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Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment

I. Introduction:

A. Purpose of Comprehensive Needs Assessment

Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) assists eligible individuals with disabilities to prepare for, achieve and retain employment in integrated community settings. DVR administers the General Vocational Rehabilitation program in Maine for the Rehabilitation Services Administration. A separate program is available to individuals who are blind or have visual impairments through the Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired. This comprehensive needs assessment focuses on the General Vocational Rehabilitation program and on the needs of individuals eligible for those services.

The assessment is designed to answer important questions about the population eligible for DVR services that live in Maine and their vocational rehabilitation needs. It will guide in its strategic plan and goal development for the next three fiscal years, 2010 – 2012. Specifically, the report responds to federal regulations 1 requiring Maine’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to jointly conduct a “comprehensive statewide assessment” with the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) every three years that describes the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities residing within the State, particularly the vocational rehabilitation services needs of:

  1. individuals with the most significant disabilities
  2. individuals with disabilities who are minorities and individuals with disabilities who have been unserved or underserved by the vocational rehabilitation program
  3. individuals with disabilities served through other components of the statewide workforce investment system as identified by those individuals and personnel assisting those individuals through the components of the system.

To address these issues, we rely on a variety of publicly available sources, including survey information from the United States Census Bureau and data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Social Security Administration. We also gathered information through the Fall 2008 Consumer Satisfaction Survey, a forum held by the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) for individuals placed in employment at its annual meeting, and did additional outreach to seventeen stakeholder groups to examine the services delivered to people with disabilities in Maine.

B. Description of Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Vocational Rehabilitation Process

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) is an agency within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS) located within the Department of Labor (DOL). The mission of BRS is to provide full access to employment, independence and community integration for people with disabilities. The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation provides services that are governed by the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, by working together with individuals with disabilities to achieve or maintain gainful employment.

Federal statute mandates that each applicant entering the publicly funded program follows an individual process from application through eligibility, comprehensive assessment of rehabilitation needs, individual employment plan development, and provision of appropriate services to achieve employment. Any individual with a disability and a commitment to find or maintain employment may apply. Each applicant can expect an eligibility decision within 60 days of application. An individual is eligible for DVR services if that person:

In addition, there is a presumption of benefit. It shall be presumed the individual can benefit in terms of an employment outcome from vocational rehabilitation, unless the DVR counselor can demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that such individual is incapable of benefiting from vocational rehabilitation services due to the severity of the disability of the individual.2 Individuals who receive SSI and/or SSDI are presumed to be eligible for DVR services.

DVR uses a set of “status” codes to track an individual’s progress as they move through the VR process. This allows both the state agency and federal agency, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), to collect data to ensure timely service delivery and fiscal accountability.

Each individual who applies for services has a determination of eligibility and works with a qualified VR counselor and others to determine an employment goal and the appropriate services necessary to achieve that goal. The Individual Plan of Employment may include guidance and counseling, training, education, job search, and job placement among other things. Every applicant coming to DVR has different abilities, goals, expectations and barriers to employment; therefore, each plan is individualized for each eligible consumer. The successful conclusion of the VR process is an individual working in a job consistent with their capabilities for 90 days with the supposition of continued employment. No consumer’s path is the same and the process is flexible enough to attend to new barriers as they arise.

In 2002, Maine’s DVR was forced to implement a waiting list for all individuals found eligible for services. By federal statute, any VR program that institutes a wait list must also implement an Order of Selection. Under the Order of Selection, eligible individuals are assigned to a priority category, based on the severity of their disability and vocational barriers. The highest priority, Category 1, is given to individuals with the most significant disabilities and highest level of rehabilitation needs. Categories 2 and 3 are assigned to individuals with disabilities, but who have fewer functional limitations or less complex rehabilitation needs than those in Category 1.3 Time on the waiting list peaked at 53 weeks in June 2005 and had been reduced to 26 weeks for individuals in Category 1 at the time of this assessment.

Maine’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation sees this as unacceptable and is embarking on a major initiative to eliminate the wait list and provide the “Right Service at the Right Time” to its consumers. Areas being assessed are the consumers’ progress through the system in: “Entering the VR system”, “VR Plan Development”, “VR Plan Accomplishment” and “Exiting the VR System”. The goal is to provide services to all eligible consumers at the time that they need them to achieve competitive community based employment.

While in the mandated Order of Selection, Maine DVR provides information and resource advice to individuals on how they can prepare, secure or regain employment, including how to use the Career Centers that have a range of free employment services such as a Job Bank, workshops and the availability of Disability Program Navigators. With the help of the State Rehabilitation Council, a pamphlet entitled “While You Are Waiting” was developed and is used for planning steps an individual can take until DVR has sufficient funds available to provide services through an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The pamphlet is available in a variety of formats.

While helping individuals obtain employment is the ultimate success of the VR program, many VR cases are closed each year before the individual achieves and maintains employment for at least 90 days. These closures happen for a variety of causes and can occur at any step in the VR process. Some individuals who apply are found not eligible because they do not have a qualifying disability. Others, after being found eligible, leave the VR program for several reasons, such as they find employment on their own, have an exacerbation of a chronic condition, do not want to remain on the waiting list, or cannot be located by their VR counselor for an extended period of time. Everyone who applies for VR services has the right to appeal any decision made by the agency, including the decision to close a case.

Individuals can receive further support through post-employment services after becoming successfully employed if services are necessary to maintain, regain or advance in employment. This assistance is limited in scope to two or less services and duration of six months or less. If more comprehensive services are required, and/or there is a new disabling condition and/or it has been longer than three years since the case was closed successfully, a new application for DVR services must be completed.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Maine’s Economy and Workforce

Maine is a large geographical state, which spans 33,215 square miles. The state is primarily rural in nature with a dispersed population of 1.3 million people and density of 41 people per square mile. The largest population center can be found in southern Maine in the greater Portland area where approximately 87,300 individuals reside. The state’s population growth is largely dependent upon in-migration and is significantly slower than the rest of the country with a rate of 3.7% between 2000 and 2006 as compared to the national rate of 6.4%.4

Historically, Maine’s economy has been based on goods producing industries, such as manufacturing and natural resources, but the trend to a service-based economy has continued over the last several years. This combined with the influences of globalization, technological advances and business restructuring, places different demands for the skills and abilities of Maine workers.

