2003 Assessment Results

1. 2003 Assessment Results Prepared for: The State of Nevada Department of Employment, Training, & Rehabilitation By: Pamela Gallion Cannon Center for Survey Research University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2. Overview of 2003 Project • Survey of Employers • Instrument & Methodology Development • Client Pre and Post Assessment Instruments • Point-of-Service Pilot Data • Job Development Services • Descriptive Report on Other States’ Practices • Transition Services • Focus Group Results & Instrument Development

3. Employer Survey Results • Completed interviews with 86 employers. • 93% of employers reported having • job openings this year. • 4298 jobs • 57 openings last year (average per employer) • 9 employers had 100 job openings (mode).

4. The Good News! • 49% of employers either contacted or were contacted by BVR/BSBVI for job placement! • 36% of the employers surveyed called either BVR or BSBVI for a qualified candidate. • 13% of employers were contacted by BVR or BSBVI to place a candidate.

5. Why Employers Didn’t Call BVR/BSBVI

6. Qualified Candidates • 25 of the 29 employers that called BVR/BSBVI received a qualified candidate. • 23 of the 25 were hired. • Only one employer reported that the candidate was not qualified.

7. Rehabilitation Counselors • 70% of employers that called BVR/BSBVI & hired a candidate received assistance from a rehabilitation counselor. • 56% rated counselor assistance “excellent” • 44% rated counselor assistance “good”

8. Ever Referred Employee to BVR/BSBVI • 34% reported yes. • This is twice the number that reported the same last year. • 24% reported “no need” to do so. • 79% of those that did refer employee to BVR/BSBVI received services that enabled them to retain employee. • All but 2 employers “DID” retain employee.

9. Didn’t Refer Employee to BVR/BSBVI • 30% reported no. • Reasons for not referring employee • Didn’t know about it. • Work with disabled ourselves. • Guidelines too rigid. • Didn’t know where to call.

10. Employer Incentives • 60% reported using • 37% used WOTC (work opportunity tax credit) • 31% used on-the-job-training • 23% used on-site work experience • 10% used all three employer incentives

11. Employer Incentives • 40% reported not using • 19% were not familiar with them • 3% had no need to use E.I. • 2% too much paper work involved • 10% various other reasons

12. Client Point-of Service Survey(Pre & Post Assessment) • New Methodology • Two Phases of Data Collection • Pre-Assessment: self-administered questionnaire at the time of application. • Post Assessment: via telephone interview 30 – 45 days after case closure.

13. Pilot Test Data • Responses from 70 respondents who applied to BVR/BSBVI by July 18, 2003 • All applicants but one were applicants to BVR

14. Services Needed to Assist in Going Back to Work.

15. What Services Our Clients Want the Most!

16. Time Expectations

17. Purchasing Job Development Services • This portion of the assessment covers information gathered from states that collectively have over 100 years of experience in purchasing services from community based vendors. • Texas – Always • Virginia – 30+ years • Illinois – 30+ years • Wisconsin – 20+ years • Oregon – 10 + years • Alabama - 8 years • Oklahoma – (No figure)

18. Services Purchased Most Often • Job Development – 6 States • Vocational Evaluations – 4 of 6 states • Job Placement – 4 of 6 states

19. How Plan for Transition to a Fee-Based System Was Developed • Consistent Patterns • No state reported hiring a consultant to aid in the transition process. • Three states sought input from current staff that would ultimately be making purchasing decisions • Two states did surveys with consumers and staff

20. Fees • Consistent Patterns • Fees are the same statewide • Fees are not based on actual expense • Fees are based on attainment of milestones or goals.

21. Payment of Fees • Typical fee-for-service arrangement is payment either at the start of the case or when the client finds a job (finding a job is often the 1st milestone/goal. • Final payment made when the final milestone is met (90 days of employment).

22. Examples • Texas: • Flat fee of $353 upon employment • At 90 days of employment vendor receives 100% of the last full week’s gross earnings • This figure is not to exceed $500 • Vendor must produce a check stub to receive maximum contract amount ($858) or will receive $200 at 90 days of employment.

23. Examples • Wisconsin: • 50% at point of hire ($900) • 50% at 90 days of employment • Total $1800

24. Examples • Illinois: • Base Plus Performance (equal payments made on the entire contract) • Divide funds for services into 2 components • Base component & performance • $5000 total for job development

25. Transition Services • Focus groups were used to gather information for transition services • Transition Forum helped coordinate them • Parents and students in Las Vegas, Reno, & Fallon attended the focus groups

26. Three Themes • More Vocational Rehab Counselors • Better communication between parties involved (parents, counselors, students, schools) • More money for funding of transition programs.

27. Providers of Transition Services • Four Ways to disseminate information about transition services. • Flyers • Readily available to parents & students • Schools need to be more involved • Public service announcements • Transition Expo • To be held throughout the state more often than once a year.

28. Providers of Transition Services Think That . . . • There needs to be more collaboration between parents & school district. • Schools need to take more responsibility for getting students into voc rehab. • Students need to advocate for themselves.

29. Transition Students & Parents • How did you find out about transitional services? • In most cases the student or parent seeks help on their own. • Often the process starts in schools but there appears to be no clear cut method of obtaining information or services. • “Some counselors are simply better than others at getting information to parents, and some parents are simply better than others at seeking out the information and services they need to help their children.”

30. Transition Students & Parents Think That . . . • Rehab counselors do not call them often enough. • Rehab counselors do not find jobs for them but, if they do, the jobs do not necessarily suit them… rather, suit the counselor’s need to close the case. • Parents think they are “left out” of the process when their child turns 18 and the counselor is no longer obligated to talk to them.

31. Transition Parents & Students Also . . . • Understand that counselors are restricted by what they can do by program guidelines and funding restrictions. – Although this does little to quell frustration

32. Transition Parents & Students Also . . . • Said “. . . There are some real awesome people working there (Voc Rehab) they are just so understaffed and so under funded. They have to spread themselves so thin and we appreciate what they do.”