[Ohio-Talk] FW: Two Policies - Additional OOD Council Meeting Materials 4-21-21

[Smith, JW]

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jw

Dr. jw Smith
School of Communication Studies
Scripps College of Communication
Ohio University
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20 E. Union St,
Athens, OH 45701
smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>
T: 740-593-4838

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From: shirley.marchi at ood.ohio.gov <shirley.marchi at ood.ohio.gov>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2021 12:05 PM
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Subject: Two Policies - Additional OOD Council Meeting Materials 4-21-21

Hi everyone,

In addition to yesterday's meeting materials, please find attached and below two policies that will be discussed next week.  Please let me know if you have questions. Thanks - Shirley


  1.  VR APPLICATION AND INTAKE POLICY

 Title:
Vocational Rehabilitation Application and Intake
Policy #:
80-VR-01
Legal Reference:
ORC 3304.15; OAC 3304-2-51, 3304-2-54, 3304-2-53; 34 CFR 361.5, 361.41, 361.42; 361.57
Date:
July 29, 2019
Approved:
Kevin L. Miller, Director
Origin:
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) and Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI)
Supersedes:
80-VR-01 (02/27/17)
History:
80-VR-01 (07/01/15, 04/02/12), VRP-0920 (12/31/06), Any other document dated prior to this policy which provides guidance for application or intake (e.g. CS-0930 Structured Initial Interview [12/31/06]).
Review/ Implementation
Begin Review - 02/01/2021
Implement Revisions By - 08/02/2021

AUTHORITY
This policy is issued in compliance with Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §3304.15 which establishes the power and authority of the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and its Director to develop all necessary rules and policy in furtherance of its statutory duties.

II. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for receiving applications for vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and for completion of the initial intake in accordance with appropriate federal (e.g. Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]) and state law (i.e. Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Administrative Code), Governor directives and executive orders, other governing agency (e.g. DAS, OBM) policy or guidance, and/or Director expectations.

III. APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all VR Staff and VR Contractors.

IV. DEFINITIONS
Refer to "Vocational Rehabilitation Definitions (80-VR-99.A).

V. POLICY
A. General


1. OOD shall provide information to individuals and if applicable, their parent or legal guardian, throughout the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) process as required by law (e.g. rights and duties). This information shall be provided, in writing, and when appropriate, in the individual's native language or through an appropriate mode of communication.

2.AWARE shall be updated with pertinent conversations, recommendations, justifications, approvals and/or other actions taken in relation to this policy.
a. If supervisory or management approval is required during the VR process, VR Staff or VR Contractor shall, via a "Custom Activity Due" in AWARE, shall request approval which shall include a written justification.
b. The supervisor or manager shall consider the VR Staff or VR Contractors' justification and document his/her approval or denial within the "Activity Due" as detailed below.
i. If approval is based on the written justification, the supervisor/manager shall enter "Approved" in the "Comments" and change the activity status to "Completed."
ii. If approval is based on the written justification but additional conditions/requirements need to be addressed before VR Staff or VR Contractor can take action on the approval; the supervisor/manager shall enter "Approved with Conditions" and document the conditions/requirements in the "Comments" and change the activity status to "Completed."
iii. If denied, the supervisor/-manager does not agree with the justification, he/she shall enter the words "Request Denied," and document the reason(s)for denial in the "Comments" and change the activity status to "Completed."
3.If any VR Staff or VR Contractor are a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC-certified) and will be directly involved with an individual's case, he/she shall complete the "Professional Disclosure Statement" (80-VR-01.E).
a. VR Staff or VR Contractors who are not a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) are exempt from this requirement.
b. Once completed, the "Professional Disclosure Statement" shall be reviewed and signed by the individual and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian, and the CRC-certified VR Staff or VR Contractor.
i. Once signed, the statement shall be scanned into the AWARE Participant Module, as a Case Note, with the category "Professional Disclosure Statement" and summary title "Signed."
4.Duringthe application and intake process, individuals shall be informed that information given to or retained by OOD is confidential. In addition, he/she will be educated on what the information is used for and when and why it may be released.
a. Consent to Obtain and Release Information
i. During the intake appointment it shall be explained that by signing the "Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services" (80-VR-01.A) the individual is granting permission for OOD to obtain and release confidential personal information (CPI) during the VR process to various entities as listed and/or described on the "Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services"(80-VR-01.A).

ii. In addition, the "Consent to Obtain and Release Information" (80-VR-01.G) form shall be completed if the individual wishes someone, other than his/her parent or legal guardian, to take part in any step of the process for VR services and if OOD needs to request additional records (e.g. medical records) are requested.

a) A separate consent form is required for each person and/or entity.

b) Refer to "Confidentiality" (80-VR-14) for additional guidance in completing a valid release.

b. If at any time, the individual wants to withdraw consent from any entity listed on the application and/or consent form, a "Withdrawal of Consent" (80-VR-01.H) form must be completed, signed and submitted to OOD. i. If an individual is not able to complete the "Withdrawal of Consent" (80-VR-01.H) form at the time of the request, he/she may withdraw consent verbally. a) VR Staff or VR Contractor shall ensure the verbal request is documented in an AWARE Case Note and attempt to obtain a completed "Withdrawal of Consent" (80-VR-01.H).

c. Confidential Personal Information (CPI) shall be kept secured (refer to "Accessing and Securing Confidential Personal Information" (70-GL-02) for additional guidance).

d. Hard copy documents with CPI shall be scanned into AWARE as a Case Note and then destroyed (i.e. shredded), preferably within one (1) business day or as soon as AWARE and the capacity to shred is available, as stated in "Electronic/Scanned Documents Serve as Original Documents" (70-RM-01).

5. For application and intake of a youth with a disability or student with a disability, refer to "Transition Services" (80-VR-11-12) for additional direction.

6. If the application received is for the Independent Living and Older Blind Program (ILOB), the application shall be forwarded, via email, to ILProgram at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:ILProgram at ood.ohio.gov>
7. All necessary documentation requiring a signature or initials shall be completed with wet signature and/or initials.

a. A wet signature and/or initials includes:

i. handwritten signature/initials applied to a piece of paper; or,

ii. electronically captured handwritten signature applied to a tangible medium (e.g. computer touch screen).

b. The typing of the VR Staff or VR Contractor and the individual's name/initials, and if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian's name, in the signature areas does not meet the requirements of a wet signature and therefore shall not be acceptable.

8. If at any time an individual, and/or, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian, decide he/she does not wish to apply for VR services; information and referral to other community services agencies shall be provided as appropriate (refer to "Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Information and Referral" [80-VR-11-07]) for additional direction.


9.  If an individual and/or, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian require an interpreter to participate in an intake appointment, prior to the completion of a "Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services" (80-VR-01.A), VR Staff or VR Contractor shall follow the direction in "Interpreter, Reader and Personal Assistance Services (PAS)" (80-VR-11-16).

B. Expressing an Interest in VR Services

1. The application and intake process shall begin once an individual, or someone on his/her behalf, expresses an interest in VR services by completing at least (1) one of the items below. a. Contacting a local OOD VR office, Ohio Means Jobs Center, or VR Contractor either in-person, over the phone, by U.S. Mail, or email; or,

b. Submitting a "Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services" (80-VR-01.A) form by fax, U.S. mail or other means (in-person, email, online via VR Portal).

C. Starting the Application and Intake Process

1. Once an individual or someone on his /her behalf expresses interest in VR services, an intake appointment shall be scheduled, if appropriate.

a. The application and intake process may include more than one (1) appointment, the first appointment is typically the intake appointment.

i. The intake appointment should be scheduled as a face-to-face meeting with the individual to complete necessary paperwork. It is preferred that if applicable, the individual's parent or legal guardian also attends the intake appointment.

b. The intake appointment shall take place within thirty (30) calendar days of an initial contact.

i. OOD's preferred timeline for completing the intake appointment is within five (5) business days of an initial contact.

c. A case shall be closed when the individual and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian, cannot commit to scheduling the intake appointment within thirty (30) calendar days.

i. If the individual applying for services is unavailable to attend the intake appointment, he/she shall be notified that the case will be closed.
ii. If the case is closed, information about how to re-apply shall be provided to the individual, and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian.
D. Completing the Application and Intake Process

1. During the intake appointment, the items listed below shall be completed.

a. If applicable, a review of information from a previous case(s).

b. A review of the items listed below.


I.              "Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services" (80-VR-01.A).



a) The application shall be completed, signed, and dated by the individual, and if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian.



1) If AWARE access is available, information should be directly entered into the Participant Module.

1.1 If the parent or legal guardian does not attend the intake appointment, his/her signature must be obtained prior to adding information into the AWARE Participant Module or determining eligibility.



ii. "Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program Overview" (80-VR-01.B).



iii. "Applicant and Eligible Individual Rights and Duties" (80-VR-01.D).



iv. "Participant Acknowledgement" (80-VR-01.C)



a) Appropriate signatures (and dates) must be obtained on the acknowledgement prior to determining eligibility.



v. "Rights of a Person with a Developmental Disability" (80-VR-01.F) with the individual and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian, when appropriate.



c. An offering of voter registration or updating voter information to each individual (refer to "Voter Registration" [10-ADM-02 and 10-ADM-02-01] for guidance and direction).



2. All required forms, shall be completed prior to requesting records and/or scheduling assessments from outside sources and entities other than the referral source.