At the time of this report, Maine and the nation was in a recession that the Bureau of Economic Research determined began in December 2007. Unemployment rates had reached levels not seen since the early 1990’s. The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) reported at the end of 2008 that the number of jobs in Maine was down 1.3% and that the unemployment rate was up to 6.3%. The fastest rate of job losses was in construction, but significant losses were seen in other sectors, such as wholesale and retail trade, accommodation and food services and real estate.5

Wages in Maine are lower than the rest of the country with a median wage of $14.29 per hour as compared to $15.10 per hour nationally and $17.19 per hour for other New England states. Recent spikes in the cost of gas, food and heating fuel and adjustment for inflation have resulted in Mainers losing even further ground in attaining a livable wage.6

Maine is the state with the most aged population in the country with a median age of 41.1 years. Relative to that, the distribution of its workforce is also older with 20.3% of its workers being Age 55 or older. The anticipated retirement of baby boomers indicate a critical need to replace those workers in the future. Studies of educational attainment show that Maine has a larger percentage of high school graduates and individuals with some college than many other states, but fewer college graduates. Maine’s workforce has little ethnic diversity with over 95% being white, although there has been a slight combined increase of 1% of workers who are Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and African American.7

On the short term, employment for all of Maine’s civilian labor force (estimated to be 707,000 individuals in November 2008), is in a down turn and making it even more difficult for people with disabilities to obtain and sustain community-based employment. Fortunately, the long term outlook appears more promising and the unique demographics in Maine will offer opportunities to under-represented populations in the workforce, including workers with disabilities.

B. Federal and State Landscape of Vocational Rehabilitation

Demand for community inclusion and access to employment for people with significant disabilities remains strong across the country. Legislation, including the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Workforce Investment Act, and the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, has continued to shape the opportunities available to individuals with disabilities in their communities. Consumer choice, transition of youth to adulthood, and expanded responsibility of State Rehabilitation Councils and Independent Living Councils are core pieces that are connected to employment, education, and training to assist people with disabilities in achieving full community participation. Even so, the employment of people with disabilities as one key component of community involvement remains extremely low. According to Cornell University in 2007, nationally only 36.9% of working-aged people with disabilities were employed as compared to 79.7% of their non-disabled peers. The rates are comparable in Maine with 38.6% working-aged people with disabilities employed as compared to 83.3% of non-disabled peers that same year.

Of great concern at the time of this report is the economic recession mentioned above and its impact on the employment of people with disabilities. Not only are fewer jobs available, but services are being cut as agencies receive less funding. In Maine, State Government was forced to curtail expenditures in 2008 and was grappling with anticipated deficits in 2009 through 2011. Federal funding for DVR is fixed by a formula based upon population growth and state average population, and established by Federal appropriation with approximately a four to one state match. Although the Division has historically been successful in meeting the state match and maintenance of effort requirements, this might not be possible in 2010 and 2011 as result of across the board state budget cuts. Current projections are that DVR funding, both State and Federal combined, will lose $1,336,503 in SFY 2010 and $1,229,729 in SFY 2011.

C. Availability of Employment-Related Services to People with Disabilities in Maine

As highlighted by the Maine Jobs Council’s Commission on Disability and Employment in their 2008 Annual and Progress Reports, many efforts in Maine attempt to address the availability of employment-related services to people with disabilities. With funding from a variety of sources, such as the Medicaid Infrastructure and Work Incentive Grants, initiatives are underway that are designed to increase the access to employment for people with disabilities through the engagement of employers, preparation of young people with disabilities from school to work, provision of accurate and timely benefits counseling, and the improvement of services provided to people with disabilities at Maine’s CareerCenters through Disability Program Navigators. Additionally, revisions in Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work Program in July 2008 hold promise for increasing the availability of employment services to individuals who receive SSI and/or SSDI through Employment Networks.

Clearly, individuals with disabilities often need a broad array of services and supports to reach and maintain their vocational goals. The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is an important part of this service system, but it is only one component of the larger system in Maine that includes the Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services and numerous private non-profit agencies. Each month the Office of Adult Mental Health Services provides long term vocational support to an average of approximately 150 individuals with mental illness, and the Office of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disabilities similarly provides employment supports to over 900 individuals through Medicaid waiver funding. Reports from the Bureau of Employment Services also indicate that the number of people with disabilities getting CareerCenter services each year is increasing, from 2,822 in 2006 to 4,525 in 2008, although it is notable that the percentage of people with disabilities served as part of the larger CareerCenter customer population remains relatively unchanged at 7.5%.

Maine lacks an employment services data collection system that compiles information across departments or organizations, so it is unclear how the system works as a whole in serving people individually and collectively. Additionally, for some employment services, such as that provided by the Bureau of Employment Services, disclosure of a disabling condition is not required and relies upon the self-reporting of individuals using the service. Hence, disability data may be inaccurate or incomplete.

III. DVR SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS IN MAINE

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation collects a variety of information about individuals when they enter the program, tracks the progress and services they receive, and records a successful closure of the case if the individual successfully completes at least 90 days of employment in an integrated, competitive setting. In this section, we use DVR data to provide an overview of the characteristics of the current VR population, to describe the flow of individuals into and out of the DVR program, to examine outcomes of the VR program in terms of rehabilitation rates, and to outline the costs of DVR services from FFY 2003 through 2008.

A. DVR Population Characteristics

Examining data collected about individuals who have moved through the DVR process to closure yields valuable information about the population served. In Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2005, Maine DVR closed a total of 2,847 cases and in FFY 2008, Maine DVR closed a total 3,604 cases, an increase of 21%. 8 Table 1 outlines the characteristics of the individuals represented among all closed cases in both years, the percentage change in the number of clients with a given characteristic (fifth column) and the change in the proportion of clients with a given characteristic (last column).

Findings

Table 1 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Individual Characteristics for Closed cases, FFY 2005 and 2008
Row Title FFY 2005 N= (A) FFY 2005 Percent (B) FFY 2008 N= (C) FFY 2008 N= (D) Change in # of Closures 05-08 (C-A)/C Change in % of Closures 05-08 (D-B)
All Closures 2,847 100.0% 3,604 100.0% 21.0 0.0%
Primary Disability Type            
No Impairment 58 2.0 98 2.7 40.8 0.7
Sensory* 193 6.8 265 7.4 27.2 0.6
Physical 821 28.8 850 23.6 3.4 -5.3
Mental Illness 990 34.8 1289 35.8 23.2 1.0
Cognitive 785 27.6 1102 30.6 28.8 3.0
Age            
Less than 23 878 30.8 1038 28.8 15.4 -2.0
23-54 1786 62.7 2104 58.4 15.1 -4.4
55-65 166 5.8 413 11.5 59.8 5.6

Over 65

16 0.6 49 1.4 67.3 0.8
Education            
Less than HS 1082 38.0 1511 41.9 28.4 3.9
HS or Equivalent 1176 41.3 1349 37.4 12.8 -3.9
Some college 423 14.9 515 14.3 17.9 -0.6
College or More 166 5.8 228 6.3 27.2 0.5
Most Recent Work Experience            
Working at time of Application 427 15.0 567 15.7 24.7 0.7
Not working at Application 2420 85.0 3037 84.3 20.3 -0.7

Gender

           
Male 1617 56.8 2101 58.3 23.0 1.5
Female 1230 43.2 1503 41.7 18.2 -1.5
Race            
White 2742 96.3 3503 97.2 21.7 0.9
Racial / ethnic minority 105 3.7 101 2.8 -4.0 -0.9
SSI Income            
Received SSI income 594 20.9 735 20.4 19.2 -0.5
Did not Receive SSI Income 2253 79.1 2869 79.6 21.5 0.5
SSDI Income            
Received SSDI Income 668 23.5 870 24.1 23.2 0.7
Did not Receive SSDI Income 2179 76.5 2734 75.9 20.3 -0.7
DVR client characteristic data is for all cases closed during the Federal Fiscal Year. Characteristics are based on information recorded at time of application, unless otherwise noted. * Sensory includes deaf/hard of hearing and visual impairments Source: Maine DVR Data

DVR Process Flow

The VR process begins when a person fills out and submits an application to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and ends with the closure of the case. Chart 1 below outlines the number of individuals who passed through several key steps in the VR process across three federal fiscal years: New Applications, New Plans Developed, and Case Closures. The solid lines in the chart represent incoming individuals, and the dotted lines represent individuals leaving the DVR program (case closures).

