State Rehabilitation Council Meeting Minutes - November 18, 2020

State Rehabilitation Council

of the Division of Rehabilitation Services

Illinois Department of Human Services

Quarterly Meeting Minutes

November 18, 2020 - WebEx

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 9:07 a.m.

II. Attendance

Present

Council Members: Kari Branham, Debbie Einhorn, David Friedman, Robert Gould, Daniel Hawkins, LaDonna Henson, Cindy Montgomery, Melynda McKeever, Barbara Moore, Rahnee Patrick, Michael Predmore, Shelly Richardson, Kelsey Thompson

DRS Staff: Matthew Abrahamson, Francisco Alvarado, Wolfgang Arterberry, Louis Hamer, Labraya Harris

DRS Guests: None

Absent: Francine Bell, Katie Blank, Meg Cooch, Matthew Fred, Hershel Jackson, Frank Lane

A quorum of the SRC was determined.

III. Agenda

Agenda attached.

It was Moved (Friedman), Seconded (Einhorn), and Carried to approve the November 18, 2020 SRC Meeting Agenda.

IV. Approve August 18, 2020 Meeting Minutes

It was Moved (Friedman), Seconded (Thompson), and Carried to approve August 18, 2020 SRC Meeting Minutes.

V. Reports

  1. DRS Director Report (Rahnee Patrick, Director)

    • Update/Accomplishments
      • Division continues to provide services in a remote manner as much as possible while also working to keep staff and customers safe.
      • DRS has conducted various surveys during the past 3 months.

  2. Bureau of Field Services Report (Louis Hamer, Bureau Chief)

    • BFS Program Update 
      • Staff continue to work remotely with good progress toward serving customers in VR and HSP.
      • Referrals are down in VR, intakes are down in VR, and eligibility is down in VR. Referrals are down mainly because referrals from school districts (STEP) are way down as schools are either remote schooling or not sending students into the community looking for employment.
      • HSP cases continue to be worked remotely with good success. DRS has reduced the number of overdue redeterminations and has also reduced the number of overdue referrals.
      • Staffing in the offices has been reduced to 22% and staff have to get approval from their supervisors in order to go into an office. Over the next three weeks staff are advised to go into the office only in emergencies.

  3. Bureau of Blind Services (John Gordon, Bureau Chief)

    • BBS Program Update
      • The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a regional economic development agency representing a partnership between federal, state, and local governments. The purpose of the grant is for economic development for people along the Mississippi Delta. DRA through World Services for the Blind (WSB), presented DRS an opportunity to collaborate in training and job placement of medical coding and billing for people who are blind or low vision. Currently, medical coding and billing positions are housed onsite in hospitals. The long-term goal is for these positions to become remote. World Services for the Blind will lead the training efforts. DRS and WSB will work in cohort on job placement activities in the targeted demographic. Eleven counties in Southern Illinois were identified. WSB has reached out of almost all those hospitals and were able to get a letter of support for one group managing nine of the 27 hospitals in the catchment area. This is an incredible opportunity for DRS ad specifically our blind and low vision customers
      • BBS counselors providing job retention services to blind managers of the Randolph-Sheppard Business Enterprise Program for the Blind. Due to COVID-19, many of the Federal and State facilities are closed or are operating on a very limited basis. In addition, interstate travel is greatly reduced. These individuals had to either drastically reduce their business or close their sites. Product and merchandise had to be tossed because they expired. VR is working with the managers to assist helping them get their businesses up and running in conjunction once the pandemic slows and ceases.
      • The rehabilitation instructors continue to provide training to blind and visually impaired customers in the areas of Braille, orientation, and technology through virtual meetings. The instructors are discovering new platforms for remote learning.

