Cooperation with Agencies that are Not in the Statewide Workforce Investment System and with Other Entities: Attachment 4.8(b)1

Coordination and planning with other State agencies are critical functions in improving access to appropriate vocational training and employment opportunities, particularly for individuals with significant disabilities who often have multiple needs requiring the intervention of more than one State agency. Other State, federal and local agencies are a significant referral source for the individuals referred to VESID for services. VESID continues to coordinate and work cooperatively with agencies that are not in the Statewide Workforce Investment System to increase employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities.

Coordinating the support needs of people with disabilities (such as transportation, medical care, housing, case management, family supports and work incentives) is essential for many individuals to be able to obtain and maintain their integrated employment. Interagency cooperation and coordination in service delivery is a driving force within Title IV of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and Chapter 515 of the Laws of 1992 (New York State Integrated Employment legislation). This interagency collaboration occurs at both the State and local levels through coordinated planning and service delivery initiatives, as well as through the implementation of formal Memoranda of Agreement.

Memoranda of Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding

VESID works closely with a variety of entities to enhance vocational rehabilitation services and placement opportunities for VESID consumers. These efforts are described in the Memorandum of Agreements and the Memorandum of Understanding. Several of the key agreements include:

Memoranda of Agreement for the Workforce Investment Act: Title II, Adult Education and Family Literacy between the New York State Education Department and Local Workforce Investment Boards, June 30, 2000
Memorandum of Agreement to Provide Services to Individuals who are Deaf/Blind, November 1999 (VESID and CBVH)
Memorandum of Interagency Understanding regarding Supported Employment, October 1999 (VESID, CBVH,OMH and OMRDD)
Memorandum of Understanding between the State Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and the Office of Mental Health, October 1999
Memorandum of Understanding between the State Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, April 1999
Statement of Collaboration between the New York State Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA), March 1, 1998
Joint Agreement between the New York State Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and the Office of Higher and Professional Education (OHPE), August 4, 1994
Joint Agreement between the New York State Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) and Public Institutions of Higher Education (IHE), Pending 2007 (SUNY and CUNY)

Designing Our Future

In January 2006, the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) presented the Designing Our Future recommendations to the Board of Regents. The recommendations were the result of two years of coordinated activity with various internal and external stakeholders designed to improve VESID’s ability to provide quality effective services into the future. The 15 recommendations reflected the need for VESID to:

Improve the marketing of its services to both consumers and businesses.
Enhance collaboration with stakeholders including, but not limited to, Workforce Investment partners, Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD), Office of Mental Health (OMH), and provider organizations.
Expand and diversify outreach to consumers as well as unserved and underserved populations.
Design a staffing model that supports the functions of the agency and district offices.

The primary goal of VESID is to assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment that is consistent with their skills, abilities and interest. It is expected that the job opportunities available to individuals with disabilities will be consistent with those accessed by the general non-disabled population.

Therefore, VESID seeks to provide quality training in marketable, high demand professions that enable VESID consumers to effectively compete with their non-disabled peers.

The next step in the Design effort was to develop an Implementation Plan that would integrate the recommendations into our operational structure. Several Teams were convened and charged with the responsibility of designing new processes for:

Accessing Services
Expanding Partnerships
Enhancing Technology
Improving Communication
Expanding Service Delivery

Each Team provided a proposal and timeline for designing, piloting and evaluating new processes. Those pilots that produce a positive result will then be replicated throughout the State. The activities of the Partnership Team are closely aligned with the efforts to build interagency coordination.

Partnership Initiatives of Designing Our Future

To better integrate individuals with disabilities into the New York State workforce and increase employment outcomes, VESID must partner with other stakeholders. VESID completed the initial design phase of this strategic planning effort with considerable input from partner agencies, providers, consumers and staff. Implementation of the new design will be an important feature. The implementation of the following partnerships will assist VESID in meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities statewide.

Establish a Transition Consortium – A Transition Consortium involving school districts, VESID (Vocational Rehabilitation and Special Education), Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education (EMSC), Office of Higher Education (OHE), and other stakeholders will be established to improve students’ access to educational, vocational and community supports as they transition from school to employment or to post-secondary training. This transition consortium is focusing on enhancing programmatic ties and strengthens relationships between Special Education Regional Supervisors and Associates and Transition Site Coordinators with the VESID District Office Managers and Transition Teams and VESID Counselors. Under the leadership of the Assistant Commissioner of VESID, a Transition Planning Committee was established and developed the Model Transition Program to involve high schools, local VR District Offices and community rehabilitation and independent living providers in assisting youth with disabilities to secure post-school employment outcomes.
Develop a VESID One-Stop Strategy – VESID has developed a Team consisting of Central and District Office representatives and representatives from the State Rehabilitation Council to develop and implement a strategy aligned with the Designing Our Future and State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) Design Teams’ recommendations. This Team has focused on enhancing VESID’s role in the One-Stop System, examining issues concerning the compatibility of technology and sharing of information, establishing shared outcomes, fostering the understanding of common measures and identifying best practices.
Ensuring New York State Partner Collaboration - To improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, VESID will design a mechanism to bring together State partners. Participants may include, but are not limited to: DOL, OMRDD, OMH, DOH, OASAS, CBVH, OCFS and Workers’ Compensation. The group will be convened under the guidance of the Deputy Commissioner of VESID and focus on identifying areas for collaboration. The goal is to close the employment gap between individuals with disabilities and the general population by increasing the number of individuals with significant disabilities entering the workforce.

