[nfbmi-talk] 3rd quarter cap report to mcrc

[joe harcz Comcast]

Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report 

 

Third Quarter

(April 1, 2013 – June 30, 2013)

 

 

The Employment Team at Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS) provides information, referral and advocacy services to applicants, clients and others eligible for vocational rehabilitation programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act.  We also provide training on our services and information to clients on their rights under the Rehabilitation Act and Title I of the ADA.  Our funding streams to provide these services include the following grants:  Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection & Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT), and Protection & Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI).

 

Employment Team Staff:  Brian Sabourin, Director of Employment Services, Elham Jahshan, Advocate; Lisa Knapp, Advocate; Ann Paquette-Lukens, Advocate and Leslie Mundt, Program Assistant. 

 

Case Statistics:

       

      Information & Referral Only

       
      

      Closed Service Requests = 33
     

 

 

       

      Case Level Services

       
      

      Closed Service Requests = 47
     
      Related to Michigan Rehabilitation Service (MRS)                              44                   

        
     
      Related to Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)                       3 

       
     
      Related to Centers for Independent Living (CIL)                                   0 

       
     

 

Problems Identified (MRS/BSBP/CIL):

      Communication problems between counselor and individual
     14
     
      Related to IPE development and/or implementation.
     2
     
      Conflicts about services to be provided. (20-MRS & (3-BSBP)
     23
     
      Related to application and/or eligibility process
     7
     
      Other issues related to Rehab. Act
     1
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report 

Third Quarter 

Page 2

 

 

Primary Disability Reported by Individual (MRS/BSBP/CIL):

      Hard of Hearing
     2
     Neurological Disorders/Impairments
     3
     
      Deafness
     2
     Ortho/Physical Impairments
     8
     
      Heart/Circulatory
     0
     Specific Learning Disabilities
     1
     
      Mental Illness
     20
     Substance Abuse
     5
     
      Mental Retardation
     0
     Brain Injury
     3
     
      Blindness 
     3
     Auto Immune/HIV
     0
     

 

 

Below is a breakdown, by office, of the case level calls we received during this quarter.  Case level services would mean that someone from the Employment Team called MRS/BSBP/CIL to try to resolve a complaint.  The numbers reported are only those that were closed during the first quarter.  

 

 

Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)

      Adrian
      
     Detroit Porter
     1
     Mt. Pleasant
      
     
      Alpena
     1
     Flint
      
     Muskegon
     1
     
      Ann Arbor
     4
     Gaylord
      
     Oak Park
     3
     
      Battle Creek
     1
     Grand Rapids
     1
     Port Huron
      
     
      Bay City
     1
     Hamtramck
     1
     Roseville
     1
     
      Benton Harbor
     1
     Holland
      
     Saginaw
      
     
      Big Rapids
     1
     Jackson
      
     Taylor
     1
     
      Caro
      
     Kalamazoo
     1
     Traverse City
      
     
      Clinton Township
     6
     Lansing
     2
     Waterford
      
     
      Detroit Fort
     2
     Livonia
     1
     Wayne
      
     
      Detroit Grand River
     5
     Marquette
     2
     MCTI
      
     
      Detroit Mack
     4
     Midland
     1
      
      
     
      Detroit Milwaukee
     2
     Monroe
      
      
      
     

 

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP):  3        

1-Escanaba, 1-Grand Rapids, 1-Detroit

 

Centers for Independent Living (CILs):   0        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report 

Third Quarter 

Page 3

 

System Concerns:

 

Michigan Rehabilitation Service

Along with individual Client issues, CAP is working on several areas of systemic advocacy including tracking delays concerning application & eligibility for services; identifying, tracking and analyzing problem offices and trends; tracking cases regarding individuals denied by MRS due to “budgetary issues”;  tracking cases where MRS counselors are not meeting required timelines; tracking cases involving MRS counselors not returning calls or being available to clients; and reviewing and monitoring MRS cases that are closed rather than transferred  

 

Current cases that deal with Timeliness of Intake = 9

Current cases that deal with Application/Eligibility Service Delays = 5

Current cases that deal with Not receiving services due to Budget = 4

Current cases that deal with Counselor unavailable/not Returning phone calls = 7 

 

The Employment Team Director will continue working with MRS addressing the issue of OSS and to ensure that this creates as little disruption to MRS customers as possible.  Should categories need to be closed CAP will be part of any workgroup that will decided which categories to be closed.

 

This past quarter the Employment Team provided an outreach presentation at the District meeting at the Grand River MRS office. 

 

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 

Elham Jahshan, CAP advocate, who is proficient in English, Arabic, and Hebrew, attended the is Bureau of Services for Blind Persons Diversity Committee.  Ms. Jahshan has joined the committee to consult with Bureau staff members on how to better engage their Arab American customers.

 

Centers for Independent Living

One of the goals of the Employment Team this year is to provide information about MPAS services and activities, including CAP services to Centers for Independent Living.  These presentations include information segments on the history of Protection and Advocacy and the structure of MPAS.  Although the presentation includes all areas of the agency there is a heavy emphasis on CAP since CAP can provide advocacy assistance to individuals having concerns with CIL's. This past quarter the Employment Team provided outreach at Mid-Michigan Disability Network.

 

The Employment Team has done outreach presentations to the following CIL’s so far this fiscal year:

  a.. Blue Water CIL
  b.. Disability Advocates of Kent Co.
  c.. Disability Connections, Muskegon
  d.. Disability Network Southwest
  e.. Mid-Michigan Disability Network, Midland