Effective Partnerships: Project Opportunity

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Effective PartnershipsProject Opportunity

• STATE OF TENNESSEE, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
  DIVISION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
• ANNUAL SPECIAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE
• Airport Marriott Hotel Nashville
• February 27-29, 2008

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Department of Human Services

• Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Overview of the
• Vocational Rehabilitation Program

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Vocational Rehabilitation

• state-federal program (21.3, 78.7)
• 77M
• 585 employees
• to achieve high quality employment outcomes
• in integrated settings

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Vocational RehabilitationVISION

• To enhance the development of a diverse workforce
  so that individuals with disabilities can achieve
  and maintain meaningful careers.

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Vocational RehabilitationVISION

• EMPLOYMENT!

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Vocational Rehabilitation

• Who are our clients?
• Persons with the most significant disabilities
  who are seeking employment

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What is the valueof the work we do?

• Individuals who completed their VR service
  plans in FY 2005 and went to work earned
  approximately 3.5 billion in wages during their
  first year of work.
• Source CSAVR website 11-2-06

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What is the valueof the work we do?

• During that year, these new wage earners paid
  approximately 320 million in Federal taxes and
• 518 million in Social Security and Medicare
  taxes (self and employer).
• In FY 2005 SSA projected a 480 million savings
  to the Trust Fund by the VR Program, and
  established that every 1 that SSA spends on VR
  results in a 6 savings.
• Source CSAVR, Investing in America and its
  People, 2006

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Vocational RehabilitationPROCESS

• Thorough intake
• Application, eligibility, priority category
• Counseling, employment outcome planning
• Development of comprehensive IPE (plan of
  services leading to an employment outcome)
• Consistent with the individual's abilities,
  interests, and informed choice
• Choice v. informed choice
• Continued relationship through milestones towards
  goal

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Vocational RehabilitationServices

• counseling and guidance
• assessment
• vocational training
• post-secondary education
• job placement
• self-employment
• post-employment

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SERVICES BASED ON ECONOMIC NEED

• Physical and Mental Restoration
• Maintenance and/or transportation
• Incidental Expenses
• Books and training supplies
• Tools and Supplies
• Initial Stock and Supplies for Self-employment
• Clothing
• Medical Care for Acute Condition
• Rehabilitation Engineering Services

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SERVICES NOT BASED ON ECONOMIC NEED

• Vocational guidance, counseling, referral
• Job placement
• Diagnostic and related services (to determine
  eligibility or scope of services)
• Maintenance/transportation (to determine
  eligibility or scope of services)
• Tuition
• Reader, interpreter, translator, job coaching
  services
• Licenses or permits for occupation or business
• Services at TRC

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Vocational RehabilitationELIGIBILITY

• A physical or mental impairment that constitutes
  or results in an impediment to employment.
• The individual can benefit from VR services in
  terms of an employment outcome (presumed unless
  there is clear and convincing evidence that the
  disability is too severe).
• The individual requires VR services to prepare
  for, secure, retain or regain employment.

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Vocational RehabilitationELIGIBILITY

• SSI / SSDI
• An individual receiving SSI or SSDI on basis of
  disability or blindness is presumed to meet all
  eligibility criteria if there is an intent to
  enter employment.

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Vocational RehabilitationELIGIBILITY

• Eligibility ? Receipt of Services
• Order of Selection

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Vocational Rehabilitation
Order of Selection

• not enough fiscal and/or personnel resources to
  fully serve all eligible individuals.
• list of priority categories from which eligible
  individuals are selected for services.
• based on the significance of disability -- first
  priority is given to individuals with the most
  significant disabilities.
• TDRS has been on an order of selection since
  August 2001.

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Vocational Rehabilitation
Order of Selection

• TDRS is serving clients only in
• Priority Category 1
• Individuals with
• MOST SIGNIFICANT disabilities

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Vocational Rehabilitation
Functional Capacity

• MOBILITY
• COMMUNICATION
• SELF-CARE
• SELF-DIRECTION

• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
• WORK TOLERANCE
• WORK SKILLS

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Hey! Im on the waiting list.What now?

• Information and referral
• VR strengthen capacity and partnerships with
  other agencies
• Contact VR if change in function, SSA benefits
• Provide feedback on needs assessment

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Im a high school student. WIFM?

• Transition School to Work could be the answer!
• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) located
  on campus
• or
• Local DRS office
• Office locator
• http//state.tn.us/humanserv/st_map_trc_ttap.htm

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TRANSITION SCHOOL TO WORK

• A coordinated set of activities designed within
  an outcome-oriented process EMPLOYMENT!
• Based upon individual needs of student
• Student preferences and interests
• Promotes movement from school to post-school
  activities
• Consultation and technical assistance to
  educational agencies

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TRANSITION SERVICESGUIDELINES

• VR eligible
• Open priority category
• Refer to VR Counselor (VRC) no later than 12 to
  18 months prior to exiting school
• Early involvement by VRC attending IEP meetings
  when possible
• At IEP, VRC will inform student and parents of
  purpose of VR, application and eligibility
  process, and scope of services

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VR TRANSITION CANNOT

• provide services that are the responsibility of
  the school system, such as
• equipment and/or assistive devices used primarily
  for educational needs, or
• transportation
• Consideration can be given when.
• the student is exiting the school system and the
  equipment or service is directly related to a
  vocational need or an employment outcome.

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Successful Partnerships

• Service Grants and Letters of Understanding with
  community service providers for supported
  employment, vocational assessment, job readiness,
  job placement
• Transition School to Work Grants with LEAs (27)
• Mayors advisory council for Metro SPED

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Successful Partnerships

• Tennessee Rehabilitation Centers
• Community TRCs provide job readiness and work
  behavior training for area high schools (multiple
  services)
• TRC Smyrna Home Depot
• Locations of community TRCs, each partnering
  with local employers and for production contracts

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Locations of Community TRC

• Elizabethton
• Maryville
• Manchester
• Cookeville
• Columbia
• Murfreesboro
• Camden
• Dyers
• Union City

• Greenville
• Cleveland
• Winchester
• Gallatin
• Franklin
• Shelbyville
• Clarksville
• Paris
• TRC Smyrna (residential)

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Successful Partnerships

• Corporate Connections, UT Center on Disability
  and Employment established business partnerships
  for National Disability Employment Month (October
  2007) that provided mentoring activities for TDRS
  consumers
• Wellmont's Holston Valley Hospital Plus Mark
• JTEKT Automotive Angus Palm
• James H. Quillen VA Hospital Wal-Mart
• BlueCross BlueShield of TN City of Knoxville
• University of Tennessee Covenant Health
• WATE TV-Knoxville SunTrust Bank
• Bridgestone Americas Bristol Motor Speedway
• Vanderbilt Medical Center HT Hackney
• WBEJ (AM 1240) radio station Scripps Network

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Successful Partnerships Project Opportunity

• DHS Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Vanderbilt University Childrens Hospital
• Department of Education
• Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities

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• Mary Jane Ware
• Transition Program Coordinator
• Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Department of Human Services
• Citizens Plaza State Office Building, 2nd Floor
• 400 Deaderick Street
• Nashville, Tennessee 37248-0060
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-Mail maryjane.ware_at_state.tn.us