[NFBNJ] Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher Staff Shortage

Wed Apr 26 23:57:05 UTC 2017

Greetings to all!
Please review the following information from Dan Frye, Executive Director of the NJ CBVI.
Info is attached.

We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President 
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey 
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org 
Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.
Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking 
www.carshelpingtheblind.org 
or call 855 659 9314

****

Subject: Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher Staff Shortage

Colleagues and Stakeholders:

The New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI or Commission) prides itself on being able to respond in a timely fashion to all requests for support and services from among our full array of program offerings. Our ability to respond timely and appropriately to requests for services is key to our ability to serve well all of our consumers, from children to senior adults.

In an effort to be transparent, I want to inform you that the agency is currently experiencing a temporary but acute shortage of Home Instructors/Rehabilitation Teachers, the itinerant staff who travel to the homes of Commission consumers to introduce them to, and provide instruction in, a variety of blindness-related skill sets that lead to greater self-sufficiency and ultimate independence as a blind, vision-impaired, or deaf-blind person. We have recently experienced, and anticipate additional, retirements, resignations, and requests for extended medical leave from staff in the Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher position. These simultaneous developments have resulted in significant shortages of Home Instructors/Rehabilitation Teachers to respond to statewide consumer demand for services.

IN an effort to mitigate the service implications stemming from this staff shortage, CBVI is actively recruiting for qualified people to fill multiple Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher positions, on both a short-term and permanent basis. If you are aware of interested and qualified candidates who possess strong nonvisual blindness skills, and who possess the capacity to model and teach these skills, I urge you to have them contact our Manager of Human Resources, referencing this notice, and ask to be considered for one of these opportunities. Our Human Resources Manager is Hugo Ruiz; he may be reached at (973) 648-2412; Hugo.Ruiz at dhs.state.nj.us. I ask that all candidates interested in either potential short-term or fulltime positions submit, along with their inquiry, a cover letter and resume, detailing their professional experience. Additionally, CBVI management is developing a protocol/triage system that will allow us to prioritize Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher assignments to consumers who are identified as having a compelling or urgent need. Further, CBVI will also be asking its Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and other Independent Living professionals on staff to assist with simple matters that might ordinarily be managed through the services of a Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher. Last, it is the Commission’s hope that by acknowledging the existence of the current staff shortage that our partners and consumers may help explain to the general blindness community any delays that may be experienced. Please note that all requests for services from a Home Instructor/Rehabilitation Teacher will ultimately be honored, but a delay in service delivery may occur as a result of our present staffing levels.

We are confident that these adopted measures to minimize inconvenience to consumers will prove effective until we are able to permanently address the staffing situation. Your patience and understanding of our present circumstance will be appreciated. We ask our valued stakeholders to help CBVI clearly convey the foregoing, but also emphasize that the Commission remains willing and able to provide high-quality services. We all look forward to resolution of this temporary personnel shortage, and please know that during this time, CBVI will do everything within its power to be as responsive as possible to its consumers.

Thank you for your understanding and partnership with the Commission. We look forward to continuing to fulfill our organizational mission during this period of personnel shortages. Should you have further questions about this announcement, please contact me; my contact details are below in my signature block.

With Kind Regards,

Daniel B. Frye, J.D.

Executive Director

State of New Jersey

Department of Human Services

COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED 

153 Halsey Street, 6th Floor, P.O. Box 47017

                                   Newark, NJ 07101

                                   Office: (973) 648-2324 ● Mobile: 973-951-1156 ● Fax: (973) 648-7364

                                   Email: Daniel.Frye at dhs.state.nj.us

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20170426/9af4a90a/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 2978 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20170426/9af4a90a/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Home Instructor_CBVI_Job Description_2017.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 51200 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20170426/9af4a90a/attachment.doc>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Home Instructor_CBVI_Job Description_2017.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 198520 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnj_nfbnet.org/attachments/20170426/9af4a90a/attachment.pdf>