Text of Carpenter  Presentation on OASAS Scorecard

Intro Slide 1 : Creating Pathways to Employment and Entrepreneurial Development for New Yorkers with Disabilities; Enhancing New York State’s Economic Recovery

New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)

Presenter: William A. Carpenter

Slide 2:  Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention Services in OASAS

• 1997-OASAS received 14mil. in Federal Block Grant funds to enhance vocational rehab. and employment retention services (VRERS) in OASAS.
• 1998-OASAS funded 120 Providers, 290 Program Reporting Units (PRUs) and 400 FTE’s to provide VRES statewide.
• 1998-Initial focus was on the Welfare Reform Initiative involving TANF and SNA recipients also receiving OASAS treatment services.

Slide 3:  Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention Services in OASAS

• 2002-OASAS hired a consultant to review all current (10 years or less) research and literature on the link and evidence based practices between VRERS and treatment outcomes of people with substance use disorders to help re-vamp the voc. rehab. and employment retention services  in OASAS.
• 2002-OASAS held statewide regional information gathering sessions with all VRERS providers to receive input to improve VRERS services.
• 2002-OASAS VRERS services expanded to all OASAS clients in treatment not just those receiving TANF or SNA.
• 2003-OASAS re-developed the data reporting and collection system for VRERS. Developed the first, on-line, web-based, data collection and performance reporting/review system for
• VRERS. Developed the first annual benchmarks and workscopes for VRERS.

Slide 4:  WHY INTEGRATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT RETENTION SERVICES WITH TREATMENT ?

A REVIEW OF OVER 200 PIECES OF RESEARCH AND LITERATURE (10 years or less old)WAS CONDUCTED  REGARDING THE IMPACT OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES ON  TREATMENT AND RECOVERY OUTCOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH CHEMICAL DEPENDENCYAND FOUND THAT:

Slide 5:  Impact Of Vocational Rehabilitation And Employment Retention Services On Treatment And Recovery Of People With Chemical Dependency

• People who enter treatment while employed have a greater chance of success, in both employment and treatment outcomes, than those who enter treatment unemployed.
• People who enter treatment unemployed, then become employed while still in treatment, have a greater chance of success in both than those who remain unemployed.
• The more diverse and varied the vocational rehabilitation and employment retention services while in treatment the greater the chance of success .

Slide 6:  impact of vocational rehabilitation and employment retention services on treatment and recovery of people with chemical dependency

• Programs that coupled abstinence requirements with comprehensive vocational rehabilitation, employment and retention services had greater long term success than programs that only focused on addiction treatment.
• Clients who received both vocational rehabilitation, employment and retention services and addiction treatment earned significantly higher incomes than individuals who only received addiction treatment.

And on the down side-

• Whenever there is a fiscal crisis, vocational rehabilitation,  employment and retentionservices are one of the first to be cut or eliminated.

Slide 7:  Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention Services in OASAS

• 2008-OASAS Joint Initiative with DOL for improving employment outcomes for New Yorkers with Substance Use Disorders.
• 2008-OASAS representation on the MISCC Employment Committee.

Slide 8:  Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention Services in OASAS

• 2009-OASAS has ongoing representation on the MIG Advisory Committee.
• 2009-OASAS Commissioner signs a Local Services Bulletin (LSB) on vocational rehabilitation and employment retention services as a “core” service in OASAS.

Slide 9: Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention Services in OASAS

• 2010-Reinstatement of annual benchmarks and workscopes for OASAS funded vocational Services providers.
• 2010-MOU signed with ACCES-VR.
• 2010-Representation on the MIG Customized Employment Advisory Group.
• 2010-OASAS upstate voc. services providers linking with DPN’s and One Stops to apply SMART 2010 to OASAS clients seeking employment.
• 2010-Monthly participation by OASAS and OASAS upstate voc. service providers in the DOL DPN conference calls. VRERS providers link with SMART 2010 system.
• 2010-Held the first in a series of World Café’s on Employment of people with substance use  disorders simultaneously in NYC and Albany via video conferencing.

Slide 10:  Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention Services in OASAS

OASAS Funded VRERS Providers Performance Outcomes,  2008-2009

· 8,884 employed for the first time during the “year”;

· 7,400 remained employed for up to 90 days (OASAS Gold Standard)

· At minimum wage; 7,400 people employed for 90 days earned @ $25,396,800 (@ $7.15 per hr., 8  hrs. per day, 5 days per week, for 12 weeks-average).

This is an estimated return of just over $7.52 by those people retaining employment for up to 90 days, for every dollar invested by OASAS during that same time period to provide vocational rehabilitation ,employment and retention services! (when estimating wages at minimum wage only).

Slide 11:  Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: Challenges

• 1.5 OASAS CO VRERS FTE’s to cover the entire state.
• Current lack of staff and fiscal resources during tough fiscal times for all state agencies.
• Economic and employment downturn has huge negative impact on people with disabilities.
• 42 CFR and HIPAA requirements protecting release of patient information among agencies.
• Too many “Individual Agreements” between agencies and too few multi-agency agreements.
• Reluctance or lack of knowledge to truly breakdown the “silos”.
• Complicated and/or duplicative admissions/treatment/service delivery requirements.
• Regulatory/programmatic restrictions on providing employment services while involved in treatment.

Slide 12:   Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: :Future Plans

• OASAS will increase the employment and 90 day retention of clients with substance use disorders by 10% in 2011.
• OASAS will participate in the Phase 1 roll out of MIG Data initiative in 2011.
• OASAS will develop an LSB re: the recent MOU between OASAS and ACCES-VR.
• OASAS will hold a second Employment World Café in the Fall of 2010 on OASAS and ACCES-VR improved collaboration and employment outcomes of clients with substance use disorders.
• OASAS will review current regulations and/or program practices to determine what changes can be made re: the integration of employment services while clients are in treatment.

End of presentation