DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
I. Introduction and Key Issues
II. How Did VESID
Conduct this Redesign Initiative?
III. Proposals for Designing
Our Future
IV. Next Steps
DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
PART
TWO: How Did VESID Conduct this
Redesign Initiative?
PART THREE: Proposals
for Designing Our Future
DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION
In November 2003, VESID undertook began a comprehensive
review of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) service delivery system in order to
design the future of vocational rehabilitation in New York State. This Design initiative is intended to
address the challenges the Department is facing in its 83rd year of
VR program operation and to provide a blueprint for our future service
delivery.
This effort was undertaken in the context of
the many challenges and issues being faced by the Regents and the Department as
we examine the University of the State of New York’s (USNY) broad authority and
responsibility. These challenges include the gaps in school performance and
employment for individuals with disabilities, the State’s changing demographic
characteristics, the global competition for skilled workers, and the need to
maximize USNY’s collective assets while ensuring expanded community and business
partnerships.
This report acknowledges and embraces the fact that
vocational rehabilitation service delivery models must evolve to address the
changing needs of 21st century customers and to incorporate
21st century resources, especially in the area of technology. The recommendations reflect a close
alignment with the Department-wide efforts to shape SED of the Future as we
focus on the needs of our customers.
In VESID’s case, our primary customers are those individuals with
disabilities who are seeking employment, but we also recognize our obligation to
respond to the needs of employers as well as the many rehabilitation service
providers who serve as the bridge between VESID and job placement. In that context, the redesign process
included an examination of:
Most importantly, our recommendations recognize that
VESID alone will never have the capacity to close the employment gap. Our goals can only be achieved through
greatly expanded collaborations across USNY, including VR’s integration into the
work of school districts, institutions of higher education, and the Independent
Living Centers, as well as beyond USNY through our work with the statewide
workforce development systems, our State agency partners, and the broad range of
community-based rehabilitation service providers.
II. HOW DID VESID CONDUCT THIS REDESIGN
INITIATIVE?
Through focus groups,
surveys and benchmarking with other states, the design teams gathered
information on the effectiveness of VESID processes and systems requiring
change, as well as recommendations on how to change. Input was gathered via staff meetings in
each VR District Office; numerous community meetings at various locations
throughout the State with outside stakeholders, including consumers, family
members, advocates, State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) representatives, vendors,
State agency partners, and educators; and feedback from both an internal and
external website survey. This input was processed in two summit sessions
involving VESID VR Senior staff and the Design Our Future Steering Committee
members. The Design proposals
reflect almost two years of input and discussion.
The
attached document (Attachment 1) provides additional background information and
a full review of the issues explored and recommendations made by the design
teams. The final recommendations for action, which are summarized below, reflect
both dramatic changes and subtler restructuring of VESID VR processes. Taken in total, implementation of the
proposed design will result in a significant culture change for VESID and major
improvements in access and service delivery for its consumers. Successful implementation of this
proposed model would require a reallocation of certain resources as well as
substantive and sustained training for, and ongoing communication with, both
staff and partner agencies.
III. PROPOSALS FOR DESIGNING OUR
FUTURE
OVERARCHING
ISSUES
The key to the success of implementing the
following recommendations is the ability of the Department to support VESID’s
need to:
·
Expand access
to technology;
·
Implement a
staffing-ratio system to support the functions of the District
Office;
·
Restructure
the VR fiscal system; and
·
Develop a
marketing strategy that meets the needs of our diverse pool of
customers.
RECOMMENDATION #2: Develop an Incumbent Worker/Career
Development Track for Easy Consumer Re-Entry to VESID
Reflective of the job market of the future, where most workers will have multiple employers/careers in the course of their working lives, VESID needs to offer an open door to former consumers who still meet VR eligibility criteria, have disability related employment barriers, and are currently working and seeking to upgrade employment or need to rapidly re-enter employment. In previous years, Federal Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) directives focused state VR agencies in assisting individuals with disabilities in obtaining entry-level employment; thereby, “leveling the playing field” with their non-disabled peers. That focus has not expanded into assisting those same individuals with career development and advancement on their jobs. However, within the VESID culture, criteria for re-entry is often more strictly enforced than is the case for individuals seeking initial eligibility. VESID VR needs to refine its service provision to address the ongoing vocational needs of previously eligible consumers.
