We Care February 2017

Table of Contents
Page 1 -- A Success Story Page 2 -- GVRA Budget through the Second Quarter Page 3 and 4 -- How RWS is Becoming More Efficient Page 5 -- A Profile on House Speaker David Ralston Page 5 -- Nancy Shreve Retires after 28 years Page 6 and 7 -- Big Changes in GVRA Branding Page 8 -- Lauri Tuten Promoted Page 8 -- BEP Works to Educate Page 9 -- Vocational Assessment at RWS Page 10 -- GIB Wins National Award Page 10 -- DAS Employee of the Month Page 11 -- Legislative Update Page 12 -- Calendar Page 13 and 14 -- On Transition Page 14 and 15 -- Update from Around VR

The Courage to Keep Going
How one lady looked doubt in the eye and pushed forward

Jameisha Burden is a 22-year-old participant in Easter Seals' West Georgia's Supported Employment program.
She was referred by GVRA on September 13 of last year. Jameisha has spent the last four years trying to gain meaningful employment.
She participated in several training programs and worked with various employment service providers.
"I almost gave up on working," she said. "This was my last chance."
Her mother agreed, "We have been through all the programs and promised the same thing."
On October 6, Jameisha started working with Supported Employment staff at Easter Seals. Her vocational goal was to work in the food service industry or do janitorial work in a childcare setting. While interning at Easter Seals she learned how to use an industrial dishwasher, prep food and also overall skills needed to work in a kitchen setting.

Jameisha increased her self-confidence, social and communication skills.
Easter Seals staff also educated Jameisha on how to complete job applications and interview with employers. Jameisha applied for a part time job with Easter Seals as a kitchen assistant.
According to Darla Zacharias in Human Resources with Easter Seals, "Jameisha did great on her interview and I was really impressed."
"I almost gave up on working. This was my
last chance."
Jameisha was offered the Job on November 1. Being employed will open more doors for Jameisha and has helped her to accomplish her goal.
"I can meet people and make my own money," Jameisha said. "I feel good about having a job."

Let's Do the Numbers
Disability Adjudication Services -- $34,456,440 Georgia Industries for the Blind -- $3,235,337
Business Enterprise Program -- $ 956,547

These numbers represent monies spent through the second quarter of SFY 2018. GVRA remains on budget
and financially solvent.

Administration -- $6,234,665

Vocational Rehabilitation Program -- $53,667,736

Roosevelt Warm Springs Hospital -- $730,485

Roosevelt Warm Springs -- $8,042,491

Cave Spring Center -- $767,395

Field Services -- $44,857,850

Staff discuss ways to expand and expedite
services at RWS.

Increasing Efficiency at RWS
Discussing metrics and how we track success

GVRA leadership recently met at Roosevelt Warm Springs to discuss how residential services tracks its students and what changes they can implement to ensure that more students are served more efficiently.
The meeting, which lasted roughly half the day, began with a discussion on how RWS examines how enrollment and services provided compare from one year to the next. These numbers are discussed regularly among RWS leadership.

support services with program initiatives.
Theresa Williams, who heads the centralized admissions department at both RWS and CSC, outlined the proposed new process for admissions at both campuses. It would, effectively, have RWS or CSC counselors be assigned as the primary counselor for a student while he or she is on those campuses. As it stands now, their VR counselor remains their primary counselor through the entirety of their case.

The most generalized matrices includes such metrics as client days, admissions, discharges, clients served per month and averaged totals across these categories. Perhaps the most significant of these, said Jonathan Buxton, Financial Manager at RWS, is client days, as it looks at both how many students are on campus and for how long.
"While we cannot lose sight of the individualized nature of the programs and services we offer, RWS' data collection and reporting efforts are designed to provide leadership and managers objective data for use in programmatic and strategic initiatives. Targeted, specific, and measurable metrics which are aligned with the organization's mission and objectives allows us to measure our progress toward our goals and to pro-actively take corrective action if and when necessary," Jonathan said. "As we analyze both positive and negative trends and anomalies, we learn about what is working, what is not working, where there are efficiencies, inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement."
The next part of the presentation centered around staff training and collaboration on campus. RWS Director of Residential Services Lee Brinkley Bryan discussed how staff have monthly field training, and how leadership has developed a redesigned advisory committee for both RWS and Cave Spring Center (CSC), the whole of which aligns

"Metrics teach us what we need to know and how to improve."
Megon Steele, Vocational Assessment Services Manager, discussed how students move through the discovery process which initially shapes their experience at RWS.
Following that, Tiffany Hudson, Interim Director of Employment Development Services told the story of a student who had gone through the program and after graduating had found a job.
As it happened, GVRA staff in Covington worked in tandem with RWS employees to complete the application. The student studied at RWS, making progress in learning the skills he needed to find a job, and that's when RWS placement staff came in.
About a week after he walked across the stage at graduation, he was employed, and that's how the system is supposed to work.
"Everyone came together as a team," Tiffany said. "And most importantly, this student knew what he wanted to achieve and worked hard to get there. We're all very proud of him."