Findings

Chart 1 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Total Applications, Plans Developed and Closures FFY 2003-2008
Row Title FFY 2003 FFY 2004 FFY 2005 FFY 2006 FFY 2007 FFY 2008
New Aplications Received (02) 3587 3411 2754 3070 2278 3158
New Plans Developed 1644 1355 1146 1360 1383 1069
All Closures 2906 3083 2847 2987 3288 3604

Chart 2 looks more closely at the open DVR caseload (Status 02 – 24) at the end of the Federal Fiscal Year from FFY 2003 to 2008, and breaks out cases by the number of individuals who are: waiting for an eligibility determination (Status 02), on the waiting list (04), off the wait list and in IPE development (Status 10), and the remainder who have completed IPE’s and are in plan implementation (Status 12 – 24).

The chart illustrates that, while the total number of active cases has stayed between 7,400 and 8,000 across all six years, the number of clients at each stage in the VR process has shifted. The number on the waiting list increased dramatically from 2003 to 2004, from 1,354 to 2,201, but was reduced even more dramatically in 2006 down to 1,188. However, the number of clients in plan development jumped from 2,118 in 2005 to more than 3,100 in 2006, and remained at similar levels through 2008. A significant ongoing trend across the entire period is the decline in the number of active cases involved in plan implementation. In September 2003, more than 3,500 active cases were in the plan implementation phase of the VR process, almost 50% of all open cases. That number declined to just over 3,000 in 2005, and was only 2,600 in September 2008, representing just over one third of all active cases.

Chart 2 Maine DVR Active Caseload Status: End of fiscal Year Snapshot, FFY 2003-2008
Row Title 2003 (N=7496) 2004 (N=7944) 2005 (N=7772) 2006 (N=7917) 2007 (N=7484) 2008 (N=7542)
New Applicants (02) 641 584 512 516 455 557
On Wait List (04) 1354 2201 2136 1188 1424 1389
Pland Development (Status10) 1926 1815 2118 3157 2917 2994
Plan Implementation (Status 12-24) 3575 3344 3006 3056 3052 2606

The goal of the VR process is for an individual to achieve and maintain employment consistent with their capabilities. However, many individuals exit the program before reaching that employment goal. Chart 3 details the number of individuals whose cases were closed in Federal Fiscal Years 2003 to 2008, according to the type of closure. The different closure types noted indicate how far in the VR process the individual had progressed when their case was closed.

Chart 3 Maine DVR: All Closures by Closure Type FFY 2003-2008
Row Title 2003 (N=2906) 2004 (N=3083) 2005 (N=2846) 2006 (N=2987) 2007 (N=3288) 2008 (N=3604)
Closed as Applicant (08) 256 248 241 259 248 314
Received IPE Services (28) 825 904 715 638 658 759
IPE Developed, No Services (12-30) 43 37 24 30 36 31
Left while on Wait List (38) 111 124 105 109 141 115
Closed before IPE Developed (10-30) 814 1025 1106 1308 1509 1655
Successful Closures (26) 857 745 655 643 696 730
Total 2906 3083 2846 2987 3288 3604

Another way to examine the flow of individuals through the VR program is to look at the length of time that individuals spend in the overall process, and in the various steps along the way. Chart 4 below shows the length of time (in months) that it took successfully rehabilitated (Status 26) individuals to move through the VR process.

Findings

Chart 4 Average Months In VR Process for Rehabilitated Clients (Status 26)
Row Title 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
App to Elig (02-04) 3 2 2 2 2 2
Elig to IPE (04 to 12) 4 7 9 12 11 12
IPE to Closure (12-26) 24 23 25 24 25 24
App to Closure (Total) 31 32 36 38 38 39

Keeping in mind that Chart 4 represents the best-case scenario, in that it only includes individuals who successfully completed the VR process, it is also instructive to examine the length of time that people who did not have a successful outcome spent in the VR process.

Overall time in the VR process has increased not only for successful closures, but also across other closure types as well. Chart 5 shows the average time from application to closure for cases closed after the individual received IPE services, for successful closures, and for cases closed before the individual’s IPE was completed.

Findings

Chart 5 Months to Closure by Closure Type (App to Closure)
Row Title 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Successful Closure (26) 31 32 36 38 38 39
Received IPE Services (28) 33 37 42 45 46 49
Closed before IPE Developed (10-30) 15 17 20 20 22 22


B. DVR Outcomes

An important measure of the success of the Vocational Rehabilitation program is to look at employment outcomes for individuals. A standard federal measure is the rehabilitation rate, which represents the total number of successful (Status 26) closures, divided by the total number of closures following the development of an IPE (including both successful (Status 26) and unsuccessful (Status 28) closures).

Chart 6 breaks out the rehabilitation rate by disability type.

Findings

Chart 6 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Rate by Disability Type, FFY 2003-2008
Row Title 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Visual or no impairment 50% 40% - 67% 100% 0%
Hearing Loss 79% 72% 68% 75% 82% 81%
Physical 46% 42% 45% 43% 46% 45%
Mental Illness 44% 34% 41% 45% 44% 39%
Cognitive 56% 52% 51% 52% 53% 51%

A second outcome measure for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is the change in earnings among individuals who successfully meet their employment goal. Chart 7 describes the change in average earnings among all successful closures.

Findings

Chart 7 Maine DVR: Average Earnings at Application and Closure for All Successful Closures, FFY 2003-2008
Row Title Number of successful Closures Earnings at Application Earnings at Closure Percent Change, App to Closure
FFY 2003 (N=857) 857 $69 $288 319%
FFY 2004 (N=745) 745 $79 $271 243%
FFY 2005 (N=655) 655 $75 $274 265%
FFY 2006 (N=644) 644 $73 $289 298%
FFY 2007 (N=697) 697 $90 $323 257%
FFY 2008 (N=730) 730 $93 $320 244%

Looking at the earnings and hours worked per week among successful closures by type of disability (Charts 8 and 9), we find that clients who are deaf or hard of hearing have the highest average weekly wages ($508) and hours worked (35), followed by those with physical disabilities ($324/week and 27 hours), cognitive disabilities ($276/week and 27 hours), and mental illness ($245/week and 24 hours).