RECOMMENDATION
#4: Enhance Transition for Consumers Exiting School
Not all students in NYS
schools identified as having disabilities require adult vocational
rehabilitation services. However, a significant number of secondary students,
who would meet VR eligibility, fail to link to VR or other adult services. For these students, gaps in connecting to VESID often result in years of
chronic unemployment, lack of benefits, dependence on public assistance and
deterioration of skills gained in educational settings. In many cases, by the time the consumer
is linked with VESID, both costs and the difficulty of gaining employment have
skyrocketed. Limited VR staffing for
outreach and the autonomy of local school districts has made a systemic and
coherent response to this issue problematic. The Department is in a unique position
to bring resources and focus to this crucial juncture, both through mandated
school transition activities and closer coordination of VR and other Department
technical assistance activities focused on students with disabilities.
RECOMMENDATION #5: Utilize VR’s Unique Expertise to
Ensure NYS Partner Collaboration, Yielding the Best Employment Outcomes for
Shared Disabled Consumers
VESID’s New York State
partner agencies have expertise either in helping the general public find
employment or in helping consumers address the impact of a specific disabling
condition. People with varying
levels of disability clearly comprise a significant portion of the job seeking
public served by the NYS Department of Labor (DOL). Comprehensive responses to the needs of
a specific disability group, such as those offered by the NYS Offices of Mental
Health (OMH), Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) and
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) often include addressing some
vocational issues. However, VESID is the primary agency where expertise in the
medical aspects of disabilities, current rehabilitation technology, and
rehabilitation counseling best practices come together with a fully developed
knowledge of career planning, employment preparation, job seeking and job
retention for individuals with disabilities. Because the mission of VESID
reflects this dual role of disability and employment service delivery, it has a
unique position bridging agencies addressing primarily one or the other focus
areas. Since no other agency has so
comprehensive a mission, VESID should take a leadership role in enhancing the
collaboration among all the key State partners involved in the employment needs
of individuals with disabilities.
RECOMMENDATION #6: VESID Needs to Envision Its Own
Operation as a Key Component of a Larger Workforce Development System through
One- Stop Partnering
VESID VR isolation from the larger workforce
system as defined in the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is not a viable
option and disadvantages our
consumers. Services to all
individuals with disabilities within the State cannot and should not be provided
exclusively by VESID. Services at
the One-Stop training and employment centers, which are the core of the national
workforce program delivery system as defined by the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA), can assist some people with disabilities to achieve employment. Not all
disabled individuals require a rehabilitation-based employment plan or a case
management model for employment services.
Measurement of employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities
should be generated on a system-wide basis.
VESID will develop a statewide strategy for its
involvement in the WIA system. On the local level, District Offices will have a
professional staff member without full caseload responsibilities assigned to the
principle One-Stop sites (at least one per District Office). Specific role definition will be derived
from the structure and process at the particular One-Stop.
RECOMMENDATION #8: Designate the Electronic Version
of VR Consumer Files as the Official Case Record (CaMS)
Our current record keeping system, CaMS, was
originally designed with the expectation that staff at all levels would access
the case record and enter data or perform casework in an electronic format, but
that the “official legal case record” would continue to be the paper file. There is now an increased reliance on
the use of CaMS, the electronic record, “to tell the story” rather than the hard
copy of the case file. The latest
fiscal control requirements for supervisory review and approval further
highlight the importance of including all necessary supporting documentation in
CaMS, so that the reviewer is able to determine the appropriateness of the
authorized services. However, many
supporting documents in the case record are not generated by VESID and are in
hard copy in the paper file. Future collaboration with other systems also
depends on a fully electronic case record
system.
RECOMMENDATION #9: Ensure that all VESID VR “Public Message” Materials are
Clear, Consistent and of High Quality
VR materials will use the “language of success and
inclusion” of persons with disabilities.
