Narrative: d. 1.

Goal 1: Stabilize the downward trend in new applicants to 390 in PY 2024. This goal is ongoing and not yet complete.

The number of new applicants in each year since 2018 are as follows: In PY 2019 there were 269; In PY 2020 were 284 new applicants.  The number of applicants in PY 2021 had climbed back up to 356 and increased again in PY-2022 to 372 new applicants.

1. Continue to stabilize the average number served per year per caseload from the current 104 cases per counselor through efforts to address cases stalled in status 24 without action and cases where contact has been lost and all reasonable efforts to reestablish contact has been done.

RSB recognizes that high average caseload sizes can be a disincentive to case finding. In March of 2022 RSB used redistricting to redistribute caseload sizes as well.  This resulted in a more balanced average caseload size.  RSB caseload sizes continued to drop to an average size of 78 in PY-21 and again to 71 in PY-22. These efforts reduced caseload averages. In PY-2019, the average caseload size was 82 cases per counselor.

2. Establish and implement minimum standards for frequency of client contact and measure that through regular and annual case reviews.

RSB continues to provide training and feedback at the Counselor Academy training, and via the case review process. RSB has provided staff with written guidance on the good practices of case narration to ensure that staff continue to meet documentation standards for frequency of contact. Prior to implementation, the frequency of contact exceeding 6 months was at 20%. Following implementation, the contact frequency beyond 6 months dropped to 2 percent by September of 2021.

3. Each district office will be responsible for analyzing where referrals are coming from and target outreach efforts to major stakeholders and other environments where blind or visually impaired would likely come into contact with and absent from the database.

RSB’s Client Recruitment Team, whose charge is to increase the number of referrals and applications into the VR Program, has begun to coordinate with offices on the various avenues for outreach and case finding efforts. In PY-2022 840 individuals were provided vision screenings at 77 outreach events. 

Goal 2: Improve employment outcomes to enhance economic stability and self-sufficiency for clients who exit the VR program. This goal is ongoing and not yet complete.

In PY 2018, RSB had a total of 188 total successful VR case closures with an average hourly wage rate of $16.31 and an average annual wage rate of $27,205.65. Moving into PY-2019, RSB successfully closed 189 cases with an average hourly wage of $16.39 and an annual wage of $26,529.98. PY-20 saw RSB close 177 cases successfully employed citing an average hourly rate of $19.26 and annual averages of $30,531.59. The following two program years saw increases in both average hourly wages and average annual wages. PY-21 saw 181 successful VR closures and average wages of $19.94 per hour with annual average of $34,052.64. In PY-22 RSB closed 183 successful closures with average wages of $22.23 per hour and an average annual earnings of $35,403.06.

1. Continue the Counselor Academy training every two years to ensure that RSB staff receive continuous, up-to-date, job specific training and skills enhancement.

RSB Counselor Academy training is now coordinated by the Training and Special Projects Coordinator. Agenda topics are based upon data from RSB Dashboards, case reviews, counselor feedback, client survey data, and emerging trends in blindness rehabilitation. Counselor Academies are now held biannually.

2. Develop a counselor focus group to allow counselors to communicate and share information, solve problems, improve performance, build teamwork, and move projects forward. The focus groups will be led by the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and will have the RSB Director present to offer expertise and guidance as needed.

RSB developed a counselor focus group in PY-2020 and still continues on a regular basis. Valuable feedback is shared between counselors.

3. Continue to monitor and emphasize the data points of percent of new applicants who are unemployed at application and use of low incident placement strategies such as on-the-job training, supported employment, work experience, and targeted job placement.

RSB has a cooperative agreement with Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to jointly serve deaf-blind clients. Rehabilitation Services for the Blind (RSB) joined in a pilot project with MVR, Department of Mental Health (DMH), and Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRP’s) to expand customized employment opportunities for Missourians with disabilities. RSB has participated in benefits planning training including a Tiered Benefits’ Planning system designed to provide professional staff with knowledge of available benefits, and how benefits are affected by work.

4. Continue to emphasize learning appropriate alternative techniques of blindness critical to successful employment, such as orientation and mobility skills; alternative skills of blindness to access, store, and retrieve print information; and personal care skills.

Alternative skills of blindness are critical to the success of all of RSB’s blind and visually impaired clients. RSB has continued to provide for training and support to staff that provide these alternative daily living skills. This includes the Rehabilitation Teacher Focus Group, training, and mentorship of staff.

5. Develop and improve coordination and collaboration with core partners and local Workforce Development Boards to braid services and assist clients in obtaining employment consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, and capabilities.

RSB District Supervisors regularly attend Workforce Development Board Meetings. RSB executive staff meet with MVR quarterly to identify opportunities to partner and/or enhance service provisions. RSB executive staff are involved with multiple WIOA committees, and has a representative on the MAWD (Missouri Association for Workforce Development).

Partnerships with the job centers’ “Business Services” has allowed RSB to expand employer outreach and to attain local job market trends. RSB has partnered with Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation to have informational meetings with all job centers across the state on services offered and how to partner for common clients.

6. Enhance employer engagement activities to increase employer services and recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting individuals with disabilities.

Job Development Specialists work closely with RSB staff and students to develop Work-Based Learning Experiences that align with their interests. Employers are encouraged to utilize current hiring practices with students, such as requiring an application and an interview before hiring. Students are provided training for the hiring and onboarding process. RSB’s Job Development unit is developing a Virtual Job Club focused on employment related educational content and real-time job market information.

