Evolve: VR, a Comprehensive Plan to Strengthen SSB

Strategy 1: Design and implement a training curriculum that supports the Evolve: VR framework and begins shifting the mindset of staff, including:

• Providing intensive training on customer-centric service delivery, human decency & civility, and vocational counseling & guidance techniques.
• Instilling that every VR professional's number one priority is a responsibility and commitment to responding to our customers.
• Moving away from the mentality that the customer must always be the person initiating communication and contact with us.
• Understanding that we need to meet people where they are at.

Strategy 2: Foster psychological safety within the team through a partnership with the Head of People and Culture. This is necessary to build a culture of trust and accountability, while reducing fear; this includes:

• Encouraging staff to try new things, take risks, and share constructive feedback without fear of discipline, retribution, or retaliation.
• Taking ownership and accountability of our work.
• Holding ourselves to a high standard and supporting one another compassionately in getting there.
• Working together as a team, which means we all take ownership in getting the job done.
• Ensuring all managers and supervisors are providing the necessary and individualized coaching and support to each of their team members, while addressing all concerns swiftly and professionally.

Strategy 3: Bring the national view of VR to Minnesota so staff understand the "why" by:

• Inviting Steve Wooderson, executive director of CSAVR, to present on the changing landscape, as well as other nationally recognized leaders and entities.
• Inviting Mark Schultz, former RSA Commissioner, to present on the national landscape.
• Inviting Joe Xavier, California VR Director, to present on the need for transformational change and being bold.
• Creating a Community of Practice specific to VR programs undergoing similar restructuring where other state vocational rehabilitation agencies can share their own experiences and ideas.

Strategy 1: Develop and launch a public outreach and engagement campaign that utilizes multiple modes of communication in spreading the word that SSB is here, ready, and able to support Minnesotans who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind.

Strategy 2: Develop and launch a public outreach and engagement campaign that utilizes multiple modes of communication in spreading the word to employers that are hiring people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind are essential in solving their workforce shortage.

Strategy 3: Develop and launch an "Orientation to VR" video that is customer-centric and high energy.

Strategy 4: Develop and nurture old and new partnerships with entities that represent underserved groups, including:

• organizations that serve veterans,
• communities of color,
• English language learners
• Tribal communities,
• individuals with severe and persistent mental illness,
• justice involved,
• individuals with complex and significant disabilities, and
• immigrants and refugees.

Strategy 5: Build relationships and connections with businesses that will further support the employment of people with disabilities.

Strategy 6: Redesign our SSB website so that it better connects individuals to our services.

Strategy 7: Develop a targeted campaign to increase the number of adjustment to blindness and employment service providers in Greater Minnesota; including:

• Adding incentives,
• Making it as easy as possible for qualified entities and individuals to become a contractor, and
• Providing training.

Strategy 1: Create the Rapid and Continuous Engagement framework to transform the vocational rehabilitation process that gets people into services quickly and sustains their momentum while engaged in services; this framework may include:

• Rapid Eligibility Model (REM)
• Rapid Assessment Model (RAM)
• Continuous Engagement Model (CEM)
• Rapid Placement Model (RPM)

Strategy 2: Redesign the referral, application, intake, and eligibility process in its entirety by implementing the Rapid Eligibility Model to streamline getting people into services as quickly as possible; this includes:

• Creating a digital, accessible referral process that easily and quickly connects customers to a WDU staff member.
• Redesigning the orientation model, including developing a Welcome to VR video or in-person module that allows individuals to make an informed choice on whether to engage in our program or not.
• Designing an electronic application that is easy to complete and deliver to a WDU staff member.
• Redesigning the intake process to maximize time spent developing a relationship and minimize time spent collecting data and doing paperwork.
• Utilizing WF1 Connect to collect required data and information from customers outside of the intake meeting.
• Evaluating our eligibility and documentation criteria, policies, and Rule and amending to reduce barriers to participating in services. Consider removing the medical criteria (i.e. 20/60 best corrected eye, etc) and framing it instead to be about the inability to functionally utilize vision resulting in a substantial impediment to employment. Reduce documentation requirements for determining eligibility.
• Implementing interim eligibility decisions to expedite getting customers into plans.