VESID’s public message materials will be responsive to the information
needs of various partners in the vocational rehabilitation process, including
disability groups, employers, advocates and school district personnel. Materials
developed for use by VESID for its public message will be available in various
formats, including print, DVD and on Internet Web sites.
RECOMMENDATION #10: Implement a Service Delivery Team
Model
The model of the future utilizes a team
concept for service delivery, with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC)
maintaining responsibility for the core rehabilitation functions of eligibility
certification, for goal planning, and for the development of the original
Individual Plan for Employment (IPE).
Routine details regarding additional services and case management, will
become the duty of a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Assistant (VRCA)
working under the instruction of a VRC.
Consumers will maintain the ability to access a VRC and receive
counseling supports to appropriately obtain a successful rehabilitation outcome,
but will also have other staff members to turn to for more routine needs. Senior VRCs will supervise units
comprised of both VRCs and VRCAs.
RECOMMENDATION
#11: Restructure the Responsibilities of VESID’s District Office and of the
VESID VR Functions within Central Office
VESID’s current VR configuration reflects 15
District Offices and 7 satellites.
While this design enables VR to be accessible to its consumer base and to
address linkage, vendor and service delivery needs locally, it also creates a
number of issues of concern and does not maximize staff resources. These issues can best be resolved
through the designation of a number of these offices as Regional Offices that
will serve as a source of support and supervision for up to three other District
Offices. This structure maintains the local knowledge and responsiveness that is
crucial for VESID VR operations, while achieving significant gains in
efficiency, cost-effectiveness and compliance with applicable rules and
regulations. It provides an economy of scale without creating potential
bottlenecks.
In a parallel manner, it is recommended that
the current District Office Operations structure in Central Office be realigned
to better support the current and future VR Service delivery system as a whole.
Finally, it is recommended that VR continue to explore a variety of
locations/office configurations to enhance partnerships, collaboration, and
accessible services for its consumers.
RECOMMENDATION #13: Maintain an Alumni Association of
Former VESID VR Consumers to Provide Ongoing Outreach, Mentoring, Job
Development and Other Supports to Current VR Consumers
Similar to a University
Alumni Association, successful VESID participants will have the opportunity to
play an active role in the VR program
and provide ongoing input to improve services for individuals with disabilities,
as well as promote better communication.
Members who have achieved milestones will be available to function as
resources to the program in a number of areas including: fostering opportunities
for job placement, developing an awareness of key issues in the community, and
acting as peer supports and mentors to current consumers.
RECOMMENDATION #14: Develop a Comprehensive Marketing
Plan to Provide Consistently High Quality Public Relations, Outreach, Community
Education, and Job Placement Services
The envisioned Marketing Plan will:
RECOMMENDATION #15: Create a Business
Service Model that Meets VR Needs, and Fosters Regulatory
Compliance/Monitoring
This recommendation includes adding a staff procurement expert, who must be part of the team defining business processes and building an improved fiscal management (procurement and payment) system.
The next steps of the Design include the
following:
In November 2003, VESID undertook a comprehensive
review of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) service delivery system in order to
design the future of vocational rehabilitation in New York State. This Design initiative is intended to
address the challenges the Department is facing in its 83rd year of
VR program operations and to provide a blueprint for our future service
delivery.
This effort was
undertaken in the context of the many challenges and issues faced by the Regents
and the Department as we examine the University of the State of New York’s
(USNY) broad authority and responsibility. These challenges include the gaps in
school performance and employment for individuals with disabilities, the State’s
changing demographic characteristics, the global competition for skilled
workers, and the need to maximize USNY’s collective assets while ensuring
expanded community and business partnerships. Within the Department, VESID’s direct
service delivery capacity puts VESID in a unique position to impact the numbers
of individuals with disabilities who participate in meaningful employment that
both enriches their lives and contributes significantly to the economic health of the individual and of New
York State.