A Profile on Speaker David Ralston
We're continuing our regular feature on key leaders.

David Ralston is the 73rd Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, a position he has held since 2010. He was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2002, and represents House District 7, which includes Fannin and Gilmer counties and a portion of Dawson County.
As a member of the House of Representatives, Ralston previously served as Chairman of the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee and Vice Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Prior to serving in the House, Ralston served in the Georgia State Senate from 1992 until

1998 when he won the Republican nomination for Attorney General of Georgia.
He is the immediate past Chair of the Southern Legislative Conference and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures. His also a member of the Executive Committee of the national Speakers Conference.
Ralston was named the 2010 Georgian of the Year by Georgia Trend Magazine.
Born in Ellijay, Ralston is a graduate of Gilmer County High School. He went on to attend Young Harris College and North Georgia College (now the University of North Georgia), where he earned his bachelor's degree with honors. He later received his law degree from the University Of Georgia.attorney in Blue Ridge.

Nancy Shreve Retires After 28 Years
Thank you for your service to individuals with disabilities.

After more than 28 years in service to Georgians with disabilities, Nancy Shreve, Administrative Operations Manager with VR retired Feb. 1.
During that time, Nancy worked as administrative assistant and an administrative operations coordinator before rising to her last position.
Nancy wrote an email to all staff on her last day, and it's in full below.

"I wanted to express my thankfulness for the time that we have shared over the last 28 years while working within the VR Program.
I have learned a lot in each one of the positions I have held and I have enjoyed working with each of you. I pray for only the very best for each of you, personally, and for the GVRA program as well. Working with the staff and clients has been my heart and soul for a long time and I will miss you! Remember to always keep your focus on the customer, whether external or internal, and do what is best for them and everything will be alright!
I pray for continued success and blessings for the GVRA program and each of you!"

Some Big Announcements on Branding
A new logo and a new website were recently unveiled
Due to the implementation of ABLE savings accounts in Georgia, GVRA was recently mandated to change its web domain and logo. Here's what that means. The logos are on the following page.
Production
The Office of Communications and Marketing is seizing the rebranding initiative as an opportunity to elevate GVRA's presence. Updated collateral, marketing displays and outreach items will be
distributed to all local offices and program sites.
Advertising
In partnership with the Georgia Association of Broadcaster's (GAB) Public Education Program (PEP) for state agencies and not-for-profit entities, GVRA is in its second quarter of radio Public Service Advertisements. Two different 30 second spots have aired on 179 radio stations in addition to live-to-tape radio interviews. The most recent radio interview with Executive Director Sean Casey will air the weekend of February 12 in an edited 30 minute news talk format. 35 iHeart Radio stations across Georgia will carry the broadcast.
Multimedia
GVRA is rolling out, in weekly installments, videos that highlight the technical certifications offered through Roosevelt Warm Springs. A series of eight total have been produced in addition to a long-form video that provides potential clients with a virtual tour of the 943 acre campus.
In February, GVRA will unveil success story videos that highlight the accomplishments of clients and staff. A series of three will be released digitally on the organization's website and social media and will be used as an outreach tool in community presentations.
Branding
The Office of Communications and Marketing is spearheading the overhaul of GVRA's brand, the most visual representation of which is a logo in two tones of blue and white. The centerpiece of this logo is a shooting star inside a square, with the words GVRA above and either the organization name, program name, or tagline ("The Right Talent for the Right Job") below. Multiple variations of this logo may be used as appropriate. In ensuring uniform application across all outward facing aspects of promotions, GVRA letterhead, business cards, marketing displays, printed collateral, electronic signatures, branded items and advertising will feature the situationally appropriate logo.
Additionally, GVRA is changing its domain from ablegeorgia.ga.gov to gvs.ga.gov. The "gvs" portion of the domain represents Georgia Vocational Services, and the intention is to inclusively represent all five statutory programs as well as those populations GVRA serves who don't require rehabilitation in the clinical sense, such as people with sensory disabilities. Conversion of the website to gvs.ga.gov was completed in early February.

