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WRC Meeting Minutes

June 8, 2006
Radisson, Green Bay

Present: Ben Anderson, Rob Buettner, Charlene Dwyer, Jeff Erlanger, Steve Gilles, Ken Kluever, Gail Kolvenbach, Peter Lucas, Laura Owens, Roxan Perez, Cindi Pichler, Carol Schaufel, Dan Sippl, Dee Truhn, Linda Vegoe

Absent: Karen Funkhouser, John Lui

Resource Staff/Guests: Cleo Eliason, Mike Greco, John Haugh, Vince Holmes, Manuel Lugo, Bill Malone, Al Noll (for John Lui)

Interpreters: Sandi Smith, Jamie Garrison

Recorder: Patricia Severt

Linda Vegoe, WRC Chair, called the meeting to order. Members and guests introduced themselves and roll was taken. Linda asked the Council to review the minutes from the last meeting.

Charlene Dwyer, DVR Administrator, requested that the opening sentence on page four, paragraph three read: “Pat Severt, on behalf of the Reports Committee, announced that the …” and page six, paragraph two will add: “Further discussion on this topic will be at future meetings.”

Motion to approve minutes as amended.
Motion seconded.
Motion carried.

Agenda Item - Announcements

Pat Severt reported to the Council that mileage reimbursement has increased to $0.425. Meal reimbursement remains the same.

Linda told participants that reasonable accommodations should be given to the Executive Committee. Roxan Perez will check to see how the Independent Living Council of Wisconsin (ILC-W) handles reimbursements.

With the departure of Craig Wehner, the office of Vice Chair needs to be filled. Rob Buettner, currently the Treasurer, volunteered to finish the remainder of Craig’s term. Gail Kolvenbach offered to be Treasurer.

Motion to have Rob fill the Vice Chair office and Gail to function as Treasurer.
Motion seconded.
Motion carried.

Members asked to see a budget report. Pat will send copies to members.

Agenda Item - Old Business

None.

Agenda Item - New Business

Add time for discussion on a separate VR agency for the Blind.

Agenda Item - Updates

Separate Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired

An issue and options paper was sent to DVR on June 5th by the Department of Health and Family Services regarding options for the future of the Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired services and staff. Rob Buettner asked DVR Administrator Charlene Dwyer whether DVR was consulted about the proposed options offered in the paper. Charlene responded that DVR had not been consulted and was not aware that an options paper was being developed. She said that the DWD Secretary's office was communicating with the DHFS Secretary's office on the paper and that there were early assurances from DHFS that the options paper was not a final product.

There was extensive discussion regarding the proposed infrastructure options for the DVR Title VII Older Blind grant funds of approximately $585,000 and an option for establishing a separate Blind VR agency using DVR funds and incorporating the OBVI and other blindness services delivered by other state Departments within the new agency. There was discussion and displeasure expressed by several Council members regarding the manner in which the options paper had been constructed and distributed. Several council members also raised questions as to why DHFS had advanced only two options in the paper and other options were not also included. Utilization of the Independent Living Centers and other blindness services agencies as future infrastructure options for OBVI staff and/or services were raised in this discussion.

Some felt that there were possible errors of fact and omission in the paper that needed to be researched and addressed. DVR was aware of a few errors that were preliminarily addressed by DVR staff at yesterday's Council on Blindness meeting where the paper was presented by Secretary Helene Nelson. On behalf of the WRC, Ken Kluever attended the Council on Blindness meeting on June 7, 2006 to hear Secretary Nelson's presentation on the options paper. He said that Secretary Nelson spoke only about the first option regarding the future of the OBVI (Office for the Blind and Visually Impaired) staff and services within an ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Center) infrastructure. Ken presented comment at the meeting: “I am concerned about the splitting of resources. There could be an avalanche of requests for segregated services from each disability group. Administrative costs would go sky high and would reduce the amount of money available to the client.”

The Council on Blindness also held a public hearing on June 6, 2006 to discuss the future of the OBVI. Rob Buettner and Ken Kluever were in attendance at the hearing. Both reported that participants’ feelings were mixed.

There was consensus among WRC members that the Council is open to models which are cost-effective and outcome-based. The WRC encourages more timely communication from DHFS to DVR on matters that impact DVR funds and services.

The Council of the Blind has selected three of their members for a work group on this topic.

Motion to have the WRC Chair write a letter voicing the Council’s concern that DHFS has proposed changes to employment services for individuals who are blind or visually impaired with no consultation with DVR/DWD.
Motion seconded.
Motion carried.

