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:
- O. State's StrategiesDescribe the required strategies and how the agency will use these strategies to achieve its goals and priorities, support innovation and expansion activities, and overcome any barriers to accessing the VR and the Supported Employment programs (See sections 101(a)(15)(D) and (18)(B) of the Rehabilitation Act and section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)):
- O. State's Strategies
- 2. Information on the Formal Interagency Agreement with the State Educational Agency with Respect To:
- d. Coordination with Education Officials
d. 2. O. vi. Strategies to Improve the Performance of the State with Respect to the Performance Accountability Measures Under Section 116 of WIOA.
Current Narrative:
Federal Standards and Indicators
| Federal Performance Indicators and Targets | Actual Performance(FFY 17) | Previous (FFY 16) |
|---|---|---|
| Indicator 1.1: Change in Employment Outcomes (RSA Target: Increase over prior year) | +265 | +419 |
| Indicator 1.2: Percent of Employment Outcomes (RSA Target: 55.8%) | 37.9% | 40.8% |
| Indicator 1.3: Competitive Employment Outcome (Primary) (RSA Target: 72.6%) | 96.94% | 97.7% |
| Indicator 1.4: Significance of Disability (Primary) (RSA Target: 62.4%) | 92.56% | 99.5% |
| Indicator 1.5: Earnings Ratio (Primary) (RSA Target: 52%) | 55% | 53% |
| Indicator 1.6: Self-Support (RSA Target: 53%) | 54.53% | 60.2% |
| Indicator 2.1: Ratio of Minority to Non-Minority Service Rate (RSA Target: 80%) | 94% | 95% |
VR’s rehabilitation rate remains below the federal target, but has increased over the past two years, as has the overall number of customer employment outcomes. This is expected as VR continues to release customers from the Category 3 wait list.
VR collaborates with partners at the state and local levels to maximize employment services for people with disabilities. VR anticipates that the following projects will have a positive impact on program performance.
- Support employers and community partnerships through the Business Relations program.
- Expand the Youth Peer Mentoring pilot to all VR areas.
- Provide Career Counseling / Information and Referral (CCIR) services to individuals participating in subminimum wage employment. Due to the positive response to CCIR services, VR is developing an orientation and follow-up process for CCIR service recipients who expressed interest in VR services.
- Assist customers in making informed choices about employment providers through use of the Service Provider Choice Directory.
- Redesign and implement pre-employment services for transition-age customers.
- Implement additional mental health training for counselors, and develop transitional employment, Individual Placement and Support, and peer specialist models to improve success with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.
- Expand the capacity for providing Discovery and Customized Employment services.
- Establish additional casework quality assurance review practices to validate data entry.
- Continue data validation practices to detect errors prior to reporting.
- Expand use of Benefits Planning services for Social Security recipients that will promote self-support. Purchase these services when not available from SSA.