Chart 8 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Average Weekly Wages among Successful Closures, FFY 2008
Disability Number of Closrues Average Weekly Wage
Cognitive 252 $276
Hearing Loss 124 $508
Mental Illness 174 $245
Physical 164 $324
Visual 16 $352

 

Chart 9 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Average Hours Worked per Week among Successful Closures, FFY 2008
Disability Number of Closrues Average Weekly Wage
Cognitive 252 27
Hearing Loss 124 35
Mental Illness 174 24
Physical 164 27
Visual 16 31

Another important outcome of the VR program is the change in education level among individuals who are served. Chart 10 compares the education level of all closures from FFY 2008 at the time they applied for services to their education level at closure.

Findings

Chart 10 Maine DVR: Change in Education Level from Application to Closure FFY 2008 Closures (N=3604)
Education At Application At Closure
Less than HS 1511 694
HS Diploma/ GED 1349 1856
Post-secondary courses, AA Degree or Certification 515 757
Bachelor's Degree or more 228 296

C. DVR Services and Expenditures Costs

Maine’s DVR program and the amendments to the Rehabilitation Act emphasize the importance of informed consumer choice – namely, providing DVR individuals with the information they need to choose vocational goals and determine the available services appropriate to meet those goals. Thus, cost information can serve as an indicator for the mix of services that Maine’s DVR individuals have asked and received approval for over the past few fiscal years.

DVR spending has also been influenced by several agency initiatives over the past few years, including an effort in FFY 2005 to close long-term high cost cases, and an adjustment in the financial control and management system made to bring case service expenditures in line with total available resources for that year. Based on the information gathered for the 2007 DVR State Plan Comprehensive Needs Assessment, the agency developed and deployed Procedural Directives and training for specific services such as; transportation and vehicle repair, post-secondary education and self-employment. An emphasis on stewardship of public funds was initiated in 2008, which tightened fiscal spending and enhanced case review.

This section highlights trends in annual costs of DVR services and the service areas where these costs are concentrated. DVR classifies services into nearly 100 categories. For presentation purposes in this report, these categories are aggregated into a smaller set of eleven service groups, described below in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Description of Vocational Rehabilitation service Groups
VR Service Group Example Services
Job Development & Placement Job Development, Analysis, Placement & Referral
College or University Training Tuition, boarding, fees, books, school supplies for college/ university training
On the Job Supports Job coaching both at the worksite and off site & on the job training
Assessment Community based situational assessments, and disability related evaluations
Occupationa/ Vocational & other Training Business/ vocational training, books, supplies, boarding, tutoring, fees, adult education, literacy, mobility training, truck driving school, etc.
Transportation Cab/ bus fares, car repair, gas
Hearing Aid Provision of hearing aids, molds and repair
Rehabilitation Technology Augmentative computer equipment, software, training, home/ building or vehicle modifications
Maintenance Clothing, child care, food and shelter to enable IPE
Diagnosis and Treatment Medial exams, treatment, therapy & counseling
All other Services Reader/ interpreters, occupational tools & equipment, services to family members, purchased counseling & guidance.

Table 2 details DVR paid authorizations from FFY 2006 through 2008, broken out by service group.

Findings

Table 2 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Case Costs by Service Group and Federal Fiscal Year
VR Service Group FFY 2006 FFY 2007 FFY 2008
% change 2006-2008
Job Development & Placement $1,549,147 $1,789,196 $1,639,568
6%
College or University Training $1,267,678 $1,428,448 $1,499,511
15%
On the Job Supports $859,802 $862,288 $820,991
-5%
Assessment $479,433 $614,276 $661,137
27%
Occupationa/ Vocational & other Training $637,772 $670,892 $586,676
-9%
Transportation $739,071 $759,561 $518,442
-43%
Hearing Aid $468,844 $568,474 $512,458
9%
Rehabilitation Technology $430,769 $580,772 $269,918
-60%
Maintenance $394,214 $352,393 $220,830
-79%
Diagnosis and Treatment $196,425 $209,016 $195,926
0%
All other Services $685,631 $739,969 $522,018
-31%
Total $7,708,785 $8,575,286 $7,447,474
-4%

Note: Sorted by FFY 2008 Case Costs
Source: Tracker (SSA-VR Claims System)

Chart 11 shows the percent of all DVR expenditures in FFY 2008 that were spent on each type of service group. Job Development & Placement, College or University Training, and On-the-Job Supports were the top three service groups in terms of case costs in FFY 2008, with a total of $3.96 million – 53 percent of the $7.45 million in total DVR expenditures that year.

Chart 11 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Case Costs by Service Group and Federal Fiscal Year
VR Service Group Percentage
Job Development & Placement 22%
College or University Training 20%
On the Job Supports 11%
Assessment 9%
Occupationa/ Vocational & Other Training 8%
Transportation 7%
Hearing Aid 7%
All other Services 16%
Totals 100%

Chart 12 outlines the trends in service costs over the past three federal fiscal years, FFY 2006 to 2008. The results underscore the growth in College or University Training and Assessment costs, and the decline in Occupational/Vocational Training and Transportation, particularly from FFY 2007 to 2008.

Chart 12 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Top 6 Service Groups by Federal Fiscal Year (Total costs in 1000's)
VR Service Group FFY 2006 FFY 2007 FFY 2008
Job Development & Placement 1549 1789 1640
College or University Training 1268 1428 1500
On-the-Job Supports 860 862 821
Assessment 479 614 661
Occupational / Vocational & Other Training 638 671 587
Transportation 739 760 518

On a per-person basis, the average rehabilitation cost has been rising over the past several years. Between FFY 2004 and 2008, the cost per successful closure rose from $5,282 to $6,611, increasing an average of $332 each year. Over the same period, the average cost for all types of closures declined slightly, from $2,394 to $2,356 as seen in Chart 13 below.

Chart 13 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Average Cost per Closure
Row Title FFY 2003 FFY 2004 FFY 2005 FFY 2006 FFY 2007 FFY 2008
All Closures $2578 $2394 $2416 $2229 $2383 $2356
Successful Closures (Status 26) $5563 $5282 $5910 $5707 $6343 $6611

D. Consumer Satisfaction Survey

Maine DVR has been surveying individuals regarding service satisfaction at the time of closure since 1997, but recognized in 2003 that the return rate was not providing statistically reliable data that could help improve agency services. Thus, a decision was made to join other New England States in a Rehabilitation Services Administration sponsored Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by Market Decisions, LLC, a research organization in South Portland, Maine. DVR found the information provided by the survey extremely valuable and decided to engage Market Decisions to conduct the survey again in 2008. In 2008, New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation and the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation were also surveyed with the same instrument allowing these New England states both a local a regional perspective on service delivery.

A random, stratified sample was utilized that included all current active clients (status 12 and above), all individuals closed successfully from a plan (status 26) and all individuals closed unsuccessfully after an IPE was implemented (status 28) in the previous twelve month period prior to each survey. Individuals were contacted by telephone, but given the option of responding to a mailed survey. Alternative formats were available at the consumer’s request.

Table 3 shows the results of measures used to determine overall satisfaction with DVR. Clearly, the overall level of satisfaction of individuals served by DVR is very high and has not changed significantly between 2003, 2006, and 2008.

