FLORIDA REHABILITATION COUNCIL FOR THE BLIND (FRCB)
QUARTERLY MEETING MINUTES

FLORIDA REHABILITATION COUNCIL FOR THE BLIND
(FRCB)

Quarterly Meeting Minutes
325 West Gaines Street, Turlington Building Room 1721-25
Tallahassee, Florida  32399

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Meeting called to order at 8:40 AM with the Pledge of Allegiance following roll call.

Attendance

COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: 9
Robert Kelly, Mikey Wiseman, Sylvia Perez, Victoria Magliocchino, Patricia Lipovsky, Lenora Marten, Bruce Miles, Donte Mickens, Robert Doyle

COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE: 2
Gloria Mills, Sandra Burke

COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: 4
Jesus Garcia, Benedict Grzesik, Reverend Charles Brooks, Leanne Grillot

COUNCIL STAFF: 1
Sharon Scurry

DBS STAFF: 31
Tom Austin, Wayne Jennings, Beth Crain, Robert Lewis, April Ogden, Janet Alterman, Leigh Ann Bellamy, Carolyn Eleby, Madeline Davidson, Michelle Levy, Tony Pileggi, Juan Carlos Diaz, Bruce Emmerton, Rashad Morgan,  Erin Penmann, Donna Rhoades, Ted Pobst, Stael Exantus, Brian Michaels, Sandra Brown, Phyllis Heath, Nancy Brown, Mireya Hernandez, Bobbie Howard Davis, Pamela Ortiz, Lynn Ritter, Stacy Smith, Jeff Whitehead,  Dacia Drury, Ana Saint-Fort, Bertha Hyche, Mondi Azpeitia

ATTENDEES: 2
Paul Edwards, Patrick Cannon, Kim Galban-Countryman, Kim Barr, Roy Cosgrove 

ATTENDEE VIA TELECONFERENCE: 1
Howard Bell

Mikey Wiseman suggested to add the discussion of NAC to the agenda. Robert Kelly agreed.  Patricia Lipovsky moved to approve the agenda and Mikey Wiseman seconded the motion.

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS:

Chairman…………… Robert Kelly
Vice Chairman……. Patricia Lipovsky   
2nd Vice-Chair…….. Donte Mickens       
FRC Liaison…………..Bruce Miles
Backup Liaison……..Mikey Wiseman

DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Robert Doyle presented the following:

Division of Blind Services (DBS) General Update:

DBS New Staff Introductions:

Dacia Drury………… Contract Supervisor
Erin Penmann…….. Contracts
Phyllis Heath………. DA Daytona
Ted Pobst…………..  Supervisor District 5
Trish Bauer………….AA to Tom Austin
Pamela Ortiz………. Supervisor

WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act)

DBS Strategic Plan goals outlined and derived to align with DOE:

RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR FY 16-17

CURRENT YEAR BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS

Comment/Questions

There was discussion about the gap between the reimbursement amount and the cost of the flood is quite substantial and DBS’ plans to address the needs to get the Tampa office reopened.

2016 LEGISLATION

PRE-EMPLOYMENT  PROGRAM

DBS ONLINE APPLICATION

0 Blind Babies
4 Children’s Program
23 Independent Living
6 Vocational Rehabilitation
2 Transition Services

Discussion

Robert Kelly suggested to have a discussion regarding the new program at the Rehabilitation Center that will be bringing people in for short term job readiness training. He expressed concerns with transition contracts that were negotiated with CRP’s and the impact of overlapping services with the Rehabilitation Center.  Robert Doyle suggested that there would be no penalty to the CRP. Mickey Wiseman stated that transition under WIOA is very specific deliverable, i.e.  20 hours pre-placement training.  There is also very strict verbiage about nothing can interfere with school hours of youth 14 – 17. Robert Doyle stated that the services that we intend to provide for the youth program at the Rehabilitation Center will meet the criteria for pre-employment transition services as well. The students will be getting those activities all year round.  We will make sure that we are not penalizing CRP’s but we want to make sure that we are capturing people who are not being served.  Option A is the individual can receive transition services through the CRP’s and Option B is the Rehabilitation Center as an additional resource for transition youth in the summer.            

OTHER UPDATES:

$300K Available
Applications Due by 5PM on March 14, 2016

Subcontractor agreements still being executed between FAASB and CRPs
Program includes components for after school, weekend and summer activities

EMPLOYER RECOGNITION:

Presented by Ana Saint-Fort
It is with great honor that we humbly present Ms. Debbie Cross and Tasty Pastry with this appreciation award for her efforts in hiring one of our clients who is visually impaired.

