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WRC Meeting Minutes
April 26, 2007
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Call to Order: Linda Vegoe, Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.
Present: Ben Anderson, Rob Buettner, Charlene Dwyer, Steve Gilles, Jodi Hanna, Peter Lucas, Bill Malone, Ashley Marshall, Cindi Pichler, Laura Owens, Carol Schaufel, Dan Sippl, Dee Truhn, Linda Vegoe
Absent: Jeff Erlanger, John Lui, Roxan Perez, Jim Dobrinska, Ken Kluever, Gail Kolvenbach
Resource Staff/Guests: James Bond, Cindy Cain, Lea Collins-Worachek, Enid Glenn, Gary Goeke, Mike Greco, Vince Holmes, Manuel Lugo, Al Noll, Patricia Severt
Interpreters: Jill Kenehan-Krey, Brenda Prudhom
Recorder: Kristin Rolling
Introductions
Announcements
Charlene Dwyer – The DWD/DVR budget is up for hearing with the Joint Finance Committee today.
Review of Minutes
Schaufel/Owens moved/seconded to approve the minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Old Business
Ben Anderson – Contacted Dave Obey’s office regarding his concern for sufficient funding to maintain the Disability Navigator positions in Wisconsin. He hopes to hear back from them in the next few days.
New Business
None.
Agenda Item - Committee Reports
Evaluation
- DVR field staff survey is almost complete – will be delivered to field staff online and results should be available by the July WRC meeting.
- DVR vendor survey is being drafted.
Reports
DVR Annual Report was sent to RSA in January; the printed version will be ready soon and sent to key stakeholders in the state.
Executive
Linda Vegoe just returned from the Council of Vocational Rehabilitation Administrators (CSAVR) meeting that she attended with Charlene. In addition to a substantive conference program and informative sessions, highlights include:
- Meeting with Wisconsin legislators to talk about funding for vocational rehabilitation and Making Work Pay.
- Attending a screening of a movie about national disability advocate and Windmill’s author and trainer Richard Pimentel’s life, The Music Within.
Agenda Item: WDA 2 & 3 Updates - Cindy Cain and Lea Collins-Worachek
- WDA’s 2 and 3 decided to approach the eligibility unit pilot project as a regional endeavor.
- Four staff have been identified to work in the pilot unit – they will make eligibility and order of selection category recommendations.
- The new eligibility unit’s protocol and process is currently being developed, which will include gathering feedback from staff and consumers.
WDA 3 (Washington, Ozaukee and Waukesha counties) Report
- There are three teams in WDA 3 – one each in Ozaukee and Washington counties and one team that focuses on transition and working with high schools.
- Report on the WDA’s progress toward meeting successful closure goals for the year, including the average hourly wage that is earned by consumers whose cases have been successfully closed.
WRC member question – Is the wage reported by successfully closed consumer commensurate with the wage of the general population in the area? Manuel Lugo will follow up on that question, as that is a performance indicator that is required by RSA and data that DVR has access to.
WDA 2 (Milwaukee County) Report
- WDA staff are participating with job center partners on a business services team.
WRC member question – What is the status of moving Milwaukee staff into job centers? Response: Staff moved into the Milwaukee YMCA Job Center location in February and staff are scheduled to move into the UMOS Job Center location in June. Staff at the Teutonia location will eventually move to the Job Center Northwest location. Counselors will spend time, on an itinerant basis, at other locations as well.
WRC member question – What is the status of transitioning the workforce development board from the PIC to the city? Response: A transition team is currently being formed.
WRC member question – What is happening with high school transition services? Cindy Cain, DVR’s statewide transition coordinator, responded: DVR has established a Statewide Transition Action Resource Team (START) comprised of a representative from each WDA who serves as the transition “expert” in their area. The goal of START is to increase cooperation and collaboration among DVR staff, school staff and consumers, parents and advocacy organizations. Lea Collins-Worachek added that DVR is partnering with Milwaukee Public Schools and the Milwaukee area Human Resource Management Association (HRMA) to connect students in transition with Milwaukee employers to increase permanent employment opportunities after high school
Agenda Item: Department of Public Instruction Report (added to agenda)
- The previous DVR/DPI Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was a process model that outlined DPI’s/school and DVR’s role in transition.
- For the current SFY ’08 agreement, DHFS was invited to participate. The updated agreement covers in-school services, short term services and supports and long term supports.
- The approach to transition services outlined in the agreement is called “employment supports planning” and connects the IEP, IPE and Family Care services. The goal is the most integrated, least restrictive environment for the individual.
- The updated MOU includes a “Transition Assistance Guide” designed to assist all of the service partners in developing a plan for the individual and to provide statewide consistency in transition planning.
WRC member concern expressed that the DVR/DPI/DHFS MOU does not include independent living centers in the partnership. There was a concern that the MOU focus on employment leaves out some of the other soft skills and independent living skills that are needed to find and maintain employment
Responses:
- The MOU addresses a high level, systemic, state interagency State Plan requirement. Service delivery will play out locally and will very likely include the IL centers and other providers. The MOU provided an opportunity to involve DHFS and interface transition services with the Family Care roll out.
- The WRC goal with the MOU is to make “employment support planning” part of the thought process as transition plans are being made. The process is aimed at determining the individual’s employment goal, determining the needed supports and then developing a plan of coordinated services.
- State law requires independent living services as a part of transition “if appropriate.” The transition coordinator’s approach has been “When isn’t it appropriate?”
