Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment

"collection, and analysis is to become the 2025 CSNA described in the scope of work. This\nwill further assist the Bureau in setting goals to meet the needs of persons with disabilities\nin the state.\n\na. The first goal of the 2025 CSNA will be to assure that the Bureau is in\ncompliance with 34 CFR 361.29, which requires Agency to complete a regular\nCSNA to determine the rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities\nresiding within the state including:\n\nii. Those with the most significant disabilities, and\n\niii. Those who are minorities.\n\niv. Those who are un-served or underserved which includes identifying\nwhere there are any un-served or underserved groups and their needs;\n\nv. Those served through other components of the statewide workforce\ndevelopment system and the extent to which individuals with disabilities\nare served; and\n\nvi. Those who are youth and students with disabilities, This CSNA will\nspecifically address the needs for pre-employment

transition services and\nother transition services and the extent to which these services are\nprovided by VR and coordinated with transitions services provided under\nthe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, P.L. 108-446) for\nyouth and students with disabilities.\n\nvii. This CSNA will also assess the need to establish, develop, or improve\ncommunity rehabilitation programs within the State.\n\nviii. Provide an estimate of the number of individuals in the State who\nare eligible for vocational rehabilitation services.\n\nb. The second goal will be a complete CSNA that yields valuable information for\nthe Bureau in the consideration of the known participant levels and the\nunknown possible participants, both of which will impact program outreach and\noperation. The CSNA will be shared with other interested Agencies that have\nthe same goals of determining the total need for services, therefore benefiting\nall persons with disabilities in the State of New Hampshire.\n\nc. The Bureau, through this RFP, expects to issue a single contract to complete the\nCSNA.\n\nd. The Proposed CSNA Contract execution and related work will begin with the\nanticipated Contract award date stated in the Anticipated Timeline. The time\nframe for full completion of the CSNA including printed reports, will be no\nlater than September 30, 2025.\n\nSECTION 3 \u2014 Proposed Scope of Work\n\nA. The scope of the work intended in this RFP will require analytical fact finding and the\nunderstanding of services provided to individuals with disabilities in order to complete a CSNA\non behalf ofthe Agency. Section 101(a) (10) of the Rehabilitation Plan requires that Vocational\n" "Rehabilitation programs collect key data to more effectively manage the VR program and ensure\nthat the needs of the program\u2019s consumers, including those with the most significant disabilities,\nare met.\n\na. The first approach of the CSNA will be to review historical analysis of data available in\nprimary and secondary data. This will allow for a detailed analysis of historical\nprogram data about participants, programs, personnel and payment by the Bureau\nrevealing statistically a picture of the total program operations. This will result in an\nunderstanding of current program capacities and functions with participant\ninvolvement identified and all related known factors.\n\nb. The second approach ofthe CSNA will be to create original data gathered from persons\nwith disabilities who are served, underserved, or unserved and the agencies that may\nalso serve these individuals through focus groups, key informant interviews or surveys,\nelectronic or hardcopy surveys, and other means as described and appropriate. These\ncould include consumer satisfaction surveys of past and current clients and employers.\nThis should include firsthand and often face to face detailed communication with\npersons with disabilities that currently do not receive any services or supports through\nthe Bureau or other Agency Partner, participants determined to be either underserved\nor without additional supports. The determination for this unknown factor related to\nstatewide needs assessment is determined through a wide variety of processes that will\nresult in acomplete assessment of underserved and unserved persons with disabilities.\n\nB. The CSNA will result in three primary areas of information about individuals with disabilities\nresiding in the State of New Hampshire. These results will, at a minimum, meet the requirements\nof 8361.29 regarding: statewide assessment; annual estimates; annual State goals and priorities;\nstrategies; and progress reports.\n\nC. The CSNA will culminate in a series of reports and information that will be available to Bureau\nprograms, the State Rehabilitation Council and Agency partners as it may assist in their review of\ntheir programs as well. A final official report will be posted as a new CSNA on the Bureau\u2019s\nwebsite to be made available to the general public.\n\nD. The CSNA will require the review of the records of the interactions with the Bureau, Community\nPartners, private sector providers and individual interactions with persons with disabilities, and\npopulations inclusive of persons with disabilities.\n\nE. The CSNA will include the total geographic area of the state of New Hampshire\nF. Research.\n\nThe completed CSNA required by the Bureau will examine the total current state of services\nin New Hampshire from current program operations data made available for use under Contract\nawarded, if any, as a result ofthis RFP. The assessment factors involved include identification\nof the status of individuals with disabilities, through the use of available data from the Bureau\ndatabase and other sources, regarding persons with disabilities being served in New\nHampshire. Data from other agencies that have meaningful and relevant data will be made\n\n7\n" "1)\n\n2)\n\n3)\n\n4)\n\n5)\n\n6)\n\n7)\n\n8)\n\n9)\n\navailable as deemed appropriate by Bureau. Research must be inclusive of all possible data\nsources including other state agencies and community partners and heretofore undiscovered\ndata sources that will become evident through Research. Data review of available primary and\nsecondary information and data sources will include:\n\nProgram data through federal data collection or other agency data collection that specifies they\nprovided services to persons with disabilities.\n\nData from the Bureau database, periodic reviews of this data for other reports for the Bureau,\nand other sources regarding persons with disabilities being served in New Hampshire. Data\nfrom other government agencies and any other statewide programs that have meaningful and\nrelevant data will be made available as deemed appropriate by Bureau.\n\nThe Bureau\u2019s processes and elements recommended in the current State Plan and current 2022\nNeeds Assessment can provide some information and guidance, but the current requirements\nfor Bureau services is also described in Bureau manuals, policies, and detailed in Bureau web-\nbased information available. The Bureau\u2019s organizational structure and policies manuals may\nalso be used.