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
- l. State Goals and Priorities
The designated State unit must:
- l. State Goals and Priorities
l. 3. A. The most recent comprehensive statewide assessment, including any updates;
Current Narrative:
The priorities and goals were based in part on the data obtained and analyzed in the first two years of the current Comprehensive Statewide Assessment (CSA). The data includes CDOR caseload, U.S. Census, and other external sources.
Wage and employment outcome data analyzed in the CSA highlighted CDOR’s need to place additional emphasis on finding consumers jobs that offer sustainable, living wages with a career track. The data also presents the opportunity to uncover innovative ways to work with consumers to ensure they obtain and sustain their jobs. The data also supports better utilizing local and regional labor market information to inform consumer IPE’s as indicated by the majority of CDOR consumers who obtain employment in the service industry and earn at or slightly above minimum wage. As a result, CDOR developed goals one and two under priority two “Services to Businesses.”
The initial CSA findings also indicate CDOR consumers are less likely to have the same level of postsecondary education when compared to individuals with disabilities statewide. As such, the CDOR will track consumer credential attainment and measurable skills gain and implement strategies to increase both measures.
The CDOR’s data analysis revealed that over the past five program years, a majority of the caseload are individuals with behavioral health disabilities. The CDOR recognizes this and developed goal three, under priority one “Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Employment Outcomes” to identify ways to provide a continuum of services to individuals with behavioral health disabilities.
The data analysis indicates CDOR provides supported employment services to approximately 3,500 consumers each year. Therefore, CDOR has placed an emphasis on ensuring individuals with the most significant disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, achieve competitive integrated employment. Goal three under priority one “Increasing the Quality and Quantity of Employment Outcomes” identifies opportunities for partnership and systems alignment to increase competitive integrated employment for individuals with the most significant disabilities.