Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

1. VR Services ADRS is committed to a “dual customer” approach in working with employers to identify competitive integrated employment opportunities and career exploration opportunities for the consumers we serve. While doing so, ADRS also focuses on developing effective working relationships with business to address their disability related issues in the workplace from outreach and recruitment, to accommodations, to education, to resources linkages and more via the development and delivery of appropriate products and services to meet the needs of business as specified in the WIOA proposed regulations and beyond. To accomplish the above, ADRS has a business relations unit, “READI-Net” (Resources for Employment And Disability Information Network), led by a State Office Administrator of Business Relations and staffed by specially trained Business Relations Consultants (BRCs), in a classification separate from Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. The Administrator serves as the ADRS representative with full oversight of collaborative relationships with businesses developed by any VR staff or other VR agencies in The NET (VR’s National Employment Team) that wish to establish or grow their partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation in Alabama. At the state level, the Administrator is the lead liaison to workforce partners, community organizations and other agencies that establish partnerships with business and is the “reviewing supervisor” of the business relations consultants. At the local level, the BRCs are charged with establishing and maintaining effective relationships with business to create employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities or to assist business with retention of workers whose job is affected by illness, injury or disability. BRCs develop and deliver other disability-related services needed by business and are accountable for the quality and effectiveness of those services. They simultaneously assist consumers (youth and adults) with job readiness preparation (through group or one-on-one sessions), job development, job search, job retention and follow-up. In addition, ADRS works with a network of community-based organizations on customized placement services for consumers, necessitating coordination with employers. These partnerships include special assistance to students and youth with disabilities, Transition services, and supported employment assistance. This coordination with business also involves internal ADRS staff specializing in job readiness and placement services for individuals who are blind, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing and may include Deaf Support Specialists, audiologists, or other contract employment specialists focusing on visually impaired. Engagement with businesses through the ADRS RAVE (Retaining A Valued Employee) program also necessitate collaboration with business and includes ADRS vocational rehabilitation counselors, BRCs, rehabilitation technology specialists and other rehabilitation professionals. To foster collaboration among these resources, thus avoiding duplication of effort with employers while maximizing assistance to consumers, ADRS has developed local collaboration teams facilitated by BRCs to include any and all local entities that assist VR consumers with job readiness, placement and retention services and who reach out to employers on behalf of those consumers. These groups meet either monthly or quarterly and can include: ADRS staff, community rehabilitation programs, supported employment projects, jointly funded job coaches with the school systems, disabled veterans organizations, workforce partners, staffing companies, state and Federal agencies, and more. To enhance coordination with employers, the ADRS READI-Net program and BRCs also engage with entities that represent business and disability-related issues: Staffing companies, Society of Human Resource Management, Chambers of Commerce, Alabama Industry Liaison Group, EEOC, OFCCP, and other partners that represent the needs of employers. BRCs work through these entities to deliver needed disability-related services to the business. Operating under an “employer account system” to ensure accurate record keeping of services provided to employers and to organize outreach to employers, ADRS has an employer data base, “Mr. ED”, that maintains permanent records on every business contacted by BRCs or with whom BRCs have a working relationship. These records reflect the following: 1) Company name and detailed demographics on contact info, staffing patterns, benefits, referral processes, type company (e.g. Federal contractor, Federal agency, private sector, etc.) and more; 2) Specific services provided to the company by ADRS; 3) Job vacancies, particularly those from businesses under affirmative action mandates - ADRS works with people with disabilities in all protected classes such as minorities, women, felons, LGBT, dislocated workers, poverty level, age and others; 4) Employment and retention outcomes with the company; 5) Archived records that reflect the history of the partnership and track repeat business. A number of customized services to businesses to enhance hiring opportunities of individuals with disabilities by the business, include a variety of the following, which require coordination with the business and delivery by ADRS staff or partners: Pre-hire work experiences; Mentoring or internships; Summer work experience; On-the-Job training support (fiscal and programmatic) after hire; Targeted Job Tax Credits; Accommodations at the job site such as: job coaching, delivery and set up of accommodation resources, and additional follow up services to ensure success; and RAVE services to assist existing employees with disabilities. (A specific list of services to business, along with their explanations, is available on the ADRS website business page: www.rehab.alabama.gov/business-partners )