RSB staff are currently working in cooperation with Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation to provide services to The Boeing Company for its “NeuroDiversity At Work Program”. Much of the training will come from the   Windmills series of trainings designed to help employers become more inclusive of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. In addition RSB will provide several trainings such as: Sighted Guide, Assistive Technology/Accommodations (including screen readers), and other employment skills used by RSB clients.

Goal 3: Develop and streamline the VR service delivery system to maintain consistency with WIOA requirements and improve the quality, timeliness, and effectiveness in the provision of services. This goal is ongoing and not yet complete.

Baseline Data: In PY-2019 the average length of time that clients stayed on service from opening their cases to closure was 1,411 days. There has been a steadily declining trend in the average number of days from opening to closure with PY-2020 being at 1,266 days, PY-2021 at 1,298 days, and most recently PY-2022 at 1,113 days from opening client cases to closure.

1. Update administrative rule and continuously update policy manuals based on federal guidance and WIOA requirements.

The VR state administrative rule was updated in PY-21 and became effective July 30, 2021. It is WIOA compliant. All staff were required to review the policy manual updates.

2. Continue to update and provide high quality staff training and support on implementation of WIOA, effective case service processes, and skills necessary to ensure that personnel have a 21st century understanding of the evolving labor force and the needs of individuals with disabilities.

The Training and Special Projects Coordinator is dedicated to staff training and personnel development. This position created a new staff orientation training, and coordinates training sessions. Online staff training modules have been created in 2022 and are continually updated to ensure personnel have a 21st century understanding of the evolving labor force.

3. Continue to update and adjust the annual case record review process that allows for improved staff training based on case review findings, consistent and collaborative approaches to improving delivery systems, and continuous adherence to WIOA requirements.

The Analytics & Quality Assurance Manager, position created in PY-22, is dedicated to Quality Assurance, data analysis,  reporting duties, and case reviews. RSB established a three tier review process of District Supervisor’s monthly case reviews, Assistant Deputy Director’s monthly reviews, and finally, an annual review by the review team of administrative staff. Each district office and reviewers participate in a debrief to discuss case review results. Additionally the district offices are provided a summary of case review results.

4. Enter into an agreement for State Wage Interchange System (SWIS) to access participating states wage record and employment verification information.

RSB is in the third year of this four year strategy and will continue to make progress. The agreement has been signed. Although there is no interface as of this time, RSB is able to access the system as needed to access out of state wage data. RSB is evaluating the best options to begin using this wage data in the future.

Goal 4: Increase the total number of individuals receiving pre-employment transition services to 247 in PY 2024. This goal is ongoing and not yet complete.

In PY-2020 the total number of individuals receiving pre-employment transition services rose to 172, up from the 114 in PY-2019. In PY-2021 the total number of individuals receiving pre-employment transition services was 166. This goal is ongoing and not yet complete.

1. Expand training for District Supervisors, Counselors, and Pre-Employment Transition Staff on the resource guide and provision of transition services.

In 2023 RSB implemented new onboarding plans for transition and CS staff. Onboarding for Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors now includes modules on Pre-Employment Transition Services as well.

The Transition Services Coordinator conducts quarterly caseload reviews with the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and District Supervisors for all of the Students with a Disability. This allows opportunities for the coordinator to share information about programming and to “troubleshoot” cases. This includes training on the Pre-Employment Transition Guide and on areas of Pre-Employment Transition Services to increase awareness. RSB staff provide PETS services including job exploration counselling and instruction in self-advocacy.

2. Expand the use of Work Based Learning Experiences for those clients in school by increasing the number of vendors as needed, training staff to more appropriately and consistently use Work Based Learning, and improving the vendors’ capacity to serve blind and visually impaired clients through RSB—provided materials.

Work-Based Learning Experiences are provided to get hands on training in a real world environment with compensation of at least minimum wage. Training on the WBLE agreement and best practices is by the Transition Services Coordinator as part of the Counselor Academy, and additionally in the Counselor Focus Groups. Clients are further provided opportunities for workplace readiness training at PVA facilities. In the summer of 2022 RSB had provided for 14 WBLE’s combined between contracted WBLEs and direct employment WBLES. Some examples include WBLE’s in a library, farm, college or university, an animal clinic, and a thrift store. 

3. Expand client and family awareness of the opportunity for work experiences through use of the toolkit and related resources as early as possible, via Pre-Employment Transition staff and Counselors.

Training on the WBLE agreement and best practices was provided by the Transition Services Coordinator as part of the Counselor Academy, and additionally in the Counselor Focus Groups.

4.  Provide for opportunities to obtain Pre-Employment Transition services to clients in group settings.

RSB has a new contract to work with the NFB’s Mission BEAM (Blindness Empowerment, Advocacy & Mentoring) contract was signed in PY-2022 to provide opportunities to for youth who are blind to receive mentorship from experienced blind and visually impaired role models. RSB coordinates with the Starkloft Disability Institute to fund clients for Dream Big camps.

RSB provides funding for clients to attend the Summer Orientation and Mobility and Adapted Living Resources (SOAR) program. Similarly RSB provides for a week long workplace readiness training program to work on soft skills called Smart Social Navigation.