Chapter 515 2007 Annual Report on Interagency Efforts on Integrated Employment
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 established in October 1999 (http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/publications/mous/oct99se.htm). 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
VESID, with the cooperation of OMH, OMRDD and CBVH, established the Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team in October 2006 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 employment program managers from OMRDD, OMH, CBVH and VESID. The Team meets 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 Interagency Implementation Team is evaluating the New York Interagency Supported Employment Reporting (NYISER) system to make improvements to the system and increase the usefulness of the data for program evaluation and planning. The Team is developing methods to use the data to better measure the effectiveness of integrated employment programs for individuals with disabilities. A work group will be developing recommendations to improve the existing reporting system, enhance the quality of the data and streamline the reporting burden on providers.
- Interagency Communication on Program Changes – Over the past year, representatives from OMH and OMRDD met with VESID District Office Managers from all of the VESID District Offices. For OMH, the Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) program was presented and discussed with VESID managers. The discussion clarified program features that impact VESID employment services. The presentation and discussion set the groundwork for local collaboration among VESID District Office Managers, OMH Regional Directors and community rehabilitation providers in assuring that mutual consumers receive the services from our respective agencies that are necessary to obtain, retain and advance in employment.
The chief psychologist for OMRDD provided a detailed overview of the OMRDD eligibility criteria to the VESID District Office Managers. VESID District Office Managers gained a better understanding of the OMRDD eligibility and its impact on VESID consumers.
Through these dialogues, VESID, OMH and OMRDD are able to ensure that the needs of individuals with psychiatric and developmental disabilities are met by the respective State agency employment programs and the community rehabilitation providers. - OMRDD Commissioner’s Internship Program – VESID and OMRDD had several focused discussions to determine how we can cooperate to jointly serve participants in the OMRDD Commissioner’s Internship Program with our current Supported Employment Program.
- APSE Discussions – Representatives from the Chapter 515 Interagency Implementation Team met with representatives from the New York State Association of Persons in Supported Employment (APSE) to assess how the NYISER reporting requirements can be streamlined and better meet the needs of both the State agencies and the community rehabilitation programs who are implementing supported employment.
This year’s annual update provides information on what was accomplished over the past State fiscal year (SFY 2006/07) 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.
