Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
__________
* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- I. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development(Formerly known as Attachment 4.10)). Describe the designated State agency's procedures and activities to establish and maintain a comprehensive system of personnel development designed to ensure an adequate supply of qualified State rehabilitation professional and paraprofessional personnel for the designated State unit, including the following:
- iii. Personnel StandardsDescribe the State agency's policies and procedures for the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards consistent with section 101(a)(7)(B) and 34 CFR 361.18(c) to ensure that designated State unit professional and paraprofessional personnel are adequately trained and prepared, including:
- iii. Personnel Standards
- I. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
d. 2. I. iii. I. Standards That Are Consistent with Any National or State- Approved or -recognized Certification, Licensing, Registration, or Other Comparable Requirements That Apply to the Profession or Discipline in Which Such Personnel Are Providing Vr Services; and
Current Narrative:
Of the 164 current VR counselors, 17 have their CRC. VR also has 2 certified region managers, 2 certified area supervisors, and 2 individuals on the Central Office team who is a CRC. VR recognizes long-standing challenges of the availability of qualified new hires in Indiana due to having only one CORE Accredited Rehabilitation program that graduates only a small number of students each year. While CRCs and/or individuals with closely related master’s degrees are certainly the ideal candidates for our VR counselor roles, VR anticipates that by changing the hiring requirements to allow for a relevant bachelor’s degree and at least 1 year of pertinent experience in service or advocacy of individuals with disabilities will allow struggling area offices an opportunity to hire more expeditiously and effectively, while still maintaining qualified staff. This will be especially beneficial in offices located in rural communities and offices where positions have historically needed to be reposted a number of times in order to identify qualified candidates.