This report acknowledges and embraces the fact that
vocational rehabilitation service delivery models must evolve to address the
changing needs of 21st century customers and to incorporate
21st century resources, especially in the area of technology. The recommendations reflect a close
alignment with the Department-wide efforts to shape the SED of the Future as we
put at the forefront a focus on the needs of our customers. In VESID’s case, our primary customers
are those individuals with disabilities who are seeking employment, but we also
recognize our obligation to respond to the needs of employers as well as the
many rehabilitation service providers who serve as the bridge between VESID and
job placement. In that context, the
redesign process included an examination of:
·
The barriers arising
from our current structure and the necessary levers for change in our management
systems;
·
The shifting knowledge
base and skills needed by our internal workforce;
·
The exploding potential
of technology; and
·
The importance of
internal and external accountability, including internal controls, monitoring
and enforcement, and results-based evaluations of
performance.
Most importantly, our recommendations
recognize that VESID will never have the capacity to close the employment gap
alone. Our goals can only be achieved through greatly expanded collaborations
across USNY, including VR’s integration into the work of school districts,
institutions of higher education, and the Independent Living Centers, as well as
beyond USNY through our work with the statewide workforce development systems,
our State agency partners, and the broad range of community-based rehabilitation
service providers.
To better understand the challenges we face, it
should be noted that VESID provides VR services to over 98,000 applicants
annually. To provide accessible
services, we operate in a number of locations in every county in the State,
often in “borrowed” partner space as well as the official 15 district offices
and 7 satellite locations. VR works
under federally mandated time frames and requirements. The scope of VR’s fiscal
operation is staggering, as each counselor is involved in numerous
individualized purchases in support of each consumer’s plan for employment. The
challenges of maintaining appropriate fiscal controls while achieving quick
customer linkage to key services and ensuring timely payment of vendors are
immense.
A.
Changing Service Provision
Environment:
The world of employment services has
dramatically expanded since the inception of the VESID VR services. VESID has
evolved over the years and is now included in a comprehensive partnership of all
federally funded vocational programs under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
umbrella. Other NYS agencies serving the disabled have also developed vocational
initiatives and the array of rehabilitation facilities, BOCES, and other
educational and training services has multiplied. USNY partnership has emerged as a
valuable resource. Service
modalities have evolved from a few sheltered workshops to full consumer
integration in community-based education and employment. VESID must position
itself to maximize the use of all available resources for its consumers, to
better address the potential for overlapping services, and to take a leadership
role in working with partners regarding the specialized employment requirements
of people with disabilities.
B.
Changing Fiscal And Staffing
Resources:
The ever-increasing cost of service
provision is another significant factor impacting VESID VR program
operations. This is coupled with
severe reductions in the non-VESID support services utilized by our consumers to
help them achieve and maintain employment. The overall reduction in the human
services support network in New York State shifts additional tasks to VESID VR
staff such as case management support for issues that impact on the consumer’s
ability to work. Simultaneously,
many experienced VESID VR staff members are reaching retirement age and exiting
the Department. Nearly 40% of VESID's VR counseling staff will be eligible to
retire within the next five years.
Although we are making good progress in our ability to replace staff,
many of the hirings are internal promotions, so residual unintended staffing
gaps remain. All of these factors
reduce VESID VR’s direct service capacity.
As Designing Our Future proceeds, it cannot
be assumed that substantial additional resources will be made available to VESID
to fulfill its mission. We must find ways to maximize our ability to reach and
serve all eligible applicants in order to avoid the federal Rehabilitation
Services Administration (RSA) imposing an Order of Selection (forced limitation
of services to only the most severely disabled). This status would, by
definition, dramatically reduce the number of individuals VESID VR could serve.
The design must address all these factors and determine those functions that are
central to VESID’s mission, those that are potentially available as services
from external supports, and those functions that might have to be reduced or
eliminated.
C. Technological
Evolution:
A potentially positive area of change is the
rapidly expanding array of technological supports that are available not only
for VESID consumer use, but which could be utilized much more extensively by
VESID VR in the performance of its mission. Given staffing levels, and the VR
mandate to provide accessible services in every community in the State, the need
to interact electronically with other partners and broaden VESID’s technological
supports is essential.
