[nfbmi-talk] cap report to mcrs

[joe harcz Comcast]

Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report 

 

Fourth Quarter

(July 1, 2013 – September 30, 2013)

 

 

The Employment Team at Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS) provides information, referral and advocacy services to applicants, clients and others eligible for vocational rehabilitation programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act.  We also provide training on our services and information to clients on their rights under the Rehabilitation Act and Title I of the ADA.  Our funding streams to provide these services include the following grants:  Client Assistance Program (CAP), Protection & Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT), and Protection & Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI).

 

Employment Team Staff:  Brian Sabourin, Director of Employment Services, Elham Jahshan, Advocate; Lisa Knapp, and Leslie Mundt, Program Assistant. 

 

Case Statistics:

       

      Information & Referral Only

       
      

      Closed Service Requests = 39
     

 

 

       

      Case Level Services

       
      

      Closed Service Requests = 31
     
      Related to Michigan Rehabilitation Service (MRS)                   28                                         

        
     
      Related to Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP)            3           

       
     
      Related to Centers for Independent Living (CIL)                        0           

       
     

 

Problems Identified (MRS/BSBP/CIL):

      Communication problems between counselor and individual
     7
     
      Related to IPE development and/or implementation.
     3
     
      Conflicts about services to be provided. (20-MRS & (3-BSBP)
     15
     
      Related to application and/or eligibility process
     5
     
      Other issues related to Rehab. Act
     1
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report 

Fourth Quarter 

Page 2

 

 

Primary Disability Reported by Individual (MRS/BSBP/CIL):

      Hard of Hearing
     2
     Neurological Disorders/Impairments
     2
     
      Deafness
     0
     Ortho/Physical Impairments
     3
     
      Heart/Circulatory
     2
     Specific Learning Disabilities
     4
     
      Mental Illness
     5
     Substance Abuse
     2
     
      Mental Retardation
     0
     Brain Injury
     2
     
      Blindness 
     2
     Auto Immune/HIV
     1
     
      Visual Impairment
     2
     Emotional Impairments
     2
     
      Autism
     1
      
      
     

 

 

Below is a breakdown, by office, of the case level calls we received during this quarter.  Case level services would mean that someone from the Employment Team called MRS/BSBP/CIL to try to resolve a complaint.  The numbers reported are only those that were closed during the first quarter.  

 

 

Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)

      Adrian
      
     Detroit Porter
     2
     Mt. Pleasant
      
     
      Alpena
      
     Flint
     1
     Muskegon
     1
     
      Ann Arbor
     2
     Gaylord
      
     Oak Park
     2
     
      Battle Creek
     1
     Grand Rapids
      
     Port Huron
      
     
      Bay City
     1
     Hamtramck
     2
     Roseville
      
     
      Benton Harbor
     1
     Holland
      
     Saginaw
      
     
      Big Rapids
     2
     Jackson
      
     Taylor
     2
     
      Caro
      
     Kalamazoo
      
     Traverse City
      
     
      Clinton Township
     1
     Lansing
      
     Waterford
     2
     
      Detroit Fort
     2
     Livonia
     1
     Wayne
      
     
      Detroit Grand River
     3
     Marquette
      
     MCTI
      
     
      Detroit Mack
     2
     Midland
      
      
      
     
      Detroit Milwaukee
     0
     Monroe
      
      
      
     

 

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP):  2-Detroit , 1-Flint

 

Centers for Independent Living (CILs):    0        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan Protection &Advocacy Service, Inc.

Employment Team Report 

Fourth Quarter 

Page 3

 

System Concerns:

 

Michigan Rehabilitation Service

 

Along with individual Client issues, over the past two fiscal years, CAP has been working on several areas of systemic advocacy including tracking delays concerning application & eligibility for services; identifying, tracking and analyzing problem offices and trends; tracking cases regarding individuals denied by MRS due to “budgetary issues”;  tracking cases where MRS counselors are not meeting required timelines; tracking cases involving MRS counselors not returning calls or being available to clients; and reviewing and monitoring MRS cases that are closed rather than transferred.  Although there are other areas of concerns that come from clients, these four categories represent 67 percent of our client calls.    

 

Bureau of Services for Blind Persons 

 

Elham Jahshan, CAP advocate, who is proficient in English, Arabic, and Hebrew, continues to attend the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons Diversity Committee.  Ms. Jahshan joined the committee to consult with Bureau staff members on how to better engage their Arab American customers.  MPAS will host the next quarterly meeting of the Committee and the Employment Team will be giving a presentation on MPAS with an emphasis on the Client Assistance Program.

 

Centers for Independent Living

 

The Employment Team Director attended the SILC Quarterly Business Meeting. Director reported on activities of the agency including projects related to CAP and IL activities.  Although there was no outreach presentations completed this past quarter, the Employment Team is currently making plans to give a presentation at the Disability Network – Northern Michigan in Traverse City in December.