The New Program Logos
The new logo was voted the winner by GVRA staff

Lauri Tuten Promoted to Transition Director

Lauri Tuten has been named Director of Transition Services for GVRA. Congrats Lauri!
Lauri received a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Augusta College and a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Alabama. Lauri began her career with the Columbia and Wilkes County Department of Family & Children Services in the field of Employment Services.
Other experience includes Education Coordinator for the Georgia Peach Corps operated by the Department of Community Affairs and as Family Connection Coordinator for Jefferson County where she worked with at-risk students and youth to achieve their high school diplomas or GED's and enter into post-secondary training and employment.
Lauri began work with the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Program as a Vocational

Counselor in May 1997 where she worked a general caseload and as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for Transition.
She obtained Certified Rehabilitation Counselor credentials in October 2002. In May 2005, she was promoted to the position of Rehabilitation Unit Manager until she was promoted to Assistant Director of Transition Services in January 2016. In this role, she has developed strong collaborative relationships with the GaDOE and other state and national organizations and agencies.
She is responsible for implementing and managing the $5 million dollar Georgia Pathways to Work Grant known as E3: Explore, Engage, Employ as a model for statewide transition services.
She is the current President of the Georgia Rehabilitation Association and has served as GRA Vice President and held other positions at the local and state level.
She lives in Thomson, Georgia with her spouse of 27 years, Joey. She has a daughter and son, Amanda and Jake and a granddaughter, Annabelle.

BEP Works to Accommodate Blind Vendor

BEP is proud to announce that the blind vendor who won the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Micro-mart location in College Park has gained full access for his guide dog to enter the facility.
BEP staff, working with the GVRA legal team, worked to educate FAA officials at the facility about accommodations and the fact that the vendor would not be able to perform his job without the help of his guide dog.
Staff also worked to ensure proper food safety by establishing a set route for the dog to take when in the facility to avoid food contamination.

They even went as far as fashioning hair nets for the dog's legs.
In the end, the property manager gained a greater understanding of proper accommodations and allowed the vendor and his dog in the facility.
It was truly an example of how education and awareness can shape people's understanding of disability and further meet federal requirements as outlined in the ADA and other legislation.

About Vocational Assessment
Highlighting two Assessment Technicians at RWS
Written by Vocational Assessment Services Manager Megon Steele

Rudene Hightower and Stephanie Mahone are Vocational Assessment Technicians at Roosevelt Warm Springs' Vocational Assessment Services (VAS) department.
Their job is to plan and observe hands-on job tasks in integrated settings for clients being served through VAS to explore jobs and try out new skills.
In May 2016, the two were given the opportunity to increase their knowledge of best practices and techniques when coaching and serving job seekers with disabilities.
Rudene and Stephanie both jumped at the chance to enroll in the University of Georgia's Institute on Human Development and Disability's WorkWorks online Employment Services Specialist certificate course. They are nearing completion of the course and have spent many hours working toward their certification.
Colleagues say both ladies are seasoned workers with rich experiences helping people with disabilities. Still, they say they have learned a lot from the coursework.
Rudene shared that Dr. Adele Patrick, her instructor, has been a wealth of information and has encouraged her to improve her quality of work product over the past year.
"He sends me feedback that challenges me," she said. "The course has made me think about people with disabilities from another perspective. I'll definitely be proud when I have finished this."
Stephanie added, "It has been really hard! It's different taking an online course where you can't see the instructor [Dr. Phillip Chase]. And it can be tough to hear the feedback, but the knowledge I have gained is

great. I know it is going to help me in my job."
Stephanie and Rudene also both attended the 2016 Conference of Georgia Association for People Supporting Employment-First (GAPSE) in October, held at UGA.
They got to meet their instructors and introduce themselves, in addition to adding to their knowledge of employment trends and best practices.
Their supervisor, Megon Steele, is excited to have staff who are eager to continue learning.
"What Rudene and Stephanie are accomplishing through this course shows us that even with many years of experience under our belts, we are never too seasoned to learn to serve our clients better," Megon said. "I am so glad that UGA's IHDD offers this course. This is the kind of practical information front-line workers in GVRA can actually use!"
Stephanie and Rudene have learned about topics such as providing assistance to individuals in the workplace, marketing to potential employers, assessment of potential work-sites and supervisors, the importance and identification of natural supports, strategies for addressing negative employer attitudes, client choice and integration.
Participants in the course have a year to complete nine units in the program. Both technicians expect to be Certified Employment Services Specialists by May 2017.
"I'm really proud of both of them," Megon said. "They've worked really hard."