Strategy 3: Redesign the comprehensive assessment and plan development process in its entirety by implementing the Rapid Assessment Model to streamline the amount of information necessary to complete an initial IPE; this includes:

• Providing multiple and flexible pathways for completing an individualized comprehensive assessment only to the extent necessary.
• Creating an option for a steppingstone IPE that does not force individuals to settle on arbitrary vocational goals at the beginning but rather allows individuals to gain valuable adjustment to blindness training prior to committing to specific career paths and fields.
• Recognizing that comprehensive assessment occurs throughout the life of the case.
• Focusing on skill development and training that allows people to enter into variety of fields and career paths versus narrowing in on one specific job goal that may limit advancement and opportunity for the future.
• Finding ways to minimize the time between eligibility and IPE implementation to ensure individuals are receiving their first service as quickly as possible, thus not losing motivation.

Strategy 4: Redesign how we deliver planned services in its entirety by implementing the Continuous Engagement Model that sustains customer momentum throughout their VR journey; this includes:

• Increasing the focus of service delivery to be on providing vocational counseling and guidance.
• Revisiting the post-secondary documentation requirements to reduce barriers in entering higher education programs.
• Changing how we communicate with customers so that we use customer-centric, not policy-driven, language.
• Reducing or eliminating unnecessary documentation and paperwork requirements.
• Better utilizing WF1 Connect as a communication tool for customers.
• Expanding the availability of ATB and employment service providers in Greater Minnesota.
• Considering removing Customer Financial Participation requirements.

Strategy 5: Redesign how we prepare job seekers and connect them with vacancies by implementing the Rapid Placement Model that places customers ready for employment into their chosen career field as quickly as possible; this includes:

• Reimagining our Employment Services model so the framework meets the needs of the people and businesses we serve and our staff.
• Establishing a system or process that connects job seekers to job vacancies and employers quickly and efficiently.
• Better utilizing or redesigning the WF1 Talent Pool page so that job leads can easily be shared with qualified candidates.
• Leaning into E1MN by developing formal relationships with long-term support providers to minimize the time it takes to transition to those supports.

Strategy 1: Increase our candidate pool and talent pipeline for vocational rehabilitation positions by:

• Developing a job vacancy outreach plan, including making connections with long-term training grant recipients and higher education programs in surrounding states.
• Establishing a formal rehabilitation counselor internship program; consider the seamless internship model Idaho-G uses that hires a part-time student in their last year of their master's program and then reallocates them to full-time after graduation.
• Offering opportunities for advancement to SSB VR support professionals by providing tuition reimbursement for master's degrees in rehabilitation counseling and related fields.
• Instituting the hiring and referral incentive bonus pilot for VR-Techs and rehabilitation counselors
  • $5,000 hiring bonus: $2,500 after probation; $2,500 after two years
  • $1,000 referral bonus: existing staff who refer a successful candidate, paid after candidate passes probation
• Including relocation expense reimbursement and average caseload size in the job posting.
• Adding a "Why Work for SSB" section to our website that includes videos and/or stories from current staff, as well as job vacancies.
• Increasing the speed we are engaging applicants and filling vacancies (industry standard is 45 days).
• Building relationships with UW-Stout and St. Cloud State University VR graduate programs, which includes attending career fairs and presenting to students; identifying and building relationships with graduate programs in related fields (e.g., mental health counseling, psychology, school and guidance counseling, social work, etc.).

Strategy 2: Increase the retention of our vocational rehabilitation staff by:

• Advocating with DEED HR to offer student loan reimbursement for hard to fill positions.
• Advocating with DEED HR to offer an annual retention bonus.
• Streamlining the reallocation process for rehabilitation counselors.
• Identifying a reallocation pathway for VR-Techs to become Rehab Reps.
• Instituting annual stay interviews.
• Looking at range reassignments for rehabilitation counselors, VR-Techs, and potentially supervisors; this will be conducted in partnership with HR and Minnesota Management and Budget.

