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:
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[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. State's Strategies
o. 7. Strategies for assisting other components of the statewide workforce development system in assisting individuals with disabilities
Current Narrative:
The participating partners, in consultation with stakeholders, will look for opportunities to build a "Common Intake" system to support program participants served through "No Wrong Door" using an integrated and interoperable platform in order to:
- Co-manage cases (leveraging resources) as appropriate;
- Make appropriate referrals to core and partner programs;
- Report federal deliverables and evaluate programs; and
- Improve the customer experience.
A common intake approach will reduce costs and improve quality by automating intake and outcome measures as a group of WIOA State Plan partners. Part of this effort will be to combine data to create cross-program reports and an evaluation dataset. The data will assist in evaluating the benefit of programs and enable research to identify effective interventions and successful service strategies. This information will help determine how people with disabilities are being served across the workforce system.
To assure that individuals with disabilities have access to the full range of services provided by the other WIOA partners, DVR has identified strengthening WIOA partnerships as a primary goal. DVR is co-located as a partner in 19 comprehensive "One-stop" Job Centers in Wisconsin, with co-location operating agreements between WIOA partners. In addition to the 19 comprehensive "One-stop" Job Centers, DVR has 22 other service locations throughout Wisconsin.
DVR provides training and technical assistance to "One-stop" Job Center partners in serving individuals with disabilities and developing a greater awareness of programmatic and access needs. DVR has encouraged consumers in job ready status to register with the DWD job seeker website called Job Center of Wisconsin (JCW) and to use its many job search resources. There is also a link to DVR's website on the JCW website so interested job seekers with disabilities can easily access information about DVR services.
DVR Business Services Consultants (BSCs) encourage businesses to use JCW to connect with qualified job seekers. DVR actively participates with DWD's Division of Employment and Training (DET) in implementing WIOA. The CSNA identified issues with accessibility in some areas, and DVR has begun working with DET to improve access in these areas.
DWD enters into a uniform MOU with the entities that are partners in the one-stop service delivery system under WIOA Title I. The DWD uniform template agreement is used throughout Wisconsin in cooperation with 11 local Workforce Development Boards (WDBs). DVR also enters into an MOU and "One-stop" Job Center operating agreement with each of these WDBs.
DVR's MOU addresses operation of the one-stop service delivery system including a description of services and methods for referrals. DVR works collaboratively with one-stop partners on common intake, interagency referrals, business development, and to facilitate job placement with employers. Through DWD's MOUs with one-stop partners, Job Center Network, and WDBs, the requirements of 34 CFR Part 361.23(b) are satisfied.
DVR also has an agreement with DOL-funded Veterans services program to coordinate services for common customers and to deliver quality services for veterans with disabilities. DVR has a data sharing agreement with the DOL-Work Opportunities Tax Credit (WOTC) program administered by DWD. The agreement allows DVR to validate DVR-served employees as WOTC program-eligible so their employers may claim the tax credit. DVR and WOTC staff will conduct routine joint training to enhance use of the tax credit with job placement service providers and employers. Local DVR directors will work jointly with local WDA and DOC staff to expand a current initiative to place Job Centers in correctional institutions to make workforce programs available to inmates.
Together, DVR and DET staff are also working to expand the "Schedule A" hiring program. Wisconsin has had success with the Schedule A program and feels there are additional opportunities to be developed. Finally, DVR WDA Directors are appointed members of the WDBs and are directly involved in WDB program planning.
A joint committee comprised of the WIOA core and partner programs is being developed to provide business services statewide. The Unified Business Services Committee will hold recommending authority for statewide business service policy implementation for the Combined State Plan and is responsible for business service delivery throughout Wisconsin. The committee is also responsible for the WIOA Primary Indicators of Performance (effectiveness in serving employers) and other programmatic responsibilities. One of DVR's roles on this committee is to ensure that employers are educated on hiring individuals with disabilities to meet their workforce needs.
Local areas also have regional business services teams that include local representatives from WIOA titles and other community partners that work with employers. DVR partners with WIOA Title I to represent people with disabilities, engaging in shared documentation practices and collaborating on statewide opportunities for employers.
DVR will explore resources such as the Youth Technical Assistance Center (Y-TAC) and possibly the Targeted Communities Technical Assistance Center (TC-TAC) to see if there is technical assistance available to help analyze current processes for outreach and services for foster care and juvenile justice youth. The Y-TAC and TC-TAC may also help DVR to assess current staff competencies and capacity to serve this population to determine next steps.
DVR Leadership and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) meet monthly to discuss collaboration. The two agencies recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement and developed a joint training for staff. The next item to be discussed with DCF is a possible collaboration with DVR and the WIOA Title I Youth Program to identify methods and processes to ease the transition of youth with disabilities from juvenile to adult support systems. This includes identifying opportunities for braided funding, co-enrollment, and blended services.