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WELCOME to the

WELCOME to the. NEW JERSEY STATE COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED (CBVI) NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. This Presentation Will:. Familiarize You With CBVI - Its Mission, Vision And Values

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WELCOME to the

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  1. WELCOME to the NEW JERSEY STATE COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED (CBVI) NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES CBVI PRESENTATION

  2. This Presentation Will: • Familiarize You With CBVI - Its Mission, Vision And Values • Provide You With A “Global Picture” of The Services the Commission Offers to New Jersey Residents • To Familiarize You With the Many Facets of Our Agency CBVI PRESENTATION

  3. You Will Learn • What the Commission Does • How the Mission, Vision and Values Drive Our Work • Where Our Consumers Fit In • How Important Our Mission Is to New Jersey Residents CBVI PRESENTATION

  4. OUR MOTTO AT CBVI INDEPENDENCE BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE! CBVI PRESENTATION

  5. Mission “The mission of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired is to promote and provide services in the areas of education, employment, independence and eye health through informed choice and partnership with persons who are blind or visually impaired, their families and the community.” CBVI PRESENTATION

  6. New Jersey FactsStatistics based on 2000 Census 290,000 NJ Residents Are Blind and Or Visually Impaired • 8,000 NJ Residents are Totally Blind • 39,000 NJ Residents are Legally Blind • 243,000 NJ Residents Have Severe Visual Impairments Currently 9,571 New Jersey Residents Are Actively Being Served By NJ CBVI CBVI PRESENTATION

  7. Goals • Provide timely, effective, high-quality services • Increase competitive employment • Work toward excellence in the education of students who are blind or visually impaired • Work to decrease the incidence of blindness or significant vision loss through eye health programs • Actively promote equality and full inclusion into society CBVI PRESENTATION

  8. GOALS • Work in partnership with consumers • Encourage positive attitudes toward blindness and visually impairments by consumers and their families • Expand service delivery to historically underserved populations • Evaluate the effectiveness of assistive technology in the school and work environment CBVI PRESENTATION

  9. Eligibility A New Jersey resident is eligible for services if he/she is visually impaired or legally blind with best correction, and is experiencing problems in his/her life as a result of vision loss. CBVI PRESENTATION

  10. Visually Impaired • Vision is 20/70 or less in the better eye (with best correction) (the person sees at 20 feet what a sighted person sees at 70 feet) • Field restriction of 40 degrees CBVI PRESENTATION

  11. Legally Blind • One’s vision is 20/200 or less in the better eye (with best correction) • If there is a restricted vision field limited to 20 degrees or less CBVI PRESENTATION

  12. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE Vito DeSantis Executive Director Lori Ghio Executive Secretary 153 HALSEY STREET 6th FLOOR PO BOX 47017 Newark, New Jersey 07101 973-648-3333 CBVI PRESENTATION

  13. Management Team 2007 • Vito DeSantis: Executive Director • Dr. Bernice Davis: Executive Assistant • Frank Scheick: Manager: Fiscal • Marc Stabile: Manager: Human Resource • Ines Matos: Manager: MIS • David DeNotaris: Manager: Statewide • Jose Morales: Manager: NRO • Pat Davis: Manager: SRO • John Reiff: Manager: CRO • Donald Potenski: Manager: JKRC CBVI PRESENTATION

  14. Management Team 2007 COORDINATORS • Amelia Ricciardi: Education • Lorraine Clark: Allied Services • Gregory Patty: Vocational Rehabilitation • Bruce Kastner,OD: Blindness Prevention, Low Vision Services • Pamela Gaston: Executive Assistant • Michael Kosec: Quality Assurance • Hugo Ruiz: Employee Relations Officer • Sandra Deitel: Staff Development CBVI PRESENTATION

  15. REGIONAL OFFICES • Northern (Newark): Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren • Central (Toms River): Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean • Southern (Camden): Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem CBVI PRESENTATION

  16. Regional Services Vocational Rehabilitation Independent Living Services Client Education Eye Health CBVI PRESENTATION

  17. EDUCATION CBVI provides education services from birth through age twenty-one to eligible children and their families. These services are designed to allow students who are visually impaired to participate equally with other students in regular classroom activities. CBVI PRESENTATION

  18. Comprehensive itinerant services Inclusion, integration, mainstreaming Collaboration with school districts Partnership with the Office and Departments of Education Legislative Law, Funding, Reimbursement Education Services CBVI PRESENTATION

