Narrative: m. 1. B.

All OS Categories will be open during Federal Fiscal Year 2021, as long as sufficient fiscal and personnel resources remain available to provide VR services to all eligible applicants with most significant, significant, and non-significant disabilities.  However, while DRS currently has the capacity to serve all eligible individuals with disabilities who apply for services, DRS will continue to implement an OS due to an expected influx of applicants and potentially eligible students with disabilities after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.  This potential inundation of applicants and students may overwhelm the agency’s human resource capacity to serve all eligible individuals who apply for services.  At that time, it would necessitate the need to close one or more OS Categories to ensure priority of services to individuals with the most significant disabilities.  DRS will continue to monitor caseload size, vacancies, and other related measures to ensure proactive measures are taken, if needed.

In recent years, DRS has experienced difficulties in hiring new vocational rehabilitation counselors in specific geographical areas, as well as barriers resulting from the State’s hiring policies and procedures (e.g., non-competitive salary, processing times, etc.).  DRS often has competition from bordering states, county school boards, and private employers that offer higher salaries to potential DRS employees. In the meantime, the agency continues to seek additional vocational rehabilitation counselors and works with the state hiring agency to increase the number of applicants to DRS job postings.