Proposed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Services

To: ACCES-VR Vendors and All Interested Parties

From: Raymond Pierce

Subject: Proposed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Services

Date: January 26, 2017

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) is pleased to share the Proposed New WIOA Services that ACCES-VR will develop in 2017. Over the past year, ACCES-VR gathered input from the vocational rehabilitation (VR) provider community and other VR stakeholders to develop new WIOA services that will address the needs of individuals with disabilities, including youth with disabilities, who are seeking competitive, integrated employment in New York State.

The new services will incorporate service designs which reflect changes to rules in the federal WIOA, including a significant emphasis on providing Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to students with disabilities age 16-21. Some of the Pre-ETS are:

  • Post-Secondary Counseling for Students;
  • Job Exploration Counseling for Students;
  • Self-Advocacy for Students;
  • Work Readiness for Students; and
  • Work-Based Learning for Students.

These new services will allow ACCES-VR and Community Rehabilitation Programs to serve the increasing number of young adults seeking VR services in New York State. As of December 2016, nearly 50 percent of the ACCES-VR caseload consisted of participants age 24 and under. In addition, ACCES-VR intends to develop an expanded scope of services as required by the reauthorized Rehabilitation Act (Title IV of WIOA) that address participant needs for customized employment, communication skills coaching, and extended supported employment for youth. For more specific information about these service descriptions, please review the Proposed New WIOA Services which is intended to help all community providers and other interested parties become acclimated to planned changes in the VR service delivery system.

In the upcoming months, ACCES-VR will be engaging the VR community in New York State to discuss new services and answer questions pertaining to changes resulting from WIOA. Thank you for your continued partnership with ACCES-VR to assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining employment.

c: Frank Coco; Regional Coordinators