  19. Vocational Rehabilitation Services The goal of this program is to assist persons who are blind and visually impaired develop, acquire, or update skills that will help in securing and maintaining suitable employment. This may include working in the competitive labor force, operating their own business, supportive employment, or managing their own home. CBVI PRESENTATION

  20. Evaluation Counseling and Guidance Training Job Placement Post-Employment College Counseling/Support High School Transition Business Enterprise Program Entrepreneurial Programs Special Services for persons who are Multi-disabled Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center Programs Special services for persons who are Multi-disabled Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR) CBVI PRESENTATION

  21. Employer Services UnitProvides the following services at no cost to employers: • Job retention services for staff with vision loss • Technical Support on ADA issues • Work-site analysis and modification • Agency Resources: Linkages to the information you need • Achieve diversity and inclusion goals in strategic plans • Financial incentives and tax credits • Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) CBVI PRESENTATION

  22. Employer Services Unit Provides: • Opportunities for partnering • Website Accessibility • Assistive Technology Consults • Pre-Screened Labor Pool • Diversity and Inclusion • Long-term follow-up • Internships • Career Development Activities • Employer Advisory Council CBVI PRESENTATION

  23. Social Casework In home instruction in daily living skills Instruction for independent travel and orientation to the home, community, work or school environment Child care skills Instruction in communication methods Referral to community resources Independent Living Services (Allied Services) CBVI PRESENTATION

  24. The goal of this program is to enable persons who are blind or visually impaired to lead a full and productive life and to assist them in adjusting to their vision loss Independent Living Skills CBVI PRESENTATION

  25. Orientation and MobilityInstruction (O&M) • Safe Independent Travel Training (Home, School, Work, Community) • Emphasizing Awareness of Surrounding Environments • Use of Remaining Senses (Hearing and Vision) CBVI PRESENTATION

  26. Eye Health Nurse • Case-Management • Diabetes Education • Instruction on Adaptive Equipment/Devices (insulin syringes, talking glucose monitors) • Monitoring Health Care CBVI PRESENTATION

  27. Home Instruction Home Management Skills Kitchen Safety, Meal Preparation, Laundry Skills, Clothing Identification Adaptive Equipment Talking Watches, Timers, Calculators Communication Skills Braille, Keyboarding, Check writing, Telephone Dialing, Handwriting Adjustment to Vision Loss CBVI PRESENTATION

  28. Statewide Operations Statewide Services • Prevention • Early Intervention • Education • Deaf-Blind • Transition • /College Services • Camp Marcella • Drew University CBVI PRESENTATION

  29. Prevention Services/Eye Health The goal of this program is to save sight and restore vision whenever it is medically possible. Statistics show that 50% of all blindness and vision loss could be prevented with proper medical eye care. CBVI conducts and sponsors a variety of educational programs and eye health screening throughout the state to detect vision problems. CBVI PRESENTATION

  30. Mobile Eye Exams Vision Screening for preschool and school age children Eye health nursing On site screening at institutions and in the community on invitation Special diabetic outreach program Other specialized eye screening programs which target minorities, the elderly and migrant farm workers Prevention Services CBVI PRESENTATION

  31. Early Intervention Provides statewide itinerant education for infants and toddlers (birth to age 3), who are blind or visually impaired, multi-handicapped visually impaired, or deaf-blind and their families. Disability-specific services are provided in the child’s naturalenvironment. CBVI PRESENTATION

  32. Early Intervention Services • Eligibility Determination Education Services • Assessment and Evaluation of Visual Impairment • Collaboration With Families • Technical Assistance to Families and Providers • Specialized Instruction i.e. Transition to Pre-School Services • Availability of Additional CommissionServices CBVI PRESENTATION

  33. Assists Individuals who are Deaf-Blind, their parents, counselors, educators, employers and consumers through various services: Determine Eligibility Counseling Participate in Educational Planning Provide Functional Vision Assessments In-Service Presentations Recommend and Provide Specialized Adaptive Equipment Locate training programs for employment needs Assist with job placement and maintaining current employment Deaf-Blind Unit CBVI PRESENTATION

  34. Transition Unit • Serves high school students • Career assessment, planning and training • Coordinate two summer career exploration opportunities CBVI PRESENTATION

  35. College Unit Assists college students with: • Funding • Counseling • Guidance • Advocacy • Job Placement CBVI PRESENTATION

  36. Drew Program • Simulated Residential College experience on the Campus of Drew University in Madison • 10th through 12th graders are eligible • 4 weeks duration • Academic Classes • Orientation/Mobility • Daily Living Skills • Leisure Activities on Weekends and Evenings CBVI PRESENTATION

