[il-talk] Fw: DRS January 2013 Community Partner Update

Tue Jan 22 18:13:43 UTC 2013


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From: "Zenner, Lori" <Lori.Zenner at illinois.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 11:54 AM
Cc: "Zenner, Lori" <Lori.Zenner at illinois.gov>
Subject: DRS January 2013 Community Partner Update

> The attached update has been sent to DRS community partners, mandated 
> councils, advocates, and staff.
>
>
> From DRS Director David Hanson:
>
> Division of Rehabilitation Services
> Community Partners Newsletter
> January 2013
>
> Director's Office - David K. Hanson became the new Director of the 
> Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) on November 15, 2012.  Director 
> Hanson has more than 20 years of experience in government and most 
> recently directed the Workforce Institute at the City Colleges of Chicago. 
> While commissioner of the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with 
> Disabilities, Director Hanson oversaw the creation of the Mayoral Task 
> Force on Employment of People with Disabilities and also spent five years 
> as Commissioner in the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development.  Director 
> Hanson succeeds Kris Smith, who has been Acting Director since August, 
> 2011.  Kris will continue as Deputy Director of the Division.
>
> Home Services Program - The Home Services Program took a number of 
> important steps forward in the last quarter.  All of the activities 
> outlined below were completed in conjunction with partnerships.  DRS 
> worked closely with the Department on Aging on a new timekeeping system 
> and the Governor's Conference on Aging.  Managed care is primarily an HFS 
> project but it involves many different partners.  The Personal Assistant 
> training program is a joint effort with SEIU (State Employees 
> International Union).
>
> *Timekeeping Systems - During December, HSP moved to implement a new 
> Personal Assistant (PA) timesheet which included in-and-out times for the 
> first time.  This is an important move to help assure accurate reporting 
> of time and in combination with the recently implemented secondary 
> employment form it helps the program fight fraud.  The new timesheet is a 
> precursor to the more important move to electronic visit verification 
> (EVV).  An RFP will be issued in mid-January to acquire a system to 
> replace our paper timekeeping system and for use for Homemaker services 
> purchased by both HSP and Aging.  HSP has been working on this for a 
> number of years but it got a big push forward due to provisions of the 
> SMART Act (Medicaid reform bill).
>
> *Medicaid Managed Care - The initial movement of almost 1,500 HSP 
> customers to the Medicaid Managed Care program was delayed to February 1. 
> All of these individuals are located in suburban Cook and the collar 
> counties.  The managed care entities (Aetna and IlliniCare) will assume 
> responsibility for all aspects of a customer's HSP services other than 
> eligibility determination and redetermination and Personal Assistant 
> timekeeping at that time.  The next phase of the move to managed care is 
> slated for next fall and will affect many customers who are eligible for 
> both Medicaid and Medicare (duals) living in the Chicago area, including 
> Chicago, and in a 16 county area of Central Illinois.
>
> *Governor's Conference on Aging (and Disability) - HSP has been working 
> closely with the Department on Aging on a number of projects to take 
> advantage of the similarities in our missions and services and to improve 
> services and program efficiency.  The most visible of these efforts took 
> place in December when DHS/DRS participated as a partner in the Governor's 
> Conference on Aging.  It included a separate disability track but the 
> majority of sessions labeled for aging have applicability to persons with 
> disabilities.  We hope to expand and improve on our participation next 
> year and encourage our partners to consider participating in the 2013 
> conference.  In addition, Quality Assurance Unit Manager Douglas Morton 
> and Bureau of Field Services Bureau Chief Louis Hamer collaborated with 
> the Department of Aging and presented information about VR services at the 
> conference.  A session regarding customers over the age of 60 who are 
> benefitting from VR services was the topic.  Customers over the age of 60 
> have a high success rate and contribute to positive outcomes for DRS.
>
> *Personal Assistant Training - HSP has agreed with SEIU to expand the 
> offerings of its PA training program to include Grooming and Hygiene, 
> Caring for a Customer with Depression, and Nutrition.  We also have agreed 
> to implement mandatory orientation for new workers.  Program testing will 
> start testing in early spring in four sites, including Rockford, Chicago 
> South Pulaski, and probably Decatur and Quincy.  The goal is to learn what 
> delivery processes work best in different parts of the state and to 
> minimize the number of individuals who fail to complete the training 
> before statewide implementation.
>
> Legislation and Policy - The administrative rules pertaining to the 
> DHS/DRS Residential Schools are being revised so they are consistent with 
> the Illinois State Board of Education's rules pertaining to Special 
> Education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
>
> The following School rules have been posted in the Illinois Register for 
