Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

1
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

• Accomplishments for State FY06
• November 6, 2006
• Elmer C. Bartels, Commissioner

2
The MRC Mission

• The purpose of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation
  Commission is to provide comprehensive services
  to people with disabilities that will maximize
  their quality of life and economic
  self-sufficiency in the community
• This is accomplished through multiple programs in
  the three service delivery areas
  
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Community Services (Independent Living)
• Disability Determination Services

3
Employment Services

• Public Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Extended Employment Services
• Community-Based Supported Employment Services

4
Public Vocational Rehabilitation Services

• Assists people with disabilities go to work
• (MCB serves the Blind)
• Eligibility
• Consumers must have a physical or mental
  disability constituting a barrier to employment
  and there must be a reasonable expectation they
  will go to work if services are provided
• Budget 52 Million

5
Accomplishments FY06

• 75 still employed after one year
• 86 satisfied with MRC services
• 90 days of work before closure

• 215 QVRCs in 25 Area
  Offices served
  
• 34,000 VR Consumers
• 3,602 Consumers get jobs
• Combined earnings60 M.
• Average wage/hour 11.66
• Average hours/week 29

6
Extended Employment Services

• A facility based work program providing support
  services to enable people with severe
  disabilities to enter and maintain paid work as a
  participant of a community rehabilitation
  provider or to develop work skills for a future
  goal of transition into competitive work.
• Budget 5 Million

7
Accomplishments for FY06

• Enrollment at Years End was 779
• Consumers Transitioned to 36
• Competitive Employment
• There are 50 individuals awaiting funding to
  enter this program

8
Community-Based Supported Employment Services

• Assists individuals with severe disabilities to
  identify, obtain, and maintain competitive
  employment in integrated settings
  
• Provides competitive integrated jobs in the
  community through
  
• Assessment
• Job Placement
• Individual Employment Supports
• Extended Services
• Budget 2.4 Million

9
Accomplishments for FY06

• 853 individuals served
• Percentage who achieved their goals in the
  following components
  
• Assessment 90
• Placement 40
• Completers 95
• 310 individuals received long term supports to
  stay employed
  
• 95 of individuals receiving long term supports
  stayed employed one year or more
  
• Numbers on Waiting List - 80

10
Employment Benchmark Results

• VR PROGRAM
• FY05
  FY06
  
• Consumers Served 35,000 36,000
• Consumers Employed 3,421 3,602
• Total Earnings 56.8M 60M
• Average Hourly Wage 11.48 11.66
• Consumer Satisfaction 81 86

11
Employment Benchmark Results

• EEP PROGRAM
• FY05
  FY06
  
• Consumers Served 826 786
• Consumers Employed 4 36
• CBES PROGRAM
• Consumers Served 538 543
• Consumers Employed 181 172
• Extended Supports 237 310

12
Community Services

• Statewide Head Injury Program (SHIP)
• Home Care Assistance Program (HCAP)
• Independent Living Centers and Services
• Adult Supported Living Housing Services
• Assistive Technology Program (AT)
• Turning 22 Services
• Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP)
• Nursing Home Initiative for Individuals with
  Developmental Disabilities (Rolland)
  
• Protective Services
• Consumer Involvement

13
Statewide Head Injury Program

• Serves individuals of any age who have sustained
  an externally caused traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  which has resulted in significant cognitive,
  behavioral and physical impairments
• Provides community-based supports to maintain
  and/or increase independence in the home,
  community or workplace, resulting in reduced high
  cost services and re-institutionalization
• Budget 16.4 Million

14
Accomplishments for FY06

• Served 974 individuals with TBI
• Provided IR services to 250 Consumers
• Provide 304 individuals with service coordination
  without paid services
  
• 1 of New Applicants Were from Diverse
  Communities
  
• Held 26 Focus Groups Around the State to Identify
  Needs and Gaps in Service
  
• Approximately 3,000 are on the waiting list

15
Home Care Assistance Program

• Provides homemaker services to individuals with
  disabilities, age 18-59 years, to avoid repeat
  hospitalizations, to maximize their independent
  living potential and stay out of more expensive
  institutional settings, like nursing homes
• Budget 5.5 Million

16
Accomplishments for FY06

• Served 1,930 consumers and received 1,052
  referrals in the year (88 per month)
  
• Maintained services to 1,571 consumers each
  month
  
• Assisted 88 consumers transition to elder
  services
  
• Assisted 38 consumers transition to MassHealth
  PCA
  

17
Independent Living Centers (ILC) and Services

• Assists people with disabilities to gain
  knowledge, skills and support to live more
  independently with their family or in their own
  community
• Assists individuals with disabilities living in
  institutional settings such as nursing homes to
  move into the community
  
• Budget 4.6 Million in state and federal dollars

18
Accomplishments for FY06

• Eleven ILCs Served more than 15,000 People with
  All Disabilities.
  
