RTAC on Vocational Rehabilitation Program Management

Treva Roanhorse and Paula Seanez from the Navajo Nation Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services Program will present on the Navajo VR program’s involvement with the ICI Learning Collaborative, and their work on using Motivational Interviewing techniques with clients. MI incorporates strong beliefs, values and practices of Native people by forming partnership with clients. A foundation of Navajo culture includes not only the individual but the family and community.

Debra Pizzuto, David Tripp, Michael Gabriel, and Caw-Tep Sylvia from the Hoopa-Yurok Vocational Rehabilitation Program will present on the Hoopa-Yurok VR program’s involvement with the ICI Learning Collaborative, and their work on developing a consumer-driven re-entry program. A foundation of culture evolves through respect, and it also defines the Hoopa-Yurok consumer driven re-entry model. The Hoopa-Yurok's concept of respect is rooted in and drawn from the traditions of their river people in the mountains of northwestern California.

On Monday, September 28, 2015 from 12pm - 4pm EST and Tuesday, September 29, 2015 from 12pm - 3:30pm EST, the Research and Technical Assistance Center (RTAC) on VR Program Management hosted an online virtual conference, Expert Summit: Introducing the VR Program Management Framework as a Tool for WIOA Implementation.

Brooke Rogers, Melody Roane, and Deborah Collard will present a description of strategic planning efforts at the Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired. The presentation will address data collection and analysis, strategic objectives, and development of an overall plan to correlate the services of the center with successful employment outcomes.

Dacia Johnson and Eric Morris from the Oregon Commission for the Blind will discuss their agency’s outcome-based management system. The system addresses specific performance areas with a step-by-step method of problem solving, and uses individual and program-level scorecards. Presenters will discuss how the system was used as the framework for the agency strategic plan, and will share the leadership playbook that established business routines across program managers and the executive director.

Michael MacKillop, Lou Oma Durand, & Arlene Itou from Washington State Services for the Blind will discuss the strategic planning project that the agency initiated in 2014.

Kate Drake and John Stem will present on the Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services payment methodology and monitoring process for employment services delivered by community rehabilitation programs. They will summarize the activities they implemented, how they included their stakeholders, the results of the activities, their current proposal, and next steps. This webinar is part of a series where members of the NIDILRR-funded RTAC project of VR Program Management present the lessons they've learned through their management initiative.

Aaron Thompson from the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation will present on the agency’s VR client base size reduction and control project. This presentation will cover evaluation of client/VR counselor ratio increases, efficiency in serving clients, process analyses, and determining the need to implement an Order of Selection.

Jason Burns and Michelle Wilson from the Chickasaw Nation VR Department will discuss the program’s involvement with the ICI Learning Collaborative, and their work on developing a national model of job placement for tribal VR programs. The speakers will discuss strategies for developing and implementing a national job placement/development model for tribal VR departments.

Kamilia Drogosz and Erin Pluto from the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind will guide participants through the program development and implementation processes of a new statewide mentoring program. This program connects transition-age VR consumers with working professional mentors who are blind, with the goal of maximizing employment outcomes. This webinar is part of a series where members of the NIDILRR-funded RTAC project of VR Program Management present the lessons they've learned through their management initiative.