VR Portion of WIOA State Plan for the State of Michigan

VR Portion of WIOA State Plan for the State of Michigan

Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Blind)

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan* must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by WIOA:
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* Sec. 102(b)(D)(iii) of WIOA

a. Input of State Rehabilitation Council (Blind)

All agencies, except for those that are independent consumer-controlled commissions, must describe the following:

1. Input provided by the State Rehabilitation Council, including input and recommendations on the VR services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, recommendations from the Council's report, the review and analysis of consumer satisfaction, and other Council reports that may have been developed as part of the Council’s functions; (Blind)

OVERVIEW: The State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) in Michigan, known as the Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services (MCRS) serves as the SRC to both the general designated state unit (DSU), Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and the DSU for the Blind, Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP). The designated state agency (DSA) for MRS is the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the DSA for BSBP is the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). This attachment is focuses on how the MCRS worked to achieve the eight federal mandates with BSBP during fiscal year 2015 and our resulting recommendations to BSBP for FY 2017 – 2020.

1. Review, analyze, and advise the Grantor regarding its performance in determining eligibility, order of selection, effectiveness, scope and provision of services, and functions of the Grantor that affect or potentially affect the ability of persons with disabilities to achieve rehabilitation goals and objectives. This mandate was achieved through active participation in the following BSBP activities/work teams along with review and analysis of information received related to their service system: (1) Consultation with the Client Assistance Program (CAP) (2) Public Comment (3) Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) Report for FY 2014 (4) Follow–up meeting to FY 2014 Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) Report (5) State Plan (6) BSBP Staff and (7) BSBP System Data.

Resulting Impact: The Council offered input from the customer perspective with regard to each of the above activities.

2. In partnership with the Grantor, provide advice in the preparation of statewide goals and priorities. During the State Plan FY 2017 – 2020 process meetings, the Council was involved with the review and update of the BSBP goals and priorities.

Resulting Impact: The goals and priorities were reviewed during the FY 2017–20 BSBP State Plan process. The Council will look forward to future opportunities to establish processes with the DSU for monitoring progress.

3. In partnership with the Grantor, conduct a review and analysis of the effectiveness and consumer satisfaction with vocational rehabilitation services and employment outcomes, including employment benefits. Customer satisfaction information was collected by the MCRS through various activities: (1) Consultation with CAP (2) Data review (3) CSS Report and (4) Public Comment.

Resulting Impact: As BSBP and MCRS continue to develop their partnership, the data sources listed above and reports at business meetings have provided the membership with a general sense of the service system. The MCRS has embraced the opportunity to work with BSBP staff to facilitate the design and implementation of a BSBP CSS Survey Project in FY 2016.

4. Assist in the preparation of the State Plan, Plan amendments, reports, needs assessments, and evaluation required by the Rehabilitation Act. The Council was involved in State Plan meetings so that the customer voice was present and involved in discussions and decisions. The final draft of the BSBP State Plan was shared with the membership for review, input and support.

The membership was afforded the opportunity to learn about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) through a number of in–person trainings and the expected impact on the BSBP system. The trainings emphasized the significant service changes regarding transition aged youth and Supported Employment that the DSUs are now required implementing without the addition of financial resources.

The Council was actively involved in the Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) meetings which resulted in the FY 2014 report. A follow–up meeting was scheduled during this fiscal year which provided the opportunity for work team members to determine what worked well and/or what needed improvement as the planning begins in FY 2016.

Resulting Impact: The MCRS was involved in the BSBP FY 2017–2020 State Plan process, offering customer perspective as relevant. The membership’s educational opportunities with WIOA have provided a knowledge base that will enhance future monitoring efforts by the Council. The Council also looks forward to working with BSBP as they expand their services to business and employers with regard to new WIOA mandates.

5. Prepare and submit an annual report to the Governor and the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) on the status of the general vocational rehabilitation program operated within the State. BSBP data and other program information were provided to the MCRS so that the FY 2014 report was completed and submitted to the governmental and federal authorities as required.

6. Coordinate with other state councils, including but not limited to the Statewide Independent Living Council, the Special Education Advisory Council under IDEA, the Developmental Disabilities Council, the State Mental Health Planning Council, and the Governor’s Workforce Development Board.

Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC): Coordinated activities included (1) members appointed to represent the respective councils (2) MCRS reports for SILC business meeting packets, SILC reports for MCRS business meeting packets (3) MCRS/SILC Member representation at the SILC quarterly meetings and MCRS/SILC representation at the 6 MCRS Business Meetings. The other mandated partnerships which include Special Education Advisory Committee; the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council; the State Mental Health Planning Council; and the Governor’s Workforce Development Board have been managed through members who represent these organizations and/or at Executive Team (ET) direction. Resulting Impact: The partnerships listed above provided great opportunity for networking with organizations that are working with similar customer populations, while the MCRS role, responsibilities and involvement with BSBP can provide the VR perspective. It is expected that these relationships will continue to develop.

7. Facilitate coordination and working relationships between the Grantor, the Statewide Independent Living Council and centers for independent living throughout the state. In Michigan, the SILC has a long established working partnership with BSBP. The MCRS members continue their focus on working to enhance the partnership by continually advocating on behalf of the independent living needs of customers of BSBP.

Resulting Impact: The MCRS involvement with the Michigan SILC has continued at the statewide level.

8. Perform other functions consistent with the purpose of the Rehabilitation Act.

Highlights of other MCRS Functions:

Business Meeting Schedule: During FY 2015, the MCRS increased their business meetings to bimonthly meetings with a newly designed agenda. The one day meeting agendas included in–person work team meetings prior to the start of the business meetings (11:00 – 3:30 p.m.). The business meeting agendas included operational updates, two times for public comment, work team reports, partner reports, and reports from both DSUs and the staff report. The last two hours of each meeting are dedicated to educational sessions about emerging topics and/or CSNA populations identified as underserved or unserved.

Resulting Impact: The six meetings scheduled during FY 2015 resulted in great opportunities to uphold the Mission and Strategic Plan of the MCRS as work teams held in–person meetings, the business of the Council was effectively managed and the membership was afforded educational opportunities regarding emerging issues, such as the passage of WIOA. This new system has kept members better informed and focused on the efforts needed to achieve the mandates of the MCRS.

Advisory Work Teams Functions: The Advisory Executive Team held twice monthly meetings as well as two day long strategic planning meetings. The agendas focused on the strategic plan goal and activities, emerging issues and other education relevant to the daily business operations of the Council staff.

Advisory Customer Experience and Regulatory Guidance Teams have been successful in achieving their work plans along with absorbing new work assignments throughout the year. Highlights include: the annual report, review of BSBP data, creating a dashboard to track the various levels of data within each DSU, the State Plan, education of WIOA and review of the Customer Satisfaction Survey report.

Resulting Impact: The Work Teams benefitted from the monthly meeting schedule as held in person or by teleconference. The work of the MCRS is managed within each work team, so that they can then inform the full membership on work efforts taking place, have discussion on relevant topics and/or take action as needed. Work plans were tweaked throughout the year as new assignments emerged so that there was greater impact on the MCRS outcomes. The teams continue to develop a cohesive approach as they work to achieve their responsibilities.

Membership: At the end of this fiscal year (2015), the MCRS had two vacancies: the Governor’s Workforce Board category and a representative of Business, Industry and Labor. It is expected that these will be managed at the end of the calendar year when the MCRS appointment terms are scheduled to roll over. Statewide Activities (focused on strengthening partnerships): The MCRS continued participation in the following statewide activities: (1) Two celebration events for the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (2) The annual re:con convention, a statewide rehabilitation conference held each Fall where the MCRS serves as a primary partner, is on the program committee, facilitates workshops and hosts an exhibit (3) MARO Spring Leadership Training Conference in Traverse City (4) Michigan Rehabilitation Association (MRA) Membership, with the MCRS Executive Director (ED) serving on the MRA board and (5) SILC Business Meetings. Resulting Impact: The above activities serve to strengthen relationships within the disability and business community. Most importantly, it provides a mechanism for the Council to cross paths with DSU staff and educate them about our role and responsibility as we work with public VR. As networking takes place across the state (within the public and private sector), we have seen increased awareness of the Council’s role with citizens with disabilities and partners. National Activities: MCRS Staff Members are members of the National Rehabilitation Association.

The MCRS is a founding member of the National Coalition of State Rehabilitation Councils (NCSRC). Participation included teleconferences for national NCSRC meetings and monthly NCSRC Board of Directors (BoD) meetings. The ED served as the President of the NCSRC, while the Assistant Director (AD) provided expertise and technical support through management of the website, listservs and conference registration as supported by the MCRS.

The Chair and Vice Chair attended the April 2015 NCSRC, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and National Council of State Agencies for the Blind Conferences held in Bethesda, MD. This included partnering with BSBP staff to conduct Hill Visits to educate some of the Michigan Delegation on the value of the public vocational rehabilitation (VR) service system in Michigan and the positive impact it has on the Michigan economy.