D. Implementation of
Fiscal Controls:
The Design process must ensure that the VR
system of the future has the capacity to perform the unique consumer specific
spending that is critical to vocational rehabilitation service delivery.
However, the structure must enable VESID to do so in a manner that is in full
compliance with NYS finance law and other fiscal requirements. More stringent
monitoring, control processes and purchasing protocols must be implemented
without creating a barrier to timely, effective consumer services.
E. Changing Patterns
of Employment:
As vocational specialists, VESID VR must
ensure its design is complementary to the emerging employment patterns of the
coming century. Job seekers are now
much less likely to move into a single, permanent job, work for the same
employer, or remain in the same field for their entire careers. Entry and re-entry into VESID services
must accommodate this reality. Shifting demographics will create shortages
within the nation’s worker population, and create a new level of employment
opportunity for individuals with disabilities.
However, selection of the right fields and
the development of essential skill sets are more crucial than ever. VR staff need the time, training,
structural support and the labor market information to assist our consumers in
these decisions.
PART
TWO: HOW DID VESID CONDUCT
THIS
REDESIGN
INITIATIVE?
The Design proposals reflect almost two
years of input and discussion. Through focus groups, surveys and bench-marking
with other states, the design team gathered information on the effectiveness of
current VESID processes and systems requiring change, as well as recommendations
on how to change. Input was
gathered via staff meetings in each VR District Office; numerous community
meetings at various locations throughout the State with outside stakeholders,
including consumers, family members, advocates, State Rehabilitation Council
(SRC) representatives, vendors, State agency partners, and educators; and
feedback from both an internal and external website survey. This input was
processed in two summit sessions involving all VESID VR senior staff and
Designing Our Future Steering Committee members.
The Designing Our Future recommendations
reflect a system that is bold, broad and inclusive. The recommendations are
intended to clearly articulate VESID’s mission, ensure easy access to services
for consumers, align staff to best carry out their responsibilities, improve
outcomes, ensure accountability on all levels, and allow for productive
partnerships with stakeholders. The
following recommendations are a result of this complex
process.
A preliminary implementation plan has been
developed identifying the activities, timelines and sequence needed to bring the
design to life. A number of pilot projects are already underway to provide more
detailed implementation guidance where this is needed. An “Evaluation Team” is responsible for
establishing a process to assess the effectiveness of the design, and to define
quality assurance standards that will ensure the integrity of the entire
process. More detailed
recommendations are also being developed relative to the Central Office and
District Office structures that will be needed to support the design. The
implementation phase for this major systems change will be a gradual process
over the next few years, with some areas moving quickly into place. Other
efforts will require infrastructure development or the participation of numerous
outside partners, and thus will come on line more slowly. Ultimately, if we have done our work
correctly, the system will continue to evolve, so that in some ways we will
never be done but rather will be working on our next
improvements.
WHAT
ARE THE OVERARCHING ISSUES?
Commissioner Mills charged the Steering
Committee to bring VR forward to meet current needs effectively and to design
the underpinnings of an agency that would be viable into the foreseeable
future. In order to move the design
proposal from theoretical ideas to reality and achieve that long-term vision, a
set of over-arching requirements were identified. These are the aspects of the design that
must have substantive support in order to proceed further with any
implementation plans. Without
agreement on these items, the design proposals outlined in the following
document will not be able to be carried out or would need to be significantly
restructured.
Ability to Utilize All Technology Applicable to
VESID’s Unique Vocational Rehabilitation Mission:
The Department developed technology guidelines to meet the varied
requirements of the USNY participants, including specifications and limitations
on types of equipment, software, and modes of computer access. Due to its provision of direct consumer
services and its requirement to be available in multiple settings, VESID’s VR
technology needs are distinct from those of other Department offices in certain
respects.