• The Centers Assisted 71 People in Leaving Nursing
  Homes and other Institutional Settings.
  
• The Centers Assisted over 500 People Stay out of
  Nursing Homes.
  

19
Adult Supported Living

• Supports adults with significant disabilities age
  18 to live in the community or move into the
  community from nursing homes or other
  institutions
• Budget 908,904

20
Accomplishments for FY06

• Served 91 People with Significant Disabilities on
  a Continuing Basis.
  
• 86 People Achieved Their Goal to Remain in
  Community.
  
• 5 Achieved Their Goal of Moving into the
  Community from Nursing Homes or Other
  Institutional Settings.
  
• 25 People Were on Waiting List at End of Year.
• 2,000 Could Benefit from SL Services.

21
Assistive Technology Program

• Provides low and high tech solutions to increase
  independence in major life functions such as
  seeing, hearing, breathing, manual dexterity,
  mobility, communicating, learning, working or
  self-care
• People eligible to receive AT services from
  Special Education, Vocational Rehabilitation and
  other EOHHS agencies may not receive services
  through this program
• Budget 824,295

22
Accomplishments for FY06

• 359 Individuals with Disabilities were Provided
  AT Evaluations, Equipment and Training to Achieve
  their Goal
  
• Number on Waiting List was 94 at End of Year.

23
Turning 22 Services

• Provides supports to DD individuals Turning 22
  to live as independently as possible in the
  community
  
• Provides a continuum of community living options
  from
  
•  Minimal supported living case management for
  those residing in their own apartment.
  
•  Intensive supported living services with 24/7
  supports in a secure residential setting
  
• Budget 2.86 Million

24
Accomplishments for FY06

• 163 Consumers Were Served with Severe Physical
  Disabilities
  
• 58 Maintained Their Goal of Living in the
  Community
  
• T22/SHIP Placed 2 New T22 Consumers with TBI
• TAC- Provided Service Coordination to 33 TAC
  Assigned Consumers that Were Not VR Eligible 
  
• Provided Training on Transition and CH.688 to VR
  Area Office and CS Staff
  
• 0 on waiting list from Special Education
• 10 additional TAC assignments expected

25
Transition to Adulthood Program (TAP)

• Provides DD youth Turning 22 and their parents
  with the information and skills needed to
  transition from special education to adult
  living
• All students who receive services identify and
  work on goals through-out the school year
  
• Budget 378,000

26
Accomplishments for FY06

• Served 89 Students with Disabilities.
• ILCs Worked with the MRC/VR Staff and Selected
  Schools in their Catchment Areas.
  
• Added New TAP Provider in Western Mass-Stavros IL
  Center.

27
Nursing Home Initiative(Rolland)

• Supports Individuals with Developmental
  Disabilities Who Are Non-MR to Transition to
  Community Living
  
• Increase Independence of People Served
• Facilitates Community Integration and Long-term
  Stability
  
• Budget 6.1 Million

28
Accomplishments for FY06

• Transitioned 14 People with Developmental
  Disabilities (Non- Diagnosed as MR) into the
  Community from Nursing Facilities
  
• Provided Case Management for 81 Rolland Members
  in the Community
  
• Assessed 24 Individuals for Possible Community
  Placement in FY06

29
Protective Services Program

• Conducts civil investigations into complaints of
  caregiver abuse of persons with physical
  disabilities from the ages of 18 to 59
  
• Provides protective services to eliminate abuse
  or reduce further risk through consumer advocacy,
  safety plans and securing community resources, as
  needed
• Budget 638,696

30
Accomplishments for FY06

• 250 Investigations Conducted
• 87 Protective Service Plans Written
• 159 Individuals Achieved Goals

31
Consumer Involvement and MRC.

• MRC is Committed to Consumer Involvement at all
  Levels and in all Programs.
  
• Consumer Involvement is Part of all Agency Policy
  Development.
  
