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April 2008 MessageIn this message
We're in the news!The March 31st issue of the national Employment & Training Reporter featured an article on Washington DVR's success in eliminating our waiting list. The Employment & Training Reporter is a Washington DC-based news source for the workforce development field. Senior Editor Ryan Hess contacted us after reading the Governor's Press Release. The article profiles the strategies and collaborations that are contributing to our success. We appreciate the opportunity to tell our story and to be recognized nationally for our progress. DVR's PerformanceWe are now half-way through the federal fiscal year. We are doing very well - many thanks to the on-going hard work of staff, customers and partners! Open CasesDVR has a total of 12,169 open cases and we are serving eligible individuals in all priority categories with no waiting. Our caseloads are averaging 80-110 active individuals; in a limited number of offices, caseloads are a little smaller or a little larger as we move through the remainder of the individuals in assessment or in plan development from the waiting list. DVR anticipated the current 'bulge' of 5,600 individuals in plan development as a result of eliminating the waiting list and we project the pool of individuals in plan development to decline to the desired level in 2-3 months. Once we move through the current workload peak, DVR will be well positioned to promptly initiate services to all eligible individuals. New Applications/EligibilitiesWe recognize that an on-going smooth flow of new applications will be important as we build our capacity to serve more individuals. The rate of new applications is right on target with 4,126 new applications so far this federal fiscal year. In comparison, we had 3,370 new applications last federal fiscal year in the same time period of October - March. We are monitoring and tracking the proportion of new eligibilities in each of the Priority Categories. So far this year, we have experienced a slight increase in the proportion of new eligibilities in Priority Category 2. Currently, 51% of our eligibilities are in Priority Category 1; 47% are in Priority Category 2; and 2% are in Priority Category 3. Plan ActivityDVR has increased the number of individuals in a plan of service by more than 1,000 compared to our performance last year at this time. We continue to build toward our plan capacity. We applaud staff for stepping up their performance, particularly in plan development. Compared to the same period last year, field staff have more than doubled the number of new plans developed. At March 31, we had 2,409 new IPEs. OutcomesSuccessful rehabilitations are up 26% in 2008. Our rehabilitation rate exceeds both the federal standard and our own target! At March 31, we had 1,038 successful rehabilitations (compared to 822 at this time last year) and our rehabilitation rate has climbed to 60.3%. Ever dream of being a recruiter?Here's your chance to try out your skills as a recruiter and also help DVR attract great candidates for our positions. Research has shown that personal contacts are one of the strongest factors in someone choosing to work for a particular employer. We are actively seeking to recruit more diverse candidates for our positions and would appreciate your assistance as we increase our outreach to communities of color. There are two very specific ways you can help recruit qualified candidates for our jobs:
Current Openings at DVRPlease let interested customers, colleagues, partners and friends know about our current openings. Recognizing and valuing diversity in our organization, we are actively seeking qualified applicants from communities of color. We are looking for great candidates to fill the following positions:
DO-IT Program offers e-mentoring and moreDo you know up-and-coming high school or college students with disabilities with interests in high tech fields involving science, computing, information technology and/or engineering? Encourage them to participate in an engaging online community of peers, mentors, and support staff. The DO-IT program at the University of Washington offers e-mentoring, summer internships, college scholarships and much, much more. For information, please contact the staff at doit@u.washington.edu to learn about how students with disabilities can benefit from involvement in the AccessSTEM and/or AccessComputing projects (www.washington.edu/doit). Thanks for helping us to spread the word about DO-IT: Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology. It's a great