Members asked that they receive a copy of the letter.

Charlene informed attendees that the Governor's budget instructions for the SFY '08 -'09 biennium have been released and that most agencies are under an instruction to develop their budgets for the next biennium with 0% GPR increase. In the Governor's budget instructions DVR has been exempted from the 0% instruction. This means that DVR can submit a biennial budget request to include sufficient additional GPR to match anticipated federal increases.

Client Assistance Program (CAP)

Linda Vegoe presented the CAP update.

  1. CAP has been asked to take a position on a separate agency for the blind (for 15 years) and found no data to support that a separate agency provides better vocational services. In fact, data showed employment outcomes were much lower, but homemaker outcomes (independent living skills) were higher.
  2. CAP staffed a booth at the CANAR Conference and offered copies of the VR Process poster to participants.

ILC-W

Roxan Perez presented the Independent Living Council of Wisconsin’s update. The ILC-W is a year into being a 501c3 entity. This Council is working on their new state plan. This plan’s duration is three years. The ILC-W will utilize the eight Independent Living Centers for listening sessions to determine needs.

NRA

Al Noll, UW-Stout, announced the next reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act will occur next year instead of this year.

DPI

Steve Gilles, from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) shared the following with the Council:

Agenda Item - Committee Reports

Reports Committee

Evaluations Committee

John Lui is on sabbatical.

Pat will invite Jean Rogers to the next face-to-face committee meeting to discuss the consumer satisfaction survey.

Executive Committee

At the last meeting, Linda asked the full council to consider allowing the Executive Committee to respond to DVR policy changes that occur between quarterly meetings. After discussion, Council members came to the consensus that the Executive Committee should respond to policy changes. It was agreed that if the Executive Committee needed input from the full Council, Pat would query members via an e-mail marked “Urgent – response required.”

Agenda Item - Supported Employment Summit

The Council revisited this topic from April’s meeting. The Supported Employment Summit Workgroup Recommendation handout is attached to these minutes.

Motion to support Employment & Supports Planning as outlined in the handout.
Seconded.
Motion carried.

Agenda Item - DVR Quarterly Training Report

Cleo Eliason presented the DVR training report to the Council and guests. Cleo’s report is attached to these minutes.

Agenda Item - DVR Reports

Charlene Dwyer, DVR Administrator, shared a PowerPoint presentation with the Council members that highlighted the progress to date on the DVR order of selection wait list, the 17 WRC state plan recommendations to DVR and the DVR response and action plan to address each recommendation. It was noted that the recommendations and the DVR response to each recommendation are contained in the DVR state plan which is posted on the DVR website. Charlene also reviewed the regulatory requirements and Administrator's charge to conduct the triennial Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment as required in the Act. This is an important collaborative effort between DVR and the WRC. On the DVR side of the collaboration, Suzanne Lee will be lead with support from Tom Draghi and Lea Collins Worachek. All three DVR designees are DVR senior managers. DVR will also designate support staff from Central office to assist with the effort. On the WRC side of the collaboration the Ben Anderson, Jeff Erlanger, Ken Kluever, John Lui, Laura Owens, Cindi Pichler and Dee Truhn have volunteered to assist with designing and deploying the statewide comprehensive needs assessment. Linda Vegoe will appoint a WRC lead from the WRC members.

Agenda Item - DVR Coordination with Other Systems

John Haugh, DVR Manager, spoke to the Council about his Workforce Development Area (WDA). John manages WDA 5 which includes 10 counties in northeast Wisconsin.

Transition

John’s staff are working actively with schools, CESA’s, etc. Marinette County has the largest caseload. The county includes nine school districts.

Supported Employment

Supported Employment placements can be great or virtually non-existent. Some of the counties have strong commitments; others do not. Staff often try the PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Sufficiency) program to assist a consumer. Sometimes parents help out.

Third Party Grant

In 1993, a third-party grant was awarded to reach out to students while they are still in school. The Green Bay school district made a commitment to realign staff to participate in this project.

Native American Vocational Rehabilitation (NAVR)

Staff work closely with the NAVR program. In the Green Bay area, the NAVR program is with the Oneida Tribe.

Agenda Item - Public Comment

None.

Motion to adjourn.
Motion seconded.
Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned.

Attachments

DVR Training Report – June 8, 2006
Supported Employment Summit Workgroup Recommendations