VRC Minutes Page 6 of 6

November 16, 2001

VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNCIL

MEETING MINUTES

DETR Auditorium/Carson City and Nevada Job Link/Las Vegas

November 16, 2001

Members Present: Members Absent: Staff Present

Dr. Ralph Baker Lorraine Marshall Barbara Legier, Chief, BSBVI, BVR

Dr. Bill Bauer Kathleen Olson Program Services

Ed Guthrie Dee Pursel Jim Hadwick, Chief, BVR, BSBVI

Beth Horrigan Mike Stubblefield Operations and Special Services

Linda Lueck Gillian Wells Howard Castle, BVR Manager, Las Vegas

Karla McComb Bill Hamilton, Rehabilitation Division

Charlott Serline Guests Present

Pat Williams Libby Jones, DETR Director’s Office

Bob White Bonnie Dixon, Nevada Disability & Advocacy Law Center

Maynard Yasmer Mary Maragakis, United Cerebral Palsy of Northern Nevada

Jolie Pardew-Daugherty, Bureau of Research & Analysis

EXHIBITS

Meeting agenda

Minutes of September 7, 2001 meeting (draft)

Resumes of Timothy Dowty, Barbara Cegavske, Myrn Wiebe

Brochure “We have the Keys to Winning Job-Ready Employees”

Cannon Center response to questions regarding 2001 satisfaction survey

Council’s proposed 2001-2002 budget

Developmental Disabilities Council report

Performance indicators for BVR & BSBVI for SFY 2000, SFY 2001, SFY 2002

CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bauer at 9:35 am.

MINUTES

Ed Guthrie moved, and Charlott Serline seconded, approval of the September 7 minutes with a change on page 4, where the letters MHDS were misstated as MDHS. With the change, the minutes were approved unanimously.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

Bill Bauer addressed two issues of personal concern: the Council should focus on direct vocational rehabilitation issues; and he questioned the amount of time the VR program focused on school-to-work transition issues if only 16% of VR applicants are special education students. Pat Williams said a person does not need to be in special education to qualify for transition services. Maynard Yasmer, Ed Guthrie and Charlott Serline asked if enough attention is given to the transition population. Furthermore, over time this population will ask the VR system for assistance. A majority of the Council members present favored maintaining time and focus on transition applicants.

PUBLIC COMMENT: None.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

  1. Marketing and Advocacy
  1. Legislation. Ed Guthrie asked that Donny Loux and the Department of Human Resources (DHR) disabilities issues task force be invited to comment on progress at future VRC meetings. As chairman of the rates task force, Ed stated that it is examining if the rates paid by DHR (e.g., for personal assistant services and supported employment services) need to be revised, including provision of regular inflationary adjustments.
  2. CD/Technology. Linda Lueck agreed to head this project. She will schedule a meeting with Karla McComb and Bob White to decide if continuation with the CD is feasible or if the subcommittee will present a plan for project completion. The plan is to define the target audience, projected cost, funding options, whether funding will occur over two fiscal years, etc.
  3. VR Programs Brochure. The recently completed VRC brochure was sent to members. Bill Bauer asked members how and where they would be distributed. Karla McComb wants a dozen. Barbara Legier said that the Division will decide a distribution plan, including to district offices.
  4. Parents Forum. No report.
  5. VRC Website for Disability Services in Nevada. No report.
  6. Council Membership. Mr. Hamilton said that Marsha Lakes vacated the State

Department of Education-IDEA position. Mike Stubblefield is no longer a community rehabilitation service provider but can fill the category of present or past VR client currently occupied by Dee Pursel. Dee can fill a vacant business, industry and labor position. The Council agreed to the change in category for Mike and for Dee. An application for community service provider was received from Myrn Wiebe. Mr. Hamilton said that, with an interlocal agreement having been signed between the VR programs and the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, a position on the Council is to be created for representation of that Tribe. An application also was received from Assemblywoman Barbara Cegavske, who can represent several categories (community rehabilitation service provider, business & industry, and parent of a child with a severe learning disability). Ed Guthrie moved, and Charlott Serline seconded, approval of the three resumes received and forwarding of them to the Governor’s Office. The motion passed unanimously.

  1. Oversight
  1. Satisfaction survey/needs assessment. Mr. Hamilton referred members to a memo he sent to Pam Gallion, Cannon Center for Survey Research, and her responses to questions generated by the Council at its September 7 meeting. Karla McComb commented that, before the next survey, the questions to and answers from the Cannon Center should be reviewed for relevance to the 2002 survey/needs assessment.
  2. Presentation on survey methods. Jolie Pardew-Daugherty, Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation Bureau of Research and Analysis unit spoke to Council. Highlights of her presentation follow:

§  The order of questions can introduce error, as can question wording.

§  A group should develop questions, not just one or two individuals.

§  The larger the sample, the better the results. Randomness and repetition will help eliminate error, because for everybody who deliberately overstates there will be somebody who deliberately understates.

§  Strive for questions that, with their results, can be comparable from one survey to another.

§  If business interviews are a goal of the survey, select some randomly but others that are familiar with the VR programs. Results should be tracked separately for those familiar and for those not familiar with VR.

§  When rating scales are used, 5 to 7 choices of response are advisable.

§  Consider using pre-tests. Or, establish a “control group” to test the reliability of results compared to the non-control group.

§  For reliability, consider “cross-sectional” questions, ones that ask the same person in a different way in order to obtain the same results.

