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Plan: Maine PYs 2020-2023
Unified Plan U

Section: Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

Narrative: o. 4.

Published
Located in:
  • Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)

    The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:

    __________

    [13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA

    • o. State's Strategies

      Describe the required strategies and how the agency will use these strategies to achieve its goals and priorities, support innovation and expansion activities, and overcome any barriers to accessing the VR and the Supported Employment programs (See sections 101(a)(15)(D) and (18)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act and section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)):

o. 4. The methods to be used 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)

View corresponding narrative from PYs 2018-2019

Current Narrative:

Objective 1.2: To promote increased access to and delivery of Pre–Employment Transition Services to all students with disabilities from 2, 287 reported activities in PY 2018 to 3,000 in PY 2020 and 4000 annually by PY2023 leading to improved post-secondary education and employment readiness.

Strategies:

  1. Through use of Progressive Employment, Summer Work Experience, and other work- based learning opportunities, DVR will support at least 300 students with disabilities to have paid work experiences annually during PY20 20 through PY 2023.

  2. Maine DVR - in collaboration with DBVI and with support from WINTAC – will launch a statewide peer mentoring effort during PY 2020. Peer mentoring will be provided by “near peers” to support preparation for post-secondary education and employment.

  3. In partnership with the Maine Department of Education and Local Education Agencies, Maine DVR will deliver Pre-Employment Transition Services to Potentially Eligible and Eligible students with disabilities across Maine. This will include through joint activities such as job tours, job clubs, Transition Career Exploration Workshop, and delivery of information on labor markets and career pathways.

  4. Maine DVR will partner with the Maine Department of Education’s Special Services and Career and Technical Education offices to develop opportunities to increase the delivery of Pre-Employment Transition Services to students in Career and Technical Education programs.

  5. Maine DVR will partner with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child and Family Services to ensure access to and participation in Pre-Employment Transition Services of youth served through child welfare and children’s behavioral health services.

  6. Maine DVR will expand delivery of strategies to address the needs of rural youth including through online resources and Virtual Job Shadow.

  7. Maine DVR will work with Maine’s Parent Training and Information Center to increase family awareness of Pre-Employment Transition Services and the value of early career exploration and planning for students with disabilities

  8. Through its Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened, DVR will develop and deliver targeted Pre-Employment Transition Services in conjunction with the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School.

  9. Maine DVR will explore opportunities to support delivery of Pre-Employment Transition Services in conjunction with Job Corps and YouthBuild programming.

  10. Maine DVR will participate in the Cross-Agency Council on Transition and support inclusion of DVR clients in the “Youth Advisory Group” to receive feedback and input on needed transition services and related policies.

  11. In keeping with current research, Employment First, and the State of Maine’s Economic Development plan - collect and record data to track progress towards ensuring that all Maine youth have a paid work experience before high school graduation.

  12. Maine DVR will implement and sustain promising practices and lessons learned for work-based learning from the RSA-funded Transition Work Based Learning Model Demonstration Grant.