Evaluation and Report of Progress in Achieving Identified Goals and Priorities and Use of Title I Funds for Innovation and Expansion Activities: Attachment 4.11(e)(2)
Section 106 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended in 1998 requires the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to evaluate State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies based on their performance on evaluation standards and indicators. Performance on these standards is used to determine whether a State VR agency is complying substantially with the provisions of its State Plan. States that do not meet the performance criteria will be required, jointly with RSA, to develop a program improvement plan. In addition to the required performance indicators, VESID has established additional measures related to the priorities and goals described in Attachment 4.12(c)(1) Annual Goals and Priorities. The following results are based on the most recent data available on the federal performance indicators and the priorities and goals, as described in Attachment 4.12(c)(1).
Priority #1: Individuals with disabilities, including youth, will be employed in integrated work settings consistent with their abilities, interests and achievements.
Goal 1.1.1: Increase the total number of individuals who achieve an employment outcome (RSA Performance Indicator 1.1).
Performance for FFY 2005: 13,292, a decrease from FFY 2004 (13,826).
Results: VESID had a decrease in the number of individuals achieving an employment outcome for FFY 2005. The number of employment outcomes decreased by 534 placements, going from 13,826 employment outcomes in FFY 2004 to 13,292 employment outcomes in FFY 2005.
The employment outcome numbers are influenced by many factors, including the overall economic climate in the State. In western and central New York metro areas, 25 percent of the manufacturing jobs were lost over the past five years. While manufacturing still accounts for a significant amount of the economic activity in these regions, obtaining jobs in these remaining skilled occupations is highly competitive and the dramatic job losses between 2000 and 2005 place tremendous pressure on the job market. With an increased supply of skilled workers available to employers due to these job losses, job seekers with disabilities, who may not have the experience of these more seasoned workers, are at a distinct disadvantage in the job market.
Goal 1.1.2: Increase the total number of youth (applicants at age 14 – 21) who achieve an employment outcome.
Performance for FFY 2005: 3,585 (FFY 2004: 3,264), an increase of 321 placements.
Results: VESID continues to focus on its outreach efforts to youth in transition and this particular indicator shows an increase (+321) in FFY 2005. The overall increase in youth served is a promising indicator that we will continue to increase employment outcomes in future years. This is the first year that VESID is establishing this goal related to its priority on integrated, quality employment.
Goal 1.2.1: Increase the percentage of individuals exiting the VR program after receiving services who achieve an employment outcome and exceed the national standard of 55.8 percent (Performance Indicator 1.2).
Performance for FFY 2005: 54.3 percent does not meet the standard.
Results: The percentage of individuals with disabilities who achieved employment after receiving vocational rehabilitation services from VESID in FFY 2005 is 54.3 percent which does not meet the national standard of 55.8 percent by almost 2 percentage points. VESID District Offices are making an effort to reverse the recent decline in employment outcomes and this indicator is a signal that their efforts need to continue to alter the downward trend.
Goal 1.2.2: Increase the percentage of youth with disabilities (applicants at age 14-21)
exiting the VR program after receiving services who achieve an employment outcome and exceed the national standard of 55.8 percent. (variation on RSA Performance Indicator 1.2).
Performance for FFY 2005: 55.1 percent does not meet standard.
Results: This is the first year that VESID has established an employment goal for youth. The measure does not meet the national standard, but VESID is committed to significantly improving its performance on this goal in the future.
Goal 1.3: Increase the percentage of individuals achieving an employment outcome who earn at least minimum wage (RSA Performance Indicator 1.3).
Performance for FFY 2005: 94.8 percent.
Results: The FFY 2005 rate of 94.8 percent is a slight increase from the FFY 2004 rate of 94.0 percent of individuals obtaining employment through VESID earning at or above minimum wage. For both years, VESID far exceeds the national benchmark standard of 72.6 percent.
Goal 1.4: Increase the percentage of individual having significant disabilities who achieve competitive employment (RSA Performance Indicator 1.4).
Performance for FFY 2005: 97.3 percent.
Results: Individuals are considered to have a significant disability when they have a physical or mental impairment, which seriously limits one or two functional capacities such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, cognition, work tolerance, or work skills and whose vocational rehabilitation will require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an extended period of time. VESID assisted substantially greater percentages of individuals with significant disabilities to achieve competitive employment compared to the national standard. For FFY 2005, 97.3 percent of individuals obtaining employment through VESID earning at least minimum wage had significant disabilities, a slight increase from the FFY 2004 rate of 96.8 percent. The national benchmark standard is 62.4 percent.
Goal 1.5.1: Increase the average hourly earnings of individuals employed after receiving VESID services when compared to the average hourly earnings of all employed individuals in the State and approach the national benchmark ratio of .52. (RSA Performance Indicator 1.5 - Average hourly earnings of individuals employed through VESID who earn at least minimum wage compared to the average hourly earnings of all employed individuals in the State)
Performance for FFY 2005: .40 (.41 for FFY 2004).
Results: The average FFY 2005 VR wage is $9.69, compared to an average State wage of $24.48. To meet the standard for this indicator in 2005 in New York State, the average VR wage would need to be $12.73. This indicator decreased slightly in FFY 2005 to .40 from the FFY 2004 level of .41. VESID results for this standard remain below the national benchmark, which is set at a ratio of .52. This ratio reflects the relationship of hourly wages earned by individuals at the time of closure (typically 90 days after attaining employment) to the average hourly wage for all workers in the State. The benchmark ratio of .52 is set at just above half of the overall hourly wage.
