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:
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* 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:
It is a standard practice that a Master’s level candidate be hired in Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor positions. To fill specialized positions with special linguistic requirements or positions in rural locations or in the complete absence of candidates who meet the established personnel standards, DVR recognizes that it may be necessary to hire individuals who will not meet the State requirements. In order to minimize the number of individual’s not meeting State requirements; DVR has marketed employment opportunities to universities with Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling programs by posting positions through their networks and conducting presentations to graduate seminars to recruit graduate interns. Currently, 29 of the 31 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors have Master’s Degrees in Rehabilitation or a related field. While it is not a requirement by the State to possess or be eligible to sit for the CRC, DE DVR does hold the Commission in high regards as the only certifying body directly related to field of helping people with disabilities achieves employment. The Social Services Administrator encourages staff to pursue the additional coursework and provides information on RSA grants, information from our educational institutions and is willing to lend tuition assistance. All of our Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors are required to attend at least 20 hours of training annually directly related to serving people and businesses in regards to supporting people with disabilities. Every permanent position within DVR has an established job description which outlines the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. DVR uses competency—based interviewing, a process for determining whether the job candidate has the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities in the job description, to fill open positions.