VR Vendor: How Nassau County School District has Increased Employment Opportunities for Local Youth

VR Vendor: How Nassau County School District has Increased Employment Opportunities for Local Youth

Why Collaborate Interagency + School District Collaboration Building Social Capital Strategy Policy Funding Outcome Data Capacity Development Innovation Increased post secondary opportunities and outcomes

WorkSource/CareerSource Collaboration WIA-Workforce Innovation Act WIOA-Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Action Steps Make the Connections

TPCA To provide paid and non-paid CBWE opportunities to students ages 14-22 with the most significant disabilities This provides hands-on opportunities that can lead to a career path

Career Exploration and Career Experience

Community Based Work Experiences for Post- Secondary Programs

VR Vender Requirements Application submitted: January 2016 2 References (businesses or individuals) Provide a list of employers with whom we have successfully placed students (employed or CBWE) Certificate of Liability Insurance Policy Resumes and diplomas of all staff that will have face-to-face contact with VR customers Level II background screening via the AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse for staff that will have face-to-face contact with VR customers to include our superintendent and finance director. Cost-approximately $80 each Background checks with our school board were not acceptable because they had been completed by an agency not approved by VR.

VR Vender Requirements Attest that we reviewed a power point overview of VR and the requirements of becoming and being a Vendor Submit a Pre-placement Training Curriculum as one of the services we will provide Contract signed: August 2016 Orientation/contract training with our contract manager, Lauretta Jackson, to review the contract and services provided Submit signed contract-6-8 weeks for official approval Received 23 documents to assist with service delivery (Tip sheets)

VR Partnership for Summer Youth Programs 2016 Summer Youth Program Provided OJT experiences for 2 blocks of 15 students = 30 students @ $2,300 per students for a minimum of 50 hours OJT= $69,000 Provided a stipend incentive for each student who completed a minimum of 50 hour OJT

VR Partnership for Summer Programs 2017 June Summer Youth Program HSHT, STAR and VR students as a vendor 3 days 20 hour pre-employment @ FSCJ 40 hour OJT $ 62,600 2017 July Summer Youth Program 14 non VR students 50 hour OJT=$32,200 2017 Income and Expenses Approximations Total-$95,000 Stipends=$17,000 Personnel & other MISC expenses -$13,000 Net=$64,000

PRE-PLACEMENT TRAINING Benchmark Amount Pre-placement Training (20 hrs) $302.00 Additional Pre-placement Training (20 hrs) $302.00 ON-THE-JOB TRAINING/WORK EXPERIENCES OJT Plan & Agreement $980.00 OJT Final Report $653.00 EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Placement $1,509.00 45 Day Job Retention $1,509.00 90 Day Job Retention (Employment Outcome) $2,415.00 SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT SERVICES Individual Career Plan (ICP) $1,334.00 Placement $1,334.00 Stabilization $1,779.00 Transition $1,779.00 Supported Employment Outcome $2,668.00

Framework of a Summer Program Working with HSHT, VR, STAR Week 1 Pre-placement Training of 20 hours Instructors = $1,000 15 students = $4,500 Stipends = $1,500 Weeks 2-4 OJT-40 hours Job Coach = $15 an hr. @ 50 hours=$750.00 15 students-minimum 40 hr. Stipend = $4,800 Reimbursement@ $1,633=$25,000 Profit approx.=$20,000

Nassau County School District Partners for Project SEARCH

Who are partners with Nassau County s Project SEARCH Program? Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) Host site Baptist Medical Center Nassau VR partnership as a vendor Collaboration with APD-Employment Enhancement Project Collaboration with The Arc Nassau for post-graduate services and employment services Nassau Transit partnership with transportation training

Project SEARCH Deliverables Provisions for reimbursement The VR counselor sends a Supported Employment referral for Project SEARCH and an OJT referral for each internship in REBA. The provider accepts these referrals to authorize payment to the District for the following approved IPE services delivered to all Project SEARCH participants.

Project SEARCH Deliverables Benchmark Specifications ICP To $1,485 Information obtained during the first rotation used to complete the evaluation OJT Plan & Agreement Payable for each of the 3 rotations $980 each rotation = $2,940 OJT Training Final Report $653 each rotation = $1,959 Payable on completion of each OJT rotation

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH Success Story

History of Collaboration in Nassau County WorkSource/CareerSource collaboration through WIA and WIOA Project 10-Interagency Counsel Employment First Florida pilot site-technical support from Institute for Community Inclusion FDDC-Project Achieve/Vertical, Project SEARCH, Rural Routes to Employment-Discovery Training provided by Griffin- Hammis Associates Collaboration with The Arc Nassau for post-graduate and employment placement services COA/Nassau Transit partnership with transportation training VR partnership through TPCA and as a Vendor

4 Major Initiatives Capacity Building Interagency Collaboration Transition Legislation & Policy Student Development & Outcomes

Strategic Action Implementation Plan at the Local Level F Interagency Cooperative Agreement Interagency Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives for Implementation Annual Prioritization of Plan Service and service innovation Training and TA Interagency collaboration

Employment Placement Services for Nassau County

Project Achieve/Vertical Programs Rural Routes to Employment Discovery Training provided by Griffin-Hammis Associates Project Search

Partnerships Hannah at TJMaxx Wildlight Elementary School

Partnerships Enrichment at Jacksonville Zoo

Johnson's Automotive Repair Center Business Partners ACE Hardware Junior's Seafood

Success Story Hunter CBWE at Publix

Success Stories Josh and Logan

Patti Langford, Transition/Staffing Specialist patricia.langford@nassau.k12.fl.us (904) 491-9955 Donna Thompson, VR Employment Specialist donna.thompson@nassau.k12.fl.us (904) 557-8311

How to Register: New Vendors Step-By-Step process for New Vendor Registration with Vocational Rehabilitation

Discussion for Breakout Sharing What are the Indicators within your school district that you would like to positively impact by becoming a VR vendor? What would your strategic plan/timeline look like in becoming a vendor? Where are you now in the process? What service benchmarks do you see your district providing and when. (Peer mentoring, summer youth programs, OJT experiences during school year) What additional agencies/services do you need to bring to the table to help your district accomplish this plan?

Kirk Hall, Sr. Management Analyst Supervisor/Transition Youth Programs Director, kirk.hall@vr.fldoe.org (850) 245-3360 Lauretta Jackson, Operations and Management Consultant Region 2, lauretta.jackson@vr.fldoe.org (386) 754-1675 Christopher Law, Provider Services, christopher.law@vr.fldoe.org (850) 245-7005 Jason Gallup, Contract Manager, Jason.gallub@vr.fldoe.org (850) Regina Rice, Project Search Liaison, regina.rice@vr.fldoe.org (850) 245-3278 Vendor Registration (V-Reg) 4070 Esplanade Way Tallahassee, FL. 32399 Toll-free (866) 580-7438 Local (850) 245-3401 Fax: 850-245-3394 VRVendors@vr.fldoe.org If you have questions, contact us. For more information