Findings

Table 3 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Overall Service Satisfaction
Response 2003 (N=726) 2004 (N=741) 2008 (N=732)
Very of somewhat satisfied with Maine DVR Program
85%
83%
82%
Satisfied with the services received
82%
82%
82%
Services provided by Maine DVR compared favorably to services offered through their ideal program
85%
79%
76%
Would tell friends with similar disabilites to go to Maine DVR for help
94%
94%
94%
Services Met Expectations
79%
80%
78%
Maine DVR staff treated them with dignity and respect
97%
94%
98%
Clients reporting problems with the agency
29%
26%
24%
Clients reporting having more than one counselor affecte their ability to get services
13%
33%
39%


E. Consumer and Stakeholder Input

At its 2008 Annual Meeting, the DVR State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) held a consumer forum and extended invitations to close to 500 individuals who had been successfully employed with assistance through VR in the previous 5 years. The consumer forum questions were: how was VR helpful, what were the barriers in your VR experience, and what could VR have done better. Three individuals attended and shared their personal experience with the VR process:

Given the low consumer turnout at the Annual Meeting, the SRC subsequently contacted 17 groups of agencies, providers and councils (stakeholders who represent and/or serve a broad spectrum of individuals with disabilities). Letters were sent that asked if the individuals with disabilities they knew were interested in employment and what services were needed. Additionally, the SRC inquired if individuals were being served by VR, what was helpful and what was not, and lastly, for the individuals in employment, what issues they were confronting.

The SRC received responses from over 50% of those contacted. The responses included both agency and consumer input, representing multiple groups of individuals with disabilities. All groups mentioned a concern in the availability of transportation, both public and personal. Maine does not differ from other rural states in this respect. Other barriers to employment and/or VR services mentioned were the need to eliminate DVR’s waitlist, better career exploration, and the need for consumer friendly literature about the VR process and the purpose of VR services. Maine’s community of culturally Deaf individuals strongly requested that services and information about VR be made available in a more understandable format for them. Also identified was a need for VR Counselors and job coaches to have additional training to work with individuals with specific disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder. Respondents also expressed a need for DVR to develop a partnership with the Veteran’s Administration and work with the CareerCenters to augment services to returning Veterans with disabilities.

IV. ESTIMATING POPULATION ELIGIBLE FOR DVR SERVICES AND UNMET NEEDS

A. American Community Survey

To estimate the number of people eligible for DVR services in Maine, we use information from the American Community Survey (ACS), conducted each year by the United States Census Bureau.9 The ACS is designed to provide both national and State level data on demographic, social, economic and housing characteristics of US households. Included in the survey are six questions that can be used to identify the population of people with disabilities (see Appendix 2).

The Census defines anyone who responds affirmatively to the following question as having a work disability:

“Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: working at a job or business?”

We use the work disability question as an indicator for individuals who could meet the DVR eligibility criterion of “having a physical or mental impairment which results in a substantial impediment to employment.” Because many individuals with disabilities are already successfully employed and do not require vocational rehabilitation services, we further limited our ACS sample to those who were not currently working or on temporary leave from a job.

Table 4 details the sample selection process used to identify the ACS work disability population.

Findings

Table 4 American Community Survey Work Disability Population State of Maine
Row Title
2006 ACS Sample Size
2006 ACS Population Estimate
2007 ACS Sample Size
2007 ACS Population Estimate

Working-age adults (16-64) in Maine

(90% Confidence Interval)

8248

 

885,857

(871,123-900,591)

8116

 

869,461

(854,424-884,498)

Working-age adults with a work disability**

(90% Confidence Interval)

802

 

82,769

(76,677-88,861)

855

 

91,402

(84,667-98,137)

Working-age adults with a work disability who are not currently working (or on temporary leave)

(90% Confidence Interval)

671

 

66,946

(61,536-72,356)

727

 

77,265

(71,036-83, 494)

Source: Muskie School of Public Service Calculations based on the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

**Work-disability population defined as individuals age 16 - 64 with a work disability who do not report working in the past week (or being on temporary leave). Work disability is based on responses to the question: "Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: Working at a job or business?"

Notes:

Limitations

There are several important limitations to note about using the ACS work disability population to estimate and describe the VR-eligible population in Maine. First, while over 95% of individuals in Maine’s DVR program are between the ages of 16 and 64, there is technically no lower or upper age eligibility limit, so our estimates do not adequately describe potential young or elderly individuals who are eligible for DVR services. This could lead to an underestimate of the number of people eligible for DVR services.

However, there are also potential reasons why using the ACS could lead to an overestimate of the numbers of people in Maine who are eligible for DVR services. The Census work disability question asks whether the person’s condition causes “difficulty…in working at a job or business”, as opposed to the VR eligibility criterion that requires a “substantial impediment to employment.” The ACS work disability definition may therefore be too general, and include a number of individuals who would not be eligible for VR because they:

In addition, individuals with blindness or visual impairments are not served by DVR, but instead receive services from the Division of Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI). Over the last three years, DBVI VR cases have averaged a little less than 10% of all VR individuals served under the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services. The percentage of individuals who are blind or visually impaired in the general population is 1.8% or 23,400 people in Maine. The ACS includes a question that identifies sensory disabilities, but it does not allow for differentiating between individuals with hearing versus visual impairments, so persons potentially eligible for DBVI services may also be included in our work disability population.

Despite the limitations, the ACS is the best source available for state-level estimates of the population eligible for DVR services. The large sample size (over 5,000 each year for Maine alone) and statewide coverage make it unique among federal surveys. Also, the survey will be repeated each year, allowing for examination of trends in the work disability population in Maine in the future.10

ACS Work Disability Population Characteristics

To describe the population of individuals eligible for DVR services, we again use the American Community Survey and the sample of individuals with a work disability described above. The ACS includes a number of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics that are useful for this purpose. To improve the reliability of our estimates, we combined respondents from both the 2006 and 2007 ACS who met the work disability definition, for a total sample of 1,398 individuals. The results are shown in the second column of Table 5.

