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WRC Meeting Minutes

October 16, 2008
Menomonie, Wisconsin

Present: Ben Anderson, Jim Dobrinska, Charlene Dwyer, Alvin Hill, Ron Jansen, Ken Kluever, Vivian Larkin, Patricia Lerch, Peter Lucas, John Lui, Ashley Marshall, Cindi Pichler, Carol Schaufel, Dan Sippl, Linda Vegoe

Absent: Rob Buettner, Jill Gonzalez, Gail Kolvenbach, Bill Malone, Laura Owens, Roxan Perez, Dee Truhn

Resource staff/guests: Patricia Severt, Vince Holmes, William Parke-Sutherland, Randy Sommerfeld

Interpreters: Michelle Thirmaier, Leann Helmarch

Recorder: Kristin Rolling

Call to Order

Linda Vegoe, Chair, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

Roll Call

Introductions

Announcements

None.

Review of Minutes

Anderson/Schaufel moved/seconded to approve the minutes of the July 17, 2008 meeting.

Motion carried.

Old Business

None.

New Business

Charlene Dwyer requested that a “Making Work Pay update be added to the Administrator’s Report item on the agenda.

Updates

DPI

Steve Gilles was unable to attend. He sent the new Opening Doors publication and the WSTI newsletter to be handed out to WRC members.

NRA

John Lui reported. The ADA Restoration Act passed and will be signed into law. The Federal Mental Health Parity Acthas also passed successful through Congress.

ILC-W

William Parke-Sutherland reported A Peer Power coordinator has been hired by ILC-W to staff a peer-based program designed to support high school students with disabilities in planning for their lives after high school. Ron Jansen is the new ILC-W appointee to the WRC. Charlene Dwyer thanked Ron for his willingness to act as the WRC liaison to ILC-W. This is a federally prescribed council position that has been vacant for some time.

Agenda Item: Committee Reports

Evaluation

John Lui reported. The DVR vendor survey was distributed and the results are still in draft. WRC will advise DVR about the best use of the survey responses.

WRC Member Question – What defines a vendor, are they credentialed?

Answer: Vendors can be an individual performing a service for consumers or a large agency. DVR determines a service need and then writes specifications and a fee schedule for that service and contracts with individuals or agencies to provide the service. DVR collects feedback from counselors and consumers to determine the quality of the service. DVR does not require credentials although some vendors have industry credentials.

WRC Member Question – Are vendors involved setting the specifications and fee schedule?

Answer: If vendors provide feedback that changes are needed, DVR management will works with them to address issues or make necessary changes. Service specifications and fees are reviewed every two years with vendor input. There is also DVR vendor information meeting every year which provides a forum to discuss concerns.

WRC Member Question – Is there a timeline for using the information in the survey responses.

Answer: A timeline has not been determined.

Agenda Item: Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin

(Jeanne Lexcel, CILWW provided an overview)

CILWW serves a 10 county area with IL core services Some additional specialized programs include Fishing with No Boundaries, an assistive technology loan closet and a transportation program that has the flexibility to cross county lines. A variety of items from the CILWW assistive technology loan closet were demonstrated.

WRC Member Question – How do people find out about your agency?

Answer: Outreach efforts, word of mouth and referrals from other agencies and doctors.

Audience Question – How do you interact with other independent living centers?

Answer: Statewide trainings, legislative days, and as needed on a case by case basis. CILWW also has relationships with independent living centers in other states.

Agenda Item: WRC’s Mission/Role in DVR’s State Plan

(Linda Vegoe, WRC Chair)

WRC involvement in the development of the State Plan is federally mandated. In Wisconsin, the WRC is involved in the process, not just at the end.

The state plan is a compliance document but Wisconsin also uses it as a strategic positioning and planning document.

Agenda Item: DVR End of the Year Fiscal Report – FFY 2008

(Vince Holmes, DVR)

37,429 consumers served in FFY08, 13,700 average active IPE’s per month 3,641 Successful Rehabilitation employment outcomes.

Individuals who were successfully closed will earn an estimated $65.8 million; cost of their services was $29.9 million.

Successful Rehabilitations accounted for 23% of closures; hard of hearing consumers had the highest closure rate at 58%; those with mental illness had the lowest rate at 25%.

Agenda Item: State of WDA 8

(Randy Sommerfeld, WDA 8 Director)

Two consumer case coordinator positions recently filled and two counselors are out on medical leave. History has shown that senior staff move to larger offices while new staff are initially located in outlying offices.

WDA statistics for FFY ‘08:

56% rehabilitation rate; 291 successful rehabilitations (goal was 245-119% of goal); 350 currently on OOS waiting list; on average, WDA 8 serves 900 customers with active IPE’s at any given time.

WRC Member Question – What is DVR’s relationship with vendors in your WDA? How many are there?

WDA 8 holds quarterly vendor meetings. The WDA lost two vendors in the last year.

WRC Member Question – How big is WDA 8?

Answer: WDA 8 staff provide DVR services in 9 counties.

Agenda Item: DVR Administrative Report

(Charlene Dwyer, DVR Administrator)
(Manuel Lugo, DVR Deputy Administrator)

Employment Goals and Outcome Update

3641 successful rehabilitations; 115% of goal Average wage per hour = $11.86; Average case cost = $2,748; Applicants for DVR services every month = 1,500.

WRC Member Question – Has DVR seen an influx of returning veterans?

Answer: No, not to date. We believe that many are still in medical recovery; also, the Veterans’ Administration (VA) services has its own VR program which most veterans access first.

Order of Selection Update

At its highest monthly average, the wait list stood at 13,706 – June 2005.

October 14, 2008:

OOS Category 1 – immediate services
OOS Category 2 – a wait of 1 – 11 mos.
OOS Category 3 – in determinant wait

A review of the WRC input for the State Plan and DVR’s responses was presented to WRC members. It was noted that WRC’s recommendations are DVR’s opportunity to address systemic issues that will help DVR be more effective in serving customers.

Making Work Pay Update

The Department of Workforce Development and DVR are working with Congressional Representatives Ron Kind and Gwendolyn Moore to establish the needed demonstration authority to run a Making Work Pay demonstration. While language was drafted and advanced for inclusion in legislation, the legislation did not make it through to passage in this Congressional session. The effort to advance the demonstration authority language and bills that carry it will be taken up again in the next Congressional session in Spring 2009.

Business Enterprise Program (BEP)

DVR is considering a task force made up of WRC members and members from the Elected Committee of Blind Vendors (ECBV) to examine the DVR/BEP relationship.

WRC members may be asked to serve on a future task force. WRC members focus on DVR, DVR consumers and the DVR program priorities. ECBV members focus on the BEP, BEP venders and BEP program priorities. Given budget restrictions and the OOS wait list, a combined task force may help DVR management balance the needs of both programs.

Agenda Item: Public Comment

None.

Anderson/Hill moved/seconded to adjourn. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.