GIB Earns National Award
National Industries for the Blind Honors GIB

Georgia Industries for the Blind (GIB) was honored by National Industries for the Blind (NIB)--the nation's largest employment resource for people who are blind--with the 2016 Employment Growth Award.
The award recognizes GIB's efforts to increase employment retention, growth and upward mobility for people who are blind.
"Georgia Industries for the Blind is proud to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind in Bainbridge and Griffin, said Luis Narimatsu, GIB Co-Director. "Our employees are talented and dedicated professionals, and we are delighted that they

are being recognized as an example of the capabilities of people who are blind."
Kevin Lynch, President and CEO of NIB, echoed those sentiments, praising the leaders and staff at GIB for a job well done.
"It is an honor for me to recognize Georgia Industries for the Blind with an Employment Growth Award for 2016," Lynch said. "GIB continues to lead the way in creating employment and high growth opportunities for people who are blind."

DAS Employee of the Month
Below is Takeeya Lee's Nomination for Brynda Hiller

I would like to nominate Brynda Hiller for employee of the month.
Brynda constantly goes above and beyond to assist not only those in her unit, but all employees throughout the agency. She is the epitome of a team player and never complains about taking on additional work.
The monthly work schedule I created for January only ran the unit until January 30th,

so the work for the 31st would have needed to be distributed among all staff. But not while Brynda's on the job!
She took the liberty to complete all the work to create a day of peace for her fellow co-workers.
This type of work ethic is not seen every day, unless you have the pleasure of working with Ms. Bryn!!!
She is the glue that keeps my unit together and I appreciate her for all she does, even beyond her 8-4:30 work schedule. She is more than an employee of the month to me, she is THE EMPLOYEE to be!!!!
Thank you for all that you do!
[Ed. Note: Brynda is pictured in the middle with Takeeya on the left and DAS Director Rita McWhorter on the right.]

Legislative Update
By Chief External Affairs Officer Katie Womick

Thursday, February 2nd marked the 12th day of the Legislative Session, and the pace of activity at the Capitol is starting to pick up. The day before, both chambers of the General Assembly passed Senate Resolution 132. This resolution lays out the final session calendar, and many were happy to see that session will end "on time", with day 40 falling on Thursday, March 30th. This month the legislature will meet 16 days, taking us through legislative day 26.
This year's calendar has one noticeable Difference, as Crossover Day has been moved from day 28 to day 30. This is significant as Crossover Day is the last day a bill can pass from the legislative chamber in which it was introduced (The House of Representatives or the Senate) to the other legislative chamber for consideration. Legislation that does not "cross over" from one chamber to another cannot be passed this session and therefore will not become law. The Senate changed this date upon recommendation from last year's Senate Legislative Process Study Committee, members of which believe that the change will allow legislators more time (2 extra legislative days) to review legislation before its final passage. Legislative Day 28 this year will fall on Friday, March 3rd.
The budgetary process is in full swing in the House and Senate, and so far the outlook is bright for GVRA. Our recommended budgetary allocation for fiscal year 2018 is an increase from fiscal year 2017. Executive Director Sean Casey's presentation before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees was well received.
House Bill 43, the first of six bills that contain the state budget, has crossed over from the House to the Senate and will be discussed by the Senate Appropriations Committee this week.

To date, over 300 bills have been introduced on the General Assembly floor. Senate Bill 79, the "Destination Resort Act", has garnered a great deal of attention. If passed, this bill will legalize the creation and operation of two resort casinos in Georgia. Proponents of the bill claim it will bring more tourism to the state and increase funding for the HOPE scholarship. Opponents worry it could decrease the amount of money spent on the Georgia Lottery and therefore decrease the overall money allocated to HOPE Scholarships, also referencing the potential moral implications of legalizing gambling in the state.
Senator Renee Unterman's "Enhancing Mental Health Treatment in Georgia Act," (SB4) has been favorably reported by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. If passed, this legislation would create the Georgia Mental Health Treatment Task Force. This body would be tasked with assessing access to mental health treatment in Georgia and exploring ways to increase services offered.
Senator Allen Peake's HB65 once again puts medical cannabis on the table. HB65 would add six new conditions to the eligibility list for the Low THC Oil Patient registry, including autism, AIDs and PTSD. House Speaker David Ralston established a Medical Cannabis Working Group, which met on Feb. 1 to discuss the bill and its impact on individuals with these conditions and their families.
Look out for upcoming legislative updates as we work to represent GVRA at the Capitol. questions.
Please reach out to Katie Womick, Chief External Affairs Officer, (Katie.Womick@gvs.ga.gov) with any legislative questions.

