[Ohio-talk] FW: RSC Weekly Focus: 7.15.11

Sun Jul 17 19:41:04 UTC 2011

This was a busy week for RSC so read on.

Jw

Dr. J. Webster Smith

President, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

PO Box 458 Athens, OH 45701

740-592-6326

“Changing what it means to be blind”

For more information go to nfbohio.org

From: Shirley Marchi [mailto:eileen at rsc-ohio.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of
Shirley Marchi
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2011 4:47 PM
To: jwsmithnfb at frontier.com
Subject: RSC Weekly Focus: 7.15.11

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Description: Image removed by sender. Ohio Rehabilitation Services
Commission

RSA Validates RSC Third-Party Cooperative Arrangements 

We got excellent news from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
this afternoon on the enormously important issue of RSC contracts with local
public agencies who include money from third-party partners to qualify for
our matching dollars.

The RSA has informed us that local public agencies who contract with RSC can
use private funds obtained by community rehabilitation programs as part of
their funding match.
Because there is no contract between the Ohio Rehabilitation Services
Commission, and the private community rehab facilities, the RSA has ruled
there is no violation of their rules against reversion to donor.

The RSA says: "The VR regulations do not set parameters as to the
non-federal funds that local agencies may use for this purpose. Therefore,
the originating source of those funds provided by local agencies does not
trigger a compliance issue under the VR program. Any concern about funds
donated by private CRP's to the local agencies would need to be resolved
under state or local law since the contractual agreements between the local
agencies and the CRP's are entered into under state or local law and are
separate from the cooperative arrangements between ORSC and the local
agencies."

Since state law governs the reversion to donor issue for local public
agencies and private third parties, the Ohio law making private money public
the moment it's accepted by the public body allows for this financial
relationship as long as RSC is not a party to the contract. Go to this link
to read the full letter from RSA:
http://www.rsc.ohio.gov/pressroom/PressRoomDocuments/RSA%20071511.pdf
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sodtqjcab&et=1106582287697&s=7826&e=001-HFqsl
bC0JYQHesHHcO83lCz3_P8BnVdmM8yA_TOaCFnCFFkvwhR4QO0Es1IV7cv8lK0fVSjyFWjMkO8vA
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yGcjv-8FezYl6OC3R8OCPhog==> 

Budget Update 

As you know, Governor Kasich signed the state budget on June 30, 2011. While
we did receive a percentage increase on our share of money generated by
third party agreements, we also experienced a reduction to our General
Revenue Fund (GRF) money. We are working through all of the funding
implications to determine the bottom line on our operating costs. Regardless
of how the numbers turn out one thing is clear, we must continue to find
efficiencies in all aspects of operations. For example, by consolidating
field offices, we were able to reduce the amount of money in rent and serve
our consumers where they live. 

Additionally, I have tasked the VR Deputies to develop a plan to ensure our
teams structure supports a balanced workload and proportionately serves
consumers.

In our attempt to continue to serve consumers within the restraints of our
budget, I have talked to you about the impact to our staffing levels. We do
not yet have information about specific positions. I can tell you that there
will be no surprise e-mails notifying any employee effected by the layoff.
We will follow the provisions of law and collective bargaining agreements
which means that we will send out lists for staff to verify retention points
and seniority credits by the end of this month. Later as we would get closer
to the time for reductions, you will get a minimum of 45 days notice of when
layoffs would be effective and you will be informed in person if you are
impacted. We will also help you during your transition with resources such
as resume writing assistance and release time to interview for positions.

I want you to have as much information as possible, but it is still too soon
to know the integral details. In the meantime, we must remain focused on our
consumers while we face these difficult decisions. 

OACBHA and Ohio Department of Mental Health

I had a great meeting with Cheri L. Walter, CEO of the Ohio Association of
County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) and Tracy Plouck, Director of
the Ohio Department of Mental Health. We are actively exploring ways we can
work together and reach people with disabilities who have in the past
slipped through the cracks. We feel that by working together, we can
identify consumers who may be eligible for services across agencies and will
be able to get them the care and support they need to live a more
productive, independent life.

New Coordinator Training

Description: Image removed by sender. New coord
I kicked-off this week by meeting with participants of the New Coordinator
Training. This training is mandatory for all new coordinators and
supervisors for our Recovery to Work project and lasted five days. RSC was
proud to host this training that brought many talented individuals to the
150 building. I want to thank all of the pa

rticipants for their dedication to ensuring the Recovery to Work program is
an unqualified success for people with disabilities who are recovering from
an opiate addiction. 

Description: Image removed by sender. New coord2

Fee Schedule

Research has indicated that Ohio is the only state in the country that still
relies upon the open market concept for provider fees and requests for
proposals. This has limited RSC's ability to control costs and deliver
consistent services across the state. We are now finalizing a frequest for
proposal to select a vendor to research a recommended fee schedule that is
based on a negotiated rate for provider fees that will allow us to control
and project costs. Although we are striving for a uniform level of service,
there are reasonable allowances for variations between urban and rural costs
and other factors such as disability specific needs.  

Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries Board Meeting 

I had the opportunity to speak at the Ohio Association of Goodwill
Industries (OAGI) board meeting, to update our partners in Goodwill's across
Ohio on how the recently passed state budget will affect RSC and local VRP3
contracts. We also talked about how partnerships can change the budget
picture, and how the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration's
interpretation of Ohio's past procedures for oversight of these partnerships
is prompting more exacting administrative controls.

The Hunt for New Partners Continues

Last week, I met with Ohio State University Medical Center Vice President
Jennifer Carlson to explore the possibility of a partnership to draw down
some of the untapped federal funds allocated for Ohio. In addition , we
discussed the potential for  The OSU Medical Center to create a Project
Search location. I remain focused on finding more organizations like The
Ohio State University Medical Center for win-win relationships that can
overcome the challenge of a historically tight budget.

Café Conversations 

Our latest round of Café Conversations rolled on this week. We held two Café
Conversations and cancelled two more for lack of attendance where we got
fantastic input from staff. We heard good ideas that are helping facilitate
a movement to change the name of RSC. Choosing a name that more accurately
reflects the work we do and the services we provide is something we are
taking very seriously. This is part of my goal to become the most recognized
and valued resource for Ohioans with disabilities.

Description: Image removed by sender. talkng

Olmstead Taskforce Meeting

The Olmstead Taskforce is a grassroots Ohio advocacy group that takes its
name from the U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring unnecessary
institutionalization as a form of discrimination. The issues we discussed
are at the very core of RSC's strategic action plan:
· School to work transition
· Order of service constraints and how serving individuals who are Most
Severely Disabled (MSD) first, impacts others on the statewide waiting list.
· The VRP3 partnerships future, RSC staffing issues and how both will impact
consumer services.

Thanks to this meeting, an important advocacy group for our mission is
better informed on the RSC Strategic Action Plan. I committed Shirley
Marchi, Community Relations Liaison, as a resource to continue building our
efforts on advocacy with this important group. 

Brown Bag Lunch with Union Executive Board 

The executive board of the unions representing some RSC employees held a
working lunch and invited me to attend. As this is a time of great change at
RSC, meetings like this with union representatives can keep our employees up
to date on the latest information from RSC management and keep me,
personally, well informed on what much of our workforce is thinking. It was
a highly productive way to spend lunch. My thanks to Debbie Waddell, Clair
Cowley, Jennifer Spires, Jarrod Flack, Laura Andrews, Debra Honore, Nathan
Picklesimer, Jill Lesnowski and Karen Ryther for their hospitality. 

Combined Charitable Campaign

Each year seed money or start-up money is needed to plan and coordinate
activities for the Combined Charitable Campaign (CCC). This year, the OCSEA
Union Chapter 2538 has contributed $300 and the Executive Team Members have
contributed  $550 to go towards the CCC. This is a great start to the CCC
campaign which begins September 7, 2011.

Director Kevin L. Miller

Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
614-438-1470

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