3. If, at any time during the application and intake process, it is determined additional records and/or assessments are required, all necessary requests/referrals shall be completed within three (3) business days of the determination.



a. If the determination is made during an appointment, all requests/referrals shall be completed within three (3) business days of the appointment.



4. The initial interview may be conducted during the intake appointment.



a. The initial interview is the beginning of the assessment process for eligibility determination and is an opportunity for specific information regarding how an individual experiences his/her disability to be obtained.



5. Eligibility shall be determined during the first appointment, when possible.



6. Copies of all signed OOD forms as part of the intake process shall be provided, to the individual and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian.



7. Community resources that pertain to the individual's needs shall be provided, as appropriate.

Failure to Attend the Intake Appointment

1. If an individual fails to attend the scheduled intake appointment and does not call to reschedule his/her appointment no later than one (1) business day after the appointment date, his/her case should be closed in the AWARE Referral Module as "Closed - Declined Application."

F. Violation

An employee who violates this policy may be subject to discipline up to and including removal.

FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS

* 80-VR-01.A Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services
* 80-VR-01.B Vocational Rehabilitation Program Overview
* 80-VR-01.C Participant Acknowledgement
* 80-VR-01.D Applicant and Eligible Individual Rights and Duties
* 80-VR-01.E Professional Disclosure Statement (for CRCs)
* 80-VR-01.F Rights of a Person with a Developmental Disability
* 80-VR-01.G Consent to Obtain or Release Information
* 80-VR-01.H Withdrawal of Consent

RESOURCES
* 80-VR-01-01 Vocational Rehabilitation Application and Intake
* 70-GL-02 Accessing and Securing Confidential Personal Information (CPI)
* 80-VR-14 Confidentiality
* 70-RM-01 Electronic/Scanned Documents Serve as Original Documents
* 80-VR-11-12 Transition Services
* 80-VR-11-07 Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Information and Referral
* 10-ADM-02 and 10-ADM-02-01 Voter Registration
* 80-VR-06 Vocational Rehabilitation Eligibility and Order of Selection (OOS)
* 80-VR-06-01 Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Eligibility Determination
* AWARE Manual

FUNDING
Programs provided by the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities are funded, in whole or in part, with federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
For purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), OOD received 78.7% of its funding through the DOE VR grant. In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018, OOD received $100,336,097 in federal funds. Funds appropriated by the State covered 21.3 % of the total costs, or $27,155,767. Of these federal funds, $15,050,415 is set aside for Pre-ETS.

REVIEW
It is the responsibility of the Deputy Director, or designee, to review this policy, on or before, the date listed in the header and if applicable, make any necessary revisions. The Deputy Director, or designee, shall document the review as required



  1.  ELIGIBILITY AND ORDER OF SELECTION

Title:
Vocational Rehabilitation Eligibility and Order of Selection (OOS)
Policy #:
80-VR-06
Legal Reference:
34 CFR 361.37, 361.41, 361.42, 361.57; ORC 3304.17; OAC 3304-2-54, 3304-2-65
Date:
September 9, 2019
Approved:
Kevin L. Miller, Director
Origin:
Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired
Supersedes:
80-VR-06 (5/8/2017)
History:
80-VR-06 (07-01-15 V2); VRP-0500 (10-03-08, 12-31-06) and any issued prior to this date.
Review/ Implementation
Begin Review - 02/01/2021
Implement Revisions By - 08/02/2021

AUTHORITY
This policy is issued in compliance with Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §3304.15 which establishes the power and authority of the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and its director to develop all necessary rules and policy in furtherance of its statutory duties.

II. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for eligibility and order of selection in accordance with appropriate federal (e.g. Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]) and state law (i.e. Ohio Revised Code, Ohio Administrative Code), governor directives and executive orders, other governing agency (e.g. DAS, OBM) policy or guidance, and/or director expectations.

III. APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Staff and VR Contractors.

IV. DEFINITIONS
Refer to "Vocational Rehabilitation Definitions" (80-VR-99.A).

V. POLICY
A. General

1. Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) shall provide information to individuals and if applicable, their parent or legal guardian, throughout the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) process as required by law (e.g. rights and duties). This information shall be provided, in writing, and when appropriate, in the individual's native language or through an appropriate mode of communication.

2. AWARE shall be updated with pertinent conversations, recommendations, justifications, approvals and/or other actions taken in relation to this policy.

a. If supervisory or management approval is required during the VR process, VR Staff or VR Contractor shall, via a "Custom Activity Due" in AWARE, request approval which shall include a written justification.

b. The supervisor or manager shall consider the VR Staff or VR Contractors' justification and document his/her approval or denial within the "Activity Due" as detailed below.

i. If approval is based on the written justification, the supervisor/manager shall enter "Approved" in the "Comments" and change the activity status to "Completed.

ii. If approval is based on the written justification but additional conditions/requirements need to be addressed before VR Staff or VR Contractor can take action on the approval; the supervisor/manager shall enter "Approved with Conditions" and document the conditions/requirements in the "Comments" and change the activity status to "Completed".

iii. If denied, the supervisor/- manager does not agree with the justification, he/she shall enter the words "Request Denied," and document the reason(s) for denial in the "Comments" and change the activity status to "Completed."

3. If any VR Staff or VR Contractor are a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC-certified) and will be directly involved with an individual's case, he/she shall complete the "Professional Disclosure Statement" (80-VR-01.E).

a. VR Staff or VR Contractors who are not a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) are exempt from this requirement.

b. Once completed, the "Professional Disclosure Statement" shall be reviewed and signed by the individual and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian, and the CRC-certified VR Staff or VR Contractor.

i. Once signed, the statement shall be scanned into the AWARE Participant Module, as a Case Note, with the category "Professional Disclosure Statement" and summary title "Signed."

4. If an individual wishes someone other than his/her legal guardian to take part in any area of the process for VR services, the individual shall be required to complete and sign a "Consent to Obtain and Release Information" (80-VR-01.G) form.

5. Transition Services" (80-VR-11-12) shall be followed for additional guidance and direction regarding eligibility and order of selection (OOS) for students with a disability enrolled in a secondary educational institution.

6. The decision to determine eligibility and order of selection is a non-delegable function that can only be performed by Qualified Rehabilitation Personnel (QRP) and shall be completed in a timely manner.

B. Eligibility Determination
1. Eligibility determination shall not be based on:

a. duration of state residency, per "Residency / Immigration" (80-VR-21);

b. type of disability;

c. race, color, religion, national origin/ancestry, disability, age (40 years or older), sexual orientation, gender or sex, veteran or military status, and/or genetic information or in any manner prohibited by law;

d. type of expected employment outcome;

e. source of referral;

f. particular service needs or anticipated cost of services as required by an individual or income level of an individual or an individual's family;

g. employment history or current employment status; or

h. educational status or current educational credential.

2. After the application and intake process, has been completed; a Qualified Rehabilitation Personnel (QRP) shall make an eligibility determination.

a. Eligibility determination shall be made within sixty (60) days after completion of the "Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services" (80-VR-01.A).

i. The application shall be considered complete when all data fields are filled out, the application is signed and dated by the individual and, if applicable, his/her parent or legal guardian, and is initialed and dated by appropriate VR Staff or VR Contractor.

ii. OOD's target timeline for eligibility determination is thirty (30) days or less.
iii. Provided the individual agrees, exceptions can be made to the federally required sixty (60) day timeframe in situations of exceptional and unforeseen circumstances beyond OOD's control. Written notification shall be provided to the individual.

b. Presumptive Eligibility for VR services applies to individuals who receive benefits under Title II or Title XVI of the Social Security Act, because of their own disability and as long as they express the intent to work.

c. Direction in "Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Assessment Services" (80-VR-11-01) shall be followed when authorizing assessments for eligibility determination.

3. A QRP shall review information received through the application and intake process (e.g. existing records, VR Staff or VR Contractor observations, education records).

4. An individual shall be considered eligible for VR services when all four (4) of the criteria below have been met.
a. The individual has a physical, cognitive, or mental impairment, as determined by qualified personnel (e.g. Medical Doctor, Psychologist, etc.).

i. Documentation from another agency, (i.e. FED/OEDI/COEDI forms, ETR, PERS disability award) may be used to establish that a physical, cognitive, or mental impairment exists if OOD determines that the agency's criteria is; 1) appropriate; 2) available; and 3) consistent with OOD's eligibility requirements.

b. The individual's physical, cognitive, or mental impairment constitutes or results in a substantial impediment to employment as determined by a QRP.

c. The individual can benefit from VR services in terms of an employment outcome as determined by a QRP.
d. The individual requires VR services to prepare for, secure, retain, regain, or advance in employment as determined by a QRP.

C. Ineligibility Determination
1. If an individual is determined ineligible for VR services, refer to "Case Closure" (80-VR-02 and 80-VR-02-01).
D. Order of Selection

1. OOD shall utilize an Order of Selection (OOS) in the event that fiscal and personnel resources are projected to be inadequate to meet the service needs for all individuals in the next fiscal year. Regardless of whether or not OOD is operating under an OOS, an OOD qualified rehabilitation professional will determine and document the individual's priority category for VR services.
2. Priority category under OOS shall not be based on the following:

a. duration of state residency, per Residency/Immigration (80-VR-21);
b. type of disability;
c. race, color, religion, national origin/ancestry, disability, age (40 years or older), sexual orientation, gender or sex, veteran or military status, and/or genetic information or in any manner prohibited by law;
d. source of referral;
e. type of expected employment outcome;
f. particular service needs or anticipated cost of services required by an individual; or income level of the individual or his/her family
g. employment history or current employment status;
h. educational status or current educational credential.