VESID needs proactive leadership in the implementation of the technology
of its future. Managing technology for the department is an immense task, and
the Department’s Information Technology Services (ITS) Unit currently
acknowledges it is stretched beyond capacity. Prioritization/limitations on
technology initiatives are underway, and additional resources are clearly not
anticipated. However, as detailed
in the recommendations, VESID has numerous technology needs that will require
new and distinct capacities. These
include web-enabling the Case Management System (CaMS) record keeping system to
make it truly portable as well as the ability to gather electronic signatures
and scan external information into our files. VESID will also need to continue to
examine emerging technology for tools that will enhance its service delivery
capacity.
VESID must work in tandem with the Department’s ITS leadership and staff
so that VR will comply with all technology mandates that are applicable to VR’s
technology needs. However, these
collaborative efforts must also ensure that VESID VR has the additional
technological capacity to perform our mission while protecting the Department’s
operating systems. By drawing on its federal funding, VR has the financial
capacity needed to underwrite crucial technology supports above and beyond those
currently available. Without the needed flexibility in this area, the design as
a whole is significantly compromised.
Maintenance of Core Staffing for
VR Functions:
The provision of VR counseling is a one-on-one process of identifying the
unique vocational capacities, interests and disability related abilities of each
consumer. The development of each person’s employment plan brings to bear the VR
counselor’s knowledge of the labor market, rehabilitation technology and
available services. Multiple vendors to provide equipment as well as educational
and training services may be necessary to actualize the plan. Various clerical
and fiscal support functions are then needed to translate that plan into the
purchasing and documentation processes that ultimately result in achievement of
a consumer’s employment goal. Staff
capacity to carry out a broad array of functions in a timely manner is crucial
for consumer success.
The service delivery structure for VESID VR services has not changed
substantially since the revision of the Federal Rehabilitation Act in 1973. Many
staff members have reached retirement age and VESID VR is currently dealing with
an anticipated 40% staff turnover in the next five years. It has not been
possible to replace departing staff members on a one-for-one basis, and staffing
gaps may occur based on individual retirement decisions. We have sought out best
practices, analyzed our own service delivery experience, and developed
recommendations as to both the minimum number and type of VR staffing needed for
the provision of individualized service to over 98,000 consumers annually. These
staffing recommendations will enable us to comply with all federal and State
requirements, which include specifications of key services that must be
directly provided by VR staff and cannot be purchased from external
providers. The recommended design
will enable us to meet fiscal guidelines, and most importantly, will provide
sufficient vocational rehabilitation counseling capacity to meet the unique
employment needs of each of our consumers.
There is also acknowledgment that we must contract with external
providers to perform a broader usage of functions. We have looked at what
portions of the operation might be more indirectly supported via the appropriate
utilization of non-VESID partners. The proposed model presumes that, where
permitted by federal and State requirements, VESID will purchase additional
kinds of services. Many of the
design items address creative approaches to providing consumers with requisite
services in a more timely manner through the use of partnering, vendorization,
or service reconfiguration. Traditional spending patterns will change, with
Federal case service dollars being utilized to underwrite new consumer specific
service purchases around intake and generation of materials for
eligibility.
The design model assumes that the core staffing patterns included in the
proposal will serve as a tool in helping VESID manage its workforce over the
next few years. Significant
variance from the model would ultimately reduce the number of individuals served
by VESID, since by federal definition, core rehabilitation functions must be
provided by VESID VR employees.
Restructuring of VESID VR’s Fiscal
Processes:
Audit findings within the last few years
make evident that the management of over $120 million dollars in purchases, for
almost 100,000 individuals with disabilities annually, cannot continue to be the
primary task of staff whose skills are rehabilitation counseling. Current fiscal
processes are inadequate to support the increasingly complex contractual
arrangements and State finance law requirements. Expansion of the vendor pool
directly benefits consumers, but VESID’s inability to generate timely payments,
and the complexity of its payment documentation requirements, discourage vendor
participation. The entire fiscal structure of the VR program must be realigned
and strengthened to enable the system to support the work of VR counselors on
behalf of consumers, ensure regulatory compliance and support internal
controls. Implementation of a new
fiscal management system is critical to the viability of the VR Program in
VESID.