  4. Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (Ingrid Halvorsen, Assistant Bureau Chief)

    • SDHH Update
      • DHS-DRS has been making a concentrated effort in providing remote services to individuals who are either our customers or wish to become our customers. SDHH works to ensure that our counselors who work with the Deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind have the technology needed to provide services. This includes the use of Video Relay Services (VRS) on state-issued phones, e-mail, and instructions as to how to join conferences via Zoom. DRS does not have approval to use Zoom; however, we are able to participate in Zoom sessions hosted by other parties.
      • SDHH continues to update its OneNet section to include information related to COVID-19 and remote services.
      • Helen Keller National Center (HKNC) and DRS have a contract to provide Pre-Employment Transition Services (PTS) to transition age customers (14 to 22 years old) who are DeafBlind. There are five core service categories offered with PTS contracts. They are: Job Exploration Counseling, Work-Based Learning Experiences Counseling on Post-Secondary Education, Workplace Readiness Training, and Instruction on self-advocacy.
      • We are seeing an increase in referrals to our counselors serving people who are Deaf, hard of hearing and DeafBlind.
      • Two individuals have been hired as work as Rehabilitation Counselors for the Deaf. One in Chicago and the other in Aurora.

  5. DHS, Bureau of Administrative Hearings (Richard Madison, Deputy General Counsel)

    • Nothing reported

  6. Client Assistance Program (Kari Branham, Manager)

    • Report Attached (CAP Activities report covers October 1, 2019 - to date)

  7. DRS Data Metrics (Wolfgang Arterberry, Program Analyst)

    • Report Attached Below. This report helped the Council identify areas that require improvement/concentrated effort. Report showed that referrals are down, D. Einhorn suggested DRS reach out to Special Education Coordinators to let them know the Division is still taking referrals. C. Montgomery asked about the use of Social Media (i.e. iPad Unite) by the Division to parents. DRS can use the Social Media platforms used by the Agency (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)
    • Action Item: L. Henson will reach out to the Division regarding these suggestions.
    • VR Days in Status, Case Statuses, Closures, Closure Reasons, and Referral Sources: Statewide End of Q1 

      Updated October 19, 2020

      Days in Status Statewide Average Days Year to Date Average Days Previous Year to Date
      Referral 16.1 20.3
      Application 17.8 18.1
      Eligibility 15.1 21.2
      Rehabilitation Plan 46.5 46.1
      Counts Statewide On Hand Year To Date Previous Year to Date
      Referral 2499 2751 5305
      Application 1125 1963 3379
      Eligibility 1238 1616 2915
      Rehabilitation Plan 21610 1738 2558
      Served 26690 29700 33001
      Rehab Closure Statewide Month Year to Date Previous Year To Date
      Closed Rehabilitated 373 913 1389
      Closed Post Employment 3 8 11
      Total 376 921 1400
      Non-Rehab Closures Statewide Month Year To Date Previous Year To Date
      Closed from Referral 197 535 1529
      Closed Application 76 198 415
      Closed Non-Rehab 454 1058 2011
      Closed Eligibility 58 190 386
      Total 785 1981 4341
      Closure Reason Statewide July August September Total FY
      All other reasons 85 118 117 320
      Death 5 3 7 15
      Disability too significant to benefit from VR services 1 0 0 1
      Extended employment 0 1 0 1
      Failure to cooperate 60 82 88 230
      Individual has entered an institution 1 0 0 1
      Individual is incarcerated in prison or jail 1 0 1 2
      Ineligible 4 6 11 21
      No disabling condition 0 0 3 3
      No impediment to employment 3 0 0 3
      Receiving medical treatment that is expected to last longer than 90 days 5 9 8 22
      Refused services or further services 123 123 176 422
      Refused waiting list 0 0 1 1
      Successful rehab 222 312 359 893
      Transferred to another agency 16 5 14 35
      Unable to locate or contact, moved 292 246 337 875
      Total 818 905 1122 2845
    • Referral Source Statewide July August September Total FY
      14(c) Certificate Holders 1 0 0 1
      Adult Education and Literacy Programs 0 0 2 2
      Centers for Independent Living 7 8 23 38
      Child Protective Services 0 1 0 1
      Community Provider 30 32 38 100
      Community Rehabilitation Programs 108 120 134 362
      Consumer Organizations or Advocacy Groups 2 2 2 6
      Dept of Labor Employment & Training Service Programs 0 1 0 1
      DRS Publications 3 1 3 7
      Educational Institutions (Elementary/Secondary) 96 274 587 957
      Educational Institutions (post-secondary) 13 14 13 40
      Employers 4 2 2 8
      Extended Employment Providers 0 0 2 2
      Faith Based Organizations 0 3 1 4
      Family & Community Services SNAP 0 1 1 2
      Family/Friends 56 51 46 153
      Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Providers 4 3 15 22
      Medical Health Provider (public or private) 31 31 30 92
      Mental Health Provider (public or private) 23 36 30 89
      Other One-Stop Partners 2 1 1 4
      Other Sources 17 18 13 48
      Other State Agencies 4 6 5 15
      Other VR State Agencies 4 4 0 8
      Other WIOA-Funded Programs 2 1 4 7
      Self-referral 261 267 245 773
      Social Media 1 0 0 1
      Social Security Admins. (DDS/District) 3 2 3 8
      State Dept of Corrections/Juvenile Justice 0 0 0 0
      Welfare Agency (State or local government) 0 0 0 0
      Total 672 879 1200 2751