  37. The College of New JerseyWork Skills Prep • Residential work experience program on the campus of TCNJ in Ewing, NJ • 10th through 12th graders are eligible • 3 weeks duration • Career exploration • Orientation/Mobility • Daily Living Skills • Leisure Activities on Weekends and Evenings CBVI PRESENTATION

  38. JKRC Transition Summer Program • Open to ninth graders who are blind and or visually impaired • Two Week Residential Session at JKRC • Career Exploration • Visits to Businesses • O&M instruction • Daily Living Skills • Computer Skills • Peer Sharing CBVI PRESENTATION

  39. Camp Marcella: Sleep-Away Camp in Rockaway NJIn Partnership With the Lions Club • 200 blind and visually impaired children between ages 5 and 16 attend camp each summer • Camp offers a chance to participate in swimming, boating, hiking, music, arts/crafts, sports/games • Computer Lab and Library • Camp fosters a child’s sense of independence and self confidence and helps develop social skills CBVI PRESENTATION

  40. Other Statewide Services • George F. Meyer Instructional Resource Center (Newark) • Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center (New Brunswick) (Norma K. Krajczar Technology Resource and Development Center, Bridge Program) • Business Enterprise Program (BEP) (Quakerbridge Plaza, Mercerville) CBVI PRESENTATION

  41. George F. Meyer Instructional Resource Center This center provides materials to enable children to function on an equal footing with their sighted classmates. • Provides Adaptive Aids • Adaptive textbooks (large print or Braille), materials , and technical equipment • Enriching toys and materials • Assistive Technology CBVI PRESENTATION

  42. JKRC offers blind and visually impaired adults an opportunity to learn skills that enable independence. It is an intensive program to develop vocational skills. 16 week residential program Career Assessment Vocational Counseling Communication Skills Braille Orientation and Mobility Activities of Daily Living Skills Kitchen Skills Assistive Technology Skills Adjustment to Vision Loss Psychological Services Social Services Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center(JKRC) CBVI PRESENTATION

  43. Norma F. Krajczar Technology Resource and Development Center • Located Within JKRC • Open to the public for hands on experience with the latest technology products • Demonstrations of state of the art products for people who are blind and visually impaired • DeWitt Contract CBVI PRESENTATION

  44. Since the passage of the 1937 Randolph-Sheppard Act, NJ CBVI BEP has worked to help NJ residents who are blind or visually impaired become independent business operators and entrepreneurs! Currently NJ has 60 active operators owning: SNACK BARS VENDING MACHINES CAFES/CAFETERIAS The average operator income is $54,000 $18,544,163 gross sales as of 6/30/06 BEP AND NEW JERSEYPERFECT TOGETHER! CBVI PRESENTATION

  45. Types of Contracted Services • Independent Living for elderly or deaf/blind • Prevention of Blindness • Volunteers • Training and employment/supported employment • Psychological Services • Advocacy/Legal • Recorded Books • Recreation • Assistive Technology CBVI PRESENTATION

  46. To Contract or Not to Contract Services • Can we provide service ourselves? • Can we provide services efficiently ourselves? • Can we provide services effectively ourselves? CBVI PRESENTATION

  47. 15 Contracts 4.5 Million in Value Smallest Contract-Cumberland County at $20,868.00 Largest contract DeWitt & Associates at $1.3 Million 12 different funding sources Contract Facts CBVI PRESENTATION

  48. Any piece of equipment that will give independence to someone who is blind or visually impaired These tools may assist consumers in gaining access to information both print and electronic and facilitates written communication Indispensable service provided by the Commission Maintaining current relevant resources to ensure our consumers and staff are literate and competent is critical in the fast changing world of assistive technology Assistive Technology CBVI PRESENTATION

  49. RTAC(REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT CENTER) • Located in each regional office • Provides training, demonstrations, and evaluations of assistive technology to our consumers, educators and or other interested parties CBVI PRESENTATION

  50. Independence Believe and Achieve • 11% of the Commission’s Workforce is blind and or visually impaired • Approximately 103 NJ Citizens go through programming at the Kohn Center Each Year • We rank third in the United States for Assistive Technology Use • In 2006, 303 NJ VR clients became gainfully employed through the Commission’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program • CBVI provides assistive technology devices to our consumers such as computers, notetakers, Braille displays, Braille embossers (printer), scanners, CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) CBVI PRESENTATION

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