Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

1. RETENTION The agency will commit additional resources to have dedicated staff who will have the sole responsibility for follow-up with consumers, in order to provide needed services to ensure success on the job. Long-term retention will become a major focus for the agency. The agency has revamped and updated the Retaining A Valued Employee (RAVE) program. RAVE is a service to employers to assist them in procuring rehabilitation services needed to retain an employee who is having difficulties on the job due to disability. The agency recognizes that adequate transportation is a major factor that lends toward successful retention; therefore, resources will be made available to provide and enhance this needed service. The agency will also emphasize the availability of Post-Employment Services and Long-Term Follow-up. 2. SKILLS/CREDENTIALS The agency will provide specific services to consumers that will enhance skill levels and assist in obtaining credentialing that will lead to specific jobs. School age students will be provided Pre-Employment Transition Services which are mandated in WIOA. These services are centered around Career Exploration, Work Base Learning, Counseling on Post-Secondary Education opportunities, Workplace Readiness, and Self-Advocacy. The agency will increase opportunities for College Preparation training and the agency will work with public schools statewide in order to plan vocational services and increase VR counselors’ presence in the schools. In order to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to services offered through career centers, we will collaborate with workforce partners by having regular workforce meetings and by assuring the agency is represented on all local workforce boards. The agency will continue to assist consumers with gaining the skills necessary to compete for in demand jobs through collaboration with technical schools, universities, and partnerships with agencies such as the Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT). 3. EFFECTIVELY SERVING EMPLOYERS The agency will effectively serve employers through business services provided through its long-standing Business Relations Program called READI-Net. In order to improve the performance of the state in respect to this performance accountability measure, the READI-Net program will continue to provide disability resources, information and services to businesses in order to meet their disability and employment-related needs. The READI-Net program will also continue to develop new and innovative services for businesses. These new and innovative services will be driven by specific input from long-term ADRS business customers who serve as advisors to ADRS through the VR State Rehabilitation Council’s Business Relations Committee, through the ABLN - Alabama Business Leadership Network, which is the state chapter of the U.S. Business Leadership Network, and through Business Roundtable Events. The input gained from these business customers will be used to develop strategic plans with businesses which will facilitate the customization of business services in order to assist businesses with their outreach, recruitment, hiring and retention needs, as well as, staff training needs, affirmative action planning, metric and record keeping, and customized, company specific, disability-related services. The agency will work in collaboration with the Core Workforce Partners to record and report on the required measurements of Retention and Repeat business. The agency; however, will work in partnership with the Core Workforce Partners to develop an alternate means of measuring its effectiveness in serving employers, as allowed by WIOA regulations. 4. INCREASE CONSUMER EARNINGS The agency’s Retaining A Valued Employee (RAVE) program will increase earnings for consumers based on the fact that these are long-standing employees needing rehabilitation services who are receiving higher wages due to time on the job. Successful rehabilitation of these consumers, results in a higher average wage for the agency and benefits the consumer and employer. The agency will also focus on providing services centered around career advancement within their employment. This will allow consumers to acquire additional skills that will elevate opportunities for higher earnings. The agency will also explore opportunities to incentivize increased payments to Community Rehabilitation Programs who place consumers on higher paying jobs. Employment outcomes with higher wages will also be emphasized with counselors.