  8. Executive Report (LaDonna Henson, SRC Chair)

    1. SRC Appointments & Vacancies - Vacancies still exist in the Disability Advocacy group and the Industry and Labor group. One of those vacancies needs to be filled by someone that is under the age of 25 and possibly with a disability. C. Montgomery and D. Einhorn may have a recommendation.
      • Action Item: All members asked to be mindful of this and contact S. Sparks and K. Branham with a cc to L. Henson if they'd like to recommend someone to fill this need.
      • C. Montgomery and R. Gould are awaiting appointment from the Governor's office. D. Friedman is in the process of being re-appointed. S. Richardson is unsure of her status, resume has been submitted but there has been no further contact from the Governor's Office but will check email to make sure. D. Hawkins has been appointed.
    • Action Item: Henson will make a request to S. Sparks to follow up and if needed, will contact the Governor's Office.

    1. Council Member Trainings - Reminder to Council members to complete trainings for Ethics and Sexual Harassment/Discrimination as this is a State requirement. These were sent via email to the Council by C. Dodd. M. Abrahamson registered Council members to complete the Cohort VR Training. This training will give the council a better understanding of the VR process which will assist the council in understanding DRS reports.

      • Action Item: All members - complete required trainings (Ethics & Sexual Harassment) and the Cohort VR Training. Contact L. Henson if links to trainings were not received.
    2. SRC Annual Report Update - In dual partnership, DRS and the SRC is working to complete the annual report on activities of the Illinois SRC and the VR program operated within the State of Illinois. A copy of this report will be submitted to the Governor's Office and to Rehabilitation Services Administration (federal) by or before the deadline (end of the year).
      • Action Item: L. Henson will ensure Council receives a copy of the Annual Report once completed.
    3. 2021 SRC Meeting Dates - To ensure each meeting will have a quorum, the following months were recommended to hold SRS Quarterly Meetings:
        • March, 2021 (Possibly 2-day meeting to include Strategic Planning Meeting)
        • June, 2021 (Hoping to return to face-to-face meetings)
        • September, 2021
        • November, 2021
      • Action Item: L. Henson will follow up with Director Patrick on regarding best time for the Strategic Planning meeting and see if she has availability to attend the quarterly meetings in the months recommended. Upon receipt of that information, L. Henson will inform the Council.
      • Action Item: All new members asked to pick a committee they would like to serve on and notify L. Henson of their choice.

