4.11(d) Strategies and Use of Title I Funds for Innovation and Expansion Activities to Address Needs Identified in the Comprehensive Assessment and to Achieve Identified Goals and Priorities

Methods to Expand and Improve Services to Blind and Visually Impaired Iowans
The Department will expand and improve services to blind and visually Impaired Iowans in several ways. First, the Department will increase staffing capacity. The Department has been understaffed in field positions, particularly in VR services, in eastern and northwestern Iowa. Currently, the Department's eight VR Counselors are either based in Des Moines or Waterloo. The Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area is the second most-populous region in the state. The Sioux City micropolitan area is located in the otherwise rural region of northwest Iowa. Hiring VR Counselors in these locations ensures that blind and visually impaired Iowans residing in those areas will receive timely service visits. We also anticipate that these staff additions will increase referrals from those areas and result in a better representation of Iowans from micropolitan areas, which has seen a decrease in recent years.

Second, the Department plans to add a more robust employment component to its transition programs. Our transition programs have focused on peer interaction, recreational activities, education, and job seeking skills. These activities are important to our youth population, who tend to have little or no interaction with blind or visually impaired peers or role models. Learning about the job market and developing job seeking skills are also important facets of the program. However, early employment experience is key to future success. Therefore, the Department plans to implement a pilot program on youth employment to augment the employment piece of our transition program.

Finally, the Department will work with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services on the agreements with the Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRP) in the state. This collaboration will result in useful resources for our supported employment clients, increased referral sources, and consistency in the partnerships between the vocational rehabilitation programs and the CRPs.

Assistive Technology

Methods to provide a broad range of assistive technology services and devices to blind and visually impaired Iowans at each stage of the rehabilitation process

The Department has three staff providing assistive technology services. Technology staff use a formalized, standard technology assessment tool that helps our counselors identify the technology needs of their clients and appropriate equipment. Every client who seeks assistance in purchasing technology undergoes a rigorous technology skill assessment to determine (1) how proficiently the client can use technology and (2) in what areas the client may need extra training. The technology assessments ensure that funds are spent on appropriate technology and that clients know how to use the technology productively. To ensure that clients use the equipment to its greatest potential, the assessment allows staff to provide training that is customized to the needs of the individual. These assessments are generally completed at the beginning of the VR process; however they can be done at any time that a need for assistive technology is identified.

The technology staff also support employers through the performance of worksite assessments and through training and technical assistance that is customized to their employment situation. Our technology staff offer information and advice on assistive technology and accessibility to employers through seminars, e-mail, telephone calls, and in-service demonstrations.

The Department's Orientation Center includes a class on computer and assistive technology. All students enrolled in the Orientation Center are required to take this class. This class is individualized to meet the needs of each student based upon an initial assessment. As needed, training covers the areas of keyboarding, screen access software and hardware, Windows, and the Microsoft Office Suite. Other communications devices, such as note takers and digital recorders, may also be covered.

Finally, the Department's Technology Resource Center offers clients the opportunity to evaluate and learn to use a wide variety of assistive technology, including screen access software, screen magnification software, note takers, Braille displays, and more. The Loaner Pool provides equipment to clients whose equipment at work has failed or who require an extended period of technology evaluation.

Provision of assistive technology services and devices on a statewide basis

All clients regardless of location receive a technology assessment and appropriate assistive technology when it has been determined that such technology will be needed for employment or education. The technology staff travel across the state to provide individual technology assessments and worksite assessments, and they are available for technical support via e-mail and telephone.

Outreach
Outreach procedures for identifying and serving blind and visually impaired Iowans who are minorities or who have been unserved or underserved by the VR program

Staff engage in a variety of outreach activities around the state both to promote the Department's services and to educate the general public, including newly blind persons, regarding the capabilities of persons who are blind. Currently, we are consolidating outreach efforts across all divisions to ensure quality and consistency in message and materials. An Information Specialist has been hired to coordinate all future marketing, outreach, and public education efforts. Recent outreach activities have included open house events, community based trainings, print and radio interviews, distribution of informational materials, tours of the Department, and presentations to employers, community services organizations, schools, self-help groups, and more. These events reach over 10,000 people annually. Like other blind agencies, self-referral is the most commonly recorded referral source. Many applicants have heard about the Department through community organizations and family or friends who have attended a presentation.

