[nfbmi-talk] mcrs draft meeting minutes

Sat May 10 12:47:01 UTC 2014

            ACTION ITEM

            DRAFT

MICHIGAN COUNCIL FOR REHABILITATION SERVICES

3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 110

Lansing, MI  48911

517.887.9370 or 877.335.9370

Business Meeting Minutes

MCRS Office

Lansing, MI

Friday May 2, 2014

Members Present In-person:  Carol Bergquist, Trina Edmondson, Sara Grivetti, Deanna Middlebrooks, Caryn Pack Ivey, Michael Poyma, Anne Riddering, Ed Rodgers (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Bureau of Services for Blind Persons LARA-BSBP), Brian Sabourin, Jennipher Wiebold.

Members Present by Phone:  Mark Eastburg, Sue Howell (Department of Human Services – Michigan Rehabilitation Services DHS-MRS), William Jones, Adam Kaplan.

Members Excused:  Rod Jones, Mitch Tomlinson, Matthew Weaver.

Members Absent:  Sheryl Diamond. 

Guests Present In-person:  Valarie Barnum-Yarger (Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council, MiSILC), Lisa Kisiel (LARA-BSBP), Ruth O’Connor (DHS), Mike Pemble (LARA-BSBP), Michael Powell, Beth White (LARA-BSBP).

Guests Present by Phone:  Joe Harcz, Larry Posant, Michael Powell.    

Staff Present:  Marlene Malloy, Shori Teeple. 

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson C. Bergquist.  Roll call determined that a quorum was present.  

Welcome & Introductions

C. Bergquist welcomed Council Members and guests.  Introductions were made.

Agenda

The draft agenda (May 2, 2014) was reviewed by the membership.  

A motion, made by A. Riddering and seconded by D. Middlebrooks, was passed to approve the agenda as presented.

Minutes

The draft minutes (February 7, 2014) were reviewed by the membership. 

A motion, made by S. Grivetti and seconded by A. Riddering, was passed to approve the minutes as presented.

Public Comment

The public comment statement was read aloud.

Joe Harcz

My name is Joe Harcz, consumer advocate, and member of the National Federation of the Blind.  I’d first like to say a big shout out to Dr. Wiebold joining this board.  I happened to have been a student of yours at one point, when I was in the VRT program, and I’m glad that you’re here and I’m glad that somebody knows about the unique needs of the blind and the Rehabilitation Act.  With that said, and because my time is short, the responses to my public comments prior, and the implementation of the state plan and even basic access supplied by BSBP were woefully inadequate, self-contradictory, and factually untrue.  There has not been supplied to me, upon request, even information related to meetings and they’re being turned into FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests as a means of circumventing their obligations.  The Michigan Administrative Hearings System (MAHS) is not compliant with the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) or 504, and they haven’t been for years.  As a matter of fact, if people look at the state plan, there are non-delegable authorities granted to that organization where the DSA (Designated State Agency) makes the final agency determination.  It’s a direct conflict of interest.  Now because my time is short, my friends, and by the way I must say that this board does comply with the ADA and pro forma and with the Rehab Act, so I want to thank you very much on that.  It is your job to scrutinize both the state plan and state plan implementation of BSBP, and I not only encourage, but you folks need to be doing that.  Ronald Reagan once said, “trust, but verify.”  This program is supposed to be data driven, and you our SRC (state rehabilitation council) are supposed to be consumer controlled, independent, autonomous, and demand accountability around this program.  The other thing is around the consumer satisfaction survey, which in reading through both the state plan, on the one hand they say that MSU (Michigan State University) is doing it, and then on the other hand and in their reports to RSA (Rehabilitation Services Administration), they say that the Advisory Commission is doing it.  On the other hand, Mr. Pemble said they sent out 500 copies and they’re doing it, which by the way a consumer satisfaction survey is supposed to be done by an independent body, and they haven’t even supplied me the instrument, and that’s in their response.  The actual survey itself, which is a public document, is supposed to be made accessible upon request, and they have it in accessible form.  My time is a little bit limited - are you watching the clock?  I do not make assertions without documentation, on both the ADA issues and the other issues, they are copiously supplied.  I have supplied them to Marlene, I’ve supplied them to Brian, I’ve supplied them to others, and I’d be happy to supply them to everybody else on this board.  Thank you.

Executive Team (ET) Report

Members reviewed the proposed Final ET Minutes for January 28, February 28, and March 26, 2014.

A motion, made by A. Riddering and seconded by J. Wiebold, was passed to accept and place on file the ET Minutes as presented.

Financial Operations

Members reviewed the Financial Statements for January, February, and March 2014.  

A motion, made by B. Sabourin and seconded by M. Poyma, was passed to accept and place on file the Financial Statements for January, February, and March 2014 as presented.