  9. Committee Reports

    1. Operations (Michael Predmore, Committee Chair)
      • This committee consists of the Chairs' of the other committees. Committee has not met but will meet in the next few weeks. Now that the Council does have enough appointed members to have a quorum, would like to get back to working on recommending amendments to SRC statute. The recommendations made last year would require some legislative action regarding SRC by-laws.
      • Operations Committee Action Item: M. Predmore will schedule a meeting with the committee to chart a course for the new year.
      • Action Item: L. Henson will follow up with M. Abrahamson on the status of last year's recommended amendments to SRC statute.
    2. Policy/Legislation (Michael Predmore, Committee Chair)
      • Legislators not in session. There have been some changes to policies/procedures due to COVID and DRS staff working remotely. DRS is looking at changing their accreditation policy due to the MOU with the Division of Developmental Disabilities. The committee will need to stay abreast of what is happening with this policy change.
    3. Member Recruitment (Kari Branham, Committee Chair)
      • Interview with Dr. R. Gould was held. Dr. Gould will fill the vacancy in the Secondary or Higher Education group. Dr. Gould is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in Disability Studies and Disability & Human Development. Dr. Gould is also the Director of Research for Great Lakes ADA Center in Chicago. He has worked in disability services his entire professional life. The Member Recruitment committee sent a letter of recommendation to the Executive Committee for Dr. Gould's appointment. Executive Committee has reviewed and we are now awaiting appointment from the Governor's office.
      • M. McKeever's 2nd term will be ending in July 2021.
      • Action Item: All members - start looking for someone to fill the vacancy M. McKeever's departure will create in the Business Industry & Labor, prior to July 2021.
    4. State/Unified Plan (Melynda McKeever, Committee Chair)
      • The discussions in the Adhoc Data Committee stems from the goals set in the State Plan. As data becomes available, that information will be used to determine progress in reaching the goals outlined in the State Plan.
      • 4a. Adhoc Data Committee (David Friedman, Lead)
      • Shared and reviewed data reporting structure (attached below). The goal of developing this structure is to equip the Council with information that is useful for making decisions (why is it happening, what can DRS do to improve, Council suggestions on what DRS can do to improve). It will ensure that all involved will be working from the same data. The report focusing on Outcomes & Process Tracking; Process & Volume; Partnership (CRPs, schools, etc.) & Satisfaction (customers & businesses); DRS Budget; and DRS Initiatives. Goal to go from quarterly reporting to monthly reporting.
    5. Stakeholder (LaDonna Henson, Committee Chair)
      • L. Henson met with Director Patrick and the Division is planning to conduct a satisfaction survey. Has asked that the Stakeholder Committee be given an opportunity to review the survey before it is sent out to ensure that it is consistent with the survey sent out 2017. This will allow the committee to gauge if there has been any progress.
      • Action Items: L. Henson will follow up with Director Patrick on getting a copy of the survey.
      • L. Henson has not received any information on the Statewide Needs Assessment that needs to be done. This is a federal requirement and RSA has guidance available on how this assessment should be done. L. Henson would like for the AdHoc Data Committee look at this.

  10. Workforce Development Unit (Sherry Sparks, Manager)

    • Report Attached

  11. Updates from other Councils

    1. Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) (Shelly Richardson SILC Chair)
      • SILC is currently working on making corrections to the State Plan and their end of year report. Next meeting will be in February, 2021 via Zoom. Hope to return to in-person meetings in May, 2021. COVID is effecting the way they are implementing the State Plan and some things are on hold for now but is hopeful things will be done by summer.
      • SILC is experiencing difficulty acquiring appointments and continues to work with Governor's Office to get many of their appointments through soon.
      • Per L. Henson, SRC included transportation in the SRC/VR State Plan and will continue to work on addressing transportation issues.
    2. Blind Services Planning Council (BSPC) (David Hawkins, BSPC Member)
      • BSPC is experiencing difficulty acquiring appointments. They currently do not have a Quorum.
      • BSPC is scheduled to meet on December 5, 2020. D. Hawkins anticipates he'll have more to share about this council once that meeting takes place.

VII. New Business

None

VIII. Public Comment

Time was given for public comments, but none were provided.

IX. Next Meeting

TBD

X. Adjourn

Meeting adjourned at 1:54 p.m.