In addition to direct contact with the public, we utilize other providers throughout the state to assist us in promoting the Department. Through its involvement with statewide Workforce System partnerships and the statewide Governance Group, the Department has established a network of referral sources to tap into populations who may not be directly contacted by the Department or may not initially believe or realize the Department is a resource for them.

Plans for Establishing, Developing, or Improving Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRP), if applicable

Based on the results of the recent comprehensive needs assessment, the Department does not currently have plans to establish, develop, or improve the CRPs in the state. Most respondents to our CRP survey indicated that they had a good working relationship with the Department and rated their ability to provide employment related services to blind and visually impaired individuals as good or adequate. The Department has arranged training for those who rated their ability as poor.

The lack of referrals from the CRPs is a cause for concern. Both the survey and data from the Section 107 monitoring review (Table 15: Referral Sources for Individuals Closed Who Received Services) reveal that CRPs are not a significant source of referrals. Service providers are a target audience in our outreach effort, and we anticipate an increase in referrals from all sources across the state as a result.

Strategies to Improve Performance on Standards and Indicators

The following table shows the Department's performance on the Standards and Indicators for the last three years.

The Department routinely performs well on the Standards and Indicators. However, the Department has not met Indicator 1.6 in the last three years. While the Department encourages self-sufficiency, a number of local factors cause barriers to self-sufficiency. Recent reports show that achieving self-support in Iowa is difficult both because of wages and the quality of jobs in the state. Iowa is a low-wage state, ranking 34th nationally for our median wage and 7th in our nine-state region. Wages have stagnated since 2001. Cost of living research has shown that in Iowa each parent in a two-parent, two-child household must earn a minimum of $10.92 just to cover very basic needs. The 2006 median wage in Iowa was $13.77 per hour; one-third of jobs in Iowa paid less than $10.92. Further, the percentage of jobs offering health benefits has from fallen from 73% in 1998 to 58% in 2007. Without employer provided health coverage, many clients need social support programs to obtain that coverage or go without. Earnings limits for public medical coverage programs and other support programs encourage clients to keep monthly earnings low in order to maintain eligibility. Many clients rely on a combination of earnings, income from a spouse or family member, Social Security benefits, and other public supports to meet their basic needs. (The State of Working Iowa 2008 and The Cost of Living in Iowa (2008), The Iowa Policy Project and Making Work Pay for Iowa's Families (2008), National Center for Children in Poverty)

The Department recognizes that reliance on public support is not an ideal situation, but is necessary for many Iowans, including those who are blind or visually impaired. Discussions across Iowa are beginning to coalesce into a united effort to address the disincentives to work that are part of Iowa's public support programs.

Assisting Other Components of the Statewide Workforce Investment System in Assisting Iowans who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Iowans with disabilities, including those who are blind or visually impaired, have access to a number of employment-related services through the statewide workforce investment system. To ensure that blind job seekers have full access to the employment services they need, the Department has maintained working relationships with other state agencies providing employment services to Iowans through its partnerships with the 16 Regional Workforce Investment Boards and through its participation in the Governance Group.

The Governance Group, organized in 1998, includes administrative personnel from the Iowa Governor’s Developmental Disability Council, the Division of Persons with Disabilities, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS), Department of Human Services, Workforce Development, Department of Education and the Department for the Blind. The purpose of the Governance Group is to ensure that partner agencies deliver quality employment services to individuals with disabilities by addressing the barriers to collaborative efforts that their varying policies and procedures can create. Several joint efforts have come from this group:

Employers Disability Resource Network (EDRN). This employer development team seeks to increase employment of persons with disabilities by pooling agency resources and providing technical expertise to employers throughout the state. Members of this group include staff from the Department for the Blind, IVRS, Veteran's Administration, Small Business Administration, Division of Persons with Disabilities, Workforce Development, and the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant program. Members of this group have presented to 20 employers and employer organizations throughout the state.