Ed Guthrie said that the Council and Division need to decide, before the survey: what is wanted from the survey; what is the meaning of satisfaction; why is the information needed; how will be information be used. Also, what is learned should have, or set, a benchmark for comparison.

3. Council’s Annual Report. The annual report subcommittee reported on what had been done to date, subject content, and plan for writing and submitting the report. To meet the December 31 filing deadline, the subcommittee asked the Council to authorize the subcommittee to send the report when finished. Ed Guthrie moved, and Charlott Serline seconded, that the Council ask the Rehabilitation Services Administration for an extension of 60 days to enable the report to be written by the subcommittee, to be submitted to and reviewed by the Council, and voted on at the next VRC meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

ADVISORY GROUP FOR MEDICAID BUY-IN: No report

ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT

A.  Review of VR Council budget: SFY 2002. Jim Hadwick gave an overview of the $39,780 budget, down from about $68,000/year the past two years, because of legislative action and a low level of expenditures in the past biennium. Notably absent is money for innovation and expansion grant projects. Based on the plan of work the Council wants to undertake, some funds may be re-allocated. Interest was expressed in a Council retreat in March or April. Mr. Bauer will work with the Rehabilitation Division on other Council items that may help re-structure budget categories and expenditures.

B.  Other items. Mr. Yasmer said preparations for the next biennial budget will begin soon. The Division’s base budget will need to be justified and, given the state’s revenue constraints, perhaps no new funding will be sought. He asked for the help of the Council, businesses and field staff in assessing what the VR programs are doing, how outcomes can be improved, how resources can be better utilized. To help accomplish this, at future a meeting the Division might give specific presentations or discussions to help the Council focus on the VR program work, how it is done, and what might be done better.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Barbara Legier said the Division is setting up focus groups to work on the training needs of counseling staff for the next two years. Also, the Division is initiating leadership training for VR professionals through the Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program.

REPORT FROM OTHER ENTITIES AND COUNCILS

A.  State Workforce Investment Board. No report.

B.  State Department of Education/IDEA. No report

C.  Developmental Disabilities Council. Ken Vogel, Executive Director, submitted a written report.

D.  State Independent Living Council.

E.  Mental Health Planning Council. Mr. Bauer said he had been unsuccessful so far in finding someone to speak from and about this grouping.

REPORT FROM VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAMS

A. Monthly Performance Indicators. Barbara Legier reported that, in fiscal year to date, 52% of BVR cases were successfully closed with employment outcomes in a competitive employment setting, but 68% for BSBVI cases. The two together exceed the federal standard. Cases closed in sheltered employment are not counted as successful closures. The percentage of successfully closed clients with significant disabilities is at 87%, compared to the federal standard of 62.4%. With respect to the federal performance indicator of 72% of successfully closed cases at or above minimum wage, the BVR & BSBVI figures exceed 96%. About 77% of BVR clients have health insurance coverage.

Because cases closed in sheltered employment are not counted as successful closures (per federal standards), Ed Guthrie suggested that the Division track closures with employment outcomes that ended in sheltered employment and those that ended in competitive employment. Therefore, when figures are presented to the Nevada State Legislature at budget time, the number and percentage of successfully employed people resulting from VR services will be higher than what meets the federal definition. Dr. Bauer asked Rehabilitation Administration to take this suggestion into consideration.

B. General Programs. Both BVR and BSBVI are close to being fully staffed, an improvement from the past. With respect to recent case file reviews, positive results are being generated. In addition, a task force is examining the issue of cases closed unsuccessfully (status 28) and the desire to make improvements by having more of them as successful closures (status 26). Ms. Legier invited Council members to be involved in the 2002 update of the State Plan. State Plan meetings will begin in December.

COUNCIL LOG

Ideas to take to the Statewide Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) in January 2002. Karla McComb said she had received no input from the VR Council nor from VR staff. Mr. Guthrie recommended that the Council should receive a presentation on the relationship between the VR Council, the SWIB, and the other entities and councils scheduled to report at VR Council meetings. He suggested that representatives of those entities attend the suggested VR Council spring 2002 training to explain their perceived relationship to the VRC. Karla McComb volunteered to do that for the SWIB and with Ed Guthrie directly.

Mr. Yasmer said that, in the comments and introduction to the Workforce Investment Act, there is a discussion about the roles of the various parties, or partners. For the VR Council, he believed that its responsibility principally is to help make vocational rehabilitation work better.

COUNSELOR ISSUES OF INTEREST OR CONCERN: No report

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BVR/BSBVI WORK CANDIDATES

Mr. Guthrie discussed work opportunities in food service filled at Nellis Air Force Base by Opportunity Village, and he thanked Howard Castle of BVR in Las Vegas for referring people to Opportunity Village.

NEXT MEETING DATE, LOCATION, AND AGENDA ITEMS

Meetings were requested in 2002 are scheduled for the following 3rd Fridays. A training/retreat was requested for March or April, which could pre-empt one meeting:

January 18 August 16

March 15 October 18

May 17 December 20

June 21

Linda Lueck asked for discussion January 18 of the State Use Program component of SB 175 from the last state legislative session, and how it affects VR. Potential new members also will be on the agenda.

ADJOURNMENT

Ed Guthrie moved, and Bob White seconded, adjournment at 12:45 pm. Approved unanimously.

Recorded by:

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Denise Phipps, Sierra Nevada Reporters

Edited by:

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William Hamilton, Rehabilitation Division

Approved by:

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William Bauer, Chair