3. OOD staff shall assess all individuals who are determined eligible for VR services to determine their functional limitations and then assign to one (1) of three (3) priority categories under OOS.

a. The three (3) categories (as listed below) are prioritized in the following order for the receipt of services.

i. Individual with a most significant disability (MSD)
a) This priority category is for an eligible individual who:

1) has a severe physical, mental, and/or cognitive disability that seriously limits three (3) or more functional capacity areas, in terms of an employment outcome, and
2) is expected to need multiple VR services over an extended period.
ii. Individual with a significant disability (SD)
a) This priority category is for an eligible individual who:
1) has a severe physical, mental, and/or cognitive disability that seriously limits one (1) or two (2) functional capacity areas, in terms of an employment outcome, and
2) is expected to need multiple VR services over an extended period.
iii. Individual with a disability (D)
a) This priority category is for an eligible individual who:
1) has a physical, mental, and/or cognitive disability, but does not have functional capacity limitations, in terms of an employment outcome, or
2) is not expected to need multiple VR services over an extended period.
b. Individuals who meet the requirement for presumptive eligibility (i.e. receive benefits under Title II or Title XVI of the Social Security Act) shall be assigned a priority category under OOS of at least SD unless there is documentation to show limitations in three (3) or more functional areas; then they shall be considered MSD.

E. Updating the Priority Category Under OOS

1. If new information is received by VR Staff or VR Contractors at any point during an eligible individual's case; the information shall be evaluated and QRP shall determine if the original priority category under OOS should be amended.
F. OOS Statewide Wait List
1. OOD may operate under a Statewide Wait List when resources (e.g. fiscal, personnel) are inadequate to meet the service needs of all individuals in the current or next fiscal year.

2. If a Statewide Wait List is necessary, an individual is placed on the list based on assignment of their priority category under OOS and then date of application.

a. Students who began Pre-ETS prior to being determined eligible and placed on the Statewide Wait List may continue to receive Pre-ETS service(s), (not just the one(s) previously authorized), regardless of the priority category.
i. If a student with a disability did not begin any Pre-ETS prior to being determined eligible and placed on the Statewide Wait List, he/she shall not receive Pre-ETS until removed from the Wait List.
b. Individuals, who have begun to receive services under an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE), prior to the effective date of the Statewide Wait List, shall continue to receive services regardless of the priority category assigned under OOS.

3. Individuals who are placed on the Statewide Wait List shall be provided information and referral to other local programs as required in "VR Information and Referral" (80-VR-11-07).

4. If an individual's priority category under OOS is amended and he/she is still on the Statewide Wait List, his/her placement shall be reprioritized or, if applicable, he/she shall be served immediately.

G. Statewide Wait List Release
1. The Director, or designee, shall establish a Statewide Wait List release schedule based upon OOD's ability to serve additional individuals (i.e. personnel and/or fiscal resources become available).
2. Prior to each release date, a determination shall be made by the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) Deputy Director, or designee, regarding the number of individuals that are to be released.
3. OOD shall release individuals from the Statewide Wait List in the following order:

a. by their priority category under OOS;
b. by their application date; and
c. alphabetically by last name.
H. Statewide Wait List Termination
1. A Statewide Wait List shall end when the Director, or designee, determines that adequate resources are available to provide services to all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria.
I. Notification

1. Individuals shall be appropriately notified, in writing, at the time of eligibility determination, assignment or reassignment to a priority category under OOS and, if applicable, placement on a statewide waitlist.

a. Included in the notification shall be their appeal rights and the availability of services from a client assistance program (CAP).
J. Violation

An employee who violates this policy may be subject to discipline up to and including removal.
FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS
N/A

RESOURCES
80-VR-11-12 Transition (to be converted to 80-VR-20 and 80-VR-20-01)
80-VR-11-01 Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Assessment Services
80-VR-01 and 80-VR-01-01 Application and Intake
80-VR-01.A Participant Information/Application for Vocational Rehabilitation Services
80-VR-21 Residency / Immigration

FUNDING
Programs provided by the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities are funded, in whole or in part, with federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
For purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), OOD received 78.7% of its funding through the DOE VR grant. In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2018, OOD received $100,336,097 in federal funds. Funds appropriated by the State covered 21.3 % of the total costs, or $27,155,767. Of these federal funds, $15,050,415 is set aside for Pre-ETS.

REVIEW
It is the responsibility of the Deputy Director, or designee, to review this policy, on or before, the date listed in the header and if applicable, make any necessary revisions. The Deputy Director, or designee, shall document the review as required in "Policy and Procedure Development, Review, Dissemination and Acknowledgement" (10-ADM-01




From: Marchi, Shirley
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 4:49 PM
To: dr.carolyn.peters at gmail.com<mailto:dr.carolyn.peters at gmail.com>; matthew.sauer at uc.edu<mailto:matthew.sauer at uc.edu>; Jegerhardt9 at gmail.com<mailto:Jegerhardt9 at gmail.com>; margie.hegg at gmail.com<mailto:margie.hegg at gmail.com>; lisah at ocecd.org<mailto:lisah at ocecd.org>; carlo at loparopr.com<mailto:carlo at loparopr.com>; amckay at disabilityrightsohio.org<mailto:amckay at disabilityrightsohio.org>; Miller, Kevin <Kevin.Miller at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Kevin.Miller at ood.ohio.gov>>; jmorris at ohiosilc.org<mailto:jmorris at ohiosilc.org>; smithj at ohio.edu<mailto:smithj at ohio.edu>; karis.spence at huntington.com<mailto:karis.spence at huntington.com>; George-Olds, Taniya <Taniya.George-Olds at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Taniya.George-Olds at ood.ohio.gov>>; Ward, Jo Hannah <JoHannah.Ward at education.ohio.gov<mailto:JoHannah.Ward at education.ohio.gov>>; johnmoore at dsc.org<mailto:johnmoore at dsc.org>; Peter Moore <PMoore at opra.org<mailto:PMoore at opra.org>>; Andrea Kramer <akramer at cityapparel.net<mailto:akramer at cityapparel.net>>
Cc: Pugh, Susan <susan.pugh at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:susan.pugh at ood.ohio.gov>>; Dormer, Gregory <gregory.dormer at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:gregory.dormer at ood.ohio.gov>>; Ballinger, Kristen <Kristen.Ballinger at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Kristen.Ballinger at ood.ohio.gov>>; Lampke, Matt <Matt.Lampke at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Matt.Lampke at ood.ohio.gov>>; Jump, Kim <Kim.Jump at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Kim.Jump at ood.ohio.gov>>; Blusiewicz, Lindsay <Lindsay.Blusiewicz at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Lindsay.Blusiewicz at ood.ohio.gov>>; Miele, Fern <Fern.Miele at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Fern.Miele at ood.ohio.gov>>; Smith, Marlena <Marlena.Smith at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Marlena.Smith at ood.ohio.gov>>; Williamson, Erik <Erik.Williamson at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Erik.Williamson at ood.ohio.gov>>; Muller, Eric <Eric.Muller at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Eric.Muller at ood.ohio.gov>>; Twitty, Lucille <lucille.twitty at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:lucille.twitty at ood.ohio.gov>>; cbrowning at hearingspeechdeaf.org<mailto:cbrowning at hearingspeechdeaf.org>
Subject: OOD Council Meeting Materials 4-21-21

Hello everyone,

Our next OOD Council meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. The meeting will be held virtual using Microsoft Teams Live.  The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m.

PLEASE NOTE:  You're invited to a virtual Teams Live Meeting beginning at 9:30 even though the meeting begins at 10:00 . This is to allow everyone time to get on the call in case there are technical difficulties. Also, due to additional names being added to the Teams Live event, you will receive a second notification tomorrow to join the meeting.  Please accept the meeting notice, and I apologize.

Please find attached and below materials for the meeting.


  1.  Agenda
  2.  January 20, 2021 Meeting Minutes
  3.  OOD Council VR Policy Subcommittee Meeting February 10, 2021 Minutes
  4.  BSVI Update
  5.  BVR Update
  6.  Informed Choice Recommendations
  7.  A Selection of a Provider Informational Sheet - Revised
  8.  Customer Satisfaction Survey
  9.  Employer and Innovation Services Update

If you have questions or are unable to open the attachments, please feel free to contact me.  These documents will be uploaded to the OOD website tomorrow morning.

Thank you and have a great evening!


  1.  AGENDA
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Council Meeting
April 21, 2021
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Agenda

To join the meeting, click the below link:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YWM4OGI5NGMtNjBkZC00MzNkLWI4N2EtNWNhY2U2OTc1Y2I5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2250f8fcc4-94d8-4f07-84eb-36ed57c7c8a2%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%222074f3d0-74e9-4067-a0ea-d8bea75e441e%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d
Or call
+1 614-721-2972<tel:+1%20614-721-2972,,200202781>  and enter Conference ID: 200 202 781#


Welcome and Introductions, Dr. Carolyn Peters, Chair



Approval of January 20, 2021 Meeting Minutes, OOD Council Members



Written Public Comments, OOD Council Members

Public comments or correspondence should be submitted to Shirley.Marchi at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:Shirley.Marchi at ood.ohio.gov> by close of business on Friday, April 16, 2020.



