Today, Rob Kilbury, Director of the Division of Rehabilitation Services, called together stakeholders from around the state to discuss a $4 million shortfall in the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services budget.
The Director feels if they do not make changes soon in the services and supports they provide, it is likely that vocational rehabilitation services will close down all intakes some time between April and June, 2005.
The Director’s current thinking is that the Division will make the top priority for vocational rehabilitation individuals with the “most significant” disability. To do this, the Division will amend its current “Order of Selection” for services to the Fed’s. The resulting changes may affect your current contracts with the Division of Rehabilitation Services. Therefore, the top priority for vocational rehabilitation services will be individuals with severe disabilities.
More:
Vocational Rehabilitation Services has a budget of approximately $110 million out of the total Division of Rehabilitation Services budget of about $550 million. Over the past few years, income from the Social Security Administration for Vocational Rehabilitation Services has been on the decline. In addition to income declining, costs that the Division has little control over have been escalating rapidly.
The vocational rehabilitation program is matched by the federal government at the rate of 80% and is capitated based upon a formula that includes population and the state’s wealth. This means that the state’s share for the Vocational Rehabilitation Services is 20%. This is a good deal for the state. The Division has maximized its current federal allocation of 80% for the current year so additional federal match is not an option.
The estimated shortfall for this fiscal year is estimated at $4 million and, therefore, next year could be more than $8 million at the current spending rate with no changes in service priority.
About 35,000 individuals are served in the vocational rehabilitation programs on a daily basis. Approximately 16,000 students, or 44% in special education in the STEP program or transition services, are supported in this service. About 12,000 individuals or 33% are served in Community Rehabilitation Programs. The remaining individuals are supported through medical assistance, assistive technology, transportation, college tuition and other varied expenses.
About 35% of the individuals served in Vocational Rehabilitation Services are eligible for social security.
It is interesting to note that currently the “outcomes” in the contracts for the STEP program target students with mild or moderate disabilities.
PROPOSED CHANGE IN ELIGIBILITY OR “ORDER OF SELECTION”
The Division is recommending that a new category for priority services be added which would be a change in the definition of “most severely” disabled. This is my understanding of the new definitions in order of priority.
Top Priority. “Most” significant disability is an individual with three or more functional limitations requiring two or more substantial services.
“Very” significant disability is an individual with two or more functional limitations requiring one substantial service.
“Significant” disability is an individual with one functional limitation.
Disability.
Resources and services will be allocated based upon the person’s disability in accordance with the federal guideline requiring service to individuals with the most severe disabilities. If resources are not available, individuals will be placed on waiting lists.
The local counselors will be responsible for evaluating eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services and the documentation of serious limitations.
My Comments to the Director:
In my opinion, the Division should look within the entire budget of the Division of Rehabilitation Services rather than just the limited budget of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Amending or changing agency contracts in mid-year with a change in eligibility is very problematic and likely to meet with resistance.
With this proposed model, you are moving to a deficit-based model of service delivery. This could mean that people will now have to prove they are the “most” disabled rather than a system that looks at the strengths the individual brings to the table.
In times of budget constraints and crisis, we have the opportunity to change the way we do business. I would recommend that we be much more proactive in supporting people and organizations whose true outcomes are real employment opportunities with competitive wages and benefits or self-employment opportunities and withdraw funding for other approaches that have few positive employment outcomes.
We should also look at the way we spend the entire Division’s budget and ask: should we be supporting the School for the Deaf, School for the Blind or IICRE any longer or are these outdated models?
Has the Division looked at portions of its local office that could be privatized? What about the Central office and privatization?
Beyond this issue, Illinois has a revenue budget and unless the Administration and our members of the General Assembly support revenue enhancements such as a tax increase, this is just the beginning of the cuts to human services to vulnerable individuals.
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