[nfbwatlk] FW: Director's Update 4/13/09

Mon Apr 13 21:27:19 UTC 2009

Good afternoon NFBW listers:
Please see this update from DSB director Lou Oma Durand.

Mike Mello
Access Technology Specialist
Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

3411 South Alaska Street
Seattle, WA 98118
Direct: 206-721-6492

Toll Free: 800-552-7103

Fax: 206-721-4103

E-Mail: micmello at dsb.wa.gov

________________________________

From: Durand, LouOma (DSB) 
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 11:43 AM
To: All DSB
Subject: Director's Update 4/13/09
Importance: High

Hello All:

I am writing this with the assumption that you have been following our
recent communications about budget and planning scenarios, including
issues and analyses, responses to feedback and so on.  So, I won't start
from scratch in this email.  This update describes how our planning has
evolved based on our most current budget information and the overall
feedback we have been receiving from staff, customers, the SRC,
stakeholders, IL contractors, OFM, the Governor's office, the Union and
Labor Relations.  

BUDGET IMPLEMENTATION AND PLANNING:

OTC Residential Component

 As you know, customers, staff, and consumer groups have made a strong
case for retaining the residential component of our OTC program.  As a
result, we went back to the drawing board and carefully reconsidered
various ways of cutting and leveraging our resources.  Because the
Legislative cuts so far are within our planning ballpark, and because we
are taking a somewhat different approach to accomplishing the necessary
savings, we anticipate continuing to rent six of the seven OTC
apartments.  We will switch from a yearly lease to a month-to-month
arrangement for the units, which will give us more flexibility if we
should need to absorb additional cuts in the future.  We will still need
to discontinue the residential instructor contract and staff the
apartments with DSB OTC staff.  Because the seventh apartment has been
used as the contractor's office and a resource room, we are actually
maintaining, and not reducing, our present capacity to house students.

Integrated Services 

While we have heard some concerns about how integrated services will
actually be implemented (the learning curve, the management structure,
etc.), the majority of the feedback has been in support of this vision
and direction.  Staff have expressed willingness and even excitement
about moving toward this customer-focused model.  Staff have been
working with their managers to flesh out many of the details and
logistics of implementation.   It will take some time to transition to
this new way of doing business and things won't be perfect in the
beginning.  (Some of you may recall the process when we first formed
cross-functional teams in VR.  Now we are taking that team concept to
another level.) 

We are excited about working in-house with the under age 55 Independent
Living (Part B) customers and giving these individuals access to
internal O&M, assistive technology and OTC services.  We expect the
transition to or from VR to be more seamless.  We may still purchase
specific services from IL providers for certain under 55 clients, as
appropriate.  While moving our Part-B IL services in-house will have
some impact on our IL contractors, we may be able to offset the initial
impact with Stimulus funds.  

Our IL contractors will continue to provide services to the older blind
population statewide.  And we will work to develop more providers and
better geographic coverage.

Consistent with the integrated model, we will be looking at doing OTC
business differently to broaden the student base beyond VR.

Our strategy will be one of continuous improvement, streamlining and
customer-focus.  We will provide as much service to our customers as we
can internally and purchase what we must.  The cross-functional team
structure will allow us the flexibility to use staff and resources most
efficiently as needed.  We expect to achieve cost-savings through this
streamlined resource management process. 

Staffing

At this time, we do not anticipate doing any layoffs.   However, as I
have mentioned before, the duties of managers, Child and Family, IL, and
OTC staff, will evolve.  Some staff may be asked to relocate as there is
a need for more rehabilitation teaching capacity in the field.  We need
to wait until the budget is finalized before making a decision about
moving staff to the field, but we anticipate moving at least one
rehabilitation teacher position.

NEXT STEPS:

If any of you have additional questions or comments, please contact me
or your manager.  We will begin to develop our spend plan for the coming
year at Management Team Monday, April 20th.  I will send you all another
update this Thursday to let you know if there are any other developments
in the overall plan.   

STIMULUS FUNDS:

Mark Adreon and Debbie Cook will send out updates on VR and IL Stimulus
planning as those processes evolve. 

Sincerely,

Lou Oma Durand 
Executive Director 
Department of Services for the Blind 
3411 S. Alaska St. 
Seattle, WA 98118 
Voice: (206) 721-6435  
Toll-Free: 1-800-552-7103 
Fax: (206) 721-4103 
Email: loudurand at dsb.wa.gov 

________________________________