Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

2. Identify the goals and priorities in carrying out the VR and Supported Employment programs. (General) GOAL 1. Provide quality employment outcome for people with disabilities. Performance Objectives and Measures a. Employment Outcomes (traditional, supported employment, transition) 1. Increase total outcomes by a minimum of 10 each year over the previous year. 2. Increase transition outcomes by a minimum of 5 each year over the previous year. 3. Increase Supported Employment outcomes by a minimum of 5 each year over the previous year. b. Average hourly wage adult, transition, supported employment) 1. Increase the overall average hourly wage by $.10 each year over the previous year.. 2. Increase the adult average hourly wage by $.10 each year over the previous year. 3. Increase average hourly wage for transition students by $.10 each year over the previous year. 4. Increase average hourly wage for supported employment by $.05 each year over the previous year. c. Employment in the second and fourth quarters following exit from the program (meet or exceed target estimates) In previous years, DVR has not calculated the employment rate among all individuals all individuals in the second and fourth quarters post exit; however, phone surveys of only successfully rehabilitated individuals yielded an employment rate of 70% in the second quarter for those who DVR was able to reach. In the absence of additional data on how to calculate this measure and who should be included, DVR’s internal targets are 55% at the second quarter and 45% at the fourth quarter post-exit. d. Median wage in second quarter following exit from the program (meet or exceed target estimates) Median wage of successful closures from DVR in FY 2015 was $9.00. In the absence of additional data on how to calculate this measure and who should be included, the preliminary objective is to increase the median wage by $ .05 each year over the previous year. GOAL 2. Recruit new training programs that reflect opportunities in the labor market. Performance Objectives and Measures– a. Identify education and training options in high demand occupations based on labor market information. 1. Annually, use labor market information to identify the top five employment opportunities in each county. 2. Identify one or more credential-bearing training program, enabling individuals to be employable in three of these five employment opportunities in each county. 3. Since the high-demand jobs in each county will not change substantially each year, have credential-bearing training programs in all five high demand jobs by year four of the State Plan. b. Create education and training options that lead to business–recognized credentials and experiences. 1. In keeping with the previous objective and when credential-bearing programs are not available, work with education and training programs and businesses to develop business–recognized credentials and experiences that will enable people with disabilities to enter the identified career paths at multiple points in the fields identified using labor market information. The goal is to have credential-bearing programs in at least three of the five the high-demand occupations in each county. 2. Work with education and training vendors and businesses have credential-bearing training programs in all five high demand jobs by year four of the State Plan. 3. Modify request for proposal to require training vendors to include business-recognized credential-bearing training programs in the upcoming contracts. Modification to be completed for the FY 2017-2019 (two-year) contract cycle. c. Credential rate for adults and transition participant 1. Although the dimensions for the WIOA credential attainment rate have not been fully defined and baseline results have not been established, DVR has set a preliminary measure of a 60% credential attainment rate. This measure may be modified once fuller information is received with the ultimate objective of meeting or exceeding established measures. d. Employer measure 1. The dimensions for the WIOA employer measures have not been established for VR agencies. When the dimensions are established, DVR had to objective of meeting or exceeding these measures. GOAL 3. Provide pre–employment transition services and transition career services to transition–aged individuals with disabilities. Performance Objectives and Measures Pre–employment transition service opportunities for transition students Increase the number of pre–employment transition services, including opportunities such as Project SEARCH and Start on Success, to enable more transition students to participate (establish a baseline in the first full year following the availability of regulations). In FY 2015, in addition to the Project SEARCH and Start on Success programs, 11 pre-employment transition services programs hosted 100 students through summer programs. While Project SEARCH and Start on Success are focused towards students in the terminal years of high school, the other programs will be open to, and promoted via the DVR and school-based transition staff, to students starting at age 14. Going forward, DVR will: a. Expand the Project SEARCH to include programs in all three counties by FY 2017 b. Expand the Start of Success into Sussex County in FY 2017 and Kent County in FY 2018. c. Expand the vendor-based, pre-employment transition services summer programs to serve a minimum of: 1. 350 students in 2016 2. 400 students in 2017 3. 450 students in 2018 4. 500 students in 2019 d. Expand the vendor-based, pre-employment transition services to include year-round programming: 1. 8 programs in school year 2016-2017 2. 10 programs in school year 2017- 2018 3. 13 programs in school year 2018-2019 4. 16 programs in school year 2019-2020 e. Address future employment-related transportation needs for transition students through a statewide, transportation-focused pre-employment transition service: 1. Training provided to 500 students in school year 2016-2017 2. Training provided to 550 students in school year 2017-2018 3. Training provided to 600 students in school year 2018-2019 4. Training provided to 650 students in school year 2019-2020 GOAL 4: Provide vocational rehabilitation service to individuals with physical/orthopedic disabilities. Performance Objectives and Measures By FY 2020, increase the percentage of individuals with physical/orthopedic disabilities from 11% (FY 2013 number) to 15%. To accomplish this objective, DVR will: 1. Identify, at minimum, one new referral source annually and provide outreach presentations at least semi-annually. 2. Work with the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities to create Supported Employment follow-along funding for individuals with physical/orthopedic disabilities who have most significant disabilities. 3. In the absence of identified follow-along through DSAAPD, utilize DVR funding to provide extended follow-along for individuals with physical/orthopedic disabilities who have most significant disabilities for up to four years. GOAL 5: Address the needs of transition youth and adults who are not college-bound Performance Objectives and Measures DVR is infusing the agency’s program with information about developing individual career pathways in high-demand industries as well as using the career pathways developed by the Delaware Division of Employment and Training. The career pathways process assists individuals in identifying the steps necessary to develop short-term and long-term vocational goals. Often, the individual is able to enter a pathway by obtaining an entry-level credential that does not require a college degree. Other individuals who are not able to continue in their previous employment may be able to move onto a different pathway using transferable skills or by obtaining additional credentials. DVR has provided overview training on developing career pathways as a counseling technique and the use of the DET’s Joblink program to all DVR staff. DVR, through the Job Driven Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Program, is piloting a project in one field office where staff is getting additional training and support for implementing the career pathways process. 1. During FY 2016, DVR will provide training and support for one field unit to pilot the intensive and consistent use of career pathways in the development of the Individualized Plans for Employment. The clients will be surveyed after plan development to measure the impact of the program leading to modifications and updates to the program. 80% of the clients will indicate that career pathway information was provided and 70% will indicate that it was used in the development of their employment plans. 2. During FY 2017, the career pathways project will be expanded to the additional three field units along with the staff training necessary to implement the program. Again, the clients will be asked to complete a survey after plan development. 70% of the clients agency-wide will indicate that career pathways information was provided and 60% will indicate that it was used in the development of their employment plans. 3. In FY 2018, 80 % of the clients agency-wide will indicate that they received career pathways information and 70% will indicate that it was used in the development of their employment plans.