\n\nBureau-based and State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) participant data and participant-initiated\nconsumer satisfaction surveys.\n\nBureau evaluation materials, employer satisfaction evaluation materials, relevant state policy\nand contract provisions, and other pertinent materials identified by Bureau and SRC.\n\nBureau staff satisfaction surveys identified by Bureau and SRC.\n\nCSNA research focus should be to identify, develop and refine methodologies to obtain a\ncomplete and comprehensive CSNA report in 2025. The varied research techniques including\ncanvasing and surveying are intended to reach out to as many affected persons with disabilities\nas possible. The Research used to complete the CSNA will assist future Bureau planning and\nwill be more closely aligned with the known needs and associated factors discovered, and shall\nbe detailed in preliminary and final published reporting ofthe CSNA.\n\nReview of past processes that were successful and current state of the art processes that when\napplied to this CSNA are found meaningful to program assessments.\n\nBureau information available for persons with disabilities who have completed an application\nfor Bureau services but have not yet been determined eligible for services.\n\n10) Bureau information available for persons participating in vocational rehabilitation services\n\nthrough Bureau.\n\n11) Bureau information available regarding closed cases determined rehabilitated or closed case\n\nfor other reasons, to determine the level of services provided and purpose.\n" "12) Compilation of data into clear and concise formatting that will be used to complete the CSNA.\nThe Bureau will be involved in primary reporting to make certain that reports will be consistent\nand as complete as possible so that moving into the additional parts of the scope of work can\nbe accomplished as efficiently and timely as possible.\n\nG. Action Plan for Development\n\nThis CSNA shall be designed to meet the requirements of the Amendments to the\nRehabilitation Act passed in 2014. State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies shall conduct a\nCSNA every three (3) years. This 2025 Needs Assessment Update shall utilize and expand\nupon existing data collected in the 2022 comprehensive statewide needs assessment. This\n2025 assessment will assist the New Hampshire VR in evaluating its priorities and\nestablishing an action plan to guide future rehabilitation program development. The review\nof statistical data alone will not suffice; but rather, the data must be analyzed, and projections\nprovided by individual(s) who understand national reforms and restructuring issues now\naffecting rehabilitation service provision. The core of this assessment shall focus on \u201caction\noriented\u201d program development, aimed at resolving identified deficiencies in rehabilitation\nservice delivery. The goal of this CSNA to provide the data and resource information for the\nBureau to develop an action plan focused on the following critical areas:\n\n1) Opportunities for improving program performance;\n2) A review ofthe current state of previously identified priorities; and\n\n3) A review of transition services in New Hampshire, as well as areas for improvement\nin transition services. Transition services are defined as those rehabilitation services\nprovided to youth ages 14 to 24.\n\nH. Final Analysis and Reporting\n\nThe data analytics, fact finding, interviews, and field work all will result in the compilation of\nthe initial reports of the findings and crafting the official CSNA document. It will include\nthe collection, analysis and interpretation of:\n\na. Data generated through the previous phases ofthe CSNA.\nb. Demographics and other applicable data on:\ni. State of New Hampshire and New Hampshire residents with disabilities;\nii. Individuals eligible for the Bureau\u2019s services broken out by region or district;\niii. Individuals served by the Bureau; and\niv. Bureau\u2019 staff, services and operations.\n\nc. Provide written and oral reports of the results, analysis, and recommendations.\nThe written and oral reports will be made in a form that is understandable and\naccessible to Bureau\u2019s and SRC\u2019s internal and external audiences by using plain\nlanguage. Bureau and SRC will have final approval of the reports prior to release to the\npublic. Reports will include a method of feedback to participants in any survey used in\nthe implementation phase and will address recommendations related to:\n\n9\n" "l. Proposed methods for input at the state and local level with participants and\nemployers leading to future needs assessment activities;\nStaff training;\nRehabilitation services policies and practices;\nCollaborations in service delivery; and\nMethods to develop and augment effective collaboration with workforce\npartners.\nd. Any documents produced should comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of\n1973 (as amended) and meet the accessibility guidelines outlined here:\nhttps://www.section508.gov/content/build/create-accessible-documents\n\naid.\n\nI. The CSNA project shall be responsive to Rehabilitation Act Requirements. The successful\nproposer shall prepare a needs assessment update that strongly supports the State's\ndevelopment of an effective State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation services. This\nassessment update shall fully address all focus areas and legal requirements of the\nRehabilitation Act, to include a comprehensive assessment and action plan for transition\nservices.\n\nJ. The CSNA project shall be designed to complement and provide follow-up to the previous\nassessments conducted in 2016, 2019, and 2022.\n\nK. Comprehensive Assessment - A simple assessment of the incidence of disability is not\nadequate. This project shall have a comprehensive design, incorporating all requirements\nand components of the Rehabilitation Act.\n\nL. User Friendly Format\n\nThe final report shall be presented in such a way that information can easily be extrapolated\nfor use in grant applications, legislative initiatives, and prioritization of future rehabilitation\nprojects.\n\nV. DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE\n\nA. Delivery Date\nThe Respondent shall provide:\n\nRespondent must complete and deliver the 2025 CSNA on or before September 30, 2025.\nAny documents produced must incorporate all requirements and components of Section\n508 ofthe Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (as amended) and meet the accessibility guidelines\noutlined here: https://www.section508.gov/content/build/create-accessible-documents\nProgress report to be submitted to NH Vocational Rehabilitation three (3) months prior to\nthe due date.\n\n4.2 Implementation\n\nUpon award of a Contract for services the Bureau shall negotiate an implementation\nschedule with the successful Respondent.\n\n10\n"