Agenda Item: State of Rehabilitation Technology in the State VR Program – Al Noll, University of Wisconsin - Stout
- An AT survey was sent to DVR counselors in 2005 to assess how frequently they use AT resources for consumers, and what services they use – 140 out of 185 DVR counselors responded.
- The survey indicated that DVR counselors do not use AT as frequently as they could, and some do not understand the full impact that AT can have when addressing the limitations presented by the disability.
- The requirements of the VR counselor preparation coursework and certification sometimes does not allow counselors to take AT courses when they are earning their master’s degree.
- A priority for UW-Stout is to increase counselor competencies related to AT – recognizing AT needs, coordinating AT services, and acquiring the appropriate technology.
- UW-Stout staff have attempted an AT vendor survey as well to give counselors a better idea of what services are available but there has been a low response rate from vendors.
- Assistive Technology Demonstrations/Expositions are being scheduled around the state.
Agenda Item: DVR Reports – Service Animal Legislation Discussion Panel: Gary Goeke, Jodi Hanna, Cindi Pichler, Rob Buettner, Charlene Dwyer
DWD/DVR are looking to the WRC for guidance on what the Department’s position should be on the service animal legislation that is currently being discussed in the Wisconsin legislature
Panel discussion points:
- Two years ago Wisconsin legislation was changed to parallel the Americans’ with Disabilities Act in regard to provisions for service dogs.
- The new bill would change service “dog” to “animal”.
- The new bill identifies a service animal as one that performs a physical task for a person with a disability.
- There is concern that animal/training certifications are not outlined in the bill.
- Properly trained and controlled animals are needed; one bad experience for a business owner could permanently damage the reputation of service animals
Motion: Malone/Anderson motion/second to advise DWD/DVR to oppose the current service animal legislation. Motion carried.
Friendly amendment by Buettner, accepted by Malone/Anderson, to encourage legislators to draft language that would define “service animal” and set training and certification standards for service animals.
Agenda Item: DVR Report on consumers with autism spectrum disorders – Vince Holmes
- Presentation of DVR statistics on consumers with autism spectrum disorders– included application rates, locations, types of service, reasons for closure, success rates and employment types.
- Discussion of definition of “successful closure.” A successful closure is attained when the person reaches their employment goal as outlined in the IPE.
Agenda Item: DVR Reports – Charlene Dwyer
- The FFY ’08 DVR State Plan goes into effect October 1, 2007.
- Reviewed WRC comments for the State Plan. Draft of DVR’s response to the WRC comments was also reviewed.
- DVR OOS waitlist update and three-year comparison.
- April 2005 = 10,638
- April 2006 = 5,004
- April 2007 = 18
Agenda Item: WRC FFY ’07 Recommendations and DVR Response Report
Post Secondary Training Grant Update – Manuel Lugo
- Decrease in attendance rates may be attributed to:
- DVR now stricter on requirement to produce grades for funding VR continuation.
- No longer seeing applicants who can afford school themselves as indicated by the FAFSA and have no other need for DVR services.
WRC member question – Is there a GPA requirement? Response: GPA has to be high enough to graduate from their program. If GPA is too low, the consumer works with their DVR counselor to address any issues that may be causing poor performance.
Sub-minimum wage earners and DVR outreach Update – Mike Greco
- DVR participates in orientation sessions for consumers who are currently employed in community rehabilitation facilities and their families to discuss community employment options.
- “Employment Support Planning” as previously described can have a positive impact on people in non-integrated facility work environments. The goal in ESP is to offer less-restrictive options for work in a more integrated setting.
- DVR is re-evaluating the definition of “job-ready” for individuals who work in non-integrated facility-based settings – with the intention of providing more opportunity for community-based, competitive employment.
DVR Staff Training Update – Enid Glenn
- Bi-regional training conferences for all DVR staff will be held soon – agenda topics for all staff; team facilitation skills, labor market information.
- Training Grant training – will be rolled out before the training grant form changes go into effect. DVR is using a webcast format for this training to send the same message to a large number of staff.
- Training staff are exploring on-line training and distance education opportunities for staff .
- DVR Managers and Impartial Hearing Officers attended an IHO training
Vendor Training and Fee Restructuring – James Bond
WRC member comment by Bill Malone expressed appreciation to Rick Hall and James Bond for the vendor workgroup; noted it was a good process with a genuine give and take dialogue
- 116 of 213 vendors attended the vendor orientation sessions.
- Workgroup was made up of DVR staff and managers, vendors and WRC members.
- New structure focuses more on paying for a product, not a process.
- 2001 was the last time there were changes to the vendor fee structure. Fees have been revised and a fee review will now occur every two years.
- New fee structure will be effective July 1, 2007.
Agenda Item: Public Comment
Barb Diderrich, Autism Society of Wisconsin
- Mother of a twenty-two year old daughter with Asperger Syndrome.
- Connected with DVR the same year her daughter was diagnosed.
- Daughter has difficulty challenging authority or self-advocating.
- Things that have gone well with DVR:
- Vocational testing.
- Driving training.
- Semester of technical school.
- Business skills program at Goodwill Industries.
- Switchboard training.
- Things that have been problematic:
- High turnover in VRC staff she has worked with.
- Job interviews have gone poorly – feels like her daughter is being set up to fail.
- Disability-related work limitations have not been addressed.
- Suggestions for improvement:
- Don’t exclude the parents.
- Return phone calls and email messages.
- Hidden disability can require a different approach.
Anderson to adjourn. Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.