Findings

Table 5 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Client Characteristics and Selected Comparisons to ACS Work Disability Populatio n
 

DVR Clients, FFY 2008* N=3,604

Work Disability Population** (Pooled 2006-2007 ACS) N=1,398

Difference
Primary Disability Type (DVR)   Disability type information is not comparable  
No Impairment 2.7   n/a
Sensory 7.4   n/a
Physical 23.6   n/a
Mental Illness 35.8   n/a
Cognitive 30.6   n/a
Disability Type (ACS) Disability type information is not comparable    
Sensory   15.8 n/a
Physical   66.2 n/a
Mental   48.9 n/a
Self-Care   22.8 n/a
Go-outside-home   37.0 n/a
Age      
Less than 23 28.8 6.5 22.3
23-54 58.4 58.7 -0.4
55-65 11.5 34.8 -23.4
Over 65 1.4    
Education      
Less than HS 41.9 24.6 17.3
HS or Equivalent 37.4 46.3 -8.9
Some College 14.3 21.3 -1.4
College or More 6.3 7.8 -7.0
Most Recent Work Experience      
Working at time of DVR Application (ACS: Worked in past 12 months) 15.7 13.3 2.4
Not working at application 84.3 86.7  
Gender      
Male 58.3 45.3 13.0
Female 41.7 54.7  
Race      
White 97.2 94.7 2.5
Racial/ Ethinic Minority 2.8 5.3  
SSI Income      
Received SSI Income at application (ACS: In past year) 20.4 29.5 -9.1
Did not receive SSI 79.6 70.5  
SSDI Income      
Received SSDI income at application (ACS: in past year) 24.1 35.9 -11.7
Did not receive SSDI Income 75.9 64.1  
Household Poverty Status      
<100% Federal Poverty Level (FPL) not available 37.5  
100-199% FPL   27.7  
200% + FPL   34.8  

* DVR client characteristic data is for all cases closed in FFY 2008, including both successful and unsuccessful closures. Characteristics are based on information recorded at application unless otherwise noted.
**Work-disability population defined as individuals age 16 - 64 with a work disability who do not report working in the past week (or being on temporary leave). Work disability is based on responses to the question: "Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities: Working at a job or business?"

Source: Maine DVR Data and Muskie School of Public Service Calculations based on the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Are DVR Services Reaching the Eligible Population?

To determine if there are certain segments of the eligible population not being reached by the DVR program, in Table 5 we compare the characteristics of ACS work disability sample against information collected by the agency on current DVR individuals (Table 1, on pg. 8). Disability type information is not presented as a side-by-side comparison because the ACS disability measures are not comparable to the way that DVR collects primary disability type from each applicant.

B. Social Security Recipients in Maine

An alternative source of information that can be used to estimate the number of people in Maine who are eligible for DVR services comes from the Social Security Administration. Maine residents who receive SSI or SSDI are presumed to be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services, as long as the individual is interested in getting a job.12 Therefore, all SSI and SSDI recipients who qualify for payments from the Social Security Administration under a disability eligibility category are potentially eligible for DVR services.


Table 6 lists the number of Maine recipients of both programs by VR Region from December 2007.

Findings

Table 6 Open Maine DVR Cases, SSI and SSDI Recipients December 2007
VR Region Counties Included

Open DVR Cases

N=

Open DVR Percent

SSI Recipients

N=

SSI Recipients Percent

SSDI Recipients

N=

SSDI Recipients Percent
Region I Cumberland, York
2234
28.5
7384
23.7
13268
28.3
Region II Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Sagadahoc
2006
25.6
6239
20.1
8964
19.1
Region III Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, Waldo
2131
27.2
7847
25.2
11046
23.6
Region IV Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington
1169
14.9
7160
23.0
10021
21.4
Region V Aroostook
305
3.9
2482
8.0
3601
7.7
Total  
7845
100.0
31112
100.0
46900
100.0

Sources:

Because the Social Security data includes breakdowns by county, we can also use it as a proxy to examine whether DVR is reaching the geographically dispersed population of people with disabilities in Maine. Chart 14 compares the distribution of open Maine DVR cases, SSI recipients, and SSDI recipients from December 2007. First of all, it shows that the geographic distribution of both SSI and SSDI recipients is fairly similar; Region I (Cumberland and York counties) has a slightly higher concentration of SSDI recipients than SSI recipients (28% versus 24%), but the other Regions are essentially the same. This concurrence supports the idea that the Social Security information is a reasonable indicator of where in the State of Maine people with severe disabilities are living.

Comparing the distribution of Open DVR Cases against the Social Security program information, we see that there is a much lower proportion of open DVR cases who lived in Regions IV and V (19%) relative to SSI and SSDI recipients (31% and 29%). This difference may indicate a higher level of unmet need for VR services in these areas.

Chart 14 Percent Distribution of Opem Maine DVR Cases, SSI Recipients and SSDI Recipients, December 2007
VR Region Counties Included

Open DVR Cases

N= 7,845

SSI Recipients

N=31,112

SSDI Recipients

N= 46,900

Region I Cumberland, York
28
24
28
Region II Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Sagadahoc
26
20
19
Region III Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, Waldo
27
25
24
Region IV Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington
15
23
21
Region V Aroostook
4
8
8

Student population

Students with disabilities currently enrolled in special education in Maine schools represent a current and potential future group of clients who will need services from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The bars in the following chart, Chart 15, show the number of special education students who will need “vocational training and job placement” as of December 2007, broken out by VR Region. The number of transition counselors in each region is also displayed (in terms of Full Time Equivalents), as a measure of existing capacity in DVR to serve youth with disabilities. Region 1 has the largest number special education students needing VR services (1506), followed by Region 3 (1197), Region 4 (1079), Region 2 (1045) and Region 5 (268). For the most part, the number of transition counselors in each VR region mirrors the number of special education students who need VR services. Region 1 has the highest number of transition counselors (8), and Region 5 has the least (1.5 FTEs). The one exception to this pattern is Region 4, which has more special education students than Region 2, but fewer transition counselors.

Chart 15 Maine Department of Education Anticipated Need for Employment Services among Special Education students age 14-24 as of December 1, 2007
VR Region Counties Included

Vocational Training and Job Placement

Number of Transition Counselors (FTEs)

Region I Cumberland, York
1506
8
Region II Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Sagadahoc
1045
5
Region III Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, Waldo
1197
6
Region IV Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington
1079
3
Region V Aroostook
268
1.5

Source:Maine Department of Education-EF-S-05 Reports December 1, 2007 Child Count State Totals Report by Anticipated Service and County, Ages 14-21 at Data Collection http://maine.gov/education/speced/EFS05/public_reports.htm Downloaded 2/9/09. Transition counselor information from Maine DVR.

This is more clearly illustrated by comparing the number of special education students needing VR services per transition counselor in each VR region.14 Region 4 stands out clearly in this chart relative to the other parts of Maine, in that there is only 1 transition counselor for every 360 special education students needing VR services. In all other regions there is at least 1 counselor for every 209 students needing VR services, and the average is 1 counselor per 194 students. The relative lack of transition counselors in Region 4 does not appear to lead to worse employment outcomes, however. Chart 16 also shows the rehabilitation rate (Status 26 closures / Status 26 + 28 closures) for FFY 2008 among transition-age DVR clients. Overall, the rehabilitation rate for all clients under age 25 at application was 46 percent, and the rehabilitation rate for Region 4 was right at the state average. Transition youth in this region may be obtaining needed services from other parts of the vocational rehabilitation system, such as through schools or Career Centers.

