide basis:

1. MVR will work jointly with CRPs and other partnering agencies, including WIOA partners, to develop and sponsor on-going training in rehabilitation technology services.

2. At any time during the rehabilitation process, MVR’s statewide rehabilitation technology specialists will provide technical assistance to MVR counselors.

3. MVR has developed an ad hoc rehabilitation technology team to help clients meet their rehabilitation technology needs.

4. MVR staff will participate in activities, training programs and conferences sponsored by Missouri Assistive Technology.

5. MVR utilizes several rehabilitation technology projects, located at various Centers for Independent Living statewide, which have demonstration centers for exploring, reviewing and demonstrating various rehabilitation technology devices, services and resources.

6. MVR will continue to work with the rehabilitation technology needs of farm operators with disabilities and consult with staff statewide.

7. Biannually, MVR’s vocational rehabilitation counselors for the deaf gather for training and to discuss new strategies, resources and issues for deaf and hard of hearing clients. MVR’s assistant director of deaf and hard of hearing services plans and organizes the training.

8. MVR’s assistant director of deaf and hard of hearing services will continue providing statewide support for staff with assistive technology services for clients with hearing impairments.

Outreach Strategies to Serve Individuals with Disabilities Who are Minorities, Most Significantly Disabled, and Unserved or Underserved

In order to identify and serve individuals with disabilities who are minorities, including those with the most significant disabilities, as well as those who have been unserved or underserved by the VR program, outreach procedures have been developed.

1. MVR will recruit rehabilitation counselors from culturally diverse backgrounds to better serve individuals with significant disabilities from underserved populations.

2. MVR will utilize state-contracted interpreters to reduce communication barriers.

3. MVR will continue to translate brochures in Spanish for the Hispanic community.

4. MVR’s diversity consultant will provide cultural diversity training to MVR staff and deliver training to each MVR office. In addition, the consultant will continue to lead the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team, which includes MVR staff.

Improving Community Rehabilitation Programs

In order to achieve its goals and priorities, MVR developed strategies to improve community rehabilitation programs in Missouri. MVR will continue to provide training through annual CRP Summits. In addition, MVR and CRP staffs offer input on service delivery processes during partnering meetings and develop action plans to improve those processes. The CRP-MVR steering committee meets regularly to review progress on these processes, service delivery and to discuss current and future issues warranting attention. This effort, along with joint training activities, is beneficial to improving both the CRP and MVR programs.

Improving the State’s Performance with Respect to the Performance Accountability Measures

MVR developed strategies to improve the agency’s performance with regard to the performance accountability measures under section 116 of WIOA. With staff input, MVR created Program Year Priorities to align with the performance accountability measures. The priorities focus on individuals with disabilities achieving long-term retention and higher wages by (1) utilizing a career pathways approach to vocational planning, promoting opportunities to access postsecondary training services, (3) serving potentially eligible students, (4) engaging in continuous outreach efforts, (5) documenting the provision of VR services accurately and timely, and (6) creating employment opportunities through strong community partnerships.

These priorities guided the development of the strategies listed below.

1. The MVR Business Team is strengthening relationships with employers across Missouri by

• connecting candidates to employers recruiting for apprenticeship opportunities;

• identifying and connecting with businesses offering career pathways paying above median wage;

• expanding Nexus groups across the state to strengthen WIOA partnerships and gain access to employers; and

• utilizing the Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP) to connect candidates to employers.

2. Training Initiatives

MVR focuses training efforts on capturing the services it provides in its case management system for accurate reporting to the Rehabilitation Services Administration and to reflect staff’s work to improve data entry performance.

3. Usage of Data

• MVR is utilizing a data interface for secondary education information to assist in capturing all education data.

• MVR is analyzing a data interface to capture postsecondary data.

• MVR’s data interface with the state’s Unemployment Insurance wage allows access to post wage data.

• MVR tailors its internal data management reports to generate information on its performance with regard to section 116 of WIOA.

4.  Expanding work-based learning opportunities to include progressive employment.

MVR is expanding its work-based services to include the progressive employment model. This model provides participants paid work experiences in a supportive environment by offering supports to both the participant and the employer. It utilizes labor market information to assure the vocational goal is in a stable and/or growing occupation, is above minimum wage, and has the potential for career pathways and credential attainment. In addition to the paid work experience, this model continues to support the participant and help with job development, placement and retention services.

MVR is collaborating, cooperating and coordinating with WIOA partners to work on methods to align data systems, share referrals and determine common intake practices. It reviews the performance of the state with respect to the performance accountability measures with WIOA partners to ensure measures are consistent throughout the core programs. Efforts are directed at cross training to educate partner staff on each other’s programs. MVR is analyzing methods to work with partners on braided services among programs.

Assisting Other Components of the Statewide Workforce Development System

MVR created strategies for assisting other components of the statewide workforce development system in assisting individuals with disabilities. It continues to work with the Office of Workforce Development (OWD), which provides the statewide workforce development system services through the Missouri Job Centers in 13 workforce regions. MVR staff serves as active members on 12 local workforce development boards.

Through Memoranda of Understanding, MVR is an important referral source both from and to job center partners for individuals with disabilities. MVR counselors visit various Missouri Job Centers (both full service sites and satellites) frequently to provide services to individuals in a timely fashion. MVR works with partners in learning what services are available and how to capitalize on resources and processes already in place. Some MVR staff members are co-located in the job centers.

MVR works with OWD as both are members of the WIOA Steering Committee and members of all WIOA subcommittees consisting of representation from partner programs. Many subcommittees, consisting of members from all of the partner programs, are meeting and developing methods to meet individuals’ needs. MVR is working closely with all of the WIOA partners in order to avoid duplication of services and provide the best services possible for consumers.

OWD hosts the Missouri Statewide Partnering Meeting quarterly. MVR attends these meetings that include members of the Missouri Public Workforce System, including the executive directors of the job centers, and other stakeholders.