VESID Business and Industry Initiatives

VESID Placement and Marketing Representatives in the 15 District Offices have continued to build on the following collaborations: statewide disability employment training initiative with Cornell University; local job placement and marketing initiatives with the Society for Human Resource Management; and continued coordination with several local Chambers of Commerce and The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) unions across the State. The agency is also strengthening its regional alliance with national businesses through participation in the CSAVR/RSA collaboration on the National Employment Team (The NET). Recently, the VESID Placement and Marketing staff participated in a regional audio conference with human resource managers from H&R Block to establish a referral and hiring plan. In addition, VESID has filled vacancies for the Placement and Marketing Representatives and will have staff in place in every VESID District Office. This aligns with the “Designing Our Future” initiative.

Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team

VESID initiated the re-formation of an interagency work team to discuss ongoing concerns with the implementation of supported employment intensive and extended services in New York State. The Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team consists of mid-level managers from the OMRDD, OMH, CBVH and VESID. The Team is meeting monthly to discuss program issues, facilitate cross-systems implementation and identify program areas for further development.

Some highlights from our interagency work are described below.

OMRDD is the State agency responsible for providing a full range of services for individuals with developmental disabilities. OMRDD is committed to self-determination and enhancing employment opportunities and choices for their consumers. Recent changes in OMRDD eligibility requirements have created some difficulties in securing OMRDD funding for extended services in some areas. The Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team has been able to effectively address these issues.

OMH is responsible for providing programs and services to individuals with mental illness in New York State. Over the next year, OMH will continue with the implementation of Personal Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) program in certain areas of the State. This initiative integrates clinical and rehabilitation services within one licensed program. All services provided in a PROS program are for the purpose of overcoming the mental health barriers that are preventing the achievement of an individual’s recovery goals, one of which may be employment. As PROS is implemented, VESID and OMH will continue to help consumers acquire employment and the extended services necessary to maintain employment.

CBVH is the designated State VR agency for individuals who are blind. VESID and CBVH work very cooperatively in sharing the resources for supported employment.

Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

The DDPC is a State agency charged with providing input services to families with members who have developmental disabilities. The Council is directed by an appointed membership that includes parents and persons with disabilities as voting members who direct the activities of the Council The DDPC has played a key role in innovation in New York State. Last year, they funded the Peer Mentoring and Supports in Employment. The DDPC initiated the Peer Mentoring grants to explore the effectiveness of using a peer supports model in assisting people with disabilities to obtain and maintain employment.

Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)

VESID has recently renewed its collaborative activities with OASAS. Highlights from this work include the formation of a New York City Consortium between VESID VR counselors in the Queens and Brooklyn District Offices and VR counselors at the OASAS-funded treatment programs throughout the City. OASAS, VESID and providers developed assessment and referral protocols and are discussing common issues. For example, a recent meeting focused on vocational issues related to felony history and its impact on vocational choices.

VESID and OASAS will build on this regional collaboration to eventually update the Memorandum of Agreement and offer statewide training and technical assistance to better serve this population.

Department of Health (DOH)

VESID continues to work cooperatively with the DOH in the delivery of services to individuals with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), the implementation of the Medicaid “buy-in” program and the use of Medicaid for medically necessary physical and mental restoration during the rehabilitation process. In 2001, VESID and DOH collaboration on a Technical Assistance Brief on Acquired Brain Injury which is part of the VR Policy Manual at: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/publications/briefs/braininjury.htm .

Federal Department of Veterans' Affairs/State Division of Veterans' Affairs

VESID maintains an ongoing liaison with the Federal Department of Veterans' Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation program to assure that veterans with service connected disabilities are able to access appropriate services from both agencies. VESID continues to work with the State Division of Veterans' Affairs and is participating on an advisory council developed by the State Division of Employment and Training Officers in a number of State agencies to coordinate the provision of services to veterans with disabilities.

Conclusion

During the next year, VESID and its partner State agencies will invigorate the dialogue on how to close the employment gap for individuals with disabilities. The State agencies will strengthen collaboration for achieving an increase in integrated employment outcomes. We will examine barriers to more effective employment services, identify evidence-based employment practices and implement strategies that will improve the overall performance of our employment programs. We will assure that the full array of employment services meet high standards for performance and result in successful employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities in New York State.