Annual report, 1999 / Georgia Division of Rehabilitative Services, State Rehabilitation Council

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MAR 15 2002
DOCUMENTS UA LIBRARIE~

GE . QRGIA

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ANNUAL REPORT

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Mem.bership

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M embership tq the sixteen-person State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) is based on . ~~ fed.era! requirements outlined in the 1998 amendments to-the Rehabili~ation Act. Appointments are made by the Governor to include citizens and advocates

with varied backgrounds,- representing geographic and ethnic diversity. While the

Governor may elect to'reconstitute the entire <;:ounci.1--in 2000, he will appoint at least two

new members - one r~presentative from, the Georgia Workforce Investment Board, and .

one representative from the state agency responsible for the Individuals with Disabilities

_Act, i.e. , the GeQrgia Department of Education.

The majority 9f members of the 1999 SRC are people with disabilities CT), or family member_s of people with disabilities (6).

Members, l998'- l 999

ANNETfE BOWLit:JG, CHAJRPER_SON
Executive Director Albany Associati?n for Retarded Citizens

_ANNIE KW1\N
Director of Human R~sources Hyatt Regency Suites

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RAY BISHOP, V ICE C HAIRPERSON

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CHARLES MARTIN

Execufive Director

Attorney

Goodwill Indtistries of.Atlanta

Dire_ctor, Client Assistance Program

LARRY BECK
_Field Services Manager Georgia Departme nt of Labor
MICHAEL Cox
Senior Procurement Analyst Westinghouse Savannal1 River Company
KENT ~RDT, PH.D. Attorney/Consultant

LEE MILLER
Attorney/International Consultant
PAT PUCKETT
Executive Director Statewide independent Living Council
L INDA S HEPHERJ?
Executive Director ~ents Educating P~rents and Professionals

NATHANIEL Fox, PH.D.
Retiree, United States Air Force

CHARI.ES VANDIVIERE
Self Employed .

HELEN Hl~L. ED..Q., LPC Director of Student Support Services Georgia College .and State University

TIM WILLIS .
Paralyrripic Athlete, Law Student, Speaker

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Pu.rpose _
.T _he State~ide R~habilitation Council, originally e~tablished 'in ifCCOrdance with the . 1992 Arriedments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, was reauthorized in the 1998 A.m<::ndments with an emphasis on its role as a joint partner with significant responsibilities for assi~ting the Georgia Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) in the effective delive_ry of vocational rehabilitation services.
The Council and the DRS are to jointly develop, agree to and review-annually critical ~ elements of the Vocational Rehabilitation State Plari. The Council's principle involve~ent focuses on the analysi~ of information concerning statewide needs, goals and pri?rities, as _well as an evaluation of the state's effectiveness in meeting goals and performance standards.
Th~ +998Amendments to the Rehabilitation.Act w~re e nacted to ''<:.:reate linkage between State vocational rehabilitation prog1:.ims and workforce activities carried out under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. .. " Under the guidelines of the Workforce Investment Act, the-Vocational Rehabilitation state Plan is to be submitted to the Rehabilitation Service~ Administration (RSA) simultaneously witl) the Workforce Investment Plan tl1at is submitted to the U.S.. Department of iabor. The Workforce Investment.Board, on w hich tl1e DRS has representation, may also elect to submit a unified plan.

Values

Work is a valued activitJ1, both.for indivzduals and society; and fulfills the need of an

individual to !Je productive, promotes independence, enhances self-esteem, and allows

for participa,tion in 'the inainstre~m oflife in the United States;



.., As a group, individuals with disabilities experience staggering le.vets ofunemploy-

ment and poverty;

. Individuals with disabilities, including individuals with the most significant disabilities, have demonstrated their abilitJ1to achieve gainful employment in integrated
. settings if appropriateservice.s and .supports are provided;
The provision ofworkforce_investment activities and vocational ;ehabilitation services can enable 'individuals with disabilities, iucluding individuals with the most significant disabilities, to pursue meaningful careers by securing gainful employment commensurate with their abtlities and capabilities.