Strategy 3: Restore the role of the VR counselor so they spend less time case managing and more time building strong relationships with customers by:

• Involving counselors in an Innovation Lab activity to reimagine how to move from case management to true vocational counseling and guidance with maximum autonomy.
• Involving VR-Techs in an Innovation Lab activity to reimagine how they can provide more case management support and less financial responsibility.
• Bringing both counselors and VR-Techs together in an Innovation Lab activity to reimagine the relationship between the two roles.
• Evaluating the idea of having a Counselor, Rehab Rep/VR-Tech, Buyer/Payer structure.
  • Counselor role is restored to the true purpose.
  • Rehab Reps/VR-Techs are the case management support, helping with data collection and caseload vacancies.
  • Buyers and Payers focus solely on the financial components.
• Remove prior supervisor approval for authorizations.

Strategy 4: Redesign the team model structure to ensure equal involvement, support, and participation across all roles.

Strategy 5: Re-evaluate and redesign the organizational structure to ensure the right roles with the right responsibilities to meet the needs of customers and the program, including:

• Creating an "Adjustment to Blindness Training and Employment Team" comprised of assistive technologists, rehabilitation teachers, and employment specialists that report to the same supervisor. The supervisor would not be a new position but rather readjusting the direct reports of the WDU supervisors.
• Establishing a three-year temporary unclassified job coach pilot.
• Hiring at least one orientation and mobility instructor and one assistive technology trainer whose priority is serving Greater Minnesota customers. In addition, evaluating the need for other types of service providers to meet the service needs of customers.
• Hiring or realigning a rehabilitation counselor to specialize in serving individuals who are waiver recipients.
• Reevaluating the buyer/payer structure.
• Redesigning the employment/placement model.
• Evaluating the ability to utilize rehabilitation representatives as case aides.
• Modifying the working title of the WDU supervisors to better reflect their areas of responsibility and the fact they manage in addition to supervise.

Strategy 6: Design a physical space that supports the needs of staff by:

• Creating a working kitchen/laundry set up for the rehabilitation teachers.
• Redesigning the Program Services office space to support a hybrid world with a mix of collaborative meeting spaces and private offices.
• Redesigning the conference rooms to allow for effective hybrid meetings.

Strategy 1: Redefine who collects data and how it is collected by:

• Conducting a data collection inventory.
• Designing more automation, tools, and rules into WF1.
• Reducing the burden of data collection that is on counselors and shifting those responsibilities to other roles within the agency.

Strategy 2: Create data dashboards that are not only necessary for performance tracking but also useful for staff in doing their work, including:

• Tracking of progress in meeting common performance measures and additional VR-specific measures (e.g. successful closures).
• Creating staff and team level performance tracking tools (e.g. number of customers served, timeliness in completing eligibilities).

Strategy 3: Build and implement an electronic case review and reporting tool into WF1.

Strategy 4: Amend Rule 3325 to better reflect the needs of the program, including:

• Adding Pre-ETS and Youth services requirements.
• Potentially eliminating the requirement that only counselors can conduct personal interviews.
• Expanding eligibility documentation options.
• Removing customer financial participation requirements for Pre-ETS.

Strategy 5: Better implement and utilize customer satisfaction survey information to inform our service delivery.

Strategy 6: Create a system for accurately tracking, monitoring, and reporting transparently on our budget, including being able to conduct if/then scenarios and forecasting.

Strategy 7: Implement a policy management solution that allows us to store, organize, create, disseminate, and track policies. In addition, the solution should allow us to test and "certify" staff.

Strategy 8: Develop performance standards for all VR staff, including supervisors, employment specialists, assistive technologists, rehabilitation teachers, and vocational rehabilitation technicians.

Revisions

• October 25, 2022
• October 30, 2022
• November 2, 2022