Presented June 14, 2024
Independent Living Blind Skills Services
Participants Served (Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 Q2)
| Program | FFY 2024 |
|---|---|
| Program Adults under 55 | FFY 2024 16 participants exited |
| Program Adults age 55+ | FFY 2024 129 participants exited |
| Program Total Participants during FFY 2024, Q1 | FFY 2024 145 participants exited |
Participant and Case Trends (FFY 2023, Q2 versus FFY 2024, Q2)
Exited participants only.
| Trend | FFY 2023, Q2 | FFY 2024, Q2 |
|---|---|---|
| Trend All exited participants | FFY 2023, Q2 165 | FFY 2024, Q2 145 12% decrease |
| Trend Participants under age 22 | FFY 2023, Q2 0 | FFY 2024, Q2 0 |
| Trend Participants over age 100 | FFY 2023, Q2 2 | FFY 2024, Q2 0 |
| Trend Participants who identify as a minority | FFY 2023, Q2 10% | FFY 2024, Q2 16% |
| Trend Homeless Participants | FFY 2023, Q2 2 | FFY 2024, Q2 0 |
| Trend Participants who have multiple disabilities | FFY 2023, Q2 21% | FFY 2024, Q2 46% |
| Trend Participants with incomes $30,000 or less | FFY 2023, Q2 52% | FFY 2024, Q2 63% |
| Trend Cost per case average | FFY 2023, Q2 $695 | FFY 2024, Q2 $895 |
FFY 2024 Preliminary Outcomes
Most popular Assistive Technology devices provided to customers:
- Handheld magnifiers
- Writing guides and/or pens
- Large print address books, calendars, notepads, and other paper products
- Adapted kitchen equipment
*In addition, 31 participants received cell phone and tablet apps demonstrations to see if a cell phone or tablet and apps for people with vision loss or blindness would be beneficial.
Participants who feel more independent and more confident in maintaining their current living situation:
Out of the 288 participants with successfully closed cases in FFY 2024 to date, 275 or 95% reported being more confident in their current living situation and that their independent living skills have improved.
Counties without participants served
Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, and Wahkiakum.
Ken's Success Story
Ken is a positive and gregarious 76-year-old veteran living in Spokane County. After living alone for some time with the support of his daughter, Tammy, Ken moved to a retirement center that could better support his daily needs. Ken was diagnosed with glaucoma, is considered legally blind, and has mobility complications that require the use of a walker. With this, Ken needs transportation support which he receives from both Tammy and the communal van in his residence. While positive about this change and his increased access to transportation for social outings, Ken realized he could benefit from help adjusting to his new environment. With that, he contacted Independent Living Blind Services (IL) for assistance.
When Ken and his IL service provider began to meet, he expressed that he was concerned with the impact his declining vision had on his ability to read texts and send messages to his loved ones. This was especially important given the distance his move put between Ken and his daughter. The IL provider showed Ken how to use the accessibility features on his iPhone, including changing the text size and voice-over. When Ken had a hard time understanding how to use the voice-over features of his phone, he and his IL provider explored what other features might be easier to use. Ken was thrilled to learn about all the different things he could use Siri for. Suddenly, Ken was able to place calls, send text messages, create calendar events, and add new contacts. Over time, they worked together to develop a list of tasks and how to complete them through voice dictation.
While this drastically improved communication access, Siri could not control everything through voice alone. Furthermore, Ken wanted to be able to check his prescription information, cooking instructions, and mail without seeking help from the staff of his retirement center. To help with this, Ken’s IL provider requested a desktop video magnifier from IL’s CCTV Lending Program. With access to the increased magnification a CCTV provides, he could place his phone under the camera to make any selections that weren't accessible by voice commands.
This addition allowed Ken to make full use of his phone. For the first time since his move, he could text and call his daughter whenever he wanted. Ken valued this renewed ability to connect with Tammy on not just the big things but to share the small, everyday things happening in their lives. By the end of their time together, Ken was successfully managing his own doctor’s appointments through Siri’s scheduling features and his CCTV to review his current prescriptions beforehand. With his current goals met, Ken and his IL provider agreed that they could close his case with the reminder that if new goals came up, he could always return to get some extra support from the Independent Living Program. Ken thanked his IL provider for the time spent with him and the devices provided, saying “they’ve improved my life so much.”