Calendar of Events
Don't miss out on these upcoming opportunities! February
Georgia Hall Society Ball February 25 6135 Roosevelt Highway Warm Springs, GA 31830
March
Heart of Georgia Transition Alliance March 8 1100 SE 2nd Street Cochran, GA 31014
Georgia Industries for the Blind Open House March 9 from 10 a.m. to noon 700 Faceville Highway Bainbridge, GA 39819
Atlanta Public Schools Parent Expo March 16 1550 Hosea Williams Drive Atlanta, GA 30317

All About Transition

By GVRA Transition Director Lauri Tuten

College and Career Counseling Workshop Mr. Richard Woods, Georgia School Superintendent, invited GVRA to participate in a two-day workshop focused on developing a system-wide College and Career Counseling Improvement Plan. The workshop was provided by the Georgia Department of Education with presentations by Southern Regional Education Board consultants.
Because of GVRA's increased collaborative efforts with GaDOE Special Education Services and Support and the Career, Technical and Agriculture Department, GVRA staff were invited to work with district and school staff to develop a plan focused on a Counseling for Careers (C4C) initiative which aims to produce more high school graduates and fewer dropouts. There were seven essential strategies outlined in C4C and they are as follows:
* Classroom instruction and assignments allow students to see the relevance of their studies to carriers and successful futures
* Advisement is provided to all students in order to promote relationship-building between educators and students
* C4C is an exploratory initiative that helps students transition from elementary to middle school, from middle school to high school and from high school to postsecondary
* C4C places an emphasis on Career Clusters, career pathways and programs of study

GVRA staff had the opportunity to network with educators and to have input into their comprehensive career counseling plan for all students which meets the inclusive language in WIOA legislation.
Burton Blatt/Southeast ADA Self Advocacy Training On January 10, E3 staff, participating E3 pilot districts, VR staff that currently serve those districts and a representative from Workforce Development attended training on ADA Self Advocacy curriculum. In collaboration with the Burton Blatt Institute, the E3 Team and the Southeast ADA Center developed a curriculum on self-advocacy. This training is designed to be a train-the-trainer model so that those who were in attendance will have the knowledge and curriculum to teach the curriculum to local school staff personnel, students, parents and VR staff.
Deputy Executive Director Kevin Harris welcomed everyone to the training. Kevin emphasized on behalf of GVRA Executive Director Sean Casey that VR's focus is on transition and eventually the services in the pilot districts will ultimately be a model for all 159 school districts across the state. Kevin stated that in order to have a great organization it will require three key components: the right people, the right processes and the right technology. Kevin thanked everyone for their hard work, mentioning that self-advocacy is one of the pre-employment transition services required under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

* In C4C, all students create individual, personalized education and career plans
* In C4C all students have opportunities to engage in education and career awareness
* C4C places an emphasis on increased parent and community partnerships

Listed below are the first 4 modules addressing areas of the ADA law with interactive activities designed to be delivered in 15 20 minutes to hold the interest of the students. An additional four modules are in development. * Module 1 - Pathways to Careers; ADA Roadmap

* Module 2 - Disclosure Decisions and Talking about my Disability * Module 3- The ADA in the Workplace * Module 4- The ADA in Higher Education
Georgia Academy for the Blind used the first module on January 13 at their weekly "Ready for the World" class. The training will be evaluated and adapted to the needs of the audience and then will be provided to other GVRA schools and professionals to teach to students and youth with disabilities.
E3 interviews at GPB On January 20, E3 Staff participated in interview segments at Georgia Public Broadcasting. Topics included social media and website development. Interview segments will be used to provide students, parents, educators and employers with information on VR Services. The intent will be to help staff in the field to deliver introductions to the VR processes in a way that appeals to all audiences. The videos will later be utilized on the E3 website and social media channels to help reinforce the program's goal of helping students and youth with disabilities find meaningful employment.

GAB students tour BEP Vendor Site Students at Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB), a pilot district for the E3 grant, got a taste of the business world in January as they visited the United Stated District Court for the Middle District of Georgia to visit with blind vendor, Shawn Williams. Shawn operates a snack bar on the first floor of the courthouse and some of his customers include judges, attorneys and other individuals frequenting or visiting the courthouse. Shawn operates 11 other vending locations in the Macon area through the Business Enterprise (BEP) Program and recently received an award for his work with the BEP. On their visit, the students got to work closely with Shawn and were shown how to do various day-to-day tasks including taking money from customers, operating a calculator and cash register and even making sure the shelves were stocked appropriately. Shawn had arranged for a new shipment of food items to arrive while the students were there so that they could help him unload the items and organize them in the correct locations.