Draft FY 2015 Annual Meeting Calendar

As proposed by the ET, members had discussion about draft proposals for the FY 2015 annual meeting calendar, which included options for quarterly (four) meetings or bimonthly, every other month (six) meetings.  Some members expressed concerns about being unavailable for Friday meetings due to other commitments.  Following questions about the rationale for proposing six meetings, it was shared that the ET felt the expanded schedule would provide more face-to-face opportunities for morning work team meetings, training opportunities, and other activities for each business meeting agenda.  There was concensus for a meeting schedule to be finalized by the end of the day.  The Executive Director (ED) was charged with determining a revised bimonthly schedule for preferred Tuesday meetings over the lunch break and presenting the revised schedule to the membership for approval before the end of the meeting.

A motion, made by S. Grivetti and seconded by D. Middlebrooks, was passed to approve six meeting dates that are not the third Fridays of each month for the FY 2015 Annual Meeting Calendar as presented.

ET Election

Members eligible for election to the two vacant ET Member-at-Large positions were reviewed and discussed.

A nomination was made by J. Wiebold for A. Riddering.  The nomination was accepted.  S. Grivetti nominated T. Edmondson.  The nomination was accepted.

A motion, made B. Sabourin and seconded by S. Grivetti, was passed to elect A. Riddering and T. Edmondson to the positions of Executive Team Members-at-Large.

Updates

Public Comment Training Session

B. Sabourin provided an overview of a recent Public Comment Training Session that was held for the membership.  The updated Draft Public Comment Policy and Procedure was reviewed, along with the updated Public Comment Overview Notice.  Two key outcomes from the session were highlighted.

A motion, made by S. Grivetti and seconded by T. Edmondson was passed to approve the Draft Public Comment Policy and Procedure as presented.

MRS State Director Meeting Invitation

The MRS State Director, Suzanne Howell, has extended an invitation to the membership, with the ET’s support, for a meeting with her to present the new MRS Vision Statement.  It would be an opportunity to discuss the new vision statement and how she sees it extending to one of MRS’ most important partnerships.  As an ex-officio member of the Council, E. Rodgers requested that the invitation include him as well.

National Coalition of State Rehabilitation Councils (NCSRC) and Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) Conference Report:  B. Sabourin, Vice Chair

An overview was provided of the Vice Chair and ED’s recent attendance at the NCSRC Saturday Leadership and Sunday Training Sessions, and first day of the CSAVR conference in Bethesda.  Both NCSRC sessions, co-facilitated by the ED as Chair of the national coalition and fellow steering committee members, saw their highest attendance to date, with lots of networking and best practices shared.  Certificates of acknowledgement of NCSRC membership were distributed at the end of the Sunday Session.  A copy of the MCRS certificate was included in meeting packets. 

B. Sabourin also reported on attendance at Hill Visits for his responsibilities to his employment with Michigan Protection and Advocacy Services.  Brief updates were also shared about progress made on reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.

Executive Director (ED) Performance Appraisal

It was acknowledged that the ED’s performance appraisal was recently completed by the Executive Team, with outcomes reviewed with the ED.  The appraisal identified both successes and challenges with the ED’s performance. 

Update-Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs – Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (LARA-BSBP):  Ed Rodgers, Director

BSBP Training Center

It was reported that the Training Center Director, L. Kisiel, has managed to reduce the waiting list to enter the training center from 6 months to zero since beginning her new job responsibilities in August 2013.  New innovations at the center have improved services to customers, with shorter periods of attendance required to still obtain the highest level of assistance.  Scheduling has evolved to four 10-week terms, similar to college programming, in order for customers to complete their training requirements.  To make more use of unused spaces at the training center, new training options for the Business Enterprise Program (BEP) have been initiated for one year at the center, with a first class of 3 BEP customers, with two customers successfully completing the training and now eligible to begin entering bids for available facilities in the BEP.

Business Enterprise Program (BEP)

A brief overview was provided of the BEP, which is a federal and state program that gives preference to blind entrepreneurs in either federal or state operated buildings, including Michigan highway rest stops, to run either snack and/or vending machines.  

Update:  BEP Operator in Anderson House Office Building, Downtown Lansing

BSBP has been working hard to get BEP operators back into the Anderson building after a recent absence.  A goal for the end of May has been set for this to take place.

Division of Business Assistance and Development

Under the leadership of its new Director, Rob Essenberg, this division has been combined with the BEP.  Both divisions will be housed in the Anderson building.  

Partnership with Michigan Restaurant Association

Some of the Association’s members will be giving BSBP products that will be sold at various facilities.  Contracts are in the process of being finalized.

BSBP Data System

BSBP is currently in the process of updating its data system for information management.  A RFP (request for proposals) is being finalized for bids for a new data collection system, which will be working with the BEP and vending routes for more computerized monitoring of stock levels in operator machines.