Business Enterprise Program (BEP)
Facilities Update
BEP continues to forge ahead, and it is getting exciting. As a reminder, we opened the first two micro markets at the beginning of October. A big milestone for the Agency, the program, and the operators. OB-2 café is continuing to grow, and the owner Robert Ott has taken on the Dome Deli and Pritchard for the 2024 Legislative session. This is/was a huge lift, and it took all of the BEP team plus a variety of other support partners to accomplish it successfully. All said, Chin Don Bistro offered a variety of fresh meals, coffee services, and micro market options to the State employees on all of Capital Campus in Olympia.
Not to be overlooked, we were still heavily involved in budget work, designing future sites, learning new technologies and equipment operations all the while supporting all our other open facilities as best possible. Also, we moved old equipment out of three other facilities as part of our updating process.
Our industry partner Northwest Food Alliance continued to be an important ally to us. They performed many tasks over the quarter to ensure Chin Don ran well and received quality leadership during the new adaptation. Focus was on menus, training, management development, product sourcing, and sustainable practices. All of which are critical to business success in today’s climate.
Training and Potential New Vendor Update
The BEP team has been regularly engaging with Asst Director Lisa Wheeler to map out our goals around VR engagement, curriculum updates, and training needs. We are also actively talking about ways to attract future operators as we update facilities and/or seek new ones of relevance.
Jim continues to collaborate with his peers across the industry and within BEP nationally to seek additional ideas and resources. He attended the RSVA (Randolph-Sheppard Vendors of America) Sagebrush Conference in February with eight of his peers and was able to be part of a big picture discussion around Randolph-Sheppard.
Staff Update
The BEP team is always busy and moving things along at a fast pace. This current team has now been together for one year and the results are amazing. Julia and Kephran have brought a tremendous skill set to the program, we are very fortunate. We do plan to slow down soon and take time to enjoy some of our efforts. The bright light is shining more often and BEP is on the rise!!
Business Relations
Second Quarter Milestones
Lightcast
Lightcast is a product that provides the world's most detailed information about occupations, skills in demand, and career pathways. Their tools collect and synthesize real-time data from over 65,000 sources every day. They utilize a database with over 1 billion job postings and billions of other data points.
Why is this important? Because it is being provided to DSB’s Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Business Relations Specialists who are utilizing it to better understand where there are career pathways that have ample vocational opportunities in a participant’s area of preferred residence. There is also information on the top skills needed in a profession, based upon all of the posted jobs, and their job duties in a particular region.
The information will help Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors produce more informed plans, more effective plans, and allow our AT Specialists to provide more effective computer training to participants.
Tech Job Club
Throughout the period of January through March, we hosted a Tech Job Club. This Tech Job Club served six participants, providing them with multiple recommendations. The participants had twelve group sessions as well as multiple one on one sessions. One participant started an apprenticeship after the job club with the other participants getting interviews and becoming more job search ready.
Professionals Job Club
Karen Van Liew-Creek is providing a job club for individuals who are former, incumbent professionals looking to get into work. This Job Club is a pilot, and the purpose is to provide participants with Job Search Skills that will help them be able to succeed in their job search.
IRS Job Fair Attendance
On March 5, a DSB participant attended the IRS hiring event in SeaTac at the Hilton. We provided transportation and support throughout the hiring event. The participant was hired on the spot at the event and was provided information on their new job at the IRS in downtown Seattle.
Hiring the First Business Relations Specialist
On March 25th, DSB hired its first Business Relations Specialist, Juan Alvarado (he goes by JC). Juan (JC) has multiple years of experience serving Business through WorkSource, and was also a Regional Area Manager in the Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker space. JC is a strong collaborator and a well-known community leader within the Yakima region. He was working in the private sector and is now moving back to connecting individuals to careers.
Business Relations Training on Work Experiences
In January, Christina Riley presented on the “Why” of Work Experiences. She went into the details of why work experiences change lives, and why we as staff should work to set them up for those that we support. She presented to over 30 staff and described the how’s/whys of work experiences.
Business Relations Training on New Staff, Processes, and More
In February, Lisa Wheeler and I provided training to staff on the Business Relations team. We went over different changes that we are going through as an agency, and why we are going through those changes. The training went over the opportunities that Business Relations provides.
