[nfbmi-talk] funny numbers employment blind bsbp

joe harcz Comcast joeharcz at comcast.net
Wed Jun 11 19:44:10 UTC 2014


June 10 2014 to Rodgers on Funny Numbers from Draft State Plan
 
Dear Mr. Rodgers,
 
You’ve related that BSBP has 20 percent of its employees being blind over and over again. Yet I point out the following section from the quite late BSBP draft state plan:
 
 
 
“Plan for Recruitment, Preparation and Retention of Qualified Personnel
Describe the development (updated on an annual basis) and implementation of a plan to address the current and projected needs for qualified personnel including, the Coordination and facilitation of efforts between the designated state unit and institutions of higher education and professional associations to recruit, prepare, and retain personnel who are qualified, including personnel from minority backgrounds and personnel who are individuals with disabilities.

As noted, a relatively high percentage of BSBP employees are eligible to retire and many more will be eligible within the next 3-5 years. This makes it very important for the agency to do whatever it can to obtain and retain qualified rehabilitation professionals. Fortunately, the majority of counselors statewide are younger and retirement is not being considered. 

 

With the three graduate programs, the agency has been fortunate to have numerous applicants for many of the vacancies within BSBP. All counselors and teachers at BSBP have a master’s degree and are very qualified to provide services. The plan is to continue to hire only those who are CRC eligible which means they have a degree in rehabilitation counseling or counseling and guidance. So far, the agency has not had to hire people with other degrees such as social work, special education, psychology, etc.  In the event it became necessary to hire someone with a degree other than counseling, we are prepared to have that new person obtain graduate coursework, as needed.

 

In FY13, the agency had a headcount of 110 employees. (This does not include the contractual employees.) Of those, 16 (15%) of the persons were blind or had a significant visual impairment. Also, 21 employees (19%) were from a minority group.  BSBP is committed to hiring persons with disabilities and/or persons from minority groups. BSBP in its recruitment efforts contacts the three universities in the State that have graduate programs in rehabilitation as well as Region 5 TACE  to notify them of job opportunities within the agency.  BSBP continues to prepare and retain staff by offering opportunities for professional development pursuant to Section 101(a)(7)(A)(iv)(II) of the Act and CFR 361.18(b).

“

 

Now this goes to making fals statements to the public and to RSA and goes to your chronic and persistent violations of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

 

What numbers are we to believe here Mr. Rodgers?

 

Moreover, you’ve not accounted for the affirmative hiring of blind or otherwise disabled individuals in the “student assistant” hiring and I assume you use VR funds to hire these non-blind, non-disabled student assistants.

 

Cc: MCRS

Cc: RSA

Cc: BSBP Commissioners

Cc: NFB MI

Cc: Mpas

 



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