Update:  RSA Watch List

During the middle of FY 2012, while still known as the Michigan Commission for the Blind (MCB), MCB was placed on a ‘watch list’ by RSA.  At that time, RSA had concerns in four major areas and determined expectations for improvements to be made.  Staff has worked diligently since then, including the past 18 months under Director Rodgers’ direction, to make those improvements.  In January 2014, a letter was received from RSA that indicated that BSBP (formerly MCB) had been taken off of the watch list, since all of the concerns had been addressed and resolved.  Congratulations to BSBP and its staff was acknowledged.

A question was asked whether the MCRS will be involved with the RSA monitoring visit with BSBP later this summer.  In response, it was clarified that yes, the Council will be involved.  The Chair indicated that she will contact BSBP to arrange an interview with them prior to the RSA visit.

Update - Department of Human Services – Michigan Rehabilitation Services (DHS-MRS):  Suzanne Howell, State Director 

Performance

At this point in FY 2014, MRS has reached about 52% of the goal for rehabilitations.

Budget

Spending is presently in line with where MRS was at last year at this time.  However, there are projections that MRS will be required to return up to 26 million dollars to RSA because of the inability to match federal funding.  MRS is hopeful that they will be able to draw down all of the federal funding for FY 2015; they continue to work closely with DHS and the Senate DHS Budget Subcommittee on this aspect of the budget. An explanation was provided for projections for this to be in place for FY 2015.

Staffing

Significant progress has been made with regard to staffing.  21 counselor positions are currently in process and should be filled by June 2014.  Another 17 positions will be filled during phase two, including those for managers and other essential staff.  Two positions have been filled at the Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI), with regard to safety and security for students.  Two more kitchen manager staff positions for the culinary program at MCTI have been filled as well.  

MRS Redesign

DHS notified MRS in March that the proposal submitted by MRS had been approved, with no loss of district managers and no demotions.  Instead, 13 already vacant manager positions will be given up.  Moving forward with reorganization, MRS will be reassessing where critical manager positions are needed and then providing rationale to DHS to fill those.  Consolidation has taken place for two district offices:  Mid-Michigan will be combined with the Northern District and the Eastern District will be combined with the Macomb District.  Managers are meeting to discuss the transitions.

MCTI

MCTI is working hard to export more of its proficiencies and services across the state.  An overview was provided of three initiatives that are currently in progress at MCTI with community partners.

Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living (AACIL)

MRS has completed an on-site review of the AACIL.  All of the information is being compiled and recommendations will be determined and presented to DHS.  Following a question about the reason for the site review, an explanation was provided for the rationale to meet with the CIL staff, review financial processes and records, and governance to obtain a clearer picture of the CIL’s current status.  As the designated state unit, it is MRS’ responsibility to monitor CILs.  

Report of the Executive Director (ED):  M. Malloy

A written report was included in meeting packets.  Additional highlights from the Bethesda Conferences were shared, including an additional NCSRC-sponsored training session regarding use of the Rehabilitation Services Administration-Management Information System (RSA-MIS), which is RSA’s information reporting website for vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs in all states and territories.  The ED also attended another 2-day conference while in Bethesda: State of Science - Advancing Evidence Based Practices and Policies to Close the Employment Gap.  Sessions focused on research grant outcomes for three national projects on improving the public VR service system.  Other updates included the staff’s attendance at MRS State Plan meetings and also that the Assistant Director, S. Teeple, recently had a performance appraisal.

FY 2015 Annual Meeting Schedule

Follow-up discussion took place with the presentation of an updated proposal for 6 meeting dates for FY 2015.  Dates proposed include the third Tuesdays of every other month, beginning in November.

A motion, made by B. Sabourin and seconded by A. Riddering, was passed to approve the FY 2015 Annual Meeting Schedule for six meetings to take place on the third Tuesdays of every other month beginning in November 2014 as presented.

Strategic Plan Updates and Next Steps

An overview was shared about the previous day’s in-person Strategic Planning Session.  The federal mandates were reviewed, priorities were established, and two main focuses were determined.  By the end of the day, two new MCRS work teams were created:  Customer Experience and Regulatory Guidance.  Members determined which work team they would like to join and outlines were developed for what types of information from BSBP and MRS to request and review, analyze, and advise.  Earlier this morning, work teams met again in-person to determine work team meeting schedules and next steps.

