Cooperative Agreements with Private Non-profit Vocational Rehabilitation Service Providers: Attachment 4.8(b)(3)
VESID works continuously with the non-profit vocational rehabilitation service providers to increase access to integrated employment opportunities. VESID’s district offices work with non-profit vocational rehabilitation service providers to target resources to meet the consumer demand for employment outcomes. These programs assist consumers into community-focused outcomes, such as supported employment, situational assessment, direct placement services and community-based training.
VESID currently manages over 400 Unified Contract Services (UCS) and Supported Employment (SE) contracts with non-profit vocational rehabilitation service providers across the State. VESID has initiated a contract redesign process to determine the best methods for making improvements in these two major contract systems. To inform this process of improving the delivery of contractual services to consumers with the network of non-profit vocational rehabilitation service providers, VESID has initiated the following activities:
- UCS Cost Survey - VESID is conducting a cost survey of provider agencies. This cost survey has been sent to 30 provider agencies with a request that they submit direct salary cost information for each of the four largest contracted services. Those services are Diagnostic Vocational Evaluation (DVE), Work Adjustment Training (WAT), Job Development and Placement and Placement Services. VESID intends to utilize this data as part of its development of new rates for the upcoming UCS Request for Applications (RFA).
- UCS Services Definition – VESID is contracting with a consultant to coordinate the work of a short-term advisory group of provider and VESID staff charged with reviewing all current UCS services. That consultant organization is the New York State Rehabilitation Association (NYSRA). This project is important because there are currently over 70 different UCS services and rates. Some services are very comparable and might be collapsed into a smaller and more manageable array of services. This advisory group will also be asked to follow-up on the recommendations to VESID from last spring’s four regional Supported Employment conferences and to advise on how SE services should be defined and whether or not SE services should be included in new umbrella UCS contracts.
Taken together, these efforts should permit VESID to streamline the programmatic structure of its contracts and to improve the timeliness of its authorization, reporting and reimbursement practices, while maintaining appropriate controls. It should also enable VESID to provide more appropriate rates for services.
Also, VESID has been piloting several initiatives under the Designing the Future process, particularly related to improving access to services. VESID, in cooperation with selected non-profit vocational rehabilitation service providers and independent living centers, 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 partners 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,
- Alumnae Association as a model for peer mentoring of VR consumers.
Index | Previous Page | Next Page