THE REiiABlLITA1lON ACT OF 1973 As AME.NDED, 1998

The Council wbolehe_arted.ly embraces a~1d adopts the above statements as its raison

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d 'etre. The Co1mci1 exists to be a significant resource for, and partner with, the

. Division of Rehabilitation. Services in assisting people with disabilities to work.

Individually aqd collectively, the Coun.cil valut:s:

Persons with disabilities, and believe their individuality should be recognized
and respected.. .
Ernployers, w ho along with us seek t0 include and integrate people with disabilities
into the mainstream of business and society.. .
Teamwork, ,md a~knowledg~ each othefs e~pertis_e , contributions and opinions in a
nonjudgmental atmosphere.. .
Leadership, and a t ommitment to.integrity, accoul)tability and innovation.:.
Collq,boration, ahd a dedication to forming working partnerships with individuals
and groups who understand that the disability community _does not exist in isolatipn and agree that c;ooperation results in mutual benefit.

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A Message. from the Chair

January, 2000 ..

D_ear Frie1;ds. and Colleagues:

Another challenging and ambitious year in our dev~lop merit as a committed partner with the Division 6fRehabilitation Services has p assed. It was a year that emphas}zed nevy .strategies, structures and fun ction s that will better m eet our customers' expectations. It has also been a fulfillirig year as we supported DRS in comp leting the last year of a comprehensive three-year planto imp lem ent a substantively new vocational rehabilitation service delivery system.

In moving forward with our goals for 2000_, we must stay sh arply focused on our mission to assist Geor~ians with disabilities in obtaining satisfying employment. We must never lose sight of p romoting a common agenda for the benefit of persons with disabilities. In our efforts to bea p t'o~ctive an d co1nmitted partner with the Division of Rehabilitation Services, we must always explore new opportunities for dialogue i.p. th e disability cor.omnity, establish meaningful relationships with our business and labor customers, andpresent a u nified voice as we advocateJor persons with disabilities in their quest to become - . p ro\luctive inembers of society.

Georgia w ill benefit significantly from our adh erence to the sp irit and letter of th e laws

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gover.n

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That.

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our

commitment .,,

for

the

new

century.

a:;;_&~
Annette Bowling Ch airperson

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Responsibilities

The State Rehabilitation Council is charged with advising the Divisi~n of



Rehabilitation Services (DRS) with regard to its perfor!Ilance and ability to provide

qu'.11-i_ty vocationaj rehabilita,tion services to consumers. Key functions focus .on:

Reviewing and analyzing DRS performance regarding consumer eligibility

(including order ofselection), the effectiveness of rehabilitatio~ services and

the results of thc;~e functions that affect the achievement of positive results.

from service to persons with disabilities.
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Advising.and assisting DRS regarding the State Plan and amendments ro the Plan,

as w_ell as reqw..red appli~~tions, reports, _needs assess~ents and evaluatio:3s.

Conducting consumer needs assessments,and reviewing and analyzing customer satisfactiOIJ. with regard to all DRS services that influence.the rehabilitation proc_ess.
Preparing an annual report for the Governor on the status of the Vocationcll Rehabili~ation program in Georgia.

, . Coordinating with other ~ta,tewide com1cils on di'sability-isst,1es and activi~es.

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The Council's efforts in 1999 was pr~arily focused on assis'ting DRS with implement~g

the final changes to the vocat!onal rehabilitation servic;:e delivery system begun in 1997.

Key among them was working more closely with the State Independent Living Council

to st.rengthen a unified advoca.cy position; endorsing the work of the Blind Services

Steering Committees as it continues to ref1e the need for specialized ~erv.ices to the

blind,deaf and deaf-blind communities; supporting implementation of the Comprehensive

System.of Personnel Development (CSPD), which seeks to hire and retain qualified

rehabilitation professionals in allposition$ related to service delivery, especially the

Vocational Rehabilitatioi1 Counselor; and affirming the necessity of a DRS Grants

Developm ent

position

in

order

to

proattively

deal with ever-dwindling


state

dollars.

The.Council.commends DRSstaff for their tireless effor~s to assist p eople with disabilities

to work, and particularly applauds them for surpassing the FY99 goal for total number of

persons with disabilities in employment. Tl~e Council pledges to support the staff as ~ey

continue to refine the VR service delivery system to the mun1al satisfaction of all parties.