Chart 16 DVR Transition Counselors per Special Education student and Rehabilitation Rate for Transition Population (Age <25) by VR Region
VR Region Counties Included

Transition Counselors per Anticipated Client (VR Training)

FFY 2008 Rehab Rate, Age <25

Region I Cumberland, York
188.3
52.8
Region II Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Sagadahoc
209.0
40.7
Region III Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, Waldo
199.5
41.6
Region IV Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington
359.7
46.6
Region V Aroostook
178.7
60.0


V. COMPARISON TO OTHER STATES

Comparing Maine’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to its peer state VR agencies can provide further insight into areas for focus in the coming years. Maine’s peer states include Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire and Vermont. These states were selected as “peers” because each state’s VR program served between 4,100 and 7,900 individuals in FFY 2007, have grants of similar size ($13 to $17 million) from the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and are largely rural states with less than 1.5 million total population.15 It should be noted that the VR agencies in both Montana and New Hampshire serve individuals with blindness and visual impairments under a single combined agency, unlike Maine, Idaho and Vermont where these individuals are served by a separate unit. Also, Maine was the only state among this set of peers with a waiting list in effect during FFY 2007.

The employment rate among individuals whose cases were closed after receiving services in FFY 2007 varied 51% to 68% as seen in Chart 17. Maine has the lowest overall rehabilitation rate among its peer states.

Chart 17 Rehabilitation Rate FFY 2007
 

ME-General 2007

ID-General 2007

MT-Combined 2007

NH-Combined 2007

VT-General 2007

Peer Averages 20007
Employment Rate
51.4%
65.5%
57.9%
68.3.%
64.7%
62.8%

Breaking out the FFY 2007 rehabilitation rate by disability type, we see that the same general pattern observed in Maine exists in all the peer states in Chart 18; individuals with communicative impairments tend to have the highest rehabilitation rates, and those with mental and emotional disabilities tend to have the lowest. (Note that individuals with visual impairments are not included in these figures.) Compared with the peer state average (far right bar), Maine’s rehabilitation rates (far left bar) are significantly lower for three of the four disability types. Only among individuals with communicative impairments does the Maine rehabilitation rate match its peers.

Chart 18 Rehabilitation Rate by Disability Type FFY 2007
Disability

ME-General 2007

ID-General 2007

MT-Combined 2007

NH-Combined 2007

VT-General 2007

Peer Averages 20007
Physical Disorders
46
62
54
62
61
57
Communicative Impairments
81
88
77
86
76
81
Cognitive Impairments
53
74
61
69
73
66
Mental and emotional disabilities
44
59
53
57
60
55

Among successful closures, Maine has the lowest average hours worked per week, but average earnings are actually the highest among any of its peer states Chart 19.

Chart 19 Average Hours Per Week and Hourly Earnings for Successful Closures, FFY 2007
Program Highlights

ME-General 2007

ID-General 2007

MT-Combined 2007

NH-Combined 2007

VT-General 2007

Peer Averages 20007
Average hourly earnings ($)
$10.87
$9.77
$9.68
$10.72
$10.28
$10.26
Average hours worked per week
28.0
31.8
30.8
28.9
28.1
29.5

Again breaking out the employment outcomes among successful closures by disability type, Charts 20 and 21, we find that in terms of average hours worked per week, Maine lags its peers only for clients with physical disorders and those with mental and emotional disabilities. Maine actually exceeds the peer averages among those with communicative impairments. And we find that average hourly earnings at case closure in Maine exceed the peer state average by more than $1 among those with physical disabilities, and among those with communicative impairments.

Chart 20Average Hours per Week for Successful Closures by Disability Type FFY 2007
Disability

ME-General 2007

ID-General 2007

MT-Combined 2007

NH-Combined 2007

VT-General 2007

Peer Averages 20007
Physical Disorders
29
33
32
30
30
31
Communicative Impairments
37
35
34
33
34
35
Cognitive Impairments
26
28
28
27
24
26
Mental and emotional disabilities
25
32
29
26
28
28

 

Chart 21 Average Hourly earnings for Successful Closures by Disability Type, FFY 2007
Disability

ME-General 2007

ID-General 2007

MT-Combined 2007

NH-Combined 2007

VT-General 2007

Peer Averages 20007
Physical Disorders $12.27 $10.84 $10.74 $10.77 $10.65 $11.05
Communicative Impairments $14.41 $12.47 $10.06 $12.76 $14.92 $12.92
Cognitive Impairments $9.02 $8.18 $8.36 $8.87 $9.00 $8.69
Mental and emotional disabilities $9.66 $9.37 $8.57 $10.01 $9.83 $9.49

Compared to its peer state VR agencies, Chart 22, DVR clients with successful employment outcomes spent an average of 14 months longer in the VR process.

Chart 22, Average Time in months between Application and Closure for Individuals with Sucessful Employment Outcomes, FFY 2007
 

ME-General 2007

ID-General 2007

MT-Combined 2007

NH-Combined 2007

VT-General 2007

Peer Averages 20007
Time (in months)
38.1
20.3
25
19.4
17
24


VI. DISCUSSION

Although challenged by an economic recession and severe state budget shortfalls, DVR continues to provide vocational rehabilitation services to thousands of Mainers with disabilities each year. In an effort to conduct a Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment, DVR and its State Rehabilitation Council gathered and analyzed a wide range of information, including the agency’s own performance data, existing disability population statistics, disability population projections, and input from stakeholders.

As with the 2006 Needs Assessment, individuals served by DVR are generally very satisfied with the services that they receive and report feeling that they are treated with dignity and respect. In the last three years, however, increasing frustration has been noted with the wait for services and counselor turnover. Although time spent on the waiting list stabilized at six months, time to develop an employment plan (IPE) has increased. The overall average of time from application to closure is over three years, which is significantly longer than other peer states.

In terms of case service expenditures, job development and college or university training remained DVR’s highest cost areas, consistent with the findings in 2006. Of note, is that a secondary analysis of the agency’s post-secondary expenditures found that individuals who were able to complete a post-secondary degree or certificate were more likely to find and keep a job, achieve fulltime employment and have a higher income.

In considering the information provided by the Consumer Satisfaction Survey and various stakeholder inputs, things noted include: establishing clear expectations with consumers on what they can expect from the VR process; the importance of timely communications and the availability of counselors to respond to individual needs; the challenges of Maine’s inadequate transportation system; insufficient career exploration, job fit and range of employment options; and unfamiliarity of general VR Counselors with specific disabilities and impairments.

In the areas of unserved and underserved groups, existing disability population statistics suggest that Maine has a large population of individuals with disabilities, including those receiving SSI and/or SSDI, who might benefit from services through DVR. Additionally, two other groups were identified in the assessment that should be anticipated as needing VR services in the future. The first is students with disabilities identified by the Department of Education as needing career services and education upon exiting high school. Many of these students have been identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. The other group is Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have sustained injuries and are in need of vocational rehabilitation services.

Services to minorities with disabilities in Maine have always been a challenge to DVR. DVR has long attempted to provide services to the state’s Native Americans and after several attempts, successfully supported the Houlton Band of Maliseets to be awarded a five-year Section 121 grant award in FY 2009. Through a memorandum of understanding, DVR has an opportunity to better serve tribal members. While the population of other minority groups is slowly increasing in Maine through resettlement programs and migrant employment, DVR outreach has not always been accepted or understood. DVR staff could benefit from continued cultural sensitivity training specific to the individuals in Maine, like the Somalis in Lewiston.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS

Maine’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is embarking on a major initiative to eliminate the wait list and provide the “right service at the right time” to its consumers. Maine DVR plans to go “back to the basics” by evaluating each major process point with consumers. DVR has identified these points as: “Entering the VR System”, “VR Plan Development”, “VR Plan Accomplishment” and “Exiting the VR System”. The goal is to provide services to all eligible consumers at the time that they need them to achieve competitive, community-based employment.

This Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment lends strong support to the importance of DVR’s initiative and clarifying its purpose, targeting resources, engaging other service providers, and streamlining services. As DVR proceeds, it is recommended that:

APPENDIX 1
Order of Selection

Category 1
A. Individuals with the most significant disabilities as defined as an individual:

  1. whose disability is of a permanent, chronic or cyclical nature;
  2. who has a significant physical or mental impairment that seriously limits two or more functional capacities (mobility, communication, self-care, self- direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills) in terms of employment outcome; and
  3. whose vocational rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an extended period of time.

Category 2
B. Individuals with significant disabilities as defined by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, as an individual:

  1. who has one or more physical or mental disabilities resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, muscular-skeletal disorders, neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy), spinal cord conditions (including paraplegia and quadriplegia), sickle cell anemia, specific learning disabilities, end-stage renal disease, or other disabilities or combination of disabilities determined on the basis of an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs which cause substantial functional limitation;
  2. who has a significant physical or mental impairment that seriously limits one functional capacity (mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work tolerance, or work skills) in terms of employment outcome; and
  3. whose vocational rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an extended period of time.

Category 3
(C) All other individuals with non-significant disabilities.

Appendix 2 Disability Definitions from the 2003 American Community Survey

Appendix 2 Disability Definitions from the 2003 American Community Survey
Census Term Question Ages
  Q15. Does this person have any of the following long lasting conditions:  
Impairment: Sensory Disability a. Blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment Ages 5 and older
Impairment: Physical disability b. A condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying? Ages 5 and older
  Q16 Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities:  
Impairment: Mental Disability a. Learning, remembering, or concentrating? Ages 5 and older
Activity Limitation: Self-Care Disability b. Dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home? Ages 5 and older
  Q17. Because of a physical, mental or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more, does this person have any difficulty in doing any of the following activities:  
Participation Restriction: Go-Outside-the-Home-Disability a. Going outside the home alone or to shop or visit a doctor's office? Ages 15 and older
Participation Restriction: Employment Disability b. Working at a job or business? Ages 15 or older
Disability If a person responds yes to at least one of the six questions found in Q15, Q16, and Q17, then the Census classifies the person as having a disability. Ages 5 and older

Source: Weathers, Robert. 2005. A guide to Disability Statistics from the American Community Survey. Table 1a. Cornell University, Employment & disability Institute. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/129

Appendix 3 Maine Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Case Closure Status by Disability Type, FFY 2003-2008
Closures by Disability FFY 2003 FFY 2004 FFY 2005 FFY 2006 FFY 2007 FFY 2008
All Closures            
Total Closures 2871 3083 2847 2987 3188 3604
Status 26 857 745 655 643 696 730
Status 26 &28 1682 1649 1371 1281 1354 1489
Rehabilitation Rate* 51% 45% 48% 50% 51% 49%
Visual or no impairment            
Total Closures 12 60 58 81 72 104
Status 26 2 2 0 2 2 0
Status 26 &28 4 5 0 3 2 1
Rehabilitation Rate* 50% 40% - 67% 100% 0%
Deaf/ Hard of Hearing            
Total Closures 199 211 193 215 206 236
Status 26 125 108 97 110 116 134
Status 26 &28 159 150 142 147 142 166
Rehabilitation Rate 79% 72% 68% 75% 82% 81%
Physical            
Total Closures 886 893 821 746 816 873
Status 26 222 198 178 131 150 170
Status 26 &28 480 467 392 306 325 374
Rehabilitation Rate 46% 42% 45% 43% 46% 45%
Mental Illness            
Total Closures 1068 1056 990 992 1204 1289
Status 26 255 177 195 174 203 174
Status 26 &28 586 527 475 390 458 450
Rehabilitation Rate* 44% 34% 41% 45% 44% 39%
Cognitive            
Total Closures 706 863 785 953 990 1102
Status 26 253 260 185 226 225 252
Status 26 &28 453 500 362 435 427 498
Rehabilitation Rate * 56% 52% 51% 52% 53% 51%

End Notes:

1 34 CFR 361.29 (return to previous location in document)

2 Maine Department of Labor, division of Vocational Rehabilitation Policy Manual 2007 Final Rules Last Amended October 25, 2008 http://maine.gov/rehab/dvr/vr.shtml Downloaded March 19, 2009(return to previous location in document)

3 Ibid.(return to previous location in document)

4 Wise, Kurt and Sarah Richards. September 2008. State of Working Maine 2008. Maine Center for econimic Policy. http://mecep.org/view.asp?news=412 Retrieved January 27, 2009 (return to previous location in document)

5 Maine Department of Labor. December 2008. Research Brief: Maine's Job Performance from the Beginning of the Recession through November 2008. http://www.maine.gov/labor/lmis/pdf/Maine's%20Job%20Performance.pdf Retrieved January 27, 2009. (return to previous location in document)

6 Wise, Kurt and Sarah Richards. September 2008. State of Working Maine 2008. Maine Center for econimic Policy. http://mecep.org/view.asp?news=412 Retrieved January 27, 2009 (return to previous location in document)

7 Ibid.(return to previous location in document)

8 Closures in Table 1 include all types of closures, including successful closures as well as cases where the individual was found not eligible, left on the wait list, found their own employment, did not complete their VR plan etc. (return to previous location in document)

9 For more information on the ACS, see http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ (return to previous location in document)

10 Weathers, Robert. 2005. A Guide to Disability Statistics from the American Community Survey. Cornell University School of Industrial & Labor Relations. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/129/ (return to previous location in document)

11 See Appendix 2 for the specific questions that the Census uses to identify each disability type. (return to previous location in document)

12 Maine Division of vocational Rehabilitation Policy Manual. (July 1, 2004) (return to previous location in document)

13 To compute this estimate, we assume that the proportion of all Maine SSI recipients (both aged and disabled) who are also eligible for SSDI (42.7%) is the same for disabled SSI recipients only. So there are 31,112 SSI recipients with disabilities plus 46,900 SSDI recipients with disabilities minus 13288 SSI recipients with disabilities who are also eligible for SSDI which equals 64,724 SSI and SSDI recipients in Maine with disabilities. (return to previous location in document)

14 This is computed by dividing the number of special education students who will need vocational training and job placement services by the numbero f transition counselors for each VR region. For example, in Region 1: 1,506 special education students needing VR services divided by 8 transition counselors-188.3 students per counselor.(return to previous location in document)

15 RSA Annual Review Report Table 1: Program Highlights, FFY 2007. Available at: http://rsamis.ed.gov/quick_tables.cfm (return to previous location in document)