There are many structural forces in the New York State economy that make it challenging for VESID consumers to earn a livable wage. Some of these are:
- New York State has the biggest income gap between the richest and poorest of any state in the country. The State hourly wage is significantly skewed by the highest income quintile, whose income is 8.1 times greater than the income of those in the lowest quintile.
- New York State has the second highest average hourly wage in the country.
- Many of the individuals served by VESID, given the economic need criteria for many VESID services, are low income individuals.
The widening gap in wage distribution in New York State makes this performance measure particularly problematic for VESID and its consumers. Based on the Current Population Survey, the real median wage in New York State increased by 3.2 percent between 1995 and 2005. However, for those in the 95th percentile, real hourly wage rose by 11.3 percent over the same period.
Given these factors, VESID is still committed to improving its performance on this indicator and assisting VESID consumers in obtaining higher wage employment outcomes.
Goal 1.5.2: Increase the average hourly earnings of individuals employed after participating in postsecondary training when compared to the average hourly earnings of all employed individuals in the State and exceed the national benchmark ratio of .52 (Variation on RSA Performance Indicator 1.5).
Performance for FFY 2005: .46.
Results: The average VR wage of individuals who participate in postsecondary training is $11.25. As would be expected, individuals who participate in postsecondary training are earning significantly higher wages on average when compared to all VESID consumers. However, these individuals are still securing jobs on average at wages below the .52 threshold established by RSA. These individuals are earning about $1.48 less per hour than the required threshold. One factor that might account for lower wages is that VESID job seekers, while gaining postsecondary training to increase their overall wages, may still be at a disadvantage in comparison to their non-disabled counterparts who may have more work experience, in addition to training, upon entering the job market. Job seekers without disabilities may be tapping into the higher wage opportunities at a greater rate than job seekers with disabilities.
Goal 1.6: Of all individuals who achieve paid employment, increase the percentage of individuals who report their own income as the largest single source of economic support at the time they exit the VR program when compared to what was reported at application.
(RSA Performance Indicator 1.6 is the percentage increase of individuals who report their own income as largest single source of economic support from the time of application for VESID services to the time of successful closure in employment with earnings of at least minimum wage. The national standard is greater than or equal to 53 percent.)
Performance for FFY 2005: 63.8 percent exceeds the standard.
Results: In FFY 2005, 63.8 percent of individuals with disabilities reported their own earnings as the largest single source of support from the time of application to successful closure. This was a slight increase (.3 percent) from FFY 2004. VESID's result significantly exceeds the national benchmark of 53 percent.
Priority # 2: All services for which VESID has responsibility will be consumer-focused, cost-effective, meet high standards, and continuously improve.
Goal 2.1: The service rate for individuals from minority backgrounds will exceed the national standard and will be comparable to the service rate for individuals not from minority backgrounds (RSA Performance Indicator 2.1, national standard >= .80).
Performance for FFY 2005: .90 (.92 for FFY 2004).
Results: In FFY 2005, minority individuals with disabilities received vocational rehabilitation services at a rate of 90 for every 100 (.90) non-minority individuals.
VESID continues to exceed the national standard on this indicator. The national standard ratio is .80. VESID’s performance on this indicator has increased from .89 in 2003 and .92 in 2004. It is also noteworthy that VESID seems to be serving a higher percentage of minority individuals in comparison to the general New York State population. For example, African-Americans and blacks make up only fourteen percent of the State’s population, but are more than 30 percent of all VESID consumers served.
Goal 2.2: Consumer satisfaction with VESID services will increase annually toward the target of 95 percent of respondents expressing satisfaction on key questions contained in VESID consumer satisfaction surveys.
Performance for FFY 2006 (first year for which data is available): 80 percent of VESID consumers who received services under an IPE report an overall satisfaction rating of VESID services as good or very good.
Results: This is the first Consumer Satisfaction survey in several years. While the 80 percent overall satisfaction rate is promising, it is below VESID’s target of 95 percent. These results also reflect that 20 percent rated VESID services as poor or very poor. As VESID and the SRC Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee review and analyze the findings, they will explore what changes to policy, procedures and practice can improve the experiences of individuals with disabilities involved in VESID services. This may have implications for training of staff in customer service techniques that are relevant to the VR process.
Innovation and Expansion Activities
Regarding innovation and expansion activities, VESID has been piloting several initiatives under the Designing The Future process, particularly related to improving access to services. VESID is continuing to implement five pilot projects related to improving access:
- Placement Express to assist job-ready applicants to obtain expedited placement services;
- Unserved/Underserved initiatives on Long Island to partner with organizations that represent ethnic and racial minorities, individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with significant disabilities that are underserved by VR;
- New York City One-Stop collaboration to improve the coordination between VESID and the One-Stop services in serving customers with disabilities;
- Fast Track to increase the efficiency, quality and turn-around time for the intake and eligibility process; and
- An Alumnae Association as a model for peer mentoring of VR consumers.
VESID continues to invest in improving technology of its case management system to maximize the efficiency of the counselors’ use of time and streamline service delivery. VESID is also involved in an extensive analysis of fiscal processes and determining how fiscal processes can be streamlined and improved through the use of technology. This project is called the VR Fiscal Management Project and a consulting firm has been involved in helping VESID conduct the “as is” analysis and looking for improvement opportunities in these processes that can have a profound effect on service delivery.
Continuous Quality Improvements
VESID remains committed to continuous quality improvement in vocational rehabilitation services. VESID will use data to continuously evaluate the impact of its policies, procedures and practices. Priorities and goals will be measured and modified to respond to findings from VESID’s ongoing statewide needs assessment. These evaluation and assessment activities will be used to align policies, procedures, training and practice to achieve the goals of the program resulting in operating a statewide comprehensive, effective, efficient and accountable program that provides vocational rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities and informed choice, so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment.
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