VR Program Evaluation Results Presented by PEQA Graduates 3/9/2021

Participants in the PEQA Evaluations Studies Certificate Program designed and carried out program evaluations to meet their state agencies’ specific needs to measure program aspects connected to successful service delivery. In this panel presentation, participants will discuss:

• Why their evaluation was needed
• Goals of the evaluation
• Methods used
• Lessons learned

1 CRC is available upon submittal of the evaluation form.

Panelists will discuss these program evaluations:

Identifying Best Practices for Long-Term Success in Supported Employment
Through this project, the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation sought to determine if significant numbers of supported employment consumers are returning to the vocational rehabilitation program for further services after successful case closure. They also sought to identify patterns in service delivery between non-return and return consumers that indicate best practices for retention.
Panelist
Danielle Russell, Quality Assurance Analyst
Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Developing a Dashboard: Preliminary Steps and What We Learned
The New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired would like to develop a dashboard to measure outcomes in various RSA and WIOA performance measures. As part of that process, this study examined data on Exit Type, Exit Reason, and Employment Outcomes on 565 consumers utilizing RSA data from the second quarter of 2019.
Panelist
Kevin Harris, Program Compliance Officer
New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Repeat Customers: Minnesota Participants who Return for Multiple Series of Case Services
A significant number of VR participants return for additional services multiple times, but little is known about these individuals. Should the fact that participants return be considered positive, a demonstration that participants see value in our services? Or, should we be concerned about the time and money spent on these individuals? In this project, we examined those that return for additional services to learn more about these individuals and some of the services provided. We evaluated the short-term impact of services that are provided to adults who sequence through the VR program multiple times, specifically those in their fourth or higher sequence.
Panelists
Karla Eckhoff, State Rehab Council Coordinator
Minnesota Department of Employment an Economic Development (DEED)
Carrie Marsh, VRS Data Team Supervisor
Minnesota Department of Employment an Economic Development (DEED)
John Yang, VRS Data Analyst
Minnesota Department of Employment an Economic Development (DEED)

Findings discussed in the panel discussion result from the Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance Technical Assistance Center’s certification program.