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WRC Meeting Minutes
January 17, 2008
Madison, Wisconsin
Call to Order: Linda Vegoe, Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m.
Present: Ben Anderson, Rob Buettner, Jodi Hanna, Patricia Lerch, Steve Gilles, Ken Kluever, Peter Lucas, John Lui, Bill Malone, Cindi Pichler, Carol Schaufel, Dan Sippl, Dee Truhn, Linda Vegoe, Jim Dobrinska Absent: Gail Kolvenbach, Ashley Marshall, Laura Owens, Roxan Perez Resource staff/guests: Charlene Dwyer, Manuel Lugo, Jill Gonzalez, Mike Greco, Enid Glenn, Rick Hall, Joseph D’Costa, Roberta Gassman, Mike Bachhuber, Paulette Bartelt, Lisa Christy, Les Mirkin Recorder: Kristin Rolling
Roll Call
Introductions
Announcements
John Lui – The Assistive Technology Across the Lifespan session will be held in Stevens Point on March 6 & 7; the Wisconsin Long Term Care Conference will be held in La Crosse, April 14-16; the National Rehabilitation Association Summit will be held in Virginia on March 9
Review of Minutes
Anderson/Schaufel moved/seconded to approve the minutes
Motion carried.
Old Business
- Linda Vegoe asked if there are members who are still waiting for their re-appointment or initial appointment. Bill Malone, Jim Dobrinska, Ben Anderson and Vivian Larkin are waiting for their appointments.
- Suggestion made that each member’s appointment date be added to the member listing.
New Business
Linda Vegoe presented a proposal that a National Coalition of Rehabilitation Councils be established. The idea is still in the planning stages; interest in such a group is just being gauged at this point. Linda Vegoe will provide members with a copy of the group’s proposed purpose, mission and vision statements and the WRC can vote during the afternoon.
Nominations
Ken Kluever announced that the nominations ad hoc committee will accept nominations for WRC Chair, Vice-chair and Secretary/Treasurer via email until the end of January. A ballot will be prepared and the WRC will elect officers at the April 2008 meeting.
Updates
- The National Rehabilitation Association will hold its annual conference in the spring.
- The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) newsletter lists candidate information related to people with disabilities.
- DPI has updated its publication Opening Doors to Post Secondary Education. The new joint DPI/DVR/DHFS agreement will be presented at the Wisconsin State Transition Initiative conference. The agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of each agency in transition services for high school students with disabilities.
Agenda Item: Committee Reports
Reports
- The annual report was sent to RSA. A version of the report for public distribution will be ready in April
Evaluation
- Rob Buettner will present the DVR staff survey results to DVR senior managers.
- The DVR vendor survey will be drafted by April 1st.
- The committee is working with DVR to rework the DVR consumer satisfaction survey.
Executive
- Committee asked DVR about workplace safety. DWD has a no tolerance policy for violence or the threat of violence. If the behavior is disability-related, the consumer can work with DVR to get the appropriate services.
Agenda Item: State of the Department, Roberta Gassman Secretary, Department of Workforce Development
- Wisconsin is facing a workforce and skill shortage and the state needs the abilities of every worker in Wisconsin, including people with disabilities.
- The Governor’s State of the State on January 23rd will unveil the 3rd Grow Wisconsin Initiative.
- The new collaboration between W-2 and DVR, which will pilot in Milwaukee, uses the DPI/DVR/DHFS agreement as a model.
Agenda Item: Managed Care Presentation John Lui, WRC member
- The financing and service delivery concepts of managed care was reviewed.
- The HMO Act of 1973 was written to control rising health care costs but those costs are still going up by double digits every year.
- Managed health care medical treatment guidelines do not typically address employment or return to work after chronic illnesses or injuries.
- Need to pay attention to the managed care concepts as it relates to the development of Wisconsin’s Family Care Program such as coordination of benefits and costs, etc.