Capacity to Diverge from SED Media/Publication
Standards and Utilize External Marketing Resources:
In a manner directly paralleling VR’s unique needs in the field of
technology, a similar situation exists in relation to marketing and public
message activities. VESID VR is
charged with a public education role, in combating the misconceptions about the
limitations of disability on employment capacity. VESID is also charged with
outreach to unserved and underserved portions of the disabled population, so
that they may become aware of, and benefit from, VESID services. Materials
relative to specific disabilities and to life situations, such as the transition
from secondary education or the entry into the workers compensation system must
be available. Another crucial
component is marketing work VESID does with the employer community to create
employment opportunities for consumers.
VESID products must be of a professional quality, provide maximum impact
for the dollars invested in their creation, and be available in various formats
and in a timely manner.
In order to have the tools needed to perform the public message/marketing
portions of VESID’s mission, a number of media approaches are needed, from
creation of brochures, to development of content in a number of languages, to
the production of video and audio versions of materials. SED publication
limitations and time frames do not allow VR to function at the level required to
successfully perform some of its core activities. VR must have the capacity to
draw on external consultants for public message and marketing activities, and to
utilize external publishing resources.
As a direct service provider, VESID VR must be able to reach all of its
many diverse stakeholders and provide them with clear and compelling messages or
its risks reductions in positive outcomes for the program and its participants.
The
proposals that follow represent both dramatic changes and more subtle
restructuring of current VESID VR process.
Taken in total, implementation of the proposed design will result in a
significant culture change for VESID and major improvements in access and
service delivery for its consumers.
Successful implementation of this proposed model would require
substantive and sustained training for, and ongoing communication with, both
staff and partner agencies.
PART
THREE: PROPOSALS FOR DESIGNING OUR FUTURE
In order to address every aspect of the VESID VR
process, the Design team divided into sub-groups to explore options with respect
to key service areas: Intake, Service Delivery and Placement Outcomes. An
additional group has been charged with looking at the evaluation and quality
assurance measures needed for the new structure. The teams were charged with designing a
service delivery system that would enable VESID to continue to provide quality,
effective services to consumers. The groups were advised that there would be no
additional dollars and the overall number of staff would remain constant;
however, it would be possible to reconfigure the existing staff, to identify
other ways to spend saved dollars and to consider ways to leverage funds with
other agencies. For the purposes of
this document, details of those recommendations that fall within the purview of
routine district office operations have not been included in this summary
material. The following recommendations are organized around the major themes
that emerged from our work.
IMPROVING
ACCESS
Of the 98,000 people served yearly by VESID
VR, each has an initial, pre-eligibility experience with VESID that can be the
most in-depth period of time the person spends with the VR counselor and the VR
system. This early stage of activity is the period when potential applicants,
their families, referral sources, advocates and other entities form an opinion
about VESID that will very likely stay with and influence them for the rest of
their VESID experience. If this
initial entry period is not successful, the person may not advance to
employment.
The Team proposed the development of facilitated
entry tracks for all individuals who are requesting VESID services including
incumbent workers, previous consumers, consumers transitioning from secondary
education programs, and those requesting only placement services. All of the
recommendations address a key finding identified in the focus groups with
consumers, vendors and advocates indicating a direct correlation between
timeliness of service and consumer satisfaction.
How It Will
Work: At initial contact with VESID, and in
our public messages, consumers would be offered the Placement Express
option. If this matches with their
needs, they can self identify as placement ready and in need of a limited number
of shorter-term services, primarily placement. Consumers are then offered a
brief screening/assessment to ensure work readiness. For those for whom this is found to be a
reasonable plan, rapid access to plan development and direct placement is
provided in an expedited manner.
RECOMMENDATION #2: Develop an Incumbent Worker/Career
Development Track for Easy Consumer Re-Entry to VESID
Reflective of the job
market of the future, where most workers
will have multiple employers/careers over the course of their working lives, VESID needs to offer an open door to
former consumers who still meet VR eligibility criteria, have disability related
employment barriers, and are currently working and seeking to upgrade employment
or need to rapidly re-enter employment. In previous years, federal
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) directives focused state VR
agencies on a strategy of “leveling the playing field” by enabling individuals
with disabilities to get an equal start with their non-disabled peers. RSA has
evolved the goal of helping individuals who still have disability related
employment barriers through the multiple phases of their career
development. However, within the
VESID culture, criteria for re-entry are often more strictly enforced than is
the case for individuals seeking initial eligibility. VESID VR needs to refine
its service provision to address the ongoing vocational needs of previously
eligible consumers.
