Transcript Document 7134995

WELCOME
to the
NEW JERSEY STATE
COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND AND
VISUALLY IMPAIRED
(CBVI)
NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
01/08/07
CBVI PRESENTATION
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This Presentation Will:
• Familiarize You With CBVI - Its
Mission, Vision And Values
• Provide You With A “Global
Picture” of The Services the
Commission Offers to New
Jersey Residents
• To Familiarize You With the Many
Facets of Our Agency
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You Will Learn
• What the Commission Does
• How the Mission, Vision and
Values Drive Our Work
• Where Our Consumers Fit In
• How Important Our Mission Is to
New Jersey Residents
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OUR MOTTO AT
CBVI
INDEPENDENCE
BELIEVE AND ACHIEVE!
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Mission
“The mission of the New Jersey
Commission for the Blind and Visually
Impaired is to promote and provide
services in the areas of education,
employment, independence and eye
health through informed choice and
partnership with persons who are
blind or visually impaired, their
families and the community.”
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New Jersey Facts
Statistics based on 2000 Census
290,000 NJ Residents Are Blind and Or
Visually Impaired
• 8,000 NJ Residents are Totally Blind
• 39,000 NJ Residents are Legally Blind
• 243,000 NJ Residents Have Severe Visual
Impairments
Currently 9,571 New Jersey Residents Are
Actively Being Served By NJ CBVI
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Goals
• Provide timely, effective, high-quality
services
• Increase competitive employment
• Work toward excellence in the education
of students who are blind or visually
impaired
• Work to decrease the incidence of
blindness or significant vision loss through
eye health programs
• Actively promote equality and full inclusion
into society
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GOALS
• Work in partnership with consumers
• Encourage positive attitudes toward
blindness and visually impairments
by consumers and their families
• Expand service delivery to
historically underserved populations
• Evaluate the effectiveness of
assistive technology in the school
and work environment
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Eligibility
A New Jersey resident is
eligible for services if he/she is
visually impaired or legally blind
with best correction, and is
experiencing problems in
his/her life as a result of vision
loss.
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Visually Impaired
• Vision is 20/70 or
less in the better
eye (with best
correction) (the
person sees at 20
feet what a sighted
person sees at 70
feet)
• Field restriction of
40 degrees
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Legally Blind
• One’s vision is
20/200 or less in
the better eye
(with best
correction)
• If there is a
restricted vision
field limited to
20 degrees or
less
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ADMINISTRATIVE
OFFICE
Vito DeSantis
Executive Director
Lori Ghio
Executive Secretary
153 HALSEY STREET
6th FLOOR
PO BOX 47017
Newark, New Jersey
07101
973-648-3333
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Management Team
2007
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Vito DeSantis: Executive Director
Dr. Bernice Davis: Executive Assistant
Frank Scheick: Manager: Fiscal
Marc Stabile: Manager: Human Resource
Ines Matos: Manager: MIS
David DeNotaris: Manager: Statewide
Jose Morales: Manager: NRO
Pat Davis: Manager: SRO
John Reiff: Manager: CRO
Donald Potenski: Manager: JKRC
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Management Team
2007
COORDINATORS
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Amelia Ricciardi: Education
Lorraine Clark: Allied Services
Gregory Patty: Vocational Rehabilitation
Bruce Kastner,OD: Blindness Prevention,
Low Vision Services
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Pamela Gaston: Executive Assistant
Michael Kosec: Quality Assurance
Hugo Ruiz: Employee Relations Officer
Sandra Deitel: Staff Development
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REGIONAL OFFICES
• Northern (Newark):
Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren
• Central (Toms River):
Union, Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth
and Ocean
• Southern (Camden):
Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,
Gloucester and Salem
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Regional Services
Vocational
Rehabilitation
Independent
Living Services
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Client
Eye Health
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Education
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EDUCATION
CBVI provides education services
from birth through age twenty-one to
eligible children and their families.
These services are designed to
allow students who are visually
impaired to participate equally
with other students in regular
classroom activities.
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Education Services
• Comprehensive
itinerant
services
• Inclusion,
integration,
mainstreaming
• Collaboration
with school
districts
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• Partnership with
the Office and
Departments of
Education
• Legislative Law,
Funding,
Reimbursement
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Vocational Rehabilitation
Services
The goal of this program is to assist
persons who are blind and visually
impaired develop, acquire, or update
skills that will help in securing and
maintaining suitable employment. This
may include working in the competitive
labor force, operating their own
business, supportive employment, or
managing their own home.
