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:
- 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. i. The Methods to Be Used to Expand and Improve Services to Individuals with Disabilities.
Current Narrative:
IDVR maintains the two primary innovation and expansion activities, supporting the activities of both the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) and the State Independent Living Council (SILC). Additionally, IDVR in FFY 2018 will continue limited pilot projects under Pre-ETS while continuing to monitor and refine those programs now being offered at a statewide level.
The Division created policy on Supported Employment (SE) under WIOA to address regulatory changes pertinent to SE. Training on these changes was delivered across Idaho through a series of regional face-to-face meetings. The Division emphasized the expansion of the timeframe of SE from 18 to 24 months, provided information on fading and documenting progress in the SE process, emphasized the importance of achieving stability prior to the transfer of ongoing support services to extended services, and the availability of Youth Extended Services under IDVR where no comparable services or funding is available from external sources.
Furthermore, the Division has launched a Customized Employment (CE) pilot project with the aim of increasing the capacity of the state to deliver CE services with fidelity and seeks to expand CE offerings statewide following the conclusion of pilot activities. The Division has engaged with multiple national technical assistance providers on this project including WINTAC, NTACT, and Y-TAC. IDVR’s process also allowed the cross-training of internal VR staff, DEI staff, special educators, and CRP personnel in the CE process.
The Division plans to work toward a comprehensive benefits planning and financial literacy program in the next two-years which will include the following strategies:
To develop and make available statewide comprehensive benefits planning to be delivered by qualified providers to all SSI/SSDI customers
To develop and make available financial literacy curriculum to all customers
IDVR is currently exploring the expansion of its Career Index Plus utilization to improve planned service connections to Labor Market Information/Career Pathways and better inform customer career choice in the 21st century. The Division will continue to work with WINTAC to further this initiative.
Fiscal forecasting for IDVR has allowed for expansion into authorized Pre-ETS activities. The expansion, provision, and evaluation of various Pre-ETS activities are ongoing. Continued collaboration with the SDE and LEAs alongside feedback from customers and parents/guardians when applicable are instrumental in better understanding which services should be continued, modified, or ended. Activities like the Transition Institute will bring these stakeholders together and allow for the collection of rich qualitative data to further inform improvements to these services.
The Division will continue to work closely with the SRC to identify further innovation and expansion activities which align with the goals and priorities outlined in WIOA.