State Plan Work Team Update

The work team has met twice and had discussion about its responsibility for updating the Council’s Attachment 4.2(c) for both the BSBP and MRS FY 2015 State Plans, as well as reviewing and offering input to the other updated Attachments for both documents.  The MCRS has been represented at recent MRS State Plan meetings and will be involved with three scheduled BSBP State Plan meetings in May.  At this time, the updated Draft Attachment 4.2(c) for the MRS FY 2015 State Plan is still in process.  The work team will be meeting next week to offer input for final revisions and determine a date and time for a ‘Special Meeting of the Council’ via teleconference for the membership’s review and approval of the updated Draft Attachment 4.2(c) and other Attachments for MRS.  It is anticipated that a second ‘Special Meeting’ will need to be convened via teleconference for the membership’s review and approval of the updated Draft Attachment 4.2(c) for the BSBP State Plan.  It was also reiterated that until RSA has announced its approval of both FY 2015 State Plans later this summer, all Attachments, including 4.2(c), must remain confidential.

Customer Service System Issues - Brian Sabourin, Vice Chair

Client Assistance Program (CAP) – B. Sabourin 

A written report was included in meeting packets.  19 services requests have been closed within the past quarter; all were related to MRS.  Areas of concern were related to conflicts with services to be provided.  They have been conducting interviews for an Advocate vacancy.  CAP staff have met with the new MRS Director to discuss concerns from customers; a regular meeting schedule was also established.  Members had discussion about an addition to the CAP report regarding FY 2013 data. 

Public Comment

The public comment statement was read aloud.

Michael Powell

I have a concern about the accessibility issue.  It’s not just the things that Joe Harcz raises.  As the Vice President of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan, and as the Vice President of the Detroit chapter of the Federation, I get people that either come to our meetings, or call me, and they say ‘I’m getting services,’ and I ask them, ‘well, what’s your plan?’, they can’t really tell me.  They said they sign something.  There’s no initiative in place that really lets people know that they’re entitled to receive this information in an alternative format.  Now if it’s in a policy book or something, it’s not in a format where some of them even know that says they can ask for this information.  So, while people aren’t necessarily refused, the only people that get things are people that really know the issues.  I’m willing to concede the point that there are some people who aren’t informed about the issues or are overwhelmed by the services, but you would think that if a counselor assesses a person, they can’t read Braille or they need some kind of, I think it should be a matter of course that clients are told that you have the right to have your plan in an accessible format.  I think the technology is not being utilized to provide things that people could get either on their CD players, or if they can read Braille to get Braille, and I think there has to be a policy in place that has to come from management that all counselors will tell people they have the opportunity to ask for this stuff in an alternative format.  When you ask people what kind of assistance they’re wanting, they say they signed a plan, some of them don’t even know that they have input into what goes into that plan, so you really can’t advise them because you really want to help them get what they’re supposed to get and help them work cooperatively with their counselors because of what they signed, and some of them can’t even tell you what they signed.  So I think we need more in that area and I’d be willing to work with Mr. Rodgers on that if he ever wants to call me, I’m more than available to him. 

Customer Service System Issues - B. Sabourin, Vice Chair (continued)

DHS-MRS Administrative Hearings Manager – R. O’Connor

A written report was included in meeting packets.  With 13 appeals this year since October, this is significant since at this time last year, MRS had received 43 requests for appeals.  It was reported that MRS District Managers have been more involved at the beginning of the customer complaints/appeals processes, which has likely helped to resolve many issues with customers before they need to file appeals.  There have been four hearings this year, with one being carried over from last year.  Hearing decisions have been received from MAHS, but the redacted versions have not yet been received for sharing with the Council.  Once received, the redacted versions will be forwarded to the MCRS for review.  R. O’Connor’s office has been moved from MRS Central Office to the DHS Grand Tower Building.

Partner Reports - B. Sabourin, Vice Chair

Hannahville Indian Community - C. Bergquist  

A written report was included in meeting packets.  A brief overview was shared of VR and other services provided at the Hannahville Indian Community, including an update of the new housing facilities at Hannahville.  

Michigan Alliance for Families – C. Pack Ivey 

Information was shared about services provided to families through the parent training and information center.  An update was provided about new parent mentors that have been hired in southwest Michigan.  Continuation/annual reports are in progress.

Governor’s Talent Investment Board (GTIB) – W. Jones

The next GTIB meeting will take place on June 11th from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. in Benton Harbor.

Michigan Department of Education/Special Education - S. Diamond (absent)

Report not available.

Michigan Statewide Independent Living Council (MiSILC)

A written report was included in meeting packets.  Certain goals that relate to VR in the State Plan for Independent Living were highlighted, including those that encourage ongoing partnerships with the MCRS.  The finalized MRS/Independent Living (IL) Frequently Asked Questions document, which was an outcome of the MRS/IL Strategic Alliance, was also included in meeting packets and its purpose and distribution to partners was discussed.

Adjournment

There was no further business for discussion.

A motion, made by S. Grivetti and seconded by D. Middlebrooks, was passed to adjourn the meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m.

NEXT BUSINESS MEETING: 

Friday August 8, 2014

MCRS Meeting Room, Lansing
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