 Director Miller signs the interagency agreement between OOD and ODE
A historic partnership between OOD and the Ohio Department
of Education (ODE) focused on the transition from school to work for students
with disabilities (starting at age 14) is moving from conception to implementation;
from an idea to a reality.
This innovative collaboration will change the nature and
impact of transition services for students with disabilities in Ohio. OOD
counselors will actively participate in IEP team meetings and collaboratively
plan with school transition staff and local partners to support transition
planning for students. The program focuses on engaging students with
disabilities in career exploration and skill development at a younger age,
leading to improved employment outcomes.
We have been talking about, planning for, and preparing for
this exciting project since I was appointed in 2011. We offered proposals in discussions with stakeholders
and policy makers over numerous budget cycles.
We explained its importance and potential impact throughout this year’s biennial
budget process. We began planning for its implementation as the budget process
continued. However, local school districts needed to embrace this change.
Now we are making this important program a reality. The agencies have worked together to develop
a plan for where and how the counselors would be deployed to best serve
students. Counselors have been brought onboard
and training has begun. A kickoff event
is planned for September 17 with an all-day training session for OOD and
education staff.
An important milestone that highlights this transition from
idea to reality took place when I signed the interagency agreement between OOD
and ODE. Twenty-six counselors will now be assigned to each Career Technical Planning
District to develop ground level planning with parents and educators for
greater employment outcomes.
I sign my name to hundreds of documents a month, but this
will change the way Ohio connects with students with disabilities. It will stress a greater emphasis on putting
these students on a path to employment, a career and ultimately to finding
purpose and independence. I am excited
about what this means as an agency director, but also as a father of a high
school junior with autism who has never been asked about his career goals.
Look for more news about the launch of this historic
partnership in the weeks to come.
This has also been a historic year for the vocational
rehabilitation (VR) program here at OOD. With
the federal fiscal year (FFY) winding down, VR has met or exceeded some
critical goals.
Closures: As an agency we have achieved over 5,000 closures for
the year, exceeding our goal of 4,695.
This is the highest number of closures since 2010. Additionally, all
four OOD regions and our Employment First counselors, as well as the Stark
County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Erie-Ottawa ADAMH and
Miami-Darke-Shelby MHRS teams have exceeded their closure goals for the year.
Application to Eligibility: As we noted last week, we have reached
a significant milestone in the average time from application for services to an
eligibility decision. Four years ago we
set the seemingly impossible goal of 30 days from application to eligibility;
half the federal benchmark of 60 days and more than a quarter of our 129 day
average in 2011. The average last month
was 30.3, and our current rolling average is at 30 days!
Thanks again to our staff and local partners for all they
have done to improve our systems to better serve Ohioans. It is making a real difference in people’s
lives.
Next week, I will be presenting at the Governor’s Executive
Workforce Board. As a new appointee, the board felt there was an opportunity to
introduce OOD to business leaders focused on workforce issues in Ohio. The presentation, “Improving Your Bottom Line
– Hiring Individuals with Disabilities,” will outline OOD’s mission and why
hiring individuals with disabilities benefits businesses. Jeremy Shapira,
Senior Director and Human Resources Business Partner for Market District and
GetGo (Giant Eagle), will be co-presenting.
I am excited about the opportunity to increase awareness of
the mission and vision of OOD and more importantly, connect the business
community with the workforce potential of individuals with disabilities. As Giant Eagle can attest, hiring individuals
with disabilities is not just the “right” thing to do; it is the smart thing to
do.
Individuals in Job Ready Status* Statewide: 3,839
(For larger map and county details please visit out website)
*Job Ready Status: Have received Vocational Rehabilitation services
and are ready and seeking employment.
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