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Mi.lestones

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The Council's assessment ofVR s~rvice delivery effectiveness _is based on measured

performance outcomes. In State FiscalYear 1999, the Division ofRehabilitation Services

exceeded every major 1998 indicator:

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Georgians Served by Primory Disa'bllity

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visual . Hearin,g

238 I
125_7. . J . _
23 I
1,S47

- h-1- - + - - . ----"--'-

Orthopedic

Spinal Cord Inj!,Jred .-- +' Amputations

Mental Impairment_li-~11111!111111111!1!! Alcohol & Drugs ,..__

Personafity Disorders -

Mentally Retarded

6,304

Others 1-llllllliiiiiiiil

Cardiovascular

L~arning Disabilities Traumatic Brain Injured~- -

1 ~

L _ UndeterminedJ!!!!~~~ ~ ~_J__ _ _J_ _~_ _J

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,0Q0 5,000 6,000 7,000

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SFY 98

sFY 99

Not~worthy Measures

Q 19% increase.in employment outcomes, fr_o m 3,225 to 3,~50; a total_increase_of 31% over the 1997 baseline .

87% of employme~t outcomes _ 3, 342- were competitive.

- 21% more .co, mp.etitively employed c. lients.(4.18).~orked more than 30 hours per week.

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Th~ avera.ge we'ekly wage increased from $230 ~o $237.



3. 1 %

increase
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in-nu.m.ber

of

jobs

in

professional

and/or

managerial

~ccupations

The number of employers lli:ring clients increased by 609 for a total

of 2,906

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New referrals irl.creased by 26% - from 9,075 to 11 , 405.

New work p lans increased by 35% - from 6 ,087 to 8,221.

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Activiti_es and _Acc.ornplishments

Customer Satisfaction-Surveys

No doubt the best way .the Council helps to determine how effectively DRS conducts the

business of vocational rehabilitation service delivery is by soliciting and a(lalyzing custom.er

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satisfac_tion. The revised client satisfaqion survey p~ocess, begu1:1 in 1997, was further

re.fined and administered quarterly. Qualitative data r-eceived was favorable. The majority of

respondents noted such positive critet;ia as the numerous and easily accessible office loca~

tions; courteous, friendly and knowl~dgeableVR staff; pertinent involvement in developing

individual work plans; frequent interaction regarding cho~ces and options~ meariingful and

thorough job preparatj_on; and, most critically, quality of actual employment sin1atiorts.

Despite such encouraging responses, the Council and the Division agreed that a m ore sophisticated survey me_thodology_was needed, one that might ensure a bett~r response rate, as well as providemore extensive data from which to assess the service delivery system. br. Ralph,..Crystal, a VR consultant at the University of Kentucky, was contracted with to provide such asurvey instrument. He completed focus group studies with clients, employers and management teams in three of DRS's twelve regio1:1s, at the Roosevelt Warm
Springs Instin1te of Rehabilitation, a'nd witl: Div1sion state office staff. Thetarget date for
. the final recommendation is Ju.rte, 2000. In the interim, the current survey process will be used. Additionally, work is unde1way to translate the -survey forms into Spanish.

Georgia Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities

The Georgia Committee, established in 1995 at the recommef.ldation of the Cow1cil chair~erson and unanimously approved by the membership, acts as liaison to the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. The Georgia Committee interacts locally with 17 Mayor\s Committees, which emphasize their activities during October, National Disability 'Employmeni:,Awar.eness Month.

. The Georgia Committee targets three ip.itiatives of the President's Committee for statewide projects: the Busines_s Leaders~ip Network, High School/HighTe~h and Youth Leadership Forum. .

Business Leadership Netivork (BLN) - This initiative focuses on increasing the.

nw11ber of employers who offer job oppornmities for persons with disabilities. Uie concept

is basep on employer.to employer communication - tp enlist the help of business leaders

who understand the benefits of hir~g and prom~ting persons ~ ith disabities , and to

encourage tl1em to $hare their suc_cessful employment experiences witl1 others. There are

over 100 companies on the Georgia BLN membership roll, representing large, mid-size and

small businesses. The lead company statewide is IBM; in additiqn, Cello-Foil leads a local BLN

in Albany and Boeing le~ds the Mac.on BLN.