Customer Services
Snapshot of Performance Comparison: [Q2 FFY23 VS Q2 FFY24]
- New VR Applications [152 vs 168]
- VR Participants Receiving Planned Services [917 vs 952]
- Students with a Disability served [247 vs 254]
- Competitive Employment Outcomes [27 vs 27]
- Average Hourly Wage FFY24 Q1 [$31.31 vs $35.46]
Employment Outcomes
Successful placements made this quarter, including job retention cases:
| Job Title | Employer | Region/County |
|---|---|---|
| Job Title Farm Labor Contractors | Employer Brian Beleceto | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Administrative Services Managers | Employer Club Demonstration Services (CDS) | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | Employer Adult Care Solutions | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Teachers and Instructors, All Others | Employer Dararat Kindergarten | Region/County North/Whatcom |
| Job Title Lawyers | Employer Perkins Coie | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Computer Occupations, All Others | Employer Khrome Technologies LLC | Region/County South/Thurston |
| Job Title Database Administrators | Employer Seattle Children's Hospital | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Customer Service Representatives | Employer Rural Resources Community Action | Region/County East/Pend Oreille |
| Job Title Special Education Teachers, All Other | Employer Spokane School Dist. 81 | Region/County East/Spokane |
| Job Title Administrative Services Managers | Employer WA State Department of Ecology | Region/County South/Thurston |
| Job Title Paralegals and Legal Assistants | Employer Center for Independence | Region/County South/Pierce |
| Job Title Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | Employer University of Washington | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | Employer Microsoft | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | Employer Self-employed | Region/County East/Walla Walla |
| Job Title Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | Employer Avamere | Region/County South/Clark |
| Job Title Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | Employer Yakima County Farm Worker's Clinic | Region/County East/Yakima |
| Job Title General and Operations Managers | Employer Cascade Connections | Region/County North/Whatcom |
| Job Title Administrative Services Managers | Employer PeaceHealth | Region/County South/Clark |
| Job Title Computer Network Architects | Employer Amazon | Region/County East/Benton |
| Job Title Computer User Support Specialists | Employer Fable Tach Lab Inc. | Region/County South/Cowlitz |
| Job Title Social and Human Service Assistants | Employer WA State Department of Services for the Blind | Region/County East/Yakima |
| Job Title Rehabilitation Counselors | Employer WA State Department of Veterans Affairs | Region/County North/King |
| Job Title Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | Employer Healthcare Service Group | Region/County South/Clark |
| Job Title Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | Employer Whitman College | Region/County East/Walla Walla |
| Job Title Customer Service Representatives | Employer Self-employed | Region/County North/Whatcom |
| Job Title Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | Employer New Horizons Care Centers | Region/County East/Spokane |
| Job Title Software Developers, Applications | Employer Air Force Sustainment Center | Region/County North/King |
- Percentage of participants aged 55 and older who exited with employment outcome: 22%
- Eldest with employment outcome: Age 87 – Customer Service Representative
- Youngest with employment outcome: Age 22 – Instructor
Orientation and Training Center Highlights
Progress Towards Strategic Initiative 1 - Telling the DSB Story - OTC Spotlight - An Interview with Heidi Coggins
Tell us about your journey to the OTC. How did you find out about the program and what made you want to attend?
Heidi: I was in my corporate career with AT&T, and I had just passed my 26th year of employment. My official position with AT&T was a senior training manager and it was under HR, human resources. I lost my vision in April 2021 after spending several months, several surgeries, and wishful thinking that my sight would return. I've been in technology my entire life, but because I lost all my vision, no light perception, no nothing, my computer skills went down to pretty much zero. It was a struggle to use my phone because I was learning all over again how to use accessibility options. In October 2021 a friend suggested I call the Lighthouse for the Blind. I spoke to a representative who referred me directly to Department of Services for the Blind (DSB), which I did not know existed!
After going through the intake process, I started at the Orientation and Training Center in March of 2022. At that time, I was fighting to keep my employment that I had for 20+ years. Since I was told that this was vocational rehabilitation, I thought the OTC was my best option. Shortly after I joined the program, I was advised by my employer that they couldn't provide the necessary accommodations. By July 2022 I was job seeking again while doing vocational rehab. Now I am on a completely new career path option that was provided brilliantly by my computer instructor, and the encouragement of the instructors for OTC!
