Chapter 515 Annual Report On Integrated Employment For Individuals With Disabilities SFY 2007/08
Overview
The purpose of Chapter 515 of the Laws of 1992 is to “stimulate the continued growth of integrated employment programs for persons with severe disabilities” (now known as individuals with significant disabilities). Through this legislation, persons with significant disabilities will be able to succeed in employment through a coordinated flexible service delivery system. Coordination of this service delivery system is set forth within the Memorandum of Interagency Understanding Regarding Supported Employment (October 1999). Based on this Memorandum of Understanding, the following New York State agencies are collaborating to increase the entire range of employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities:
- Office of Children and Family Services, Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH);
- Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD);
- Office of Mental Health (OMH); and the
- State Education Department, Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID).
These agencies have also established the Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team and have prepared this annual update of the employment outcomes achieved by their mutual consumers.
The Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team
The Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team consists of employment program managers from OMRDD, OMH, CBVH and VESID. The Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team, which was established in 2006, continues to meet monthly to discuss program, data and funding issues, facilitate cross-systems implementation and identify opportunities for program improvements. During the past year, the Team worked on the following areas.
- Statewide Reporting System. The Chapter 515 Implementation Team made changes to the New York Interagency Supported Employment Reporting (NYISER) system to enable community vocational rehabilitation providers to electronically complete VESID’s VES-416 Supported Employment Consumer Monthly Progress Report. We eliminated the required narrative questions. This also eliminated duplicative reporting elements for the different State agencies. The Team will continue to improve the NYISER system and determine how we can gather data that can assess program effectiveness and inform program quality improvement efforts.
- Interagency Communication on Program Changes. VESID and OMH Central Office Management Teams met with OMH Regional Office Directors in Suffolk County to discuss OMH PROS implementation and its impact on aligning employment efforts, particularly related to supported employment.
- OMRDD Enhanced Supported Employment Initiative. OMRDD developed a pilot project which is designed to demonstrate innovative employment strategies for individuals who want to work but who have been unable to become successfully employed for a variety of reasons. OMRDD and VESID collaborated in developing those sections of the RFP which will require close coordination between the two State agencies over the pilot’s five year period. OMRDD will invite VESID to participate in the periodic review of the project’s program evaluation which will assist both State partners in determining how each agency can improve employment services. VESID and OMRDD will use what they learn from this initiative to enable individuals with the most significant disabilities to become successfully employed consistent with their strengths, abilities and interests.
- APSE Discussions. The Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team continues to include representatives from the Empire State Association of Persons in Supported Employment (APSE) in our discussions for improving the quality and effectiveness of supported employment services by inviting them quarterly to our standing monthly meeting. As a result, we are in the process of developing a process through survey, public meetings, research and data review to assess the needs of persons with significant disabilities for supported employment services.
- State Partners Group. Based on the success of the Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team, VESID convened a State Partners Group which invited other State agencies including the Department of Labor, the Workers’ Compensation Board, the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, and the Commission on Quality Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities. This Group is looking at how we can better align our resources and what common strategies can we execute that would dramatically improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The Group has determined that it must focus on gaining a strong understanding of current labor market conditions within New York State and direct training and job placement efforts strategically toward those specific employment opportunities.
This year’s annual update provides information on what was accomplished over the past State fiscal year (SFY 2007/08) and what is still needed to increase integrated and supported employment outcomes for people with disabilities. VESID, CBVH, OMRDD and OMH all play a critical, yet different, role to assure that people with the most significant disabilities can achieve integrated employment.
To appreciate the differences, it is important to understand the characteristics of the individuals served by each of these four State agencies and the current outcomes that are tracked by each State agency.