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Vocational Rehabilitation
Services (VR)
• Evaluation
• Counseling and
Guidance
• Training
• Job Placement
• Post-Employment
• College
Counseling/Support
• High School
Transition
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• Business
Enterprise Program
• Entrepreneurial
Programs
• Special Services
for persons who
are Multi-disabled
• Joseph Kohn
Rehabilitation
Center
Programs
• Special services for
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persons who are Multi- 20
Employer Services Unit
Provides the following services at no
cost to employers:
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Job retention services for staff with vision loss
Technical Support on ADA issues
Work-site analysis and modification
Agency Resources: Linkages to the
information you need
• Achieve diversity and inclusion goals in
strategic plans
• Financial incentives and tax credits
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
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Employer Services
Unit Provides:
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Opportunities for partnering
Website Accessibility
Assistive Technology Consults
Pre-Screened Labor Pool
Diversity and Inclusion
Long-term follow-up
Internships
Career Development Activities
Employer Advisory Council
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Independent Living Services
(Allied Services)
• Social Casework
• In home instruction
in daily living skills
• Instruction for
independent travel
and orientation to
the home,
community, work
or school
environment
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• Child care skills
• Instruction in
communication
methods
• Referral to
community
resources
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Independent Living
Skills
The goal of this
program is to
enable persons
who are blind or
visually impaired to
lead a full and
productive life and
to assist them in
adjusting to their
vision loss
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Orientation and Mobility
Instruction (O&M)
• Safe Independent
Travel Training
(Home, School, Work,
Community)
• Emphasizing
Awareness of
Surrounding
Environments
• Use of Remaining
Senses
(Hearing and Vision)
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Eye Health Nurse
• Case-Management
• Diabetes Education
• Instruction on
Adaptive
Equipment/Devices
(insulin syringes,
talking glucose
monitors)
• Monitoring Health
Care
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Home Instruction
Home Management Skills
Kitchen Safety, Meal
Preparation, Laundry Skills,
Clothing Identification
Adaptive Equipment
Talking Watches, Timers,
Calculators
Communication Skills
Braille, Keyboarding, Check
writing, Telephone Dialing,
Handwriting
Adjustment to Vision
Loss
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Statewide Operations
Statewide Services
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Prevention
Early Intervention
Education
Deaf-Blind
Transition
/College Services
Camp Marcella
Drew University
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Prevention
Services/Eye Health
The goal of this program
is to save sight and
restore vision whenever it
is medically possible.
Statistics show that 50%
of all blindness and vision
loss could be prevented
with proper medical eye
care. CBVI conducts and
sponsors a variety of
educational programs and
eye health screening
throughout the state to
detect vision problems.
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Prevention Services
• Mobile Eye Exams
• Vision Screening
for preschool and
school age children
• Eye health nursing
• On site screening
at institutions and
in the community
on invitation
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• Special diabetic
outreach program
• Other specialized
eye screening
programs which
target minorities,
the elderly and
migrant farm
workers
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Early Intervention
Provides statewide
itinerant education for
infants and toddlers
(birth to age 3), who
are blind or visually
impaired, multihandicapped visually
impaired, or deaf-blind
and their families.
Disability-specific
services are provided
in the child’s natural
environment.
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Early Intervention
Services
• Eligibility Determination Education
Services
• Assessment and Evaluation of Visual
Impairment
• Collaboration With Families
• Technical Assistance to Families and
Providers
• Specialized Instruction i.e. Transition to
Pre-School Services
• Availability of Additional Commission
Services
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Deaf-Blind Unit
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Assists Individuals who
are Deaf-Blind, their
parents, counselors,
educators, employers
and consumers
through various
services:
Determine Eligibility
Counseling
Participate in
Educational Planning
Provide Functional
Vision Assessments
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• In-Service
Presentations
• Recommend and
Provide Specialized
Adaptive Equipment
• Locate training
programs for
employment needs
• Assist with job
placement and
maintaining current
employment
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Transition Unit
• Serves high school
students
• Career
assessment,
planning and
training
• Coordinate two
summer career
exploration
opportunities
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College Unit
Assists college
students with:
• Funding
• Counseling
• Guidance
• Advocacy
• Job Placement
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Drew Program
• Simulated Residential
College experience on
the Campus of Drew
University in Madison
• 10th through 12th
graders are eligible
• 4 weeks duration
• Academic Classes
• Orientation/Mobility
• Daily Living Skills
• Leisure Activities on
Weekends and
Evenings
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The College of New Jersey
Work Skills Prep
• Residential work
experience program on
the campus of TCNJ in
Ewing, NJ
• 10th through 12th
graders are eligible
• 3 weeks duration
• Career exploration
• Orientation/Mobility
• Daily Living Skills
• Leisure Activities on
Weekends and
Evenings
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JKRC Transition
Summer Program
• Open to ninth graders
who are blind and or
visually impaired
• Two Week Residential
Session at JKRC
• Career Exploration
• Visits to Businesses
• O&M instruction
• Daily Living Skills
• Computer Skills
• Peer Sharing
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Camp Marcella: Sleep-Away Camp in
Rockaway NJ
In Partnership With the Lions Club
• 200 blind and visually
impaired children
between ages 5 and 16
attend camp each
summer
• Camp offers a chance to
participate in swimming,
boating, hiking, music,
arts/crafts, sports/games
• Computer Lab and Library
• Camp fosters a child’s
sense of independence
and self confidence and
helps develop social skills
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Other Statewide
Services
• George F. Meyer Instructional
Resource Center (Newark)
• Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center
(New Brunswick)
(Norma K. Krajczar Technology Resource and Development
Center, Bridge Program)
• Business Enterprise Program (BEP)
(Quakerbridge Plaza, Mercerville)
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George F. Meyer
Instructional Resource
Center
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This center provides
materials to enable
children to function on
an equal footing with
their sighted
classmates.
Provides Adaptive Aids
Adaptive textbooks
(large print or Braille),
materials , and
technical equipment
Enriching toys and
materials
Assistive Technology
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Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation
Center (JKRC)
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JKRC offers blind and
visually impaired adults
an opportunity to learn
skills that enable
independence. It is an
intensive program to
develop vocational skills.
16 week residential
program
Career Assessment
Vocational Counseling
Communication Skills
Braille
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• Orientation and
Mobility
• Activities of Daily
Living Skills
• Kitchen Skills
• Assistive Technology
Skills
• Adjustment to Vision
Loss
• Psychological Services
• Social Services
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