Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
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:
__________
[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
j. 2. Identify the need to establish, develop, or improve community rehabilitation programs within the State; and
Current Narrative:
Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs) provide services to individuals with disabilities in support of their goal of employment, independence, and equality. CRPs may be independent for-profit or not-for-profit agencies, hospitals and medical rehabilitation centers and facilitate the delivery of VR services such as:
- Assessments/Evaluations
- Training
- Job-related services
- Support services
Statewide Community Rehabilitation Program Availability:
Although the number of CRPs and CRP locations/facilities may vary throughout the year, recent data collected for the 2018 program year indicate there were approximately 245 CRPs who provided VR services to CDOR consumers at 445 locations throughout the state; an overall decrease of available CRP and CRP locations/facilities over time.
PY 13/14 | PY 14/15 | PY 15/16 | PY 16/17 | PY 17/18 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Consumers Receiving CRP Services | 19,418 | 18,734 | 17,483 | 16,651 | 16,706 |
Total VR Consumers | 102,853 | 100,099 | 98,332 | 100,442 | 99,845 |
% of VR Consumers Accessing CRP Fee-For-Service | 18.88% | 18.72% | 17.78% | 16.58% | 16.73% |
As indicated by the above table, it is estimated that 19% of consumers accessed CRP services in PY 2013-2014 and declined to 17% for PY 2017-2018. In addition to the number of consumers who access CRP services in decline, the number of physical locations (facilities) have dropped over the last ten years; from PY 2008 to PY 2017-2018. More specifically, the number of available CRP locations/facilities have dropped from 501 locations to 424 for the entire state.
Findings and Next Steps: Although county boundaries differ from CDOR district boundaries, data indicates a significant rural portion of the Central Valley is within the CDOR San Joaquin Valley district boundary. San Joaquin Valley district was identified as an area containing rural zones with either no CRPs or only one vendor with limited capacity. Rural areas within the counties contained inside the San Joaquin Valley district boundary may be considered unserved or underserved due to having populations of less than 50 thousand, with the average rural county containing populations of approximately 31,000.
The following rural counties within the San Joaquin Valley district boundary include:
1. Amador
2. Calaveras
3. Inyo
4. Mariposa
5. Mono
6. Tuolumne
The San Joaquin Valley District contains almost half, or 43%, of the 14 counties that are considered rural in California. A key aspect in identifying the need for the establishment of Community Rehabilitation Programs is that VR service availability is largely limited to urban counties within proximity of CDOR branch offices and the location of CRPs are often near CDOR branch/district offices. In 2018, approximately 245 CRPs provided VR services to DOR consumers at over 445 locations (facilities) across the state. Possible factors for the reduction of these service providers is the economic impact of increasing local and State minimum wage requirements, rising inflation rates, and the lack of a modern fee structure to absorb the aforementioned costs. CDOR has responded to the challenge of decreasing CRPs by modernizing the fees paid to CRPs and vendor partners.
CDOR requested and received, an annual budget augmentation beginning PY 2018-2019. This budget augmentation is aimed at helping to sustain the CRPs who provide vital services to CDOR consumers.
The CDOR is exploring alternative methodologies of service provisions utilizing technology, such as remote services, to ensure services are available throughout the state. In particular, ensuring services are available in areas where individuals have been identified as unserved and underserved. The CDOR's triennial CSA, finalized in Fall 2020, will include additional information about the needs of CRPs.
Conclusion
This update serves to introduce the preliminary research conducted for the collection and initial findings of quantitative and qualitative data up to year two of the triennial cycle of the 2018-2020 Comprehensive Statewide Assessment (CSA). It also presents planned areas for research to be included in the final draft of the CSA including, but not limited to, focus groups, telephone interviews with key informants, and the analysis and findings of the prior year Consumer Satisfaction Surveys. An example of planned research for inclusion in the final draft of the 2018-2020 CSA are the key informant telephone interviews scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2019. The qualitative component will include valuable feedback from VR service-delivery providers in areas representing mental health, justice-involved individuals, out-of-school youth with disabilities, community rehabilitation programs, independent living centers, etc. In summary, this update provides the preparatory framework for the future research to be published in the final draft of the 2018-2020 CSA.