What is your new career path?
Heidi: While working for AT&T, I did quite a few things for HR. A lot of the job involved traveling and ramping up new people into certain roles. In my new path, I'm kind of going into the same thing because I really enjoy instruction and facilitation. I was offered an opportunity to start at World Services for the Blind in a certification program for assistive tech instruction. I’m also getting my state Braille certification.
Share some of the experiences that you had at the OTC.
Heidi: I was a commuter student. I chose not to do the residential program. It probably would have taken me less time to graduate, but I was only at the OTC for two to three days per week.
Mobility was the bane of my existence! It’s really difficult to stay oriented after losing all your sight and that was a tough class! Home Ec was huge, being in my kitchen again is amazing! I just brought in cookies for the staff. Carrie is a phenomenal Braille instructor. Of course, the rest of the staff here have been just super amazing.
The Life in Actions Days! OTC introduced me to NWABA [Northwest Association for Blind Athletes]. I got to go kayaking, tandem biking, and rock climbing. All these different activities that I didn’t think I’d be able to do without having any vision. Those Life In Action Days showed me that I still have opportunity. We also had career days and shopping outings where we learned how to navigate a grocery store. Oh my goodness! We did that tactile art museum, which was really cool! The Life in Action Days were setting up all our skills that we had been learning, then using those in regular day-to-day life. Probably one of my favorites was going to the Washington State Fair, who doesn't want a good scone?
What would you like share with someone who doesn’t know about the OTC?
Heidi: This is the place to go to learn how to build a résumé or to learn just regular life skills. If you do the residential program, you're going to oversee your very own apartment. You’re going to learn how to navigate. You're going to learn all the different skills that you need on the computer, Braille or whatever you need. This is the place to be, hands down!
Anything else you would like to share?
Heidi: I really want to stress the fact of how supportive and encouraging the staff at this training center has been, and is, through any part of the journey. You guys are really good at meeting people where they're at and encouraging them and focusing them to be the best independent blind person they can be!
VR Highlights - South Region
Participant Stories
DSB Customer Now Training Others
Laura Ozios-Townsend, AT Specialist in Tacoma, recently heard from one of her customers who has started a new position and is supervising a team. They participated in computer training with Laura for about a year to relearn how to utilize the Windows environment, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and internet navigation using adaptive software and windows built in accessibility settings. They put in a lot of time and effort into learning and were encouraged to spend some time every day at the computer to keep up their newly learned skills. They are now teaching their team members how to utilize their computer system at work and encouraging them to put in the time to learn, sharing their own story of learning over the past year.
Vancouver Success Stories
Kristi Akers, VRC in Vancouver, shared two customer success stories:
Celebrating one recent closure, Kristi said the DSB team put in a lot of work to help the customer be successful in their chaplain job with Legacy. Annie, Vision Rehab Spec, provided many hours of training, route planning and IL skills. Plus, Annie and Kristi took them to a guide dog orientation with Guide Dogs for the Blind. Mario, Assistive Tech Spec, did some amazing work with Legacy staff around JAWS/Epic accessibility and communication. And with enough work and the right team the two programs WILL communicate!
Kristi shared a successful job retention case, and stated that the customer was a joy to work with. They’ve reported that with regular use of their white cane they are running into fewer people and can walk faster. They really appreciate using the bump dots and all of the other accessibility features they learned, and shares them with their co-workers and “anyone else who will listen!”. They didn’t need a lot of services from DSB, but were very grateful for the support and said they got everything they needed.
DSB Expertise
Laura Ozios-Townsend, AT Specialist and Beth Sutton, Vision Rehab Specialist in the Tacoma office, provided a presentation on basic information about blindness and visual impairment (our services, etiquette, etc.). Their audience was staff at the Child Study and Treatment Center (CST) in Lakewood WA. CST had a new youth resident that was visually impaired. The staff wanted to find ways to include him, and have other youth include him during times the kids played outside. The staff at CST were new to this, and wanted to learn all they can do for this youth, and any others that may come in with a visual disability.
Beth Sutton virtually attended the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) Conference, and plans to share the following information she learned with her customers.
Presentation 1: Insights On Navigating Blindness in Entertainment. Entertainment industry artists who are blind presented about their careers.