• Consumer Involvement Proposes Solutions to Agency
  Problems.
  
• The State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) is
  Appointed by the Governor and Mandated by State
  and Federal Law.

32
Accomplishments for FY 06.

• Conducted 5 Regional SRC Community Meetings.
• Held 31 SRC Standing Committee Meetings.
• Held 13 SRC Task Force Meetings.
• Attended 12 Regional Consumer Advisory Council
  Meetings.
  
• Outreached to Many Communities to Ensure
  Diversity and Participation in the SRC.
  
• Over 750 Individuals Participated in SRC and
  Regional/Area Advisory Councils in the Year.

33

• Recommended a Full Slate of SRC Members to the
  Governor for Statutory Appointments in the SRC.
  
• Expanded the ICC Register with 65 Qualified
  Individual Consultants Who will be Available to
  all EOHHS.
  
• Produced 4 Editions of Quarterly Newsletter
  Consumer Voice with Over 2,500 Issue
  Circulation.
  

34

• Produced SRC Annual Report with over 2,000
  Circulation Nationally.
  
• Published Artists with Disabilities Calendar.
• Hosted MRC 25th Anniversary Consumer Conference
  with 350 attendees.
  

35
Community Benchmark Results

• FY04 FY05
  FY06
  
• Benefits Planning
• Plans Comp 700 751 901
• Protective Services
• Investigations Done 251 282
  250
  
• Service Plans Done 114 123
  126
  

36
Community Benchmark Results

• FY04
  FY05 FY06
  
• Head Injury Services
• New Applications 257
  333 240
  
• New Eligible Consumers 210
  246 175
  
• Consumers Served 546 867
  715
  
• HomeCare Services
• New Applications N/A N/A
  960
  
• Consumers Served/Month 1,380 1,410
  1,550
  
• Consumers Served/Yr 1,480 1,640
  1,890

37
Community Benchmark Results

• FY04
  FY05 FY06
  
• IL Turning 22 Services
• Consumers Served 61
  56 50
  
• TAP Consumers Served 64
  90 100
  
• SL Consumers Served 44
  48 50
  
• Supported Living Services
• New Applications 25
  30 35
  
• Consumers Served 91 56
  101

38
Community Benchmark Results

• FY04
  FY05 FY06
  
• Housing Registry
• New Vacancies 580
  625 700
  
• Apartments Rented 540
  670 650
  
• Visits to Website 13,031
  14,010 15,000
  
• IL Centers Services
• IR Calls 10,000
  10,250 11,500
  
• Consumers from Nursing
• Homes
  80 90 108
  
• New Consumers Served 13,800 14,400
  15,000

39
Community Benchmark Results

• 
  FY04 FY05 FY06
  
• Consumer Involvement
• New ICC Projects 40
  45 50
  
• Ongoing ICC Projects 126
  150 200
  
• Outreach Activities N/A
  N/A 100
  
• Transition Services
• CH 688 Eligibilities Done 340
  172 230
  
• CH 688 Referrals Assigned 579
  1,067 600
  

40
Community Benchmark Results

• 
  FY04 FY05 FY06
  
• Adaptive Housing - VR
• New Referrals 36
  39 35
  
• Consumers Served 60
  81 68
  
• Consumers Projects Done 64
  68 81
  
• Vehicle Modification Program - VR
• New Referrals 70
  84 99
  
• Consumers Served 70
  75 81
  
• Consumers Projects Done 70 75
  81
  

41
Community Benchmark Results

• 
  FY04 FY05 FY06
  
• Assistive Technology Assessments
• New Referrals 163
  201 170
  
• Consumers Served 207
  210 280
  
• Verizon Telephone Access
• New Referrals 1,125
  1,181 1,150
  
• Assistive Technology IL Services
• New Referrals 118
  130 140
  
• Newly Eligible Consumers 68
  72 80
  
• Consumers Served 406
  425 450
  

42
Community Benchmark Results

• 
  FY04 FY05 FY06
  
• Assistive Technology Loan Program
• New Applications 0
  60 100
  
• Loans Approved 0
  35 70
  
• Consumers Served 0
  35 70
  
• Adaptive Housing Loan Program
• New Applications N/A
  N/A N/A
  
• Loans Approved 55
  0 175
  
• Consumers Served 55
  0 175
  

43
Disability Determination Services

• The DDS processes SSI and SSDI Claims for
  Massachusetts Citizens to Determine Their
  Eligibility for the Social Security Disability
  Programs.
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Ages 18- 64
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Ages Birth - 64
• Budget 36.2 Million

