Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by sections 101(a) and 606 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA.
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
In accordance with the requirements in Section 101(a)(7) of the Rehabilitation Act, the VR agency must develop and maintain annually a description (consistent with the purposes of the Rehabilitation Act) of the VR agency’s comprehensive system of personnel development, which shall include a description of the procedures and activities the State VR agency will undertake to ensure it has an adequate supply of qualified State rehabilitation professionals and paraprofessionals that provides the following:
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
i. 1. Analysis of current personnel and projected personnel needs including—
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A. The number of personnel currently needed by the VR agency to provide VR services, broken down by personnel category; and
B. The number and type of personnel that are employed by the VR agency in the provision of vocational rehabilitation services, including ratios of qualified vocational rehabilitation counselors to clients;
C. Projections of the number of personnel, broken down by personnel category, who will be needed by the VR agency to provide VR services in 5 years based on projections of the number of individuals to be served, including individuals with significant disabilities, the number of personnel expected to retire or leave the field, and other relevant factors.
Current Narrative:
A. The number and type of personnel that are employed by the VR agency in the provision of vocational rehabilitation services, including ratios of qualified vocational rehabilitation counselors to clients
There are currently 346 positions in BRS, further detailed in the table under 1C below. As of July 2023, the average Caseload Counselor to participant ratio is approximately 1:75, however in some areas of the state, caseloads are as high as 100 or more, and most office Supervisors are also carrying caseloads at this time. Additionally, the large majority of these cases are individuals with most significant disabilities given that two of three priority categories were closed between August 1, 2017 and July 5, 2023. Average caseload sizes are anticipated to increase over the next one to two years due to opening a second priority category in July 2023 and targeting the opening of the third priority category be end of calendar year 2024, as well as an increasing trend in applications.
B. The number of personnel currently needed by the VR agency to provide VR services, broken down by personnel category
See table under item C below
C. Projections of the number of personnel, broken down by personnel category, who will be needed by the VR agency to provide VR services in 5 years based on projections of the number of individuals to be served, including individuals with significant disabilities, the number of personnel expected to retire or leave the field, and other relevant factors.
| Personnel Category | No. of Personnel Employed | No. of Personnel Currently Needed | Projected No. of Personnel Needed in 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors | 179 | 183 | 200 |
| Working Lead VR Counselors | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| VR Youth Counselors | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| VR Area Supervisors | 25 | 25 | 26 |
| VR Region Managers | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| BRS Leadership/Admin | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| VR Case Coordinators | 64 | 66 | 70 |
| VR Area Secretaries | 17 | 19 | 19 |
| Blind/Deaf programs | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Other Central Office | 14 | 16 | 17 |
| Business Engagement Staff | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Total | 335 | 346 | 376 |