Something Beth is sharing with her customers: There is a new podcast library developing. Podcasts are an excellent place to discover a kind of mentorship, where someone can listen to the ideas of someone in their situation who is successful in their field of interest: POD Access – Connecting d/Deaf and disabled podcasters with their audiences.
Presentation 2: Methods for Decreasing Vulnerability to Sexual Assault for People with Visual Impairment
The purpose of this presentation was to share methods to prevent assault. The content from this presentation will be published next month in The New RE:view (aerbvi.org).
Something Beth is sharing with her customers from this presentation:
- Research has shown predators are less likely to assault a person with a dark colored guide dog than a light-colored dog, and less likely to approach a person with a German Shepard guide dog versus other breeds.
- Yell “fire” rather than “help”. Presenters thought “fire” is more attention grabbing than “help”.
Agency Communications Report
Progress towards Strategic Initiative #1.2 Targeting the DSB Message
Spring Town Hall Meeting
Promotion of April 17 event, including:
- Press release distribution to more than 90 media outlets statewide
- Calendar of Event postings to more than 50 outlets statewide
- Repeated postings on social media outlets
- Email distribution to EVE and other stakeholders
GovDelivery Evaluations
Working with Pre-Employment Transition Services to determine if GovDelivery can be used to share program events and announcements.
- Meetings with Granicus
- Product testing with AT user
Progress towards Strategic Initiative #1.3 Telling the Story for the Highest Impact
Website Refresh Project
Began project to rebrand and redesign website to make it more relevant for clients, easier to access needed information, and to ensure site mees the needs of clients and the citizens of the state. Scheduled completion: September 2024.
Major project activities this quarter:
- Website user survey
- Development of user personas
- Tree Testing
- Information Architecture development
- Brand design workshop
- Bi-weekly Core Team meetings though duration of project
- Weekly Organizational Change Management meetings
- Monthly Sponsor meetings through duration of project
Online Communications
Website Analytics Overview
| Metric | Definition | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric Users | Definition Number of unique individuals who visited the site | Current 6,427 | Change +1,038 |
| Metric New Users | Definition Individuals visiting the site for the first time | Current 6,115 | Change +1,091 |
| Metric Page Views | Definition Number of pages looked at | Current 20,335 | Change +3,383 |
Channels
How people found the website:
| Type | Definition | Users | Percent | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type Organic Search | Definition Used Google, Bing, or another search engine to find the site. | Users 3,503 | Percent 57.29% | Change +110 |
| Type Direct | Definition Typed in the URL. | Users 2,228 | Percent 36.42% | Change +538 |
| Type Referral | Definition Clicked a link on a different website. | Users 228 | Percent 3.73% | Change -14 |
| Type Organic Social | Definition Clicked on a non-ad link from a social media platform, like Facebook or Twitter | Users 149 | Percent 2.44% | Change +101 |
| Type Email | Definition Clicked on a link embedded in an email message | Users 4 | Percent 0.07% | Change -7 |
| Type Unassigned | Definition Unknown source. | Users 2 | Percent 0.03% | Change +2 |
| Type Organic Shopping |
Definition Clicked on a non-ad link on shopping sites like Amazon or eBay. |
Users 1 | Percent 0.02% | Change -4 |
Technology
Type of device used to view the website (per session):
| Technology Used | Users | Percent | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology Used Desktop | Users 4,116 | Percent 67.31% | Change +779 |
| Technology Used Mobile Phone | Users 2,284 | Percent 37.35% | Change +394 |
| Technology Used Tablet | Users 90 | Percent 1.47% | Change +1 |
| Technology Used Smart TV | Users 0 | Percent 0% | Change -1 |
Top Ten Web Pages
| Rank | Page | Views | Rank Last Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank 1 | Page Home | Views 5,459 | Rank Last Quarter 1 |
| Rank 2 | Page Our Services | Views 804 | Rank Last Quarter 3 |
| Rank 3 | Page Independent Living | Views 748 | Rank Last Quarter 2 |
| Rank 4 | Page Careers | Views 737 | Rank Last Quarter 8 |
| Rank 5 | Page Request Services | Views 626 | Rank Last Quarter 5 |
| Rank 6 | Page Events | Views 562 | Rank Last Quarter 6 |
| Rank 7 | Page Contact Us | Views 549 | Rank Last Quarter 4 |
