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:
- 1. System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- A. Qualified Personnel Needs
Describe the development and maintenance of a system for collecting and analyzing on an annual basis data on qualified personnel needs with respect to:
- A. Qualified Personnel Needs
- 1. System on Personnel and Personnel Development
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
i. 1. A. i. The number of personnel who are employed by the State agency in the provision of VR services in relation to the number of individuals served, broken down by personnel category;
Current Narrative:
| Job Title | Total Positions | Current Vacancies | Projected Vacancies Over the Next 5 years |
| Qualified Rehabilitation Professionals Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Assistant Regional Managers | 41 | 3 | 35 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists | 26 | 1 | 16 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Assistants | 48 | 0 | 10 |
| Field Management Staff | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| Human Resources | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fiscal | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Staff Trainer | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Planning and Evaluation | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Transition Coordinator | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Business Liaison | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Administrative Assistants | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Deputy Administrator | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Administrator | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chief of Field Services | 1 | 0 | 0 |
IDVR currently employs a total of 148 staff. The breakdown of personnel is listed above.
The Agency has determined that a ratio of one Qualified Rehabilitation Professional (QRP) for every 20,000 people in the state is an ideal staffing ratio. The population of Idaho is approximately 1.75 million people, thus a minimum of 87.5 QRPs over the next five years would be required to meet this ratio. IDVR currently has a total of 41 QRP (VRC & ARM) and anticipates needing 50.5 additional positions. This shortfall in part will be addressed by employing Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists with the understanding that they work toward VRC QRP status which includes the CRC designation. IDVR currently has 26 VRS positions filled leaving a shortfall of 24.5 QRP positions across Idaho. The Division does not anticipate all VRS positions will achieve QRP status, leaving the Division to supplement QRPs with VRS position in the short and intermediate term. Furthermore, numerous factors, including shifting Idaho working-age demographics and WIOA workload increases will require a reassessment of the 1 in 20,000 staffing model. In addition, one VRA position would be necessary to support the QRP to meet the demand for IDVR services. The anticipated number of vacancies expected due to retirements or individuals leaving the Agency over the next five years are noted in the above chart. Finally, the Division’s financial projections for FTE availability illustrate that we will not be able to fully staff to meet the 1:20,000 ratio to match record growth rate in Idaho. The Governor is currently focused on austerity measures to prepare for an imminent recession and will not support any increase of FTEs for non-K-20 educational programs.
Current FTE allotment has been reorganized since the 2018 plan. This includes the addition of Permanent Assistant Regional Manager positions, who are CRCs and carry a caseload, a Human Resources Associate, a VRC Senior Trainer position, an Aware Specialist, and two specialized VRA positions. These positions were necessitated by WIOA changes.
Assistant Regional Managers for each our 8 regional offices were created to provide more consistent oversight and training to Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors. The goal is to provide consistent statewide training for all field staff. A Human Resources Associate was added to focus on recruitment efforts and to enhance relationships and improve recruitment efforts at Universities with Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs. The VRC Senior Training position was created to identify training needs and to design focused trainings that address requirements of WIOA for VRC and VRS positions.
The Governor’s initiative to consolidate Information Technology Services across Idaho state government agencies has substantially impacted and reduced our staff composition. With the loss of our internal IT staff, we identified the need for an Aware Specialist position to oversee all aspects of our internal case management system, Aware. We have added two new VRA positions, one to assist the new VRC trainer and one to assist the transition coordinator position.
An evaluation of staff resulted in no increase in VR caseloads but an increase in potentially eligible student cases, thus necessitating additional support for our transition coordinator. Both new VRA positions are located at our Central Office.