44
Accomplishments for FY06

• Total Receipt of Cases
  67,331
  
• SSI Claims 25,026
• SSDI Claims 21,150
• SSI/SSDI Claims 21,155
• Continuing Disability
• Review Receipts 4,133
• Accuracy of Decisions
• Measured by SSA 97.2

45
DDS Benchmark Results

• FY04 FY05
  FY06
  
• Claims Processed 84,557 83,007 73,992
• Claim Recons 13,593 14,401 13,178
• CDRs 16,956 14,705 8,030

46
Other MRC Accomplishments

• Assistive Technology Loan Program
• Monitored Implementation
• Assistive Technology State Plan
• Plan for Demonstration and Loan Programs
• Housing Registry
• Planed for Integration into Virtual Gateway
• Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP)
• Continued Funding Loans with Available Resources
• Community Based Housing
• Coordinated Interagency Initiative

47
Other MRC Accomplishments (cont.)

• Select Grants
• SSA Public Benefits Counseling
• Transportation Options for People with
  Disabilities
  
• Veterans with TBI Returning from Iraq
• Career Quest, Careers for Keeps
• Others

48
Other MRC Accomplishments (cont)

• Multicultural Outreach
• Held 2 Forums for Individuals with Brain Injury
  and Their Families from the Asian and Latino
  Communities
  
• Integrated Outreach to Diverse Community and
  Department Wide Activities.
  
• Transition-Chapter 688 Eligibility
• Processed 226 Chapter 688 Eligibilities
• Coordinated 937 Ch688 Referrals to VR

49
SUMMARY

• MRC touches the lives of 150,000 people with
  disabilities each year
  
• MRC has a combined federal and state budget of
  over 140 million
  
• MRC helps people with disabilities to get jobs
  and become tax payers
  
• MRC helps people with disabilities live in their
  community and use less state tax dollars

50
Disability Determination ServicesOperational
Accomplishments

• Maintained SSA Quality Targets
• Implemented SSA Paperless Case Folder (eDIB)
• Implemented SSA Commissioners New Initiatives
  Scheduled for August, 2006

51
Vocational Rehabilitation ServicesOperational
Accomplishments

• Maintained VR Counselor FTE at 215
• Managed Field by FTE Statistics, NE Benchmarks,
  Standards Indicators and MRCIS Reports
  
• Provided Training to Area Managers and
  Supervisors on MRCIS and Reports
  
• Implemented RSA Monitoring Recommendations
• Updated Employer Development/Job Placement
  Agenda
  
• Marketed VR Cost Benefit Study

52
Community ServicesOperational Accomplishments

• Continued Participation in New Community Based
  Waiver Planning Task Force
  
• Participated in EOHHS Real Choice Systems Change
  Grant
  
• Achieved ECBS Work Plan Lead Activities
• Defined EOHHS Assistive Technology Project
• Continued Exploration of FFP for all State
  Accounts
  
• Marketed Supported Living Database and Report
• Expanded Utilization of Assistive Technology
  Overall

53
MRC Operational Accomplishments

• Improved MRCIS/R911 Accuracy
• Completed MRCIS Upgrade Plan for VR
• Installed MRCIS Next Enhancements-April October
  06
  
• Developed Web Page Improvements
• Celebrated 50th MRC Anniversary-Sept. 06
• Maintained Low Level of Consumer Appeals
• Increased QA Evaluation Activities

54
Opportunities

• No MRC Funding Cuts From FY05 to FY06
• Obtained .5 Million for VR in Economic Stimulus
  Budget
  
• MRC/VR Downsized by 20 2-3 years
• MRC Staff Very Experienced
• Tuition Waiver at 2/4 Year State Colleges for VR
  Consumers
  
• MRC and IL Centers Continue to Move People out of
  Nursing Homes with Existing Resources
  
• EOHHS Strategic Plan on Employment

55
Threats

• Most Programs have Waiting Lists
• Cuts/lack of Resources at Organizations and State
  Agencies Assisting MRC Consumers
  
• Weak Economy and Job Market for VR
  Consumers-Getting Better
  
• Federal VR funds Inadequate Due to Distribution
  Formula
  
• Lack of Resources for Supported Living Program to
  Assist More People to Leave Nursing Homes