| Rank 8 | Page Search | Views 479 | Rank Last Quarter 9 |
| Rank 9 | Page Seattle Office | Views 387 | Rank Last Quarter 7 |
| Rank 10 | Page Aids and Devices | Views 367 | Rank Last Quarter 10 |
Online Referral Forms
| Type | Users | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Type Self-referrals | Users 147 | Change +59 |
| Type Physician referrals | Users 48 | Change +13 |
Analytics
| Metric | Definition | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric Total Followers | Definition The number of people/pages that follow the page | Current 589 | Change +19 |
| Metric Total Reach | Definition The number of people who had any content from or about the page enter their screen through unpaid distribution |
Current 5,831 | Change +4,262 |
Top Five Facebook Posts
| Topic | Date | Reach |
|---|---|---|
| Topic DSB is hiring for a variety of positions. | Date March 4 | Reach 468 |
| Topic We're Hiring! Image and link only |
Date February 7 | Reach 402 |
| Topic Looking for a meaningful summer job? YES 2 summer jobs announcement |
Date February 21 | Reach 353 |
| Topic DSB is hiring for a variety of positions. | Date March 7 | Reach 301 |
| Topic We're Hiring! Administrative Assistant 3 Lacey |
Date March 19 | Reach 272 |
Analytics
| Metric | Definition | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric Total Followers | Definition Number of people that follows the account | Current 428 | Change +34 |
| Metric Impressions (organic) |
Definition Number of views when an update is at least 50% on screen or when it is clicked, whichever comes first. |
Current 5,303 | Change +2,552 |
| Metric Impressions (sponsored) |
Definition FOR PAID POSTINGS ONLY. Number of views when an update is at least 50% on screen or when it is clicked, whichever comes first. |
Current 434,672 | Change +330,910 |
Top Five LinkedIn Posts - Organic
| Topic | Date | Reach |
|---|---|---|
| Topic Help us with our website redesign User survey link |
Date January 18 * | Reach 1,789 |
| Topic Help us improve the navigation of our website Tree Test link |
Date March 14 * | Reach 851 |
| Topic Apply now for the 2024 Disability:IN NextGen Leadership program | Date January 5 * | Reach 379 |
| Topic DSB is searching for an Agency Training and Learning Development Specialist | Date March 18 | Reach 322 |
| Topic DSB is searching for a Data Consultant 4 / Vocational Rehabilitation Data and Quality Assurance Analyst | Date March 4 | Reach 208 |
| Topic Looking for a meaningful Summer Job? YES 2 Summer job announcement |
Date March 5 * | Reach 182 |
| Topic We're Hiring! Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist - Senior - Yakima |
Date January 23 | Reach 167 |
* Multiple posts were scheduled on the given date. Individual post release dates are not available. Displaying cumulative reach of all posts.
Sponsored LinkedIn Posts
| Topic | Date | Impressions |
|---|---|---|
| Topic DSB is hiring three Business Relations Specialists Statewide | Date February 14 | Impressions 153,459 |
| Topic DSB is hiring a Quality Assurance Trainer | Date March 4 | Impressions 61,068 |
| Topic DSB is searching for a Yakima Vision Rehabilitation Specialist (O&M) | Date March 6 | Impressions 53,208 |
| Topic DSB is searching for a Data Consultant 4 / Vocational Rehabilitation and Quality Assurance Analyst | Date March 4 | Impressions 45,482 |
| Topic DSB is searching for an Administrative Assistant for our Lacey Headquarters | Date March 11 | Impressions 42,685 |
| Topic DSB is searching for an Agency Training and Learning Development Specialist who will be part of our new Agency Training Program. | Date March 18 | Impressions 41,175 |
| Topic We are hiring a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist - Senior for our Yakima office. | Date January 23 | Impressions 23,245 |
| Topic DSB is searching for a Human Resources Consultant. | Date January 3 | Impressions 13,739 |
Other Communications Events / Meetings / Trainings
- State Agency Communications Directors Meetings
Bi-weekly, Virtual - Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Spring Conference
March 7 – 8, Bellevue, WA - Web Redesign Meetings
Virtual- Core Team – 2X per week
- Organizational Change Management – 1X per week
- Sponsor Meeting – 1X per month
- Steering Committee – 1X per month
- Brand Design Workshop
March 13, Virtual - Content Governance Workshop
March 26, Virtual
- Washington State Accessibility Community of Practice
Monthly, Virtual
Financial Report
Federal Fiscal Year 2024, through March 31, 2024
2024 State Fiscal Year – Review Through March 31, 2024 (in thousands)
| Source | Allotment Authority |