DRS/SRC Reporting

September 30, 2020

Goal: Create a standard reporting package as outlined in the DRS State Plan

Objectives of the reporting package:

  • Provide critical information for DRS Leadership, State Rehabilitation Council, and other DRS constituencies to guide priorities and decision-making
  • Define a consistent reporting package that simplifies data collection and enables tracking over time

Reporting Structure (additional detail on later pages of this packet):

  • Outcome/Process Tracking
    • Three categories
  • WIOA Metrics
  • Process/volume Metrics
  • Partnership/satisfaction metrics
    • Primarily quantitative data with commentary as needed
    • Reported monthly
  • Budget
    • Primarily quantitative data with commentary as needed
    • Reported monthly
  • Initiatives and Successes
    • Qualitative data
    • Reported quarterly (and discussed at the SRC)

Open issues/questions:

Outcomes/Process Tracking

Notes:

  • This segment may need to be implemented over time as additional data is collected and made available
  • Reported monthly (wherever possible)

Outline:

  1. WIOA Metrics (six performance metrics that must be reported)
    1. Targets established
      1. Measurable Skill Gains
        1. Tracked monthly
        2. Target: 62.2%
    2. Targets are currently being set with RSA. Targets are not expected for two years. (data available quarterly)
      1. Employment Rate - 2nd Quarter After Exit
      2. Employment Rate - 4th Quarter After Exit
      3. Median Earnings - 2nd Quarter After Exit
      4. Credential Attainment
    3. Data is very preliminary (not separated by Title)
      1. Effectiveness in Serving Employers
        1. Retention with Same Employer
        2. Employer Penetration Rate
  2. Process/volume metrics
    1. Process steps
      1. Referral source
      2. Application
      3. Eligibility
      4. Rehabilitation Plan
      5. Closed
        1. Success
        2. Not placed
    2. Dimensions/breakdowns
      1. Partially or fully available
        1. Trends over time
        2. Throughput (i.e. days per stage)
        3. Region/office
      2. Possible, but not complete???
        1. CRP vs no-CRP
        2. Disability type
        3. Age: 18 and under/19-29/30-39/40-49/50-59/>60
        4. Race/ethnicity
        5. Current employment status
      3. Data does not exist???
    3. Benchmarking
      1. Vs. DRS targets (short and long term)
      2. Vs. best practices/other states
  3. Partnership/Satisfaction
    1. [Note: effort will be required to identify customers, partners and other stakeholders. Metrics of satisfaction will also need to be identified.]
    2. CRPs
    3. Customers
    4. CAP Data
      1. Process
      2. Outcomes

Budget

Notes:

  • To simplify reporting, this segment should leverage other budget reporting performed by DRS
  • Reported monthly

Outline:

  1. Budget vs. actual - by category
    1. Personnel
      1. Salary
      2. Non-salary expense
      3. Pension contributions
    2. Partners/CRPs
    3. STEP vs Adult
    4. Client Support Costs
      1. Education
      2. Supportive Technology
    5. Other?
  2. Staffing Levels
    1. Direct vs Administrative
    2. Home Services vs VocRehab
    3. Vacancies by Position
    4. Time to Fill
    5. By geography - region and office
  3. Projected deficit/surplus
  4. Trends relative to prior years
  5. Return on Investment
    1. Cost per outcome

Initiatives and Successes

Notes:

* Reported quarterly

Outline:

  1. Strategic Initiatives (efforts with a completion timeline of greater than one year)
    1. For each initiative, reporting should include …
      1. Major accomplishments since last report
      2. Upcoming deadlines/actions/next steps
      3. Issues/roadblocks
      4. Summary status (e.g. on-track/results or timeline at-risk/behind schedule)
    2. Current strategic initiatives included in the state plan
      1. Data-based decision making
        • Quarterly Reporting
        • Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment
        • Satisfaction Surveys
      2. Collaboration
        • DRS/SRC Coordination
          • Annual Meetings
          • Quarterly Meeting Attendance
        • Community Partnerships
      3. Increasing Competitive Outcomes
        • Career Pathways Adoption
        • Work-based Learning
        • Transportation
        • Customized Employment
  2. Short-Term Initiatives (efforts expected to be completed in less than one year)
    1. Fast Track Initiative
    2. Marketing Outreach/Promotion
    3. Legislation
    4. Post-COVID Reopening
  3. Achievements/Successes
    1. Promotions
    2. Success Stories
    3. Innovative Practices