How It
Will Work: VR
public messages, especially closure letters/activities, would include definition
of circumstances under which consumers can return for additional services. Consumers with disability related
employment barriers would know they are welcome to return and how to do so. Some may come back via Placement Express
as in Recommendation #1 above, others may be served under the Post Employment
Services category, and others whose needs now fall outside VESID’s domain may be
linked to One-Stop services. Some
interventions would be in the category of “job saves” (when an anticipated
termination of employment can be averted), while others would focus on new
career development.
Positive
Impact on VESID: This method would reduce the dissonance
between future vocational needs of consumers and the pressure on the system to
measure successful achievement of 90 days of employment, in accordance with
Federal outcome measures. Case
closure, with recognition that an employment goal had been reached, would not be
seen as the end point for potential VR support for additional future vocational
milestones. This approach
acknowledges and addresses the need for career development for individuals with
disabilities. It also enables VESID
VR to demonstrate concern for consumer careers, not just entry jobs. This method
addresses both unemployment and under-employment issues for individuals with
disabilities.
How It Will Work: Current
VESID service contracting options have created an opportunity for purchase of
these services, which can be tailored to the individual needs of District
Offices. The potential exists to gather a wider variety of information for
eligibility/planning purposes, such as functional assessment and interest
inventories. The focus of this recommendation is on the purchase of a package
that will expedite completion of eligibility certification. It presupposes that the second stage of
the Design process will focus on implementation guidelines, including
credentials of staff that would perform the “Fast Track” functions, and quality
assurance measures that would be applied to the products of a “Fast Track”
process.
Positive Impact on VESID: VESID professional staff will be able to focus on
core vocational rehabilitation interventions (Eligibility Certification and Plan
Development activities) without hindering consumer access to the system. This
approach also helps reduce the current heavy clerical duties on counselors that
negatively impact available time to meet with consumers. Consumers will have the potential to
receive more extensive case management support at the time of intake, and in a
timelier manner, than is possible with current VESID staffing. By purchasing this service in a number
of areas, geographic access for consumers will be enhanced, and services will be
available in more convenient locations.
This method has the potential to
directly increase consumer satisfaction, and to increase successful
rehabilitation closures due to more counselor time given to vocational
counseling and guidance. This approach also addresses the concern voiced by
focus group participants that certain consumers due to the limitations imposed
by their disabilities cannot access VESID successfully without significant
support from the provider community. This methodology would facilitate
participation in projects with large numbers of potential referrals from such
sources as school districts and pilot projects with partners that we otherwise
could not accommodate.
VESID’S
LEADERSHIP ROLE IN NEW YORK STATE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES:
ENHANCING
UTILIZATION
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (USNY)
PARTNERSHIP
VESID VR is the New York State (NYS) agency officially charged with
provision of employment services to individuals with severe disabilities (people
who meet the Federal RSA definitions regarding severity/need). However people
with all degrees of disability interact with a variety of human services
systems. There are numerous other state and local programs that either share
VESID’s service population, or work with disabled individuals who are not
involved with VESID services.
Beyond their direct service role with the severely disabled, VESID staff
are uniquely qualified by both experience and training to provide vocational
rehabilitation expertise within SED/USNY and across other NYS
agencies/services. As experts in the field of
vocational rehabilitation, we are able to serve as a catalyst for systemic
improvements. It is consistent with
our mission to ensure that issues pertaining to the employment of individuals
with disabilities are addressed in a manner that:
·
Guarantees consumer
access to the most appropriate level of service;
·
Is cost effective and
coordinated to maximize consumer success;
· Enables VESID and its partners to better measure and account for the full range of employment relat