Disability Program Navigators. The Governance Group applied for and received the Department of Labor's Disability Program Navigator grant in 2003. This program is administered by Workforce Development and members of the Governance Group, including a staff person from the Department for the Blind, provide program oversight. Recently, Iowa's One-Stop centers became Employment Networks (EN) through the Social Security's Ticket to Work program. In addition to their other duties, the Disability Program Navigators provide information to ticketholders about the Ticket to Work program and about the Employment Networks in the state that provide employment-related services. The Department for the Blind and IVRS have a memorandum of agreement in place with the One-Stop EN that outlines referral procedures for the EN and the Department and IVRS. Staff from the Department and IVRS meet routinely with Workforce Development staff and the Disability Program Navigators to ensure that ticketholders are directed to the most appropriate services.

Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program. The Governance Group applied for and received Social Security's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) grant in 2006. This program is administered by Workforce Development and members of the Governance Group, including a Department staff person, provide program oversight. The WIPA program provides benefits analysis and planning to Iowans with disabilities who are interested in returning to work or increasing earnings from employment. Accurate information on the impact earnings have on Social Security benefits is crucial in ensuring those individuals are able to make informed decisions about working. Since 2006, the WIPA program has provided information and/or benefits plans to 1,265 Iowans with disabilities, including 41 Iowans who are blind or visually impaired. The grant period for this program will expire in 2010, and a new funding award will be issued by the Social Security Administration. The Governance Group plans to submit an application for this funding in order to continue the WIPA program in Iowa.

Promise Jobs - Disability Specialists Initiative.
Promise Jobs is the employment component of the Family Investment Program (FIP), Iowa's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program. In 2007, the Promise Jobs program implemented an initiative to work with case managers in identifying participants with disabilities that present a barrier to employment and self-sufficiency. Those participants are referred to a Disability Specialist. The Disability Specialists provide enhanced assessment, intensive case management services, and networking with and referrals to partner agencies as needed. Blindness or visual impairment has recently been added as a disability category to the Disability Specialists report form. In the future, data on the number of blind or visually impaired Iowans served by this program will be available.

The Department is actively engaged in working with the workforce system partners. These efforts ensure that our VR clients have access to all employment services available and that the partner agencies have access to Department staff when technical assistance or information is needed.

Strategies to Achieve Goals and Priorities identified in Attachment 4.11(c)(1)

VR Goal 1: All blind and visually impaired Iowans who require Vocational Rehabilitation services to obtain or retain employment receive them.

Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive, long-range marketing and outreach plan to increase awareness of and referrals to the Department.

Timeline: Plan will be developed and implemented by October 1, 2010. Revisions will be on-going.

Measures: The following measures will be used to gauge progress toward goal:

        - Number of Referrals Compared to Previous Year
        - Percentage of New Referrals to Re-referrals
        - Percentage of Referrals Aged 14 to 64
        - Number of Applications Compared to Previous Year

FFY2008 Baseline Data for Selected Measures
Total Number of Referrals: 1,227
Number of Referrals Compared to Previous Year: - 180
Percentage of New Referrals to Re-referrals: 67%
Percentage of Referrals aged 14 to 64: 31%
Total Number of VR Applications: 108
Number of Applications Compared to Previous Year: -44

VR Goal 2: All blind and visually impaired transition age youth experience employment outcomes that are commensurate with those of older blind and visually impaired Iowans.

Strategy: Develop and implement a pilot youth employment program to expand the Department's transition programs.

Timeline: The pilot program will be developed, implemented, and completed by October 1, 2010. Evaluations regarding the pilot program's effectiveness and feasibility of expansion of the program will determine future timelines for this initiative.