OOD Council VR Policy Subcommittee Report, Lisa Hickman & Alison McKay, Co-chairs

Approval of February 10, 2021 Minutes, VR Policy Subcommittee Members



OOD Status Update, OOD Director Kevin Miller



Vocational Rehabilitation Program Update, Susan Pugh, Deputy Director, Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation & Greg Dormer, Deputy Director, Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired

Follow Up on VR Policies Under Review (Informed Choice)

Informed Choice Recommendations Report

Selection of a Provider Informational Sheet

Current Policies Under Review (Application and Intake, Eligibility and Order of Selection)

Administrative Rules Update

Administrative Rules Effective April 19 (3304-2-54, Eligibility determination;  3304-2-56, The individualized plan for employment;  3304-2-58, Training; 3304-2-59, Scope of services)

Revising 3304-1-15, Employee access to confidential information; 3304-2-63, Confidentiality of Information; 3304-5-01, Independent living services for older individuals who are blind;

Rescinding 3304-1-03, Open meetings; 3304-2-55, Vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance, referral

Customer Satisfaction Survey Report

Upcoming Participant Focus Group Topic- College Students with Disabilities



Employer and Innovation Services Update, Kristen Ballinger, Deputy Director, Division of Employer and Innovation Services

Virtual Hiring Events

Inclusive Employer Toolkit

OOD Level Up" Proposal for the U.S. Department of Education's Disability Innovation Fund - Career Advancement Initiative Model Demonstration Project

The Employers' ADA Handbook Webinar Series

Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA)



Chair's Comments, Dr. Carolyn Peters, Chair

Chair's Interview with Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council

Research on the Impact of COVID-19 on VR Services - Request of State Rehabilitation Councils



Council Members Discussion/Comments, Council Members



Public Comment, Dr. Carolyn Peters, Chair



Adjourn, Council Members­­­­­



If you have questions or need an accommodation, please contact Shirley Marchi at 614-438-1477 or shirley.marchi at ood.ohio.gov<mailto:shirley.marchi at ood.ohio.gov>



MATERIALS FOR THIS MEETING WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE OOD WEBSITE:  https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/about-us/ood-council/ood-councils-meetings



The mission of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities is empowering Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence.


  1.  OOD Council Meeting Minutes January 20, 2021

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Council Meeting
January 20, 2021
Meeting Minutes


Council members in Attendance:

Dr. Carolyn Peters, Chair, Jo Hanna Ward, Dr. Matt Sauer, Vice-chair, Jane Gerhardt, Alison McKay, Pete Moore, Kevin Miller, John Moore, Jeremy Morris, Margie Hegg, Toniya George, jw Smith, Andrea Kramer, Karis Spence


OOD Staff:

Chief Legal Counsel Matt Lampke, BVR Deputy Director Susan Pugh, Chief of Communications Kim Jump, Employer and Innovation Services Deputy Director Kristen Ballinger, Assistant Director Erik Williamson, BSVI Deputy Director Greg Dormer, Marlena Smith, Interpreter, Lucille Twitty, OOD Diversity and Inclusion, Eric Muller, OOD IT, Jennifer Ezell, OOD IT, Shirley Marchi, OOD Communications


Guests:

Emily Turner, Executive Director, Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries, Levi King, Interpreter



Welcome and Introductions

Dr. Carolyn Peters welcomed everyone to the meeting and people introduced themselves.



Approval of Meeting Minutes

Council member Dr. Smith moved to approve the November 18, 2020 meeting minutes, seconded by Council member Gerhardt. Motion carried.



Written Public Comments

Emily Turner, Executive Director, Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries (OAGI) and Geoff Collver, Associate Director, The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health Providers provided written comments (attached).



Ms. Pugh stated OOD has a meeting with Ms. Turner, Mr. Lampke, and JCARR to talk through the issues.



Council member McKay stated the Council should have some involvement and responsibility to consult with OOD on their policies and procedures. The OOD Council's VR policy subcommittee can be involved in the rule making and policy making processes. Council member Dr. Smith agreed.


Council Subcommittees:

Dr. Peters asked that each Council member be a participant of one of the OOD Council subcommittees (WIOA, VR Policy, or Annual Report). The following subcommittees and Council members were approved by the Council.



  *   Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act - WIOA:  Jeremy Morris (Chair), Margie Hegg, Andrea Kramer, and Karis Spence
  *   VR Policy: Lisa Hickman and Alison McKay (co-chairs), John Moore, jw Smith, and Jo Hanna Ward
  *   Annual Report: Pete Moore, Jane Gerhardt, Taniya George-Olds, Carlo LoParo



The OOD council chair and vice-chair are ex-officio members and are to attend all subcommittee meetings.



OOD Status Update

Director Kevin Miller stated OOD is approaching preliminary budget discussions within the next two weeks. Governor DeWine's budget will be released and submitted to the House of Representatives and then the General Assembly will begin the process of approval, by July 1st (which is law).  We feel confident that we will be in good shape.



Director Miller further stated the Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) has to be completed every three years, per federal code. Ms. Ballinger and her team are making adjustments and adding new items from a service delivery perspective with a focused effort on how we serve individuals with different races and religions - inclusion.



Also, Mr. Miller stated there are no dates identified for OOD employees to go back into the office. The State is in collective bargaining with unions.  How we move forward with telework and how we work in the office is something we can emphasize with our budget, more towards savings.



In addition, Mr. Miller stated as we move forward in the budget, we are still looking at innovation and new ways of providing service. We work very closely with the CARES Act money approved for the Business Enterprise (BE) Program and providers across the state. We are having ongoing conversations with our providers. For example, the National Federation of the Blind and providers in the VR community. We will be doing new things in this new budget cycle.



Vice-chair Dr. Sauer thanked Director Miller for his leadership. He stated, if the Council can be helpful with the budget process by reaching out to the General Assembly, to let them know. Director Miller stated from an administration standpoint, once the budget is released, we will be willing to share who is on which budget committees and will make sure we get the information to all Council members. Then Council members can decide how they want to support OOD.



Council member Dr. Smith stated the Council needs to think about creating a Budget subcommittee.



OOD RSA 722 Report- State Comparison

Chief Legal Counsel Matt Lampke provided information about the Annual Report on OOD Appeals and how OOD compares to other states. He stated the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) does not publish this information online.  However, he recommended that RSA publish this information online.



Vocational Rehabilitation Program Update

BSVI Deputy Director Greg Dormer reported everything looks good except for drastic changes in eligibility decisions, due to the pandemic. He believes applications will increase as BSVI continues to increase its virtual outreach. As the pandemic spreads, eligibility is taking a little bit longer.


Mr. Dormer stated staff are working on virtual outreach. Ms. Berna King presented at the American Council of the Blind's statewide convention. BSVI wants to partner and work with many constituents and consumer groups.
In addition, Mr. Dormer stated BSVI leadership spoke at the National Federation of the Blind statewide conference. BSVI continues outreach efforts. BSVI has a new Toolkit.  He thanked Chief of Communications Kim Jump and her team for helping to create the Toolkit. Mr. Dormer stated February is low vision awareness month, and the Toolkit has been given to communications directors, medical practices, and any agencies, organizations that service people with low vision and blindness.

Regarding outreach or updates, Mr. Dormer stated BSVI has been assisting the VR Policy and Training Unit in updating the Informed Choice Policy and Procedure. They have updated its policies and procedures for the Independent Living Older Blind (ILOB) program.



Mr. Dormer further stated Katie Scheetz, partnered with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, parents of transition students who are deaf, and students, to talk about how to prepare for post-secondary activities. The Community Centers for the Deaf (CCDs) are working on projects and awareness to promote diversity. BSVI also received good feedback from the Sight Centers about Informed Choice.



Mr. Dormer thanked EIS Deputy Director Ballinger and her team for the CSNA. This is by far the best one we have done. It is really targeted and is a major leap forward.

BVR Deputy Director Susan Pugh stated due to COVID-19, new applications and plans are down significantly. However, the number served and closed with employment are only down slightly. The average wage and hours worked have increased.
Ms. Pugh stated RSA recently released the Annual Reports of all state VR agencies along with national averages. According to Ohio's report, 57.7% of individuals exiting the program in FY 2019 were working second quarter after exit, which is 6.4% above the national average of 51.3%. Also, 55.9% of individuals exiting the program in FY 2019 were working fourth quarter after exit, which is 12.3% high than the national average of 43.6%.

Vice-chair Dr. Sauer asked if there are any states inquiring about what OOD is doing right? Ms. Pugh responded, yes. She attends regional meetings, and they are interested ask about OOD's Youth Leadership Forums.



OOD Council member McKay requested copies of the annual report submitted to RSA. Ms. Marchi will send the Council the link to the annual report.



Ms. Pugh stated with this year's Summer Youth programs, students will be able to select work experiences in the community and/or remote Pre-Employment Transition Services. OOD has incorporated a variety of flexibilities including reduction in the duration and/or minimum number of hours per week for work experiences where needed and an increase in the maximum number of hours for Pre-Employment Transition Services.



Information has been updated in the Customer Satisfaction Survey from first quarter fiscal year. OOD is expanding opportunities to get people equipment and, planning more in-person meetings.  OOD Council member Dr. Smith stated he likes the new format of the survey.



In addition, Ms. Pugh reported on upcoming VR policies for public comment. She stated, several changes they will work into the policy include the federal prohibition to support medical marijuana. Four policies are out for public comment through January 25th  - Comprehensive Assessment, Confidentiality, Custody, Guardianship. Then, in early March, Informed Choice and Case Handling Policies will be out for public comment. She encouraged Council members to provide feedback.



