Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
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:
- 1. System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- A. Qualified Personnel Needs
Describe the development and maintenance of a system for collecting and analyzing on an annual basis data on qualified personnel needs with respect to:
- A. Qualified Personnel Needs
- 1. System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
i. 1. A. i. The number of personnel who are employed by the State agency in the provision of VR services in relation to the number of individuals served, broken down by personnel category;
Current Narrative:
Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
The Division recognizes the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credentials as a standard for counselors. Counselors who wish to obtain certification or acquire CEUs (for standing CRC holders) receive the Division’s support to the highest extent. The FDBS encourages credential attainment by providing a salary increase to those who have or achieve certification as a rehabilitation counselor.
Personnel must meet the academic requirements described in the “Personnel Standards” section of this document. Personnel information related to hiring and staff records are maintained in the state of Florida’s human resource system, People First. Data is exported from People First indicating staff vacancies and those who are enrolled in the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP). Each employee in the DROP system must terminate on a specific date which enables the division to predict, to the extent possible, when vacancies will occur.
The following table identifies the number of positions within the Division during SFY 2018-2019. Positions, such as district administrators, assistant district administrators, VR counselors, employment placement specialists, and program administrators contribute to the coordination of vocational rehabilitation services and consists of those carrying a caseload. Additionally, a number of employees at the Rehabilitation Center conduct assessments and provide orientation and mobility training, counseling/guidance, and job placement under the VR umbrella. Currently, these totals/positions are sufficient to meet the needs for FDBS to provide vocational rehabilitation services for the blind. Considering factors such as the retirement of staff who are in the DROP system, staff resignations (turnovers), and the number of clients who will require vocational rehabilitation services, the FDBS projects little to no changes to the number of staff needed to administer program services in 5 years.
Figure 10.01
Personnel Employed by FDBS
| Bureau | Positions |
|---|---|
| Administrative Office | 17 |
| Fiscal | 8 |
| Information Technology | 6 |
| Operations and Compliance | 12 |
| Business Enterprise | 16 |
| Braille and Talking Book Library | 26 |
| Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired | 46 |
| Client Services | 159 |
| Total | 290 |
In SFY 2018-2019 the FDBS served 4,854 individuals in the Vocational Rehabilitation Program. In SFY 2017-2018, the FDBS served 4,903 individuals (49 more individuals). The average ratio of clients per counselor was 99 to 1 in the VR Program. A comparison of the previous year indicates a statistically insignificant change in the ratio of clients served per counselor (See Figure 10.02). Data to determine the counselor to client ratio was obtained from the Accessible Web-based Activity and Reporting Environment (AWARE) case management system.