Updates on VR Activities

By GVRA Chief Client Management Officer Dale Arnold

Behavioral Health GVRA continues to focus on behavioral health. We are pleased to be moving forward with hiring a statewide coordinator for behavioral health services. This position will be available to support staff with client and or program-related behavioral health issues as well as collaborate with our external partners. Also in February, in continuation of our collaboration with DBHDD, training was provided to staff on mental health first aid on February 3rd in Macon.
Autism and Developmental Disabilities In partnership with Georgia State University's Center for Leadership in Disability, we have continued to provide training to our designated developmental disabilities

counselors and providers. Positive behavioral support training is underway. Two cohorts began their training in February. Training consists of class room instruction and one on one guided field experience. Each cohort is comprised of GVRA staff and provider staff. Feedback from the initial training has been very positive.
Blind Services On January 28, GVRA participated in the "Journey to Light" Gala that was presented by Living Life Team, Inc. Visually Impaired Support Group. This event was held at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center in Madison, Georgia in celebration of their 1st year Anniversary. It was held in conjunction with a fundraiser titled: "Dining in the Dark," which

provided guests the opportunity to enjoy their dinner in darkness and gain appreciation for what it is like to perform an everyday task without sight.
The Living Life Team is a private non-profit organization that was started by Rita Harris. Rita is doing a remarkable job growing this support group, and their desire is to become a service provider to other people in the area experiencing vision loss.
Special thanks to the Athens office staff who attended: Aleeshia Longino (Counselor), Latricie Demming (Counselor), Tameka Martin (Counselor Assistant) and Christi Duncan (Counselor Assistant), in addition to GVRA Blindness along with State Coordinator of the Blind Paul Raymond.
Several other important events occurred in January. Two full days of blind and low vision and deaf and hard of hearing training was provided to the south quadrant in Valdosta.
The National Federation of the Blind of Georgia held its 2016 annual convention in Savannah on January 13-15. The original fall convention had to be postponed due to Hurricane Matthew. Greg Aikens was elected as the new president.
Deaf and Blind More than 300 professionals from 40 states attended the SERID national conference in Atlanta, hosted by GVRA in October of 2016.
The Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness (SERID) is a national conference involving representatives from state special education agencies, vocational rehabilitation agencies, and state associations of the deaf.
The focus of this conference is based on building cooperative relationships among special educators, rehabilitation specialists and deaf consumer groups to improve service delivery to people with hearing loss including Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deaf-Blind.
The target audience for this professional learning event includes VR counselors, mental

In attendance were health professionals, interpreters, employers, consumers, educators, and other persons interested in issues affecting individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and/or late-deafened. It aims to further knowledge concerning these issues through publications, studies and educational programs.
This years topics ranged from emergency preparedness in the deaf community, deafness 101, deafhood and interpreting for deaf-blind.
SERID is the product of vocational rehabilitation services from 8 different contributing states: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina and Mississippi. Each state takes a turn once every eight years hosting SERID. Jackson, Mississippi will be hosting SERID in 2017.
Pictured below is Jared Patton, State coordinator of the Deaf for GVRA awarding Mrs. Dana Tarter from the Georgia school for the Deaf with the Educator of Year award at SERID 2016.

"Perseverence
is failing 19 times
and succeeding
on the 20th."

About this publication
It's your newsletter, and we want to hear from you.

Written by Communications Manager John Peyton Boan

I personally hope you found this issue of the GVRA monthly newsletter informed and that you use it as a resource to help others learn about what we do and how we help Georgians.
This month, we presented you with a success story, a breakdown of the budget through the second quarter of the fiscal year, an explanation of how RWS is looking to streamline its processes and an update on the legislative session as it heats up under the Gold Dome.
All of that said, this is a resource for you whether you're a client, an employee, a partner or simply someone who is interested in the good work we do.

If you know of a success story or a disability resource or anything else that you think might belong in this newsletter, please don't hesitate to let me know. My email is john.boan@gvs.ga.gov.
As always, if you ever need anything from me or anyone else in the organization, don't hesitate to ask. And as always, my office door is always open (I'm in a cubicle).
Until next month, JPB

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