> consideration by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules:
> Part 751 - Definition of Terms
> Part 765 - Special Education Program and Services Part 795 - 
> Identification, Evaluation and Placement of Students Part 829 - Sex Equity
>
> The following School rules are in various stages of the Department's 
> Executive Review process:
> Part 750 - Role of Residential Educational Facilities Operated by the 
> Department of Human Services
> Part 755 - Admission Procedures Part 815 - Special Transportation
> Part 827 - Rules of Conduct, Discipline, Suspension and Discharge 
> Procedures
> Part 828 - Impartial Due Process Hearing
>
> Outcomes - While FY2012 was a strong year for DRS in terms of employment 
> outcomes, the first half of FY2013 has not shown the continued growth that 
> had been anticipated.   In the first six months of the fiscal year, DRS 
> staff assisted 2,454 individuals in achieving employment outcomes, just 
> 1.4 percent higher than the figure of 2,419 obtained in the previous 
> fiscal year.  In part this is the result of maintaining a flat level of 
> referrals and applications to the program, with services provided to about 
> the same number of people as last year.
>
> The number of active cases in the VR program on December 31 was 28,984, 
> just 1.2 percent less than the figure of 29,328 on the caseload at the 
> same time a year ago.  Referrals to the VR program were down 3.6 percent 
> on a year-to-year basis, while applications were down just under one 
> percent in the same period.  The number of persons certified as eligible 
> for VR services was also down one percent compared to FY2012.
>
> Although the national and state economies have continued to expand, 
> results for DRS customers have not been as positive as hoped.  The 
> indicators of job quality for persons who became employed tended to 
> decrease slightly compared to a year ago.  The average hourly wage 
> declined by 2.9 percent, from $10.50 to $10.20, while the average number 
> of hours worked per week dropped by 1.8 percent to 27.4 hours.  Continuing 
> a national trend, the percentage of customers who received health 
> insurance from their employers fell from 23.5 percent in FY2012 to 20.5 
> percent in FY2013.
>
> On a positive note, the number of individuals receiving Social Security 
> disability benefits (SSI or SSDI) who became successfully employed 
> increased by 15 percent this fiscal year, from 697 to 802.  In addition, 
> the number of successful closures for individuals who had received 
> supported employment services increased by 4.8 percent compared to last 
> year.
>
> Also worthy of note is the fact that the number of VR customers who 
> belonged to a racial minority that achieved an employment outcome rose by 
> 23.2 percent compared to the previous year, from 651 to 802 closures.  At 
> the same time, the number of white customers who became employed dropped 
> by 6.6 percent on a year-to-year basis.
>
> Training - New webinar training to staff in the month of December was 
> completed.  This training provides staff with a comprehensive overview of 
> the National Employment Team (NET) and explains the roles and 
> responsibilities of DRS staff.
>
> The NET is an initiative sponsored through the leadership and support of 
> CSAVR, to provide a united or "one company" approach to working with both 
> the private and federal business customers.  The NET vision statement is 
> as follows: To create a coordinated approach to serving business customers 
> through a national VR team that specialized in employer development, 
> business consulting and corporate relations.
>
> The NET supports a dual customer base, meeting the employment needs of 
> business through the qualified applicants and support services provided by 
> the public VR system.  VR's community partners have and will continue to 
> play a part in this initiative.
>
> The roll-out plan to deliver and provide training to set up and operate 
> webinar equipment in each field office across the State has begun.  The 
> Decatur office was the first to install and participate in a pilot session 
> with the Springfield Central Office.  The Training Unit is hopeful all 
> offices will receive their equipment and be fully capable to participate 
> in the webinar sessions within the next few months.
>
> Providing Job Placement training will be one of our priorities this year 
> and a pilot session has been scheduled in Orland Park for later this 
> month.  Based upon feedback, future sessions will be arranged for all VR 
> counselors to attend.  Benefits and Employment training will also be a 
> priority as the need to explain work incentives and how income affects 
> medical benefits and eligibility for SSDI and SSI has never been greater.
>
> The DRS Success website will be adding new stories of success over the 
> next several months. Please go to our website at drs.illinois.gov/success 
> to view these stories, as well as other program information.
>
> Bureau of Field Services - Bureau Chief Louis Hamer participated in a 
> meeting with the Illinois Joining Forces Behavior Health Work Group, DRS, 
> other state agencies, and Illinois Veterans groups to assist veterans and 
> guardsmen find employment upon returning home from the military.  Mr. 
> Hamer is now a permanent member of this committee representing DRS to 
> provide input for employment and training.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 
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