Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

According to the latest Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment, the most common themes that emerged in this area based on the perceptions of respondents were:

• Overall, partnerships within the Idaho Workforce Development System are regarded as positive and helpful, especially at the administrative level.
• Positive collaboration and partnership aspects include:
  • IDVR inclusion in statewide workforce development listening sessions;
  • Collaborative work on the combined state plan;
  • IDVR administrator is member of the workforce development council and chairs the one-stop committee;
  • IDVR provides consultation (e.g., physical and programmatic accessibility) with the American Job Centers.
• The level of local partnership between IDVR and the American Job Centers was described as varying across the State at the local level. Some felt that co-enrollment was of no concern as it is a common occurrence in small communities, while others felt as though there was no active level of co-enrollment where participants would be served by multiple agencies through strategic partnerships.
• IDVR could improve its collaboration with the Workforce Development System through sharing data, increased cross-referral, leveraging resources, sharing participants, and developing youth program partnerships

The themes described above are informed by VR staff and other partner respondents.

Conversely, the following themes are expressed by individuals with disabilities. The CSNA asked individuals with disabilities several questions regarding the American Job Centers, including accessibility, access to training and employment, the value of and the effectiveness of the services available through the AJC.  The table below details results from individuals with disabilities using the Job Center for seeking training and employment.

Two-hundred fourteen (68.2%) out of 314 individuals went to the Center with the purpose of seeking assistance to find a job.  Two-hundred and three respondents answered the question regarding receiving help that resulted in employment with 60.6% indicating that they did not receive assistance in finding a job.

The majority of the individuals seeking assistance at the AJC were seeking employment (68.2%).  Of the 203 respondents, 123 (60.6%) did not find employment with AJC assistance.

Table VR.5 identifies the ratings for the helpfulness and the value of the American Job Centers by individuals with disabilities that responded to the survey.

Almost 74% of respondents found the services available at the American Job Centers to be either somewhat or very valuable.  Just over one-fourth of the respondents indicated the services were not valuable.

Table VR.6 breaks down the reported effectiveness of the American Job Center by individuals that responded to the survey.

Only 46.5% of the 314 respondents that answered the question indicated that the American Job Center was effective, while roughly 25% of the respondents indicated that the Centers were not effective in serving people with disabilities and 29% did not have an opinion. 

The CSNA provided IDVR several recommendations based on the results of the Needs of Individuals with Disabilities served through other Components of the Statewide Workforce Development System including:

1. IDVR should develop regular opportunities for cross-training among local level WIOA core partner staff to learn about available services and increase the level of co-enrollment across workforce programs to leverage resources and better serve Idahoans with disabilities.
2. IDVR is encouraged to identify effective ways to share client data and develop joint opportunities to increase the level of partnership at the local level.
3. IDVR should continue efforts to improve services for people with disabilities in the larger Idaho workforce system by maintaining partnerships and the level of engagement of IDVR within the WIOA core programs.  For example, IDVR can provide ADA training, disability awareness and etiquette training, community accessibility, etc. to workforce agencies as well as community partners.
4. IDVR is encouraged to develop more formal partnerships with the Title I youth program to increase the array of services available to youth in Idaho.

The WIOA Advisory Group, in collaboration with the Workforce Development Council’s One-stop Committee will continue to engage in a series of ongoing meetings to identify common and unique strategies which are in need of improvement on a statewide level. The Division engaged in the second strategic planning meeting with all WIOA Advisory Group and the One-Stop Subcommittee members.  The purpose of the meeting was to identify the shared goals, priorities, and strategies for this Combined State Plan.  While collaborative work in this area has begun, more work in this area is still needed.

Meetings at the local-area level are ongoing which include all core partner agencies and numerous One-Stop partners to determine and advance strategies for common referral and orientation, reducing duplication of effort and potential increased levels of co-enrollment. These meetings will help inform a better understanding of the needs of individuals with disabilities served by agencies external to VR in the One-Stop system.

The Administrator of IDVR currently chairs the WDC’s One-Stop Subcommittee.