Narrative: d. 1.

Strategies that contributed to the achievement of the PY 2022 Goals and Priorities established by MVR and the State Rehabilitation Council were as follows:

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

Evaluation of Progress: Goal met.

The number of participants receiving training services during:

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

Strategies:

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

MVR has incorporated numerous resources on career pathways into staff training. The training team has worked with other WIOA partners and training facilities to deliver current information and best-case practices for MVR staff to utilize. Monthly and year-end reports were created to reflect staff progress in this area.

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

The middle skills pilot program began in 2021 and has grown from one to five sites. The first year, seven participants completed the program with 19 completing this past year.  Middle skills jobs require more education and training than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree. 

3. Simplify postsecondary training authorization process.

MVR set an established rate of funding for training services. The institution of a statewide rate simplifies the postsecondary training authorization process and allows for the inclusion of more postsecondary institutions.

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

Evaluation of Progress: Goal met.

The number of students with disabilities who access VR services during:

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

Strategies:

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

MVR has a VR counselor assigned to each of the 556 public high schools in Missouri. MVR contracts with the University of Missouri to provide pre-employment transition services to potentially eligible students with disabilities. This arrangement has increased MVR’s presence in the secondary school system. MVR’s Summer Work Experience is a paid, six-week, 20-hours-per-week work-based learning experience with supports in a competitive, integrated setting for students with disabilities. The program is a collaboration between MVR, high schools, community rehabilitation providers (CRPs), and employers. Through this program, MVR and its providers have increased their engagement with high schools.

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

MVR is piloting a peer mentoring program to serve students with disabilities in foster care and in the justice system around the state. Homeless or housing insecure youth with disabilities are also served through this pilot. The first pilot began in November 2019 and has expanded to five locations.

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

The Missouri Interagency Transition Team was formed through the Office of Special Education and includes members representing state-level agencies, including MVR, across Missouri who have an interest in improving postsecondary outcomes for youth with disabilities.

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

MVR is piloting a progressive work-based learning program that promotes middle skills. Through this program, MVR partners with CRPs and Missouri Job Centers that provide WIOA services. Participants are enrolled in a career and technical education program and receive wrap-around supports from MVR, job centers, and CRPs. They receive paid work experiences related to training, which can lead to employment utilizing technical skills in a stable industry at a higher median wage with the opportunity for future career growth and credential attainment.

Goal 3: Strengthen relationships with employers across Missouri.

Evaluation of Progress: Goal met.

MVR developed a process within its case management system to capture employer services. In PY 2022, 3,075 employers were served and were provided 16,481 services.

Strategies:

1. Connect candidates to employers recruiting for apprenticeship opportunities.

MVR continues to connect clients with employers providing apprenticeship opportunities. The MVR Business Services team works directly with employers as well as WIOA partners to share the costs of the training.

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

MVR’s Business Services representatives are connecting with employers paying $15.00 an hour or higher.

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

Nexus groups are employment collaboratives that include MVR, WIOA partner agencies, and employers. The groups focus on connecting candidates with barriers to employment to business partners through meetings, planned events, and panel discussions. There are six active Nexus groups statewide. The Business Services team is working with its partners, such as the Family Support Division and Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, to create new groups and organize monthly meetings.

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

The Business Services team continues to utilize TAP and provided TAP-focused trainings for staff in order to increase participation. The team has improved marketing efforts through presentations at new counselor trainings, discussions at staff meetings, and participation in the VR/CRP summits.

PY 2022 Goals for the Supported Employment Program and strategies that contributed to the achievement of the goals were as follows:

Goal 1: Maintain high quality supported employment services.

Evaluation of Progress: Goal met.

Strategies:

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

MVR partners with two divisions of the Department of Health to provide the supported employment services of Individual Placement Support (IPS) and customized employment. Through these partnerships, MVR identifies and shares best case practices. MVR works with CRPs to provide supported employment services. District offices meet with local CRPs to outline joint activities. MVR and CRP staff offer input on service delivery processes and develop action plans to improve those processes.

2. Continue to provide training through annual CRP Summits.

MVR held four virtual VR/CRP summits during 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the summits returned to in-person meetings with four held statewide and an added virtual option.

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

Evaluation of Progress: Goal met.

Strategies:

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

MVR partners with the Department of Mental Health-Behavioral Health Division to provide IPS services to individuals with severe and persistent mental illness through 33 IPS locations statewide.

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.

MVR partners with the Department of Mental Health-Developmental Disabilities Division to deliver customized employment services that promote specific abilities of individuals with disabilities and meets employers’ needs through flexible strategies. Currently there are two active pilot sites.