Regarding the Informed Choice Policy, Ms. Pugh stated staff conducted interviews and is in the process of evaluating those responses. In addition, there were discussions at local team meetings. OOD is making use of advocacy organizations to get more feedback.

Ms. Pugh stated VR still plans to provide work experiences at employer sites. However, there will be flexibilities due to COVID-19. Students usually work 20 hours per week for five weeks. But if the employer wants the student to be there 10 hours for three weeks, that is fine. For students who prefer remote services, they can continue to receive transition services through our providers. We will increase remote service hours for those students.



Ms. Pugh stated she was very pleased with how well the expansion of the Youth Leadership Forums (YLF) went last year. This year, she is excited to partner with the Statewide Independent Living Center. She thanked SILC Executive Director Jeremy Morris and all the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) for their support. Ms. Pugh stated there will be eight YLFs this year. There were five YLFs last year.



OOD Council member McKay stated, the Council should be consulted on the policies.  Ms. Pugh said yes, she will work with Ms. Marchi to set up a VR Policy subcommittee meeting quickly.



Employer and Innovation Services Update

EIS Deputy Director Kristen Ballinger stated OOD saw a lot of success with the virtual hiring events in 2020. The EIS team is planning a series of events for 2021.

First one is taking place in February for work-from-home positions. These virtual interviews will include positions for customer service representatives in the financial, security, and insurance industries. In the spring, a transition-focused event is being planned to facilitate interviews for graduating high school students and students interested in part-time non-permanent employment. Two events are planned in the Spring and the Fall for Ohio College2Careers students for internship and permanent employment.  An event focusing on participants served through the Jobs for Recovery program is planned for June. EIS is looking at hosting one major employer who has a statewide presence to schedule interviews for their positions. In October planning virtual reginal hiring events again with National Disability Employment Awareness Month.



Ms. Ballinger stated in 2020, OOD facilitated 460 interviews for 330 participants with 50 unique employers through multiple virtual hiring events.



In addition, Ms. Ballinger stated, EIS hosted the first webinar in a five-part series on January 13, 2021, titled, The Employers' ADA Handbook for 229 attendees. The first session, Title 1 Overview, educated employers about their responsibilities under Title 1 of the ADA and the protections afforded to all applicants and employees with disabilities to prevent discrimination in employment.  Additional webinars are scheduled February 24, March 24, April 28, and May 26, 2021.

The Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) survey of Individuals with Disabilities was distributed on January 19, 2021.  The CSNA was distributed to more than 20,000 participants who cases were closed through September 30, 2020. This will help us ensure that people with disabilities have a voice, they receive services to get a job, or did not help them get a job. Ms. Ballinger thanked the OOD Council members and the Office of Communications for helping to promote the CSNA.



Ms. Ballinger stated, one of the special focus areas of the CSNA will be looking at race, ethnicity, service outcomes, disability categories, goal of analysis. The CSNA has historically looked at serving people proportionately to population. This will look more at outcomes that are achieved by the VR program to see if there are any disparities in race, ethnicity, etc., about services received.



OOD Council Vice-chair Dr. Sauer asked, what is the matrix of getting survey out to the rural counties in Ohio?  EIS Deputy Director Ballinger responded, we asked our provider organizations to send the information, we sent the information in an email distribution to several thousand subscribers of the OOD Works newsletter, we asked the CILS and CCDs to share the information, and the information was put out on OOD's social media platforms.



Chair's Comments

Reapply to Council: Council members whose terms expire June 1, should reapply with the Governor's Office Boards and Commissions as soon as possible.



Chief Legal Counsel Matt Lampke stated Council members are able to serve two terms on the Council. When the OOD Council was initially formed, terms were staggered by having some members appointed for one, two, or three-year terms. Council members who want to return as a Council member mut take a three-year period off before reapplying.



Question and Answer format for next OOD Council meeting. The public can submit questions in the chat during the April 21, 2021 Council meeting in Microsoft Teams. This in addition to the written comments the public can submit. A reminder that written comments will continue to be addressed at the beginning of the meeting and the "chat" public comments will be addressed at the end of the meeting, during public comment.



Council Members Discussion/Comments

Council member Pete Moore stated it is remarkable the work OOD has done during the pandemic. He appreciates OOD's hard work.

Dr. Peters stated the Council is proud to be a part of Director Miller's leadership and all the great work OOD staff is doing. The reports enhance our knowledge and are greatly appreciated. Thank you.



Public Comment

None.



Adjourn

Council member Gerhardt moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Council member John Moore. Motion carried.


  1.  OOD Council VR Policy Subcommittee Minutes February 10, 2021


Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Council

VR Policy Subcommittee Meeting Minutes

February 10, 2021



Welcome and Introductions

The VR Policy Subcommittee meeting was held via Microsoft Teams Live. Lisa Hickman, VR Policy Subcommittee Co-chair and Alison McKay, VR Policy Subcommittee Co-chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.



OOD Council members in attendance: Lisa Hickman, OOD Council VR Policy Subcommittee Co-chair, Alison McKay, OOD Council VR Policy Subcommittee Co-chair, Matt Sauer, OOD Council Vice-chair, Jo Hannah Ward, OOD Council member, Dr. Carolyn Peters, OOD Council Chair, John Moore, OOD Council member, jw Smith, OOD Council member, Jo Hanna Ward, OOD Council member, and Jane Gerhardt, OOD Council member



OOD staff in attendance:  BSVI Deputy Director Greg Dormer, BVR Deputy Director Susan Pugh, VR Policy and Training Unit Supervisor Alana Evans, Chief Legal Counsel Matt Lampke, Chief of Communications Kim Jump, Employer and Innovation Services Deputy Director Kristen Ballinger, OOD Council Liaison Shirley Marchi, OOD Communications Fern Miele



Interpreters: Greer Davidson, Marlena Smith, Jane Allinder



VR Policy Subcommittee Co-chair Alison McKay stated the OOD Council's VR Policy subcommittee was created last year. The VR Policy subcommittee meets twice per year in addition to the regular Council meetings. She reviewed the agenda items.



Written Public Comments

A written public comment was received from Emily Turner, Executive Director, Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries and Geoff Collver, Associate Director, The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health Providers, regarding four OOD Administrative Rules: 3304-2-54, Eligibility determination; 3304-2-56, The individualized plan for employment; 3304-2-58, Training; and 3304-2-59, Scope of services. Council member Lisa Hickman read the public comments. (The written comment is attached to these minutes.)



OOD Chief Legal Counsel Matt Lampke stated OOD held a public hearing on the rules about one week ago, time for additional public comment was due by the public hearing.

The next step is for JCARR to review the rules.  OOD is anticipating amending the rules

Next step is for JCARR to review the rules on March 8, 2021. OOD is anticipating amending the rules. JCARR meeting is March 8, 2021.



Mr. Lampke stated the OOD Council was given the notice of the public hearing to weigh in as a group or individually. OOD values the Council's input. OOD has a subscriber list that is sent to individuals who represent organizations to get their feedback. OOD gets

as much notice out as possible. OOD did receive two substantive comments that is being evaluated.



Ms. Pugh stated, her team is working on updates based on public comment that was submitted, including Ms. Turner's comment. She and Ms. Turner met yesterday, from a high level, they are trying to simplify and reorganize. There is a lot of repeating of the Code of Federal Regulations in rules. We are going to put information back into the rule to make it easier for the public to read the rule.



Ms. Pugh stated VR has been benchmarking itself with other state agencies - ODJFS with their WIOA program, and DODD to learn how they do stakeholder engagements, write their rules, how they are handling the Code of Federal Regulations.  These conversations have been helpful.



Council member Sauer stated, Does OOD have a specific way to reduce. Is there a cultural gap? Maybe there is a more consistent opportunity for the Council to be that cultural voice.



Mr. Lampke responded this is not a cultural issue. It is an understanding of the Administrative Rule, which is law. We are under pressure from the state legislature to reduce the number of rules. If we can combine two rules into one, then they ask us to reduce language in the paperwork. Rules are not designed to be a public policy document and they are not designed to be the first resources for individuals to go to, to understand if they are eligible for services.



Council member Ward said she has the same requirements in her agency, to not duplicate and reduce where they can. In some cases, they put in some federal language in their rules, but many cases, they point to other documentation.



Council member McKay stated if language is being taken out of rules and if there is other language that would beneficial, the Council can provide good feedback on language and type of information. We can think about ways to incorporate it.



Dr. Smith stated the Council can maximize its role with the consumer and OOD. t.



Dr. Peters stated she has concerns that the rules are transparent as possible because we do not want individuals going to two or three different places to understand services, or whatever a particular rule pertains to.



Council member Gerhardt stated the information should be accessible. However, the OOD Council should leave the Administrative Code to the attorneys. For example, if you do not understand something, this is who you should call.



Council member Hickman stated she is not sure about OOD's website, but the Administrative Code does link to other portions of Ohio code, not necessarily federal code. It is hard to navigate between two different things - the Ohio Administrative Code and then go to another document, then figure out on own how to read across the two.



Council member Moore stated, thinking about accessibility, a lot of our consumers have limited English, some use braille. We may have to clarify policies that are rather complicated. Also, we may want to think about developing a video to expand upon the rule's intent. We could have voice over for people who are blind or visually impaired to listen in.



OOD Council's Role with VR Policies and Procedures

OOD Chief Legal Counsel Matt Lampke provided information about the duties of the OOD Council as noted in Ohio state law and federal regulations. The subcommittee is performing duties of the OOD VR policy development process. The duties cannot be delegated outside of VR per federal regulations.