Resulting Impact: The involvement of the MCRS in the various national activities continued to enhance the reputation of this SRC as being one of the best models across our country. The knowledge gained through this involvement serves to strengthen the work activities of our Council.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION – DAILY BUSINESS OPERATIONS: FISCAL AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT:

Fiscal Agent: In an effort to uphold the intent of the Rehabilitation Act, to assure the autonomy and independence of the State Rehabilitation Council operations and staff, BSBP has contracted with MARO since 2012. The Council agrees that this contact provides the mechanism needed for a fiscal agent to serve as the employer of record for MCRS staff, along with accounting services for payroll and operational expenses. This contract has continued due to the outstanding accounting talents of the MARO staff person that has resulted in ten clean financial reviews and services that were provided in a professional, flexible manner. The MCRS expects that this contract will continue to be supported by BSBP, assuring the stability of the Council’s future.

MCRS Budget: The MCRS Resource Plan and Budget for FY 2015 was approved by the membership and then negotiated with the DSU to ensure financial solvency for the MCRS beginning October 1, 2014. The grant between MARO and MRS was signed by the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the entire fiscal year; the grant between MARO and BSBP was also signed by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for the entire fiscal year. The FY 2016 Resource Plan and Budget was created by the ET and approved by the membership for submission to the DSUs/DSA. MCRS Staff: The staff of the Council includes the Executive Director and the Assistant Director. The staff role is to assure the membership’s achievement of the SRC federal mandates along with other activities related to VR and employment as determined by the Council. Resulting Impact: The MCRS staff efforts have assured the success of the Council as they achieved the federal mandates related to BSBP.

In Closing: The MCRS maintains a focus of the ‘customer’s best interest’ throughout all levels of their work. We look forward to our continued work on behalf of people with disabilities, in partnership with BSBP as they strive to implement new requirements in WIOA.

Recommendations:

The following recommendations were designed to reflect customer input and results from our analysis and review of the BSBP system.

1 – We recommend that the Council receive the BSBP program and financial data on a quarterly basis following the submittal of their 113 reports to Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). We recognize the value of this information as we work to review, analyze and advise BSBP about their service system. This information will be included in the applicable Business Meeting packets, as members look forward to receiving BSBP data in print format for review and discussion at business meetings.

2 – We recommend that BSBP designs and implements a Succession Plan that will strengthen and ensure the future availability of experienced and prepared employees for management and direct service positions.

3 – We recommend that BSBP conduct a Strategic Plan session with an outside facilitator to create a new plan with goals and strategies for their Bureau, to include the vocational rehabilitation and supported employment components. The Council looks forward to being involved in this process and believes that a new plan will strengthen the BSBP operations in a manner which results in an increase in successful outcomes.

4 – In consultation with the MCRS, and with regard to new WIOA requirements, we recommend that BSBP evaluate, update, and implement changes to their policies and procedures that impact all applicants and those determined eligible to receive VR services.

5 – We recommend that BSBP review the contents of their web site and incorporate current program and data information along with success stories for perusal by the public which provides transparency of their service system. As well, a brief description about the MCRS with a link to our website should be part of the BSBP website.

2. The Designated State unit's response to the Council’s input and recommendations; and (Blind)

Response to Recommendation 1: BSBP will consistently submit quarterly reports including 113 data, in order to ensure that both the council and the bureau are in compliance with Federal requirements. Response to Recommendation 2: State and Civil Service Rules prohibit pre–selection, which in turn limits our ability to participate in detailed succession planning. However, BSBP always considers talent and skills within the bureau and has demonstrated by action our commitment to recognizing that talent when opportunities for succession and advancement present themselves. BSBP will continue to do so.

Professional development opportunities are consistently made available that encourage the development of leadership skills. An example of this dedication is participation in the National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute program, in which the majority of our managers have participated. Response to Recommendation 3: BSBP will partner with the council to determine a strategic planning process that will enhance our ability as a bureau to better serve blind consumers in Michigan and support our bureau and its staff in our mission. Response to Recommendation 4: BSBP is also committed to this goal and is currently updating and revising policies and procedures to reflect regulatory changes as a result of WIOA and will continue to do so as rule making changes are released. Response to Recommendation 5: BSBP agrees with this recommendation and is currently working with bureau staff and departmental staff to make necessary changes.