All Employment Network Call May 7, 2015. Agenda Welcome General Announcements Ticket Portal Update and Testimonial Presentation - U.S. Departments of

All Employment Network Call

May 7, 2015

Agenda

• Welcome• General Announcements• Ticket Portal Update and Testimonial• Presentation - U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs'

and Labor's collaborative employment service model for Veterans with disabilities

• Questions

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Veterans Benefits AdministrationVeterans Benefits Administration

Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment

and DVOP:Assisting Service-Connected Veterans

Achieve Suitable Employment

Jacqueline Zepp

Employment CoordinatorDepartment of Veterans Affairs

May 7, 2015


• Benefit program to help Veterans with service-connected disabilities obtain and maintain suitable employment and/or achieve independence in daily living.

• This is an Employment Program with the end goal suitable employment.

What is VA Voc Rehab?


Suitable Employment

• Consistent with veteran’s interests, aptitudes and abilities

• Does not aggravate veteran’s disability • Stable and continuing • Requires reasonably developed job skills


Eligibility

Veterans:

• Cannot have a dishonorable discharge

• VA service-connected disability (SCD) rating of

10%


Entitlement to Services

• 20% SCD Rating AND Employment Handicap or 10% SCD Rating AND Serious Employment Handicap

• Vocational rehabilitation is required to overcome an Employment Handicap

• Reasonable expectation that VR services will result in rehabilitation


Entitlement to Voc Rehab

Tracks to Employment:• Rapid Access to Employment • Employment Through Long Term Services• Independent Living Services• Self-Employment


Employment Services

• Development of an Individual Employment Assistance Plan

• Resume Development• Interviewing Techniques• Purchase tools or equipment necessary for Veteran

to maintain employment (i.e. mechanics)


Employment Services Continued

• Purchase Uniforms necessary for Veteran to maintain employment

• Special Employer Incentive • Referral to Disabled Veteran Outreach Program

Specialist• Transition Support or Non Paid Work Experience


Non Paid Work Experience

Benefit to Veteran:• Supplements other training or experience• Serves as a transition to employment. • Provides hands-on work experience• Provides current work experience• Builds confidence• Provides subsistence allowance• Provides exposure to government employment

opportunities


Non-Paid Work Experience (cont.)

Benefit to Agency:• High quality worker at no expense• No “red tape” to hire or fire - no promise of

employment upon completion of experience• Minimal paperwork • Flexible - does not have to be full-time • Placement can be at any local, state or federal

government facility• Can utilize special hiring authorities to hire trained

veteran


Special Employer Incentive (SEI)

• Pays employer for additional expenses incurred in providing direct employment or training for VR&E participants through an on the job training program.

• Requires minimal paperwork• Employee is trained by the employer’s standard • Three to six months for the completion of SEI


Benefits to Employers

• VA VR&E has over 80 Employment Coordinators placed in Regional Offices

• Contact your local VA VR&E Employment Coordinator to explore partnering


Questions?

Jacqueline Zepp

Employment Coordinator

602.627.2784

[email protected]

DVOP and VR&E:Assisting Service-Connected Disabled Veterans

Get Back to Work

Joel H. Delofsky, Senior Program Analyst

U.S. Department of Labor

Veterans’ Employment and Training Service

Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program

• The Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) began as a special pilot effort in 1977o Outreach to disabled and Vietnam-era Veterans (2,000 staff)

• Made permanent in 1980 by Public Law (P.L.) 96-466o First VETS’ Grants to States in 1981 (1,800 Staff)

• Role and Duties enumerated in:o Jobs for Veterans Act (P.L. 107-288) of 2001o VOW to Hire Heroes Act (P.L. 112-56) of 2011o FY 2014 and FY 2015 Appropriations Acts (P.L.113-76 and 235)o Agency Directives

• Veterans’ Program Letters (VPLs) to State Workforce Agencies

• (VPL 03-14, 04-14, 07-14, 08-14)17

DVOP Role and Duties

• Serve service-connected disabled veterans and other individuals with significant barriers to employment (SBE)

• Serve individuals identified in statute o Transitioning Service Members and eligible spouseso Wounded, ill or injured or wounded service members

• and their spouses/family caregivers; or,

• Serve Individuals designated by the Secretary of Laboro Unemployed Veterans between 18 and 24 years of age

• Provide maximum emphasis on economically and educationally disadvantaged veterans.

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SBE Categories

An eligible veteran or eligible spouse is determined to have a SBE if he or she attests to belonging to at least one of the six criteria below:

1. Special disabled/disabled veterans (including VR&E participants);

2. Homeless veterans;

3. Unemployed recently-separated veterans;

unemployed for 27 or more consecutive weeks;

4. Incarcerated veterans and ex-offenders released from incarceration within the last 12 months;

5. Veterans lacking a high school diploma or equivalent certificate; or,

6. Low-income veterans (as defined by the Department).

•DVOP Specialists assist and may be out stationed at Homeless Veterans shelters and VA Vocational Rehabilitation Offices.

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VA-DOL Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) Service; and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)• Establish Joint Workgroup (JWG) Guidelines•JWG Established Collaborative VR&E/VETS Processeso VETS’ DVETs and VA’s VR Counselors collaborate during:

• Intake/orientation• Career identification and selection• Through training• Joint job development and placement

o “Ensure all Participants receive quality employment assistance”

o Adopt White House Job-Driven Training Initiative Elements

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White House Job Driven Training Elements

1. Employer Engagement

2. Private – Public Partnerships

3. Localized Labor Market/Career Information

4. Job / Career Results

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Referral and Placement Services

1. VRC refer Chapter 31 (VR&E) clients through a State Agency Intensive Services Coordinator (ISC)

2. ISC identifies a DVOP Specialist

3. DVOP Specialist contacts VR&E Participanto Enters initial information on VR&E tracking sheet

4. Expands upon Individual Employment Plan

5. Localized Labor Market/Career Search

6. Referral to Job/Training Opportunity

7. Records Placement/Career Results

8. Provides VR&E Tracking sheet to VA through ISCo Collaborate/Report Monthly and Annually (December 15).

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VR&E Tracking Report (VETS-201)

Tracking Reports will include the total number of clients:•Referred from VR&E Service Employment Coordinators (EC)/Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC) to the DOL-VETS Point of Contact for employment services•Referred who are not provided direct client services•Who enter suitable employment (work that is within each Veteran's physical and emotional capabilities and is consistent with his/her abilities, aptitudes, and interests)•Who maintained suitable employment for at least 60 days and meet Title 38, United States Code, Chapter 31 (38 U.S.C. 31) rehabilitation criteria per Section 21.283 of Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (38 CFR§21.283)

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Questions or Comments

Joel H. Delofsky, Senior Program [email protected] 1-202-527-3137

USDOL – VETS www.dol.gov/vets

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mailto:[email protected]

http://www.dol.gov/vets

Documents

All Employment Network Call May 7, 2015. Agenda Welcome General Announcements Ticket Portal Update and Testimonial Presentation - U.S. Departments of