The major effort for the GBLN during 1999 was a statewide "kick-off" lunc}leon meeting. More than nvo hundred participants gathered in Atlanta to n~twork, share successes and hear keynote remarks from Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond.' Local GBLN meetings were.also held in Albany, w here worksh op topics included job preparation and successftil hiring of persons witl1 disabilities. .

A list of BLN participants is available upon request ; please see the contact information





on the back cover of this _publicati.on.

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Georgia High School/High Tech (HSi HT) - A c:;ollaborative effort among several

influential groups, High School/HighTech encourages students wi~h disabilities to explore

careers in science,_en gineering, tech!).ology,_and qther related areas. Its pre-eminent goal is

to ensure that young people with disabilides"be p r<i'.pared to enterand be successful in.

~today's t:echn?logy-drivenworkforce. -



Thanks to .the full commit~erit of DRS, which has assigned HS/HT Initiative coordinators in each of its twelve regioris1 Georgia HS/HT continues to lead the nation in total programs_statewide with over 30 operating successfully. Acknowledgment of Georgia's exemplary pfann1ng and implementation was received w h en the DRS-funded vio.eotape explaining the Georgia HS/HT model was of~cially adopted by the President's Committee for national trairiing purposes.

NASA, w hich partially funds the project in Georgia, renewed its grant to Albany State

University for the third time, this yea_; for a two-year grant cycle. NASA also renewed its

collaborative g1-ant w ith Savannal1 State University for a second time; also for a two-year

grant. The Georgia Department of Education, the State School Superintendent apd the

Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities are committed partners in this venture.

Also noteworthy is $4o,ooo from the President's Committe<_:: for "seed'-' money to new and

fledg~g programs.



One of the key activitjes for the year ~as the first ~ual HS/HT. Conference h eld at

Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Participants were addressed by the' Dean of Students and repte-

s'entatives from the U.S. D~partment ofDefense, the President's Committee, the Georgia

DeJJartment of Labor and DRS. Students enthusiastically shared lo~al projects and activi-

ties, and networked about educational ti-aining. A v isit to Atlanta's Fernbank Science

Center provided a unique off-campus highlight to tfie Conference.

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Other HS/HT annual activities incorporated internships, college entry workshops and ,

summer employment. S.ite visits included the "Space Congress" at Kennedy' Space Center

to meet the astronauts anp explore exhibits of companies providing.services to NASA.

National recognition forGeorgia's HS/HT efforts focused on the HS/HT Training Academy in Washington, D.C., "\Yhich was attended by the Georgia cl1air,_the Georgia state coorclinatoi', ~nd three DRS Regional Initiatives Coordinators. The~e delegates were taeped to provide expert tr-aining sessions on a variety of topics. Georgia's "Butterfly Project," an experiment in conjunction with NASA's space shuttie progmm and designed to test the , effects of zeFO gravity on metamorphoses, was also presented. Th.e Georgia exhibit is curren~y on display at the National Air and Space ~usetim of tl1e Smithsonian Institution.

Six HS/HT.students accompanied Georgia's HS/Ht Committee Chairperson to White House

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MentoriJ)g Day,where they receiveq disability-issue b1iefings fromsenior White House aides.

The young people-then participated in mentoring activities at s uch federal agencies as the

Justice Department, the :Pentagon, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of

Education _and the Piesic\en.t's Task Force on Employment of~dults with Disabilities.

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~ rewarQing year for Georgia HS/HT was capped w hen three Albany HS/HT students

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earned specif!l commendation from tl1e President's Committeee and received the

InternationalAward fof'OutstandingActivities. Georgia's talented and dedicate_d HS/HT

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students were recognized at t!1e United Nations Internatio~al Day of Disabled Persons

celebration, he ld at the World.Bank in Washington, D.C.

