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:
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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:
- 3. Personnel Standards
Describe the State agency's policies and procedures for the establishment and maintenance of personnel standards consistent with section 101(a)(7)(B) to ensure that designated State unit professional and paraprofessional personnel are adequately trained and prepared, including:
- 3. Personnel Standards
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
i. 3. A. Standards that are consistent with any national or State-approved or -recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the profession or discipline in which such personnel are providing VR services; and
Current Narrative:
The Division follows standards set forth in the Comprehensive System for Professional Development (CSPD). This prescribes a national standard for vocational rehabilitation counselor qualifications. This standard gives highest priority to counselors with a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. The second level of priority is for counselors with related degrees in Social Work, Psychology, Mental Health Counseling or Special Education. This group must complete four additional courses to meet the standard: Foundations of Rehabilitation, Career Counseling, Vocational Assessment, and Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability. When unable to recruit qualified candidates that meet the two highest levels, DVR hires counselors with bachelor’s degrees and supports their graduate training through Title I funds. Though not required by the Division or by RSA, some counselors continue on to become Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRC) through the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.
In the future DVR may request data from New England college programs about the number of students in relevant programs. We would use this data to plan future recruitment activities.
The following is a breakdown of the educational plans for DVR staff. These plans fall into a three-category system, based on the availability of existing financial resources and are consistent with any national or State-approved or recognized requirements that apply to the profession or discipline in which personnel are providing VR services:
Category 1: Staff who meet the highest standards for education and/or certification: Staff in this category have completed a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and/or have received certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor.
Category 2: Staff who do not yet meet the highest standards and are currently enrolled in an approved graduate or undergraduate program: Staff in this category are pursuing a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or a related field and have additional supervision and oversight.
Category 3: Staff who have graduate degrees in counseling or a related field and are required to take four core rehabilitation courses in order to comply with the CSPD requirements.
The percentage of our current counselors having met the CSPD standard through Categories 1 and 3 is 80%, which is 39 counselors out of 49. The timelines for meeting graduate training are written into the job specifications, which all candidates have access to on the State of Vermont Department of Human Resources website. Counselors are required to meet the standard within three years. All training information related to core courses and completion of master’s degrees is stored on a spreadsheet maintained by the Division’s Staff Development and Training Coordinator. Supervisors are given quarterly updates to monitor progress.
DVR staff upon hire, are required to attend a 30-hour DVR services training program taught by the Staff Development and Training Coordinator. This training covers DVR’s Policies and Procedures Manual, the full vocational rehabilitation process from referral to successful closure, effective caseload management, collaboration with partners providing employment services, and all other aspects of vocational rehabilitation.