Mr. Lampke further stated OOD is to take advice on VR policy development from the OOD Council's VR Policy subcommittee, the public to make sure policies are consistent with one another, and to comply with case law. Mr. Lampke provides counsel to the OOD Director and BVR Deputy Director. He also stated it is the OOD Director's role to make policy decisions as a cabinet director.



Council member McKay asked, how can the Council be involved with VR, when they only meet twice per year.  These meetings can be overloaded with all policies OOD is revising. We want to continue to have that voice for people with disabilities.



Ms. Pugh stated it has only been a couple of years that OOD has put its policies out for public comment. This is relatively new for us. Policies have been online for people to see. We recognize there is room for improvement. There are two main areas we are looking for opportunity for feedback: 1. how to get more public feedback: OOD Council can provide good suggestions to us on how to expand; and 2. Participant Focus Groups. We are not convening these, but we are doing a lot of surveys of participants and calling them.



Ms. Pugh stated we need the Council's help on how can we get to more people; How to get more input into the process; How do we make sure this complicated process is understandable for people with disabilities and their families. VR worked with the former Consumer Advisory Council and they created a handbook for VR, then a Fact sheet VR about informed choice and how to select a provider. They also helped VR to come up with questions like, when a person goes to visit a provider, here are questions for the provider. We would then incorporate into Provider Search tool on website. VR would love to have the OOD Council fulfill that role that the CAC done.



Ms. Pugh further stated there is a Common Sense Initiative that goes with the rules, especially if they impact a business. We do this with some of our rules, not all of them.  We do a lot of meetings around the state, gain consensus on how we move forward.



However, we do not do this with our rules because it is not necessarily business impact.  We can model a stakeholder process in a similar way.



VR Policies:

Current Policies Under Review

Alana Evans, Supervisor, VR Policy and Training Unit reported on the following current policies under review with a public comment period of January 15, 2021 through January 25, 2021:



Comprehensive Assessment: Revisions include the restriction in employment outcomes in the medical marijuana industry (prohibition in the use of federal funds).  This changes restrictions on employment outcomes. OOD did not receive any public comment.



Confidentiality in the Vocational Rehabilitation Program: Revisions included aligning language to match updates to the consent forms.



Custody, Guardianship, Power of Attorney: Revisions were minor minor/technical. This was updated in response from staff to adapt to current needs. No public comment was received.



Residency/Immigration: Revisions included clarifying that demonstrating a presence in Ohio includes students attending a postsecondary institution in Ohio. OOD did not receive any public comments.



Dr. Peters asked if it was unusual to not receive many public comments. Ms. Evans responded, OOD does not receive a lot of feedback, but would like the Council members to engage with the public about these policies.



Ms. Pugh stated one of the things the OOD Communications team is working on is a separate list serve, where people can go online for updates about our rules and policies. We would have a more targeted list specific to sign up for policies and rules.



Dr. Sauer asked if international students are pursuing vocational rehabilitation services Ms. Evans responded, there are additional criteria, but that would not preclude them from receiving services.



Upcoming Policies for Review

Alana Evans, Supervisor, VR Policy and Training Unit presented on the following policies that are coming up for review with a public comment period of March 1, 2021 through March 12, 2021.



Informed Choice: Participant focus groups indicated that provider scorecards were not consistently reviewed. Ms. Pugh stated OOD has contacted over 100 participants via a survey. These participants are currently receiving services. OOD asks questions about their services and informed choice There was good feedback. Participants stated they had an opportunity to exercise informed choice and the provider scorecard is a good tool. Ms. Pugh asked, how can we make that tool more user friendly and how can we increase usage. She also stated the Council's input today will help formulate informed choice.



Selection of a provider sheet: Council member McKay stated the provider sheet provides questions that the individual can be asking the provider to see if they would be a good fit. She recommends that information about where they can find providers, links, how the counselor can help them with making a decision, and what ways the counselor can help, be included on the form.



Council member Hickman stated regarding the Scorecard, is OOD looking at how many items people are clicking on it, how long they are staying there, etc.



Ms. Pugh responded, we do watch the hits on some of those, but not familiar with data, Staff uses it constantly as well. Not able to tell if it was internal or public use.



Dr. Sauer asked, can it be modified to break those two apart. Is there a way to make the forms being used internally versus public? Ms. Pugh said she will look into it.



Council member McKay asked does OOD have other forms or are you developing new forms about how individuals can make an informed decision about the employment goal they select? If, so what are the factors you would consider in deciding whether they can support an employment outcome.  This could be another aspect to think about with informed choice.



Ms. Pugh stated she and Alana were talking about this recently. We used to have a Fact sheet for every step of the process, which was developed with the Consumer VR Advisory Council (CAC0).  Examples of the fact sheet include, after you were made eligible, key factors about going into the plan writing process were included.  All these fact sheets were overwhelming. We ended up streamlining. We currently do not have anything like this now. These are things we would like to consider without burdening people. How do you balance giving people enough but not too much?



Ms. Evans stated, individuals receive their rights and duties. But it does not give them questions and concerns during the way they are in the process. Ms. Pugh stated the counselor explains the information to them, but Fact sheets can insure consistency. In addition, counselors document what they shared with the participant.



Dr. Sauer stated if we could render to a set of videos and take these Fact sheets and do one-minute videos, because people are seeing it, not reading it. This also gets passed literacy issues when English is not their first language.



Council member Moore stated he agrees with Dr. Sauer. We need to look at where there are gaps, look at video that is in sign language, need something in audio, take a look at where those gaps are, and see where people's needs are in another form. Also do the same thing with the Scorecards. Many consumers do not understand the meaning of the Scorecards.



Council member McKay stated the Informed Choice policy is rather short, and there is a separate procedure that has a lot more information. Is the procedure goingng to be revised?



Ms. Pugh responded, that VR looks at procedure because its more how to. VR looks at both in tandem. Policy is put out for public comment. VR looks at various procedures because there are some things in there that might be more appropriate at policy level. VR is open to this feedback.



Ms. McKay stated the information that the individuals is to receive to make an informed choice, for example, costs, consumer satisfactions, types of services offered by providers, etc., this information should be provided to individuals. This is not in the policy and is not sure if it is in procedure. But this should be in policy. She saw a lot of gaps in the policy.



Dr. Sauer stated the guidance to individual's counselor, is that written someplace so that if a consumer wants to say, I never received this. What is guidance to counselor? Is this procedural?



Ms. Evans responded yes, it is procedural. It is written in a way, as you are approaching a service, a provider - they document it, and those factors that played into whatever the outcome happens to be.



Dr. Sauer asked, in those conversations with a provider, how much is talked about how the language matches the culture and language of consumers.



Ms. Evans responded, as we look through revisions, we try to enhance more awareness to make sure we are addressing or are speaking appropriate cultural language in regards to disability. This is not specifically mentioned in policy or procedure but in it is mentioned in training.



Ms. McKay stated, VR may need to look at this language: Individual has the right to select any individual to represent them in the process.



Case Handling: Council member Hickman stated there is no reference to conflict of interest or ethics law.



Ms. Pugh responded that VR looks at this through a licensing lense and own counselor ethics. We do trainings all the time on ethics, i.e., counseling relationship, etc. There is a lot of training and discussion about this.



Ms. Evans stated we do reference in policy that they do comply with code of professional ethics of rehabilitation counselors.



OOD Council members stated they would like to have ideas for agenda items before the meeting.



Council member Hickman stated this was a good conversation and liked Ms. Pugh's recommendations about how to get public feedback, Fact sheets, etc.



Ms. Pugh stated Alana's team has a detailed project planned about policy update. VR e looks at our policies every two years. She has a schedule when they are looked at, but there are times, where we may need to look at it before two-year schedule. We will make sure we are looking ahead.



Council member McKay asked how many policies are going to be cycling and how many would be on the agenda for next meeting?  Ms. Pugh responded, VR groups them into things that are conceptually together as much as possible. Some quarters have more than others.



Ms. Evans stated, this was a heavy quarter. On average, there are one to three policies that may be reviewed. April 30 is public comment and August 2 is public comment.



The subcommittee members agreed that if needed, policies can be reviewed at the next full Council meeting which is scheduled on April 21, 2021 with the next VR Policy subcommittee scheduled July 14, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.



Council member McKay asked, how will the Council be notified of administrative rules? Ms. Pugh responded administrative rules are reviewed every five years. These rules have been reviewed recently due to WIOA.



Mr. Lampke stated there is no consistent review time.



Ms. Pugh stated OOD will continue to make the Council aware of when things are out for public comment. If you brought something forward because you heard something is of concern, we welcome feedback, we would not say wait six months.



Council member McKay stated the next VR Policy subcommittee meeting will be held in July. This subcommittee will continue to have two subcommittees per year. However, policies can be discussed during the general OOD Council meetings if needed.



Dr. Peters will bring this up at the next full Council meeting.



Next Meeting

The next VR Policy Subcommittee meeting is scheduled on July 14, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.



Subcommittee members agreed to have the materials sent one week prior to the meeting. Ms. Pugh noted that the policies are on the OOD website. Also, subcommittee members appreciated Ms. Pugh putting information on the agenda.



Public Comment:

None.



Ms. Jump stated for the general public to comment during a Microsoft Teams Live event, OOD will provide a link and the public will need to use the Question and Answer function to have their comments shared during the meeting.



Other Business

Dr. Carolyn Peters stated the National Coalition of State Rehabilitation Councils is having a meeting today. Ms. McKay thanked Dr. Carolyn Peters for participating on behalf of the Council.