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You th Leadership Forum - The p urpose of this rigorous fo-r-day conference, to be heid at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, August-1 3-17, 2000,"is to encourage young p eopfe to participate in leadership activities at the local level. Thirty student delegates, selected from Georgia high school juniors and seniors with disabilities w ho apply,will participate in the gathering, officially called The CarlAnthony Curuiingham Y~uth Leadership Forum , after the recently-deceased dynamic chairman.of the Governor's Council on Deve~opmental Disabilities:

Ainong the activities on the drawingboar.d ares~ssions on the history of the disabilities

movement in the United States, accessing -comm~ty resources, and personal leadership

training fromexperts in bu~iness, sports and the arts. Also on the Qocket is a visit to the

newly-renovated Georgia State Capitol,.a Mentor's lunch and -a variety of social events.

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Legislative Education and Advocacy

Much of the Council's time wa_s spent.monitoring the issues and-proposed legislation, state and federal, that could potentially affect persoris with disabilities. M;ost not~ble was Georgia HB 172-, which would have moved DRS to the Department of Labor after 27 years in the Department of Hi.unan Resources, but was held in the Senate Rules Committee. The Council took no official stance.on the bill, but determined thafit would support DRS.in the vital work that it performs.no matter in which state agency it resided. The Council further indicated its commitment to future legislation related to implementing the .Workforce lnvestment A~t as paramow1t to the succ~ss of assisting persons with disabilities to find fulfilling, long-term employment.

The Cmmtil and other advocates for persons with disabiliti~s scored a major victory for

a second consecutive yeru.- ~1 lu;lpingt~ deny p assage of Georgia HB 359, the "helmet bill."

~hile the legislation would not have repealed. the existing law, it sought to .make failure to

wear.protective head gear a minor traffic offense.



The Council ch airperson provided invaluable ~ssistance in_helping to plan the Georgia

R~habilitationAssociation's (GRA) annual legislative seminru and receptiGn, and gave a presen-

tation on the clitical need for unified advocacy and effective techniques for achieving positive

results. Along similar lines, the. countil cllair also held a session fo r the GR.A'~ Legislative

Network, which focused on planning local legislative functions, as well as building and foster-

ing legisl,ltive relationships. The SRC fully supportsthis effort to raise awareness of the GRA

as a resource to legislators about issues of importance to persons with disabilities.

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.On the national level, the chair of the Ge orgia Committee on Employment of People

with Oisab,i.Jities, also a member of the Executive Board of the President's Committee,

represented the State Rehabili.tatiqn Council at the Presidential signing qf the "Ticketto

Work" (Workforce Incentives Improvement Act), held ~t the FDR Memorial in

Washington, D.C.

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Priorities At A Glance - 2000

Support the DRS FY?OOI budget request.

11 11~~1rn~[li~11~r1m~11~~1~li~~l~~II II
3 2108 03363 0552- .r-

O Identify key legislative issues, state and national, affecting individuals with disabilities..

Increase the employment of people with disabilities.

Implement the new Customer Satisfaction Survey to in.crease the participant

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response rate and to expand the survey instrument to include needs assessn::ient and

wor.\<: incentiv:es questions.

r , Vocational -

:) Inform state legislators about the critical . need for consistent services t9 persons with dis-

Rehabilitation

abilities, and continue to strongly advocate for an

Program Qffices

aligned, single-voice position on ~ommon issues.

) Work ~liligently to establish part?ershipi with those individuals and entities who are similarly
committed to carrying out the mandates of the Workforce InvestmentAct.

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Fu. rther

explore
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options
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with

key

education partners(DOE, DTAE and

the University System) to develop a

system of earlier identification of

. and intervent,ion with students

with disabilities.

) Contipue to provide

advice and counsel to the

Division of Rehabilitation

Services regarding the design and

implementation of its

Comprehensive System of Per~onnel

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A Regional Office .

- Hub

Development (CSPD). ~ Endorse the activities of the

VR Unit at RWSIR

Georgi~ Committee on Employment of People

- Business Enterprise Program Office

with Disabilities.

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State-Rehabilitation Council

2 Peachtree Street, NW

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5.th

Floor

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Atlanta, Georgia 30303:3142

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Phone: 404-657-3_023

Fax: 404~463-6424

Direct 'ITY: 404-657-3000

Georgia Relay Service Voice: 1-800-255-0135

Georgia Re_lay Service 1::fY: ~-800-25~-0056

E-mail; nabannan@dhr.state.ga.us

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DRS is aDivision of

The Geot-gia-Department ofHu1nan Resources