Measures: The following measures will be used to gauge progress toward goal:

        - Percentage of individuals aged 14-24 at application who close successfully employed after services
        - Number of participants in pilot program
        - Percentage of pilot program participants in employment

FFY2008 Baseline Data for Selected Measures
Percentage of individuals aged 14-24 at application who close successfully employed after services: 39.39%
Percentage of individuals aged 25 and older at application who close successfully employed after services: 69.38%
Number of participants in pilot program: N/A
Percentage of pilot program participants in employment: N/A

VR Goal 3: All blind and visually impaired Iowans with identified secondary disabilities achieve employment outcomes that are commensurate with blind and visually impaired Iowans who do not have an identified secondary disability.

Strategy: Develop and implement new training and procedures for staff on identifying and assessing secondary disabilities and on case planning for VR clients with identified secondary disabilities.

Timeline: New procedures and training will be completed by October 1, 2010. Revisions will be on-going.

Measures: The following measures will be used to gauge progress toward goal:

        - Percentage of individuals with identified secondary disabilities who close successfully employed after services

FFY2008 Baseline Data for Selected Measures

Percentage individuals with identified secondary disabilities who close successfully employed after services: 55.13%

Percentage of individuals without an identified secondary disability who close successfully employed after services: 70.43%

SE Goal: All blind and visually impaired Iowans who require supported employment services to obtain or retain competitive employment receive them.

Strategy: Develop and implement new supported employment training and procedures for staff and utilize new supported employment resources throughout Iowa.

Timeline: New procedures and training will be completed by October 1, 2010. Revisions will be on-going.

Measures: The following measures will be used to gauge progress toward goal:

        - Number of closed individuals who had supported employment services on their Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE).
        - Percentage of individuals who close successfully employed after receiving supported employment services

FFY2008 Baseline Data for Selected Measures

Number of individuals closed who had supported employment services on their Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE): 12
Percentage of individuals who close successfully employed after receiving supported employment services: 75%

Strategies to Support Innovation and Expansion Activities

The Department will utilize the following strategies in the development and implementation of innovative approaches to expand and improve VR services to blind and visually impaired Iowans under the State Plan and for the support of the Statewide Independent Living Council.

Marketing and Outreach Effort. The Department has contracted with Essman/Associates to develop a long-term marketing plan. Essman/Associates will develop an effective, identifiable image or "brand" for the Department, which will include a memorable logo, tag line, and platform message. They will also develop Public Service Announcements for television and radio. Finally, they will develop strategies for reaching targeted audiences including blind and visually-impaired Iowans and their families, employers, service providers, and minorities. Once developed, the plan will be utilized by staff in outreach activities for the next several years.

Web Site Redesign.
The Department's web site layout and formatting has not changed in over 9 years. The site requires a complete redesign to convey a more professional appearance and create a more useable experience for site visitors. The target audiences for the site are blind and visually impaired individuals, families, employers, and other service providers. The Department contracted with OJC Technologies to assist in this redesign work. OJC Technologies will ensure that the site is accessible to cross-platform technology, including assistive technology. They will also employ online marketing strategies to increase traffic to the site. The web site redesign will coordinate with the Department's overall marketing and outreach effort.

Iowa Self Employment (ISE) Program for Persons with Disabilities.
The Iowa Self Employment program for Persons with Disabilities is a collaborative effort between IVRS and the Department. The purpose of this program is to provide technical and financial assistance to qualified individuals with disabilities whose desired vocational outcome is self employment.

Statewide Independent Living Council.
The Iowa Department for the Blind and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services provide a combined total of $50,000 in innovation and expansion funds to the Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC). The Department's share of that $50,000 is $10,000 (20%).

Strategies to Overcome Barriers Relating to Equitable Access to and Participation of Blind and Visual Impaired Iowans in the Vocational Rehabilitation Program and the Supported Employment Program

The Department for the Blind does not discriminate in eligibility for VR services or in the provision of VR services or programs based on gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Demographic information collected at application is used in aggregate for internal monitoring as well as for mandatory reports.

Each year, all staff are required to participate in a 4-hour training session designed to expand knowledge and awareness of diversity issues. In addition, the Department addresses potential language barriers by providing interpreters and materials in other languages, as needed, at no cost to the applicant or client.