Expenditures | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source General Fund - State | Allotment Authority $ 5,128 |
Expenditures $ 3,531 | Balance $ 1,597 |
| Source General Fund - Federal | Allotment Authority $ 16,304 |
Expenditures $ 1,024 | Balance $ 6,280 |
| Source Donations | Allotment Authority $ 33 |
Expenditures $ 8 | Balance $ 25 |
| Source BEP Remodel | Allotment Authority $ 1,552 |
Expenditures $ 1,203 | Balance $ 349 |
| Source BEP Operations * | Allotment Authority $ 1,110 |
Expenditures $ 914 | Balance $ 196 |
| Source State Funds for Birth - 13 Program | Allotment Authority $ 201 |
Expenditures $ 15 | Balance $ 186 |
| Source State Funds for IL Program | Allotment Authority $ 184 |
Expenditures $ 0 | Balance $ 184 |
| Source Total | Allotment Authority $ 24,512 |
Expenditures $ 15,695 | Balance $ 8,817 |
* Allotment authority represents estimated revenue and GFS.
2024 State Fiscal Year – Federal Grant Funds through March 31, 2024 (in thousands)
| Grant | Grant Funds |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures |
Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant 2022 Voc. Rehab. Basic Services - $1.4 million is for Pre-ETS set aside |
Grant Funds $ 10,472 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 8,382 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 2,090 |
Balance $ 0 |
| Grant 2023 Voc. Rehab. Basic Services - $1.9 million is for Pre-ETS set aside |
Grant Funds $ 13,167 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 0 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 7,679 |
Balance $ 5,488 |
| Grant 2023 Voc. Rehab. Basic Services | Grant Funds $ 4,999 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 0 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 0 |
Balance $ 4,999 |
| Grant 2022 IL Older Blind | Grant Funds $ 677 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 677 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 0 |
Balance $ 0 |
| Grant 2023 IL Older Blind | Grant Funds $ 674 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 106 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 461 |
Balance $ 107 |
| Grant 2024 IL Older Blind | Grant Funds $ 295 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 0 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 0 |
Balance $ 295 |
| Grant Total | Grant Funds $ 30,284 |
SFY 23 Federal Expenditures $ 9,165 |
SFY 24 Federal Expenditures $ 10,230 |
Balance $ 10,889 |
2024 State Fiscal Year – Total Expenditures by Program Through March 31, 2024 (in thousands)
| Program | Grant Funds Expended |
State Funds Expended |
Other Funds Expended |
Total Funds Expended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Voc. Rehab Services Adults | Grant Funds Expended $ 8,407 |
State Funds Expended $ 3,276 |
Other Funds Expended $ 9 |
Total Funds Expended $ 11,692 |
| Program Voc. Rehab Pre-ETS | Grant Funds Expended $ 1,362 |
State Funds Expended $ 0 |
Other Funds Expended $ 0 |
Total Funds Expended $ 1,362 |
| Program Independent Living Part B | Grant Funds Expended $ 0 |
State Funds Expended $ 100 |
Other Funds Expended $ 0 |
Total Funds Expended $ 100 |
| Program IL Older Blind | Grant Funds Expended $ 246 |
State Funds Expended $ 0 |
Other Funds Expended $ 0 |
Total Funds Expended $ 246 |
| Program Birth through 13 | Grant Funds Expended $ 0 |
State Funds Expended $ 15 |
Other Funds Expended $ 0 |
Total Funds Expended $ 15 |
| Program State Only Funds for Non-Allowable Grant Charges |
Grant Funds Expended $ 0 |
State Funds Expended $ 206 |
Other Funds Expended $ 0 |
Total Funds Expended $ 206 |
| Program Business Enterprise Program | Grant Funds Expended $ 0 |
State Funds Expended $ 1,203 |
Other Funds Expended $ 914 |
Total Funds Expended $ 2,117 |
| Program Total | Grant Funds Expended $ 10,015 |
State Funds Expended $ 4,800 |
Other Funds Expended $ 923 |
Total Funds Expended $ 15,738 |
Spending Targets for Pre-Employment Transition Services Set Aside Expenditures through March 31, 2024 (in Thousands)
| Federal Grant | Grant Amount |
Pre-ETS Set Aside |
Pre-ETS Spent Dollars |
Unspent Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Grant FFY 2022 (ends 09-30-23) |
Grant Amount $ 10,472 |
Pre-ETS Set Aside $ 1,571 |
Pre-ETS Spent Dollars $ 157 |
Unspent Balance $ 0 |
| Federal Grant FFY 2023 (ends 09-30-24) |
Grant Amount $ 13,167 |
Pre-ETS Set Aside $ 1,975 |
Pre-ETS Spent Dollars $ 963 |
Unspent Balance $ 1,012 |
| Federal Grant FFY 2024 Estimated (ends 09-30-25) |
Grant Amount $ 11,438 |
Pre-ETS Set Aside $ 1,716 |
Pre-ETS Spent Dollars $ 0 |
Unspent Balance $ 1,716 |
What’s Happening in World of the Finance?
