On December 17, 2007, RSA issued Information Memorandum 08–02, which transmits the State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services (Plan) and Supplement for Supported Employment Services and provides state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies with instructions for the completion and submission of the Plan for fiscal year 2009.

(December 17, 2007)

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), as part its monitoring of state employment and independent living programs funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, together with state vocational rehabilitation agencies and their stakeholders, have identified promising practices. These are practices developed and implemented in each state for the purpose of enhancing employment and independent living outcomes for individuals with disabilities. These practices provide useful samples of programs and services and each practice is unique, based on the needs and resources available in that state. The practice may work differently or produce different results in your state if you choose to replicate it.

(September 20, 2007)

Title VII, chapter 1 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Act), establishes the State Independent Living Services (SILS) program and the Centers for Independent Living (CIL) program. The purpose of these programs is to:

• promote the independent living philosophy, based on consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access and individual and systems advocacy;

• maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence and productivity of individuals with significant disabilities; and

• promote the integration and full inclusion of individuals with significant disabilities into the mainstream of American society.

To receive federal funding for the SILS and CIL programs, section 704 of the Act requires states to submit a State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) and obtain RSA approval of a SPIL every three years. The SPIL encompasses the activities planned by the state to achieve its specified independent living objectives and reflects the state's commitment to comply with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. In states with a separate agency or unit that administers the SILS program for individuals who are blind, the director of that agency/unit, along with the director of the DSU are required to jointly develop and sign the SPIL and cooperate in its implementation.

• SPIL Instrument:  MS Word (275K) | PDF (113K)

• SPIL Instructions:  MS Word (86K) | PDF (217K)

SPILs were due to RSA by July 1, 2007.

RSA is developing a Vocational Rehabilitation Strategic Performance Plan for the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program in order to ensure a long-term strategic focus on program performance, performance improvement, and outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities. RSA will use this plan to guide its administration of the VR program and address its basic challenges. By identifying goals and objectives linked to specific populations and high priority outcomes, the plan will assist RSA in monitoring progress of the VR program and provide appropriate, targeted support to state agencies toward the achievement of desired outcomes.

The plan will identify long-term performance goals and objectives that RSA will monitor in cooperation with the VR agencies. These goals and objectives and related performance measures will provide RSA with the foundation to begin documenting practices that lead to successful outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities and transitioning youths, identify factors that may inhibit success, and identify effective practices that help accomplish the program's mission of providing high quality vocational rehabilitation services that are tailored to the needs of individuals with disabilities. RSA will use the plan to assist state VR agencies to focus their mandated planning activities on practices that will assure progress in providing high quality services for individuals with significant disabilities. Overall, the plan will promote results shaped by careful planning, monitoring of results, and implementation of strategies designed to improve performance.

Download the plan and submit comments to the email address listed inside:

 MS Word (85K) | PDF (52K)
(April 25, 2007)

• RSA is considering whether to redesign the RSA Rehabilitation Training program and solicits comments and recommendations concerning the program. The Federal Register notice that contains more specific information on this request and how to submit comments can be found at the following Web site.

• The RSA training program is soliciting applications to fund one project to establish a National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute that will focus on developing the leadership skills of top-level managers and administrators in state VR agencies. The project must have plans for addressing the leadership needs in all VR agencies funded under the Vocational Rehabilitation Act (Act) and programs funded under section 121 of the Act. More information can be found at the following Web site.

• The RSA training program is soliciting applications to support regional continuing education programs (RCEPs) that serve federal regions II, IV or X. These centers must provide for a broad integrated sequence of training activities that focus on meeting recurrent and common training needs of employed community rehabilitation program personnel throughout a multi-state geographical area. More information can be found at the following Web site.

(March 15, 2007)

NATTAP and the Pass It On Center are cataloging programs that help consumers and families "reuse" assistive technology. If you want your program to be included, you simply need to take a few moments and respond to the questions in an on-line survey being conducted by NATTAP. This information, once collected and compiled by NATTAP, will be used to promote reuse of AT devices, connect reuse programs to each other and, most importantly, connect consumers with AT reuse programs.

(March 13, 2007)

On March 6th, 2007, the Notice of Proposed Priorities for the Training and Technical Assistance for Centers for Independent Living and State Independent Living Councils was published in the Federal Register for public comment through April 5th, 2007. The notice contains information regarding the process for providing comments and can be accessed by clicking here. Applications for this grant competition will be available by mid-summer 2007. A teleconference for entities who may be interested in applying for one or both of the grants will be scheduled shortly after applications become available.

(March 13, 2007)

On Feb. 2, 2007, RSA issued Information Memorandum 07–02, which transmits the State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services (Plan) and Supplement for Supported Employment Services and provides state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies with instructions for the completion and submission of the Plan for fiscal year 2008. A brief description of the changes in the Plan and the instructions for its submission can be found here, along with information concerning trainings that RSA will be conducting for the staff of state VR agencies and members of State Rehabilitation Councils to assist them with this process.

(February 8, 2007)

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