U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Located in:

d. 2. P. i. I. Identify the Strategies That Contributed to the Achievement of the Goals. 

Current Narrative:

Section 1. At the February, 2018 meeting of the SRC, the council participated in an evaluation of DVR services and was given the opportunity to provide feedback. The feedback and responses are documented in section a of the State Plan. Consumer Satisfaction The 2017 Customer Satisfaction Survey was designed to seek out specific ways in which DVR services could improve. As such, the participants were asked to rate a service on a Likert scale from “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied.” • The majority or participants, both rehabilitated and not rehabilitated, rated overall satisfaction with DVR as very satisfied or satisfied with 92% and 59% respectfully. In both groups, the majority of respondents indicated that they were very satisfied. The majority of individuals closed rehabilitated (76.9%) and closed not rehabilitated (51.9%) indicated that they were very satisfied. • When asked about their satisfaction with the ability to choose goals and services, 92% of the individuals who were closed rehabilitated and 59% of those closed not-rehabilitated also indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied. The majority of individuals closed rehabilitated (77.5%) and the plurality of individuals closed not rehabilitated (46.2%) indicated that they were very satisfied. •Among individuals who were closed rehabilitated, 91% were either very satisfied (77.5%) or satisfied (13.1%) with their jobs. •Respondents were asked to indicate the likelihood that they would return to DVR if employment services were required in the future. Among individuals who were closed rehabilitated, 92% indicated that they would be very likely (83.7%) or somewhat likely to return while 73% of those who were closed not rehabilitated indicated that they would be very likely (57.1%) or somewhat likely to return. • Comments about ways to improve services centered on common themes such as the need for better communication, less perception of being rushed, and better explanation of the available choices. Among individuals who were closed not rehabilitated, disability issues, relationships with DVR staff, and transportation were the primary barriers to success. Goals and Priorities Participants in the Effectiveness evaluation were given the opportunity to review the previously approved goals and priorities. For each goal/priority, the participants were given some additional information related to that goal which is included below. FY 2018 GOALS & PRIORITES 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). The median wage measurement has not yet been calculated for participants in the second quarter following exit; however, once the measurement has been determined, DVR would like to see the median wage increase by 2-5% annually.

GOAL 2. Support training programs that reflect high demand opportunities in the labor market. Performance Objectives and Measures— a. Use DWDB/DOE vetted education and training options in high demand occupations based on Delaware labor market information. 1. Annually, use labor market information to identify the top five high demand career pathways in each county. 2. Use the credential-bearing training programs approved by DWDB/DOE, enabling individuals to be employable in occupations in the career pathway occupations pertinent to each county. 3. Since the high-demand jobs in each county will not change substantially each year, use DWDB/DOE vetted credential-bearing training programs in all five high demand career pathway occupations by year four of the State Plan. b. Use DWDB/DOE vetted 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 businesses to develop business—recognized credentials and on the job training experiences that will enable people with disabilities to enter the identified career paths at multiple points in the fields identified using labor market information. 2. Use the vetted, credential-bearing training programs identified by the Delaware Workforce Development Board have credential-bearing training programs in high demand jobs by year four of the State Plan 3. Modify request for proposals to require training vendors to include business-recognized credential-bearing training programs in the upcoming contracts. Modification to be completed for the FY 2019-2021 (two-year) contract cycle. c. Create On-the-Job Training programs with businesses, using community providers for job coaching as needed, in real time and Career pathways focused jobs that align more closely with Delaware labor market needs. d. Credential rate for adults and transition participant: 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. e. Employer measure 1. Number of businesses contacted that employed DVR consumers 2. Number of businesses that employed DVR consumers repeatedly The initial baseline for workforce system-wide measure has not yet been calculated; however, once the measure has been calculated, DVR would like to contribute to a steady increase in businesses contacted and repeat employment.

GOAL 3. Continue to provide pre—employment transition services and transition career services to transition—aged individuals with disabilities. a. Continue Project SEARCH to support 4 programs in all three counties. b. Expand the Start of Success into Sussex County in FY 2019 and Kent County in FY 2020. c. Expand the vendor-based, pre-employment transition services summer programs to serve a minimum of: • 450 students in 2018 • 500 students in 2019 d. Expand the vendor-based, pre-employment transition services to include year-round programming: • 10 programs in school year 2018- 2019 • 13 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: • Training provided to 600 students in school year 2018-2019 • 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: a. Identify, at minimum, one new referral source annually and provide outreach presentations at least semi-annually. b. 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. c. 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 a. In FY 2019 and 2020, 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.