Morning Break (take photos)  

VR Goals Update

Wayne Jennings provided an update on VR goals which are attached to these minutes. A summary of the information is listed below:

Rehabilitation Council report for the 2nd Quarter.
The division served 3710 consumers;  The total number of closed cases is 478; the number of unsuccessful closures is 301;  the number of unsuccessful closures after receiving services is 158; the number of successful closures is 177; the number of partially or legally blind consumers successfully closed is 78; the number of other visually impaired individuals closing successfully is 49; the number of totally blind individuals closing successfully is 21; the number of clients closing successfully as a result of restoration is 29.  This brings our Rehabilitation Rate to 53%.  The number of successful closures as of February 11, 2016 is at 400 which is 70 more than one year ago.

Questions/Comments

Discussion

The council had a discussion regarding the categories of the VR report.  Concerns were expressed about the need for more clarity in the categories and their meaning and the number of unsuccessful closures on page one of the report didn’t match with the numbers on page 3. 

Suggestions:

A suggestion was discussed to take a look at the categories of unsuccessful closures and their meanings in order to get a better representation of the data.

Tallahassee Community College-Jennifer Barr

Ms. Barr spoke to the council about the many degrees, programs, and services offered to students attending TCC.  Ms. Barr reported the following:

The AA degree is one of the most popular. It is designed to be a springboard to a 4 year universities.  The Associate in Science degrees are designed to be our work ready degrees for students who are looking to move into a career immediately after graduation.

TCC offers many technical certificates as well as applied technology diplomas and post-secondary adult vocational certificates.  The testing center on campus provides placement testing to students with disabilities, proctor exams and perform GED testing.

This semester we have about 580 students with disabilities registered with our office.  Most of our students experience more than one disability. Some of the accommodations we provide include extended time testing, note taking and working with students who need adaptive technologies.  TCC also works with sign language interpreters.  Our roll with DBS really comes into play through our Disability Support Services Office by working collaboratively with DBS to support our students and connect them to the services they need.  We also have our Veterans Success Center. This is a separate space on campus for our student veterans and dependents of veterans.  The purpose of the center is to help students use the VA education benefits and to provide a quiet study space that is separate from the student union part of the campus.  We try to bring some of the services that are offered in other parts of the campus to the Veterans Center in one central location.  Services include academic advising and financial aid. 

Questions/Comments:

National Accreditation Council

Discussion

The council members had a discussion regarding the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for agencies serving the blind and visually impaired. The NAC is responsible for developing a blindness accreditation process that constitutes the best way for consumers of services, directors of agencies and entities like the Division of Blind Services that oversee those agencies to assure a standard is being applied by all agencies that are funded to delivery services to folks who are blind.  The Division of Blind Services (DBS) requires contractors to be accredited by NAC or another accrediting organization.

There are three parts to the NAC accreditation process. First, a set of standards is developed that apply equally across all of the agencies. These standards are developed by the National Accreditation Council. The agencies perform a self-study where they rate themselves. The report of the self-study is submitted and a site visit of the agency is conducted.  The site visit includes speaking with consumers, looking at the services, evaluating the self-study and making commendations as well as recommendations.  Based on the outcome, the agency may be awarded a 5 year accreditation. 

Suggestion:

A proposal was presented to the group to consider adopting a resolution to encourage DBS to continue allowing for NAC accreditation. The council members were in agreement and the resolution was formally presented to the council.

 

FLORIDA REHABILITATION COUNCIL FOR THE BLIND
NATIONAL ACCREDITATION COUNCIL
RESOLUTION

            WHEREAS, the Florida Rehabilitation Council for the Blind is mandated under state and federal law to provide input into the Florida State Plan and provides advice and input to the Director and staff of the Florida Division of Blind Services; and
            WHEREAS, one of the activities of our council at each meeting is to receive reports from local agencies providing services to individuals who are blind or have low vision; and
            WHEREAS, a fundamental reason for receiving these reports is to enable the council to be aware of innovative activities and ongoing measures of quality services as measured by outcomes which each local agency reports; and
            WHEREAS, many of the reports that we receive include information on the accreditation process that our local community rehabilitation programs are required to undertake; and
            WHEREAS, all of the input we have received indicates that the self-study and on-site visits that are an inherent part of the accreditation process allow local programs to regularly evaluate their own performance, which leads to changes in the way services are delivered based on the self-study findings and the recommendations made during the site visit from the accrediting body; and
            WHEREAS, the accreditation process uses the same set of standards at every agency that is being evaluated, which assures the state there is a level of service delivery that is being maintained at every local agency; and
            WHEREAS, the standards that are being used are blindness-specific and have been developed and endorsed by experts in the field of blindness or low vision;
            NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Florida Rehabilitation Council for the Blind assembled in Tallahassee, Florida on this the 10th day of February 2016, that this organization believes that the accreditation process currently in place in Florida is absolutely crucial and assures that the quality of services delivered by local agencies in this state are maintained; and
            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this council believes that the specific standards being applied by the National Accreditation Council for Blind and Low Vision Services constitutes an appropriate and valuable adjunct to the provision of quality rehabilitation and training for people who are blind or have low vision in Florida.

