VR and Research Universities: Back Fence Neighbors or Partners?

1. VR and Research Universities: Back Fence Neighbors or Partners? Presentation SUMMIT 2016 Richmond, VA

2. LILY TOMLIN “No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up.”

3. Presenters • Joe Marrone, ICI(joseph.marrone@gmail.com)Cell: 503-490-2072Steve Wooderson, CSAVR • (swooderson@rehabnetwork.org)

4. What is the UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL TRANSITIONS RRTC?http://www.umassmed.edu/transitionsrtcWHAT IS THE TRIANGLE PROJECT?DELAWARE INTERAGENCY PROJECT?

5. What is the UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL TRANSITIONS RRTC?http://www.umassmed.edu/transitionsrtcWHY VR AND CSAVR?WHY ICI?WHAT IS THE TRIANGLE PROJECT?DELAWARE INTERAGENCY PROJECT?

6. Steve Wooderson, CSAVR WHAT IS IN IT FOR CSAVR? SVRAS? CLIENTS?

7. GREEK PROVERB “ BEFORE PRACTICING VIRTUE, FIRST SECURE AN INDEPENDENT INCOME. “

8. JOE MARRONE, ICI WHAT IS IN IT FOR ICI? CSAVR? SVRAS? CLIENTS?

9. DETAILS – RECRUITMENT AND CSAVR REACHING OUT – ICI LINKING CSAVR/TRANSITION RRTC LETTER FROM CSAVR TO SVRAS

10. From: John Connelly [JConnelly@Rehabnetwork.org] The Learning and Working Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is conducting a research study titled “Collaborations in the Triangle: VR, Adult and Child Mental Health” which is funded by NIDILRR & SAMHSA. CSAVR has endorsed this study. As we know and once again has been reinforced by WIOA provisions, the successful movement from school to work is an important outcome for and young adults with psychiatric disabilities.  The goal of this study is to better understand factors that facilitate or hinder collaboration between vocational rehabilitation, child and adult mental health systems to support the education and employment outcomes of these individuals, between ages 14 and 25. At the end of the study CSAVR and the respondents will be provided an executive summary (no more than 4 pages) of the study findings related to factors that foster/hinder collaboration.

11. As part of this research these investigators would like to interview individuals who are the leaders of local VR agencies in communities that have received Federal grants from SAMSA, to better address the needs of transition-age youth and young adults who have or are at risk to develop serious mental health conditions. That program is the “Now is the Time - Healthy Transitions” (NITT-HT This research will help provide guidelines that will facilitate stronger collaboration between these agencies in the future. Each interview will take place over the phone and last 45 minutes to 1 hour and compensate the respondent with at $25 gift card for their time. The directors/managers of the local Vocational Rehabilitation agency will receive a letter inviting participation from these investigators. We at CSAVR are supportive of this research and encourage VR directors/managers to participate in the study when asked.

12. W. EDWARDS DEMING “ BEWARE THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF THINGS NOT WORTH IMPROVING “

13. Summary: We would like to get information about your own experiences with collaboration among your local [insert their VR system] and [insert local Child Mental Health and Adult Mental Health systems], in order to improve the employment and educational outcomes (work, schooling, training) for youth and young adults ages 14-25, with psychiatric disabilities. Our goal is to understand efforts by VR/CMH/AMH systems that facilitate or hinder their mutual collaboration to support the employment and educational outcomes of youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions. A $25.00 gift card will be mailed to you to compensate you for your time. Additionally, you will receive a package of informational materials that have been developed from research findings.

14. *This interview will be audio recorded and transcribed. We will ask you to review your transcript for accuracy. With your permission, we may also contact you follow-up questions. Would you describe how your local [Vocational Rehabilitation] system delivers services for transition age youth and young adults with psychiatric disabilities? What efforts do you see need to happen in your system to improve employment and educational outcomes for youth and young adults with serious mental health conditions? What efforts has your system made recently toward that goal? What efforts do you anticipate your system making in the next 2 years? I am going to ask a couple of questions about collaboration. By collaboration we mean actively working together to achieve shared goals. [examples; building mutual capacity, MOU’s, resource sharing] If/When you want to collaborate with leadership of CMH to change policies affecting providers, or change funding for services that better support the transition of youth with mental health disabilities, who would that person be (role + name)]. What do you view as desirable collaboration in order to improve employment and educational outcomes between [insert their system] and Child Mental Health? [Ask same question for Adult Mental Health]?

15. What do you see as: • barriers to collaboration that should improve employment and educational outcomes between [insert their VR system] and Child Mental Health? • facilitators to collaboration that should improve employment and educational outcomes between [insert their VR system] and Child Mental Health? • [Ask same questions for Adult Mental Health] • What data do you use to measure your system’s outcomes? What do you count? • Given planning around the provisions of the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and transition age youth, what issues do you feel are relevant for youth with psychiatric disabilities? How does this affect planning? Are you taking any specific steps to implementing sections 422 of the WIOA Pre-employment Transitions Services, and if so please describe. • *

16. Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act- Enacted in July 2014; Department of Labor “DESCRIPTION” (WIOA) will help job seekers and workers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and match employers with skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy. Improves Services to Individuals with Disabilities: WIOA increases individuals with disabilities’ access to high-quality workforce services to prepare them for competitive integrated employment. It requires better employer engagement and promotes physical and programmatic accessibility to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. Youth with disabilities receive extensive pre-employment transition services to obtain and retain competitive integrated employment. It creates an Advisory Committee on strategies to increase competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities.

17. Can you tell me how your system is involved in the Now is the Time-Healthy Transitions grant [provide local name]? a. How involved was your system in the design of the grant and application? b. How involved is your system in the implementation of the grant or the grant activities? Is there a program that your agency funds or a service that your system provides, that is particularly active in the implementation of the grant? If yes, what have they been doing?

18. I’d like to get the names of 5 or 6 local programs or services that your agency provides, or contracts to provide, in supporting the employment and educational goals of youth and young adults with psychiatric disabilities. Specifically, those program/services which serve a large number of this group or particularly focused on them. Ask for lead contact person for each service or program [Most important prompts: program names and director’s names] [Prompt: central office VR manager that specializes in Transition age youth, transition counselors, those who guide VR counselors; cross disability programs or other programs they may access] * We will be sending program or service leaders a web-based survey about their system collaborations. We would like to ask you if we can use your name as a referral when contacting them to take the survey.

19. OLD YIDDISH PROVERB If 1 person calls you a jackass, ignore him; If a second person calls you a jackass, think about it; If a third person calls you a jackass- get a saddle.

20. " There is nothing you can say in answer to a compliment. I have been complimented myself a great many times, and they always embarrass me -- I always feel they have not said enough. "Mark Twain

21. Buddha "Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.“ BUDDHA