Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) maintains relationships with other agencies, both public and private, that provide services to individuals with disabilities. DVR maintains cooperative agreements with public and private non—profit agencies such as programs that serve individuals with developmental disabilities, individuals with mental health and/or substance abuse disabilities, and community rehabilitation programs. Some of these agreements have been in effect for more than 20 years. The agreements provide for cooperation in key areas such as respective roles related to joint constituents, agency financial responsibilities including terms of reimbursement, liaison relationships to promote information flow, joint referral processes, and dispute resolution. DVR maintains ongoing relationships with several councils throughout the state that have missions related to individuals with disabilities including the State Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), the Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), the Governor’s Commission for Community Alternatives, the University of Delaware Center for Disability Studies, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, and the Governor’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity (GCEEO). These councils address issues of common concern to the disability community. DVR’s Director participates in the Governors Employment First Taskforce, which is responsible to monitor implementation of Delaware’s Employment First Legislation. DVR participates with the SCPD, a coordinating council for all disability—related councils throughout the State. DVR participates on the DDC including its Adult Issues committee. DVR participates in the Governor’s Task Force on Community Inclusion, a collaboration of state agencies, organizations and entities involved with issues relating to disabilities. The goal of the task force is to develop strategies to implement the Olmstead principals, to assist people with disabilities to live more independently in the community, and to align the state’s service delivery system with that goal. This task force has supported implementation of Medicaid for People with Disabilities (Medicaid Buy—in) in Delaware, increased public transportation, and has recently supported development of the Pathways Medicaid waiver program for people with disabilities. As required by the Rehabilitation Act, DVR developed a Memorandum of Understanding with the public institutions of higher education in Delaware, specifically, Delaware Technical and Community College (DTCC), Delaware State University, and the University of Delaware. DVR and DTCC have collaborated with a separate Memorandum of Understanding to provide supported education services to DVR clients who are enrolled in remedial education programs at DTCC. The program provides additional training in study skills, time management, study techniques, and accommodations necessary for students to be successful in the school environment. Since 2011, DVR has had a memorandum of understanding with the Delaware Division of Social Services, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families with minor children under title IV—A of the Social Security Act (TANF) in order to: a. Determine the employment needs TANF recipients who have medical waivers through assessment and identifying services that foster employment and self-sufficiency. b. Create an unimpeded path of entry for eligible TANF recipients into DVR’s programs directly from DSS and from other TANF funded employment and training providers. c. Create agreed upon communication pathways between the Divisions that maintains regular communication regarding shared clients. d. To provide funding to DVR to provide additional supports to TANF recipients as determined by family circumstances. In October of 2012 the Division of Social Services, the Delaware Economic Development Office, and DVR entered into a MOU to create the Advancement through Pardon and Expungement (APEX) program to address barriers to employment for consumers with criminal histories. The APEX program assists consumers in the process of expungement and pardon of a criminal history to reduce the barriers of employment to seek high quality high demand employment. Those consumers who are eligible under the law for expungement and/or pardon are assisted throughout the process by APEX via form completion, filing, payment of finger printing and court documents and representation at court expungement hearings and/or Pardon Board Reviews.