Adjourn

VR Policy Subcommittee members adjourned the meeting.


  1.  BSVI UPDATE

During reporting period 3/31/2020 through 3/31/2021, eligibility decisions decreased by 20%, plans written decreased by 13%, the combined eligible and served decreased by 1.5%, rehabilitations decreased by 5.5%, the average wage increased by 1% and the average hours decreased by an average of 1 hour per week.

Programmatic Updates:
Outreach efforts continue to be a priority for BSVI.  While we have seen fewer plans and eligibility decisions as compared with a year ago, the number of applications for BSVI services have increased each month this quarter.  January saw 299 new applications, February had 372 and another increase for March to 460.  These are the highest numbers we have seen since last summer.  Our successful rehabilitations have increased each month this quarter as well.

Berna King and her staff held meetings with all BSVI Counselors and Supervisors in each area to provide, celebrate successes and discuss concerns the staff have for their areas.


  1.  BVR UPDATE



Program Performance: The following table summarizes Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2021 performance for the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program. Due to COVID-19, new applications and plans are down significantly, but March saw the highest numbers since the start of the FFY for these performance measures. New placements and closures with employment are currently exceeding FFY 2019 (pre-pandemic) levels. Average wage and hours worked have increased.














Programmatic Updates:
Outreach continues to be a top priority. 1600 new applications were received in March, which is 400-500 more than each of the prior five months.

Staff continue to do an excellent job moving people through the VR process. Time from application to eligibility has remained consistent over the last three years at 23 days. (The federal requirement for this timeframe is 60 days and OOD has a goal of 30 days.) Time from eligibility to new Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) was 46 days as compared to 63 days in both FFY 2019 and 2020. (The federal requirement for this timeframe is 90 days.)

Preparations for summer work experiences for students with disabilities are underway. Providers have been working with employers to identify available sites and counselors are working with students and families to make referrals for services. This summer, students can participate in on-site work experiences or they can participate in virtual Pre-Employment Transition Services. OOD can provide technology for students who need it to participate in virtual services.

OOD completed a review of informed choice and has compiled a report of findings (included in your materials).









  1.  INFORMED CHOICE RECOMMENDATIONS








Informed Choice Analysis and Recommendations
April 12, 2021

Background: The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires that Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) assist individuals with disabilities receiving vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to exercise informed choice throughout the VR process. 34 CFR 361.52 outlines OOD's specific responsibilities in doing so.
Activities: OOD has completed several activities to gather feedback about the current informed choice process with the goal to enhance current practices. These activities included:
Surveying current program participants by phone;
Conducting refresher training with local field staff and holding discussions about their experience with the current process; * Conducting targeted case reviews of case documentation surrounding informed choice;
Holding discussions with the OOD Council and the OOD Council Policy Subcommittee to obtain feedback; and
Obtaining public comment on the Informed Choice Policy

Results:
Participant Surveys: During the month of November 2020, OOD field office support staff (other than counselors) contacted individuals with disabilities currently receiving services and reviewed survey questions via phone or other appropriate mode of communication. The survey questions were designed to gather information about their experience in exercising informed choice while working with OOD. Each VR team randomly selected 3 participants from a variety of caseloads to be surveyed for a total of 143 surveys completed. Themes from the results of the survey included:
An overwhelming majority (99%) of the participants surveyed indicated that they were given an opportunity to choose their employment goal based on their strengths, concerns, and abilities.
The majority of responses (81%) indicated that when working with their counselor, they were given information to help them choose a service provider.
Participants generally were satisfied with the support, contact, and guidance from their counselor when making decisions about their services. They described their counselors as patient, supportive, and helpful. Of the survey results, 93% were satisfied, 3% were not satisfied, and 4% were indifferent or did not respond.
Participants commented that their counselors were informative about resources available to them, such as Work Incentives Planning and OOD's ability to assist with work related items, such as uniforms and shoes.
Scorecard usage appears to be somewhat limited during the provider selection process. Of the survey results, 18% indicated that they received information from the scorecard, 40% did not receive information from the scorecard but knew about the existence and purpose of it, and 42% did not seem to have knowledge of the scorecard.

Field Staff Feedback: In July of 2020, OOD's Policy and Training Unit shared helpful tips, reminders, and resources with all staff regarding informed choice. This information was then discussed at local team meetings for review and feedback. As a result, Supervisory staff provided input on ways to enhance current practices with informed choice throughout the VR process. Field staff provided the following observations about the informed choice process:
A more participant friendly version of the provider scorecards should be developed so the information is easier to present and understand.
Additional information should be made available to participants to aid them in making provider selections. Specific suggestions included: more qualitative information about providers, a narrative about their services (developed by the provider), employer partnerships, available Community Based Assessment sites, etc.
 Providers could make available user-friendly websites about services, digital brochures, success stories, etc. that could be linked in OOD's Provider Management Portal (PMP) or otherwise shared with participants.
Additional tools need to be available for people with limited computer skills or access.
A survey or some other way to collect participant's experience in working with providers (by service and overall) should be developed and shared to aid in the decision-making process.
An additional statement in the individual's rights information should be considered to make sure they know about informed choice and what they can do if they feel they are not being given the opportunity to exercise it.
More information about provider capacity should be made available and the accuracy of information in Provider Search about the provider's availability to deliver services in a specific area should be improved.

OOD Council and Public Comment: Discussion about the Informed Choice Policy and the Vocational Rehabilitation Selection of a Provider Information Sheet was held at the February 10, 2021 OOD Council Policy Subcommittee meeting. Committee members 3

suggested providing more specific guidance to participants on where to find information about available providers. In addition, it was suggested that it be made clear to participants how the counselor, as well as other representatives, can help support them in making informed choices and that OOD should encourage participants to seek help in making decisions if they need it. Committee members suggested short videos that could help people understand the information that is available to them as well as an information sheet about informed choice in selecting an employment goal.
OOD requested public comment on the Informed Choice Policy from 3/2/21 to 3/11/21. Two comments were received and based on these comments, OOD revised the policy as follows:
Added clarity and expectation that the provision of information be presented in a fair and equitable manner, and that VR staff shall not interject personal bias into the informed choice discussion;
Included language supporting the involvement of an individual's authorized representative in the decision-making process; and
Included language surrounding the availability of support services for those who require assistance in exercising informed choice

Next Steps: Based upon analysis of the feedback received, it is recommended that OOD take the following steps to enhance the ability to support individuals with disabilities to exercise informed choice.
1. Work with the OOD Council to update the Vocational Rehabilitation Selection of a Provider Information Sheet. Update agency policy and procedure and provide training to staff. The suggestions from the OOD Council Policy Subcommittee meeting were used to draft an update to the Vocational Rehabilitation Selection of a Provider Information Sheet that will be discussed with the full OOD Council at their April meeting. The Informed Choice Policy is currently going through the Agency's internal policy review process with an anticipated implementation date in July. Training on these policy changes will occur in May/June of 2021. This training will include philosophical perspectives of the facilitation of informed choice, policy/procedural requirements, and ethical considerations.

2. Enhance the Provider Management Portal, Provider Search, and Provider Scorecards to improve the information provided to individuals with disabilities who are selecting a vocational rehabilitation provider. The creation of more user-friendly tools will improve customer service and strengthen the ability of individuals with disabilities to fully exercise their informed choice. OOD's Department of Information Technology is continuing to work on enhancements to these tools. OOD will engage in additional dialogue with the OOD Council and the provider community to continue the enhancement process.

3. Identify and implement a strategy to gather and make available customer satisfaction information regarding providers from individuals with disabilities. The customer satisfaction of individuals who have previously received service from a provider is an important consideration for individuals currently selecting a provider. Federal regulations require OOD to provide

information about consumer satisfaction to aid individuals with disabilities in exercising informed choice. OOD will engage in additional dialogue with the OOD Council and the provider community to develop a strategy for collecting this information and making it available to individuals receiving services.

4. Improve consistency of case documentation regarding informed choice conversations by implementing a new case noting structure for field staff. There is inconsistency in how staff document informed choice conversations with program participants within case notes. A consistent case recording structure will support increased quality of documentation by staff. Training on case documentation will coincide with the Informed Choice Policy training mentioned above. This training will include an adaptation of a case noting structure specifically developed for VR Agencies and will address when to use this case noting structure and examples on how to write these case notes











  1.  SELECTION OF A PROVIDER INFORMATIONAL SHEET
















We are glad you have decided to work with OOD to achieve your job goal.  As you work with your counselor, throughout your case, you will be asked to make important choices about services and who will provide those services.

Your counselor is available to help and support you as you choose service providers. Your counselor will give you additional information and resources about the service provider options available to you.  Please talk to your counselor if you have questions and/or need help at any time.

You also have the right to have a representative (e.g., family member, teacher) to help and support you choose service providers.  With your permission, your counselor can share service provider information and resources with your representative, and they may attend service planning meetings with you and your counselor.

You are encouraged to talk to potential service providers - which can help you find the best match for you.  The following steps can be used as a guide as you find and talk to potential providers.

1.  Search for Providers

·   A list of OOD-approved providers can be found on OOD's website: https://prd.ood.ohio.gov/providersearch/


·   Once on the Provider Search page, you can search for providers based on the provider's name, your location, and the type(s) of service(s) you need.

2.  Narrow down your options by gathering more information.


·      Review the Provider Scorecards (found on the Provider Search page) - which have information about:



o  the people the provider serves (by disability, race/ethnicity, gender, etc.)

o  the results of the provider's job placement services (by job type, hours, wages, etc.)