Patricia Lipovsky moved and Mikey Wiseman seconded the motion to accept the NAC proposal as written. A vote was taken.   The motion carried unanimously

The meeting adjourned for lunch.

 

District Administrators Report

Ana Saint-Fort, DA presented a report to the council.  A copy of the report is attached. Below is a summary of the information presented by Ms. Saint-Fort:

District 2 serves 11 counties in the Tallahassee area.  We continue to serve a lot of clients in rural counties where we perform extensive travel in order to meet with clients. In an effort to meet our employment goals, the VR supervisor is meeting with staff every week to review cases and identify clients who are ready for employment.  The EPS is meeting with referred clients on a weekly basis and conducting 12 employer contacts per month.  The VR counselors are working to increase their employment outreach activities and spending more time identifying potential employers in the community.  The district continues to participate in monthly community outreach to increase referrals by participating in such programs as Children’s Week at the Capitol as well as Senior Day.  The district has a long lasting relationship with Lighthouse of the Big Bend.  We conduct monthly case management meetings to discuss client’s progress and address any issues in an effort to reach a successful outcome.

Report from Lighthouse of the Big Bend (LBB)

Kim Galban-Countryman presented a report to the council.  A copy of the report is attached. A summary of Ms. Galban-Countryman’s report is below:

Kim Galban- Countryman is the new Executive Director at the LBB.  Yolanda Robles is the new Development Director who will be focusing on partnering with our District Office on outreach. LBB is partnering with the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology to bring all of their equipment out into the rural areas.  The LBB created a new position and hired Evelyn Worley as the Director of Curriculum, Training, & Client Services as part of an initiative to increase the organizations quality assurance and accountability to its clients and stakeholders. LBB has a new website with updated technology in order to provide clients with the latest technology and software. The LBB will undergo NAC accreditation which should be completed by the end of the year. Their focus for 2016 will be improving quality of services.

Questions/Comments

CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY

Dr. Minna Jia – Director of Florida State University Survey Research Laboratory presented a report to the council on the results of the Client Satisfaction Survey for the first two quarters of FY 2015/16.  A copy of the report is attached.

The report summarizes data gathered for the first and second quarters of FY 2015/16.  The report includes cases closed from July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.   The Customer Satisfaction Survey gathers perspectives of former DBS clients concerning program services, levels of satisfaction, and areas for program improvement. 

TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED

John Irvine presented a report to the council.

We are a state agency and are tasked with providing and coordinating transportation services to disadvantaged persons throughout Florida.  The program is for anyone who cannot provide their own transportation due to their age, income or disability.  The program is managed through the Community Transportation Coordinator for each county.

Ivan Maldano presented a report to the council specifically on Leon County.
Star Metro is the entity providing transportation to residents across the entire city through the Community Transportation Coordinator program. 
Dial a Ride is Leon County’s para transportation provider that covers the entire city of Tallahassee. For citizens over the age of 60 and are not disabled, they can still qualify for Dial a Ride on a limited basis. Leon County utilizes two vendors, Big Bend Transit and Sessaly-Rose Transit, to provide transit to those persons who are disabled. We have a Bus Pass Program that is very unique.  Veterans who qualify can ride for free. We also have a partnership with the Kearney Center.  They are a local agency who provide assistance to people who are homeless.

Questions/Comments

BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

William Findley presented a report to the council on the BBE’s accomplishments in 2015. The report is attached. A summary of Mr. Findley’s report is below:

SEE DIFFERENT INITIATIVE

Team Members: Lauren Williams, David Darm, Adam Gaffney, Walter Blackman

The See Different Initiative was created in an effort to break down barriers by taking away the miss perceptions that people have about blindness.  The initiative is an attempt to demonstrate that blindness does not make anyone different but seeks to show how people who are blind use a different way to see or participate in a certain activity. This is done through presentations to get the audience to experience through simulation activities what it is like to be blind. Thus far, the presentations have been in schools, colleges as well as some state offices. The goal is to take the initiative on the road with the help of our partners throughout the state.

Questions/Comments

The meeting adjourned at 4:00 PM.

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DISCLAIMER: Links on the Florida Division of Blind Services (DBS) website that are directed toward websites outside the DBS, provide additional information that may be useful or interesting and are being provided consistent with the intended purpose of the DBS website. DBS cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by non-DBS websites. Further, providing links to a non-DBS website does not constitute an endorsement by DBS, the Florida Department of Education or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the non-DBS website or of the information or products presented on the non-DBS website.