program! Staff Recognition UpdateWe recognize and value that everyone throughout our organization contributes to our success. We are looking forward to participating in each of the upcoming DSHS Regional Employee Recognition events scheduled over the next several months. To kick-off our staff recognition activities, we hosted a luncheon March 18 for State Office staff. Blake Chard, DSHS Deputy Secretary and DVR Leadership honored several colleagues with individual performance, partnership and team performance awards. As Regional events are held, I'll highlight in the next monthly Director's Message the names of our DVR staff that are recognized at each event. It's a privilege to have so many DVR staff nominated for employee recognition each year. We received nominations to recognize 62 individuals for individual performance, diversity, customer service or partnership awards; as well as 11 teams comprised of another 71 individuals. Please join me in thanking and recognizing the following staff with their nominations: Individual performanceDonald Alveshere, Perry Anderson, Martha (Metz) Bauder, Maria Beyer, Tina Bredengerd, Elsbeth Calvo, Lisa Castillo, Karen Clack, Michael Cunningham, Donna Dalzell, Amanda Davis, Sonya DeLeon, Mark Dixon, Francisco Felan, Jennifer Gordon, Patrick Gray, Duane Johnson, Carl Johnston, David King, Amy Knizek, Daphne Martin, Cynthia Murray, Jim O'Brien, Jeanette Ogg, Eric Potter, Joy Shiels, Candace Spitzer, Gerry Steinauer and Barbara (Rose) Theisen. DiversityClarissa Braulick, Yvonne Bussler, Barb Gale, Dondra Lopez, Deborah Roberts and Valerie Smith. Customer ServiceDionne Bennett, Sonya DeLeon, Pam Flodine, Francis Gathenya, Vicki Gilleg, Ollie Grant, Cat Henderson, Christine Hudson, Esmeralda Izaguirre, Robbin Jewell, Crystal LaDue, Shelly Lahtinen, Beverly Mandahl, Jim O'Brien, Sharon Steele, Esther Walker and Crystal Wiss. PartnershipKaren Clack, Shon Copeland, Gilbert Cupat, Peg Evans-Brown, Kay Henderson, Esmeralda Izaguirre, Jennifer Johnson, Cathy Kunzmann, Patricia Sparks, Jody Swearingen and the N. Central WA Unit VRCs - Yvonne Bussler, Kathie Grignon and Cathy Kunzmann. Additional TeamsCentralia Office Flood Restoration Team
Field Management Team
Human Resources Support
N. Central WA unit Rehab Techs
SeaTac Rehab Tech Team
Spokane Supervisors
WorkStrides Team N. Seattle
WorkStrides Team Spokane
WorkStrides Team Tacoma
Upcoming Events in the month of AprilApril is shaping up to be a very busy month. Here are some upcoming events that might be of interest to you: April 16-18 TacomaWith A Community of Action: You are the Leaders conference, The Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) is bringing together over 400 inter-generational leaders from the developmental disabilities field and their community partners to explore common values and goals in working toward inclusive communities. As a key community partner, DVR is honored to be included in this ambitious undertaking. With DVR staff attending from across the state, we look forward to exploring common values and actions around leadership and responsibility. For more information about the Conference, please contact Marnie Valenta, Conference Coordinator (206) 313-0577 or email: marnie@theinitiative.ws April 17 -18 WenatcheeThe Washington State Rehabilitation Council (WSRC) will be holding its quarterly Customer Forum and full Council meeting this month in Wenatchee at the Red Lion Hotel. The Customer Forum will be Thursday, April 17 from 5:30-7:30 pm.; the full Council meeting will be Friday, April 18 from 9 -4p. Please encourage those that may be interested to attend. For more information, please check out the WSRC website: www.wastrehabcouncil.org April 22 Washington DCEach Spring, the Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) hosts a Legislative and Employer Awards Breakfast. We're excited that we'll have a chance to recognize Senator Patty Murray for her outstanding leadership, advocacy and support of the public vocational rehabilitation program and the services that benefit individuals with disabilities. April 23 - Virtual Job FairA virtual online job fair specifically for college students with disabilities transitioning from school to work will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2008.
Participating Colleges and Universities: The sponsoring organization, disABLEDperson Inc., has arranged with the Disability Student Services Department at every 4 year institution with 1000 students or more in each of the included 10 states to secure their school's respective participation.
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