WRC Member Comment – the current health care system and Wisconsin’s Family Care program don’t fit well together because employment supports are not addressed
WRC Member Comment – There may be an opportunity to create a system that addresses work. If work is in the guidelines, the conversation about work will happen.
WRC Member Comment – the current role of benefits counselors is to help people understand how to secure and retain their benefits, not to look at work incentive programs.
Agenda Item: State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) Mike Bachhuber, ILCW Director
- There are 3 elements of Independent Living in Wisconsin; State Independent Living Services Program, 8 Centers for Independent Living and Wisconsin Coalition of Independent Living Centers.
- The State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) was submitted to RSA in June 2007 and was revised in August and September based on RSA feedback, The SPIL was approved in September 2007.
- The SPIL contains an Assurances section and a Narrative section. The narrative outlines the goals, objectives and activities of independent living in Wisconsin.
- The SPIL identifies two areas for service expansion in Wisconsin – Fox Valley and Milwaukee.
Agenda Item: State of WDA 10 Leslie Mirkin, WDA 10 Director
- WDA 10 staffing: 24 counselors, 9 consumer case coordinators, 2 supervisors.
- Hires in the last 12 months – 8 counselors, 2 consumer case coordinators, 1 supervisor (nearly ½ of the current staff are new, or new to their positions!)
- Vendors are invited to each staff meeting to strengthen relationships • 2,758 consumers with IPE’s.
- Average of 110 cases per counselor.
- Of the 2,758 – 1,084 are in training program, 1,361 are in job development/placement; 116 are working.
- With 29.2% of the fiscal year complete, the WDA has reached 28.3% of its closure goal with 125 successful closures.
- In Federal Fiscal Year 2007, the WDA had 413 successful closures; 390 was the goal; WDA 10 spent $2.7 million, with the annual earnings the 413 successful closures estimated at $6.3 million
Agenda Item: DVR Administrative Report, Charlene Dwyer, DVR Administrator Manuel Lugo, DVR Deputy Administrator
- Re-branding efforts – the goal is to educate consumers that DVR is about employment and to insure appropriate referrals from partners. Posters are currently available and a consumer information packet will be rolled out in the spring.
- Policy manual is being updated – a draft will be ready in February and will be brought to the April WRC meeting for review.
- DVR/DPI/DHFS Transition Services for high school students Interagency agreement was signed in July 2006. A Transition Action Guide was developed to help parents and students understand the role of each agency and how they should interact.
- “Making Work Pay” was noted as a promising demonstration by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel in their December 2006 report. The report emphasized economic self-sufficiency, not just employment.
Tabled Item: National Coalition of Rehabilitation Councils
Motion/Second Lui/Bittner – The Wisconsin Rehabilitation Council supports the resolution to create a National Coalition of Rehabilitation Councils.
Agenda Item: Supported Employment Rick Hall, DVR
- In 2001, DVR instituted a milestone payment system that pays vendors for outcomes, and is not based on hourly rates.
- Employment Support Planning was incorporated into the new DVR fee schedule.
- Changes are being made to focus on the needs of the individual and how DVR and the vendors can effectively meet those needs
Charlene Dwyer Comment – The WRC played a key role in making sure these types of changes were made. The WRC’s work and the group’s ability to focus on an issue has assisted DVR to make systemic changes that benefit the consumer.
Agenda Item: Public Comment
Paulette Monthei Bartelt, Director of the Center for Deaf Blind Persons
- The 3-way meetings employment meetings between DVR staff, consumers and placement vendors have created confusion. She believes it is difficult to understand the goal of the meetings and what needs to be accomplished. She related a recent negative experience where the DVR counselor wasn’t able to answer questions and the supervisor did not respond to phone calls. The customer would have been waiting for service if the information had not been found elsewhere by vendor staff.
- The vendor section of the DVR website is confusing and it is not easy to find information.
Perez/Anderson moved/seconded to adjourn. Motion carried.
Meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.