- The FFY 24 Federal budget has not been finalized but DSB continues to have sufficient carry-over funding from FFY 23 as well as state funding to continue normal operations thru mid-summer of 2024.
- The 2024 Supplemental budget was signed into law. DSB is provided $1.8 million in state dollars for the Natural Resource Building Café Renovation. These funds are available for SFY 2025.
Human Resources Update
New Hires
| Personnel | Job Title | Team | Duty Station | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel Alvarado, Juan | Job Title Business Relations Specialist | Team Workforce | Duty Station Yakima | Effective Date 03/25/2024 |
| Personnel Bisbee, Griff | Job Title Business Relations Specialist | Team Workforce | Duty Station Seattle | Effective Date 04/15/2024 |
| Personnel Brewer, David | Job Title VR Data and Assurance Analyst (Data Consultant 4) |
Team Operations | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 04/18/2024 |
| Personnel Ernst, Tyson | Job Title OTC AT Instructor | Team OTC | Duty Station Seattle | Effective Date 03/18/2024 |
| Personnel Gathenya, Francis | Job Title VRC 4 | Team VR | Duty Station Seattle | Effective Date 05/01/2024 |
| Personnel Logston, Sara | Job Title Birth-through-13 Specialist | Team VR | Duty Station Vancouver | Effective Date 03/01/2024 |
| Personnel Radford, Jordan | Job Title VRC 4 | Team VR | Duty Station Tacoma | Effective Date 02/16/2024 |
| Personnel Resnick, Josh | Job Title Business Relations Specialist | Team Workforce | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 03/04/2024 |
| Personnel Sinyan, Abdul | Job Title Fiscal Tech 2 | Team Operations | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 03/04/2024 |
| Personnel Urban, Christina | Job Title Administrative Assistant 3 | Team HR | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 04/29/2024 |
Promotions and Transfers
| Personnel | Job Title | Team | Duty Station | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel Blain, Renae | Job Title HR Liaison | Team HR | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 02/16/2024 |
| Personnel Clough, Alexis | Job Title
Quality Assurance Learning |
Team HR | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 04/16/2024 |
| Personnel Thompson, Kara | Job Title VRC 4 | Team VR | Duty Station Vancouver | Effective Date 05/01/2024 |
Retirements and End of Service
| Personnel | Job Title | Team | Duty Station | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel Retirement Burns, Ardell |
Job Title VRC 4 | Team VR | Duty Station Vancouver | Effective Date 05/01/2024 |
| Personnel End of Service Davidson, Joy |
Job Title VRC 4 | Team VR | Duty Station Lacey | Effective Date 04/30/2024 |
| Personnel End of Service Ives, Annie |
Job Title VRS - Senior (O&M) | Team VR | Duty Station Vancouver | Effective Date 05/02/2024 |
| Personnel End of Service Scheel, Jen |
Job Title Pre-ETS Program Specialist 3 | Team Pre-ETS | Duty Station Vancouver | Effective Date 04/11/2024 |
| Personnel End of Service Sommer, Doug |
Job Title Administrative Assistant 3 | Team Admin | Duty Station Seattle | Effective Date 04/19/2024 |