·      Talk directly to potential providers



o  Here are some helpful hints if you choose to talk directly to providers.

3.  Choose your best match and tell your counselor.

·            You, your counselor, and (if you want) your representative will talk about and confirm your choice.


·            Your counselor will take the next step(s) to start your service(s) with your chosen provider.


You should keep in contact with your counselor during the time you are receiving services.

If you are not happy with the services you are receiving from your chosen provider, you should talk to your counselor to help resolve provider issues - which may include discussion about choosing a new provider.


  1.  CUSTOMER SATISFACTION REPORT STATEWIDE

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - Statewide - Quarter 2 FFY 2021 (1/1/21 - 3/31/20)

During the second quarter of Federal Fiscal Year 2021 there were 4,542 closure letters generated that included a link to the customer satisfaction survey.  Those cases with email addresses (2,927) also received an automated email message with the toll-free number and survey link encouraging participants to share their experiences with receiving Vocational Rehabilitation Services from Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.  From those efforts, there were 157 respondents with the following results:

Question 1 - My current zip code (not graphed)

Question 2 - My current disability (Answered 157)

  *   Intellectual and Learning 36%
  *   Auditory and Communicative 22%
  *   Physical 28%
  *   Psychosocial and Psychological 32%
  *   Visual 10%
  *   Other 12%

Question 3 - My age range (Answered 156)

  *   14-24 35%
  *   25-34 14%
  *   35-44 12%
  *   45-54 16%
  *   55-64 22%
  *   65 and over 3%

Question 4 - It was easy for me to get to the meeting location (e.g., OOD office, library, Job Center) and to move around in the office space when meeting my counselor. (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 40%
  *   Agree 15%
  *   Neutral 6%
  *   Disagree 2%
  *   Strongly Disagree 1%
  *   N/A 33%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Did not visit office
  *   Meetings done virtually, and by phone due to COVID
  *   Transportation concerns


Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - Statewide - Quarter 2 FFY 2021 (1/1/21 - 3/31/21) p.2

Question 5 - OOD Services were provided to me (check all that apply): (Answered 157)

  *   OOD Office 29%
  *   Alternative Location 31%
  *   Phone and/or Text 73%
  *   Email and/or Mail 55%
  *   Video Conferencing 29%

Question 6 - I have been satisfied with how OOD services are being provided. (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 54%
  *   Agree 20%
  *   Neutral 13%
  *   Disagree 6%
  *   Strongly Disagree 7%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Communicated needs not addressed
  *   Community employment resources not explored

Question 7 -Materials were given to me in my preferred format (e.g., large print, interpreters provided). (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 54%
  *   Agree 29%
  *   Neutral 15%
  *   Disagree 2%
  *   Strongly Disagree 1%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   None given



Question 8 - After my first meeting with my Counselor, Coordinator, or Caseload Assistant, I understood clearly that employment was the goal of the VR program. (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 59%
  *   Agree 34%
  *   Neutral 4%
  *   Disagree 3%
  *   Strongly Disagree 1%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Services to find employment delayed by COVID

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - Statewide - Quarter 2 FFY 2021 (1/1/21 - 3/31/21) p.3

Question 9 - VR staff were polite and professional. (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 68%
  *   Agree 22%
  *   Neutral 5%
  *   Disagree 4%
  *   Strongly Disagree 1%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Communication delays

Question 10 - VR staff helped me understand the kind of services that were available to me. (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 57%
  *   Agree 29%
  *   Neutral 10%
  *   Disagree 2%
  *   Strongly Disagree 2%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Limited service options offered

Question 11 - VR staff included me in the decisions about my case, including the services listed on the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE- my plan). (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 57%
  *   Agree 28%
  *   Neutral 11%
  *   Disagree 3%
  *   Strongly Disagree 1%
Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Input not considered

Question 12 - I was satisfied with the timeliness of the services that were provided to me from my plan. (Answered 157)

  *   Strongly Agree 45%
  *   Agree 25%
  *   Neutral 13%
  *   Disagree 8%
  *   Strongly Disagree 3%

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - Statewide - Quarter 2 FFY 2021 (1/1/21 - 3/31/21) p.4

Reasons for selecting Disagree or Strongly Disagree for this question:

  *   Slow process
  *   Communication delays

Question 13 - As a result of working with OOD, I have a job and (check all that apply): (Answered 157)

  *   Reached my employment goal 38%
  *   Job appropriate for disability 37%
  *   Satisfied with services from OOD staff 54%
  *   More financially independent 25%
  *   N/A- I do not have a job 32%

Question 14 - After working with OOD, I do not have a job and (check all that apply): (Answered 157)

  *   Satisfied with services from OOD staff 31%
  *   Chose not to continue with OOD services 18%
  *   Continuing job search independently 11%
  *   No longer interested in getting a job 3%
  *   NA- I do have a job 53%



Question 15 - What are the biggest barriers you experienced in working towards your employment goal? What could OOD have done differently to remove those barriers? (Answered 113)

  *   Personal and medical challenges related to disability that impacted participation in services
  *   COVID 19 pandemic
  *   Lack of work experience
  *   Transportation
  *   Increase in opportunities for licensures
  *   More timely communication from OOD staff
  *   More assistance with identifying appropriate job goals, and pay above minimum wage

Question 16 - Please share with us any comments that you would like about your vocational rehabilitation experience. (Answered 89)

  *   Great service
  *   OOD staff willing to help, cared about my goals and success
  *   OOD staff knowledgeable and informative
  *   OOD staff polite and professional
  *   Process stressful
  *   Specific ideas expressed regarding job goal, and services not considered.

Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - Statewide - Quarter 2 FFY 2021 (1/1/21 - 3/31/21) p.5

Question 17 - I would recommend OOD to others with disabilities. (Answered 156)

  *   Yes 85%
  *   No 15%


  1.  EMPLOYER AND INNOVATION SERVICES UPDATE

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Council Meeting
Division of Employer and Innovation Services Update
April 21, 2021


Inclusive Employer Toolkit
OOD recently launched the Inclusive Employer Toolkit<https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/information-for-employers/inclusive-employer-toolkit> to help employers recruit, hire, and retain employees with disabilities and foster an inclusive workplace. The Toolkit includes four main topics: Building the Business Case, Inclusive Workplace, Recruiting, Hiring, and Supporting Employees, and Workplace Accommodations. The Toolkit curates the best practices, tips, resources, and webinars that have benefited OOD Employer Partners. Use of the Toolkit is free and open to all, and a demonstration video is available on the website.

OOD Level Up Grant Proposal
OOD recently submitted a proposal for the U.S. Department of Education's Disability Innovation Fund - Career Advancement Initiative Model Demonstration Project. If selected for funding, OOD will implement OOD Level Up, a program designed to assist 1,000 Ohioans with disabilities to enroll in or successfully complete credential programs needed to secure or advance in careers that are in high demand and pay a sustainable wage. The proposal includes expanded relationships with Ohio's employers, community colleges, technical centers, and other workforce partners to improve access to career pathways, and the development of an OOD Level Up curriculum with a strong focus on professional skills, financial literacy, and self-advocacy. If awarded, the grant would begin October 1, 2021 and last for five years.

2021 Virtual Hiring Events
OOD held a Work-from-Home Virtual Hiring Event on February 11, 2021. During this event, 40 OOD candidates participated in 46 interviews with six employers (Double A Solutions, Alorica, Huntington Bank, Key Bank, VXI Global Solutions, and Pearl Interactive Network. As a result, 11 job offers were extended with several candidates moving forward to second interviews.

OOD, in partnership with local school districts, is hosting transition-focused Virtual Hiring Events for students this month. Events for Southwest City School District were held on April 13 and 16. Other events are planned for students at: Parma City School District and Polaris Career Center on April 21; EHOVE Career Center on April 22; Springfield City School District, Cincinnati Public School District, Dayton Public School District, Lebanon City School District, and Mason City School District on April 27; and Pioneer Career and Technology Center, Knox County Career Center, and Mansfield City School District on April 29.

The Employer's ADA Handbook Webinar Series
OOD is hosting The Employers' ADA Handbook, a free five-part webinar series for employers. All webinars are recorded and archived on the OOD website for on-demand viewing. On January 13, OOD hosted the first session, "Title I Overview"<https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/information-for-employers/employer-resources/Employers-ADA-Handbook-Title-I-Overview> for 229 attendees; Session Two, "Reasonable Accommodations and Undue Hardship<https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/information-for-employers/employer-resources/The-Employers-ADA-Handbook-RAs-And-Undue-Hardship>" was hosted live on February 24 for 175 attendees; Session Three, "Performance, Conduct, and Safety"<https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/information-for-employers/employer-resources/Employers-ADA-Handbook-Performance-Conduct-Safety> was hosted live on March 23 for 137 attendees. Upcoming webinars in this series are as follows:
April 28 at 10 a.m.: Resources and Funding<https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/information-for-employers/employer-resources/Employers-ADA-Handbook-Resources-And-Funding>
May 26 at 10 a.m.: Accessibility Hour with OOD<https://ood.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/ood/information-for-employers/employer-resources/Employers-ADA-Handbook-Accessibility-Hour-With-OOD>




Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment Survey
OOD received more than 1,200 responses to the Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) Survey of Individuals with Disabilities. Many thanks to OOD Council members for their assistance in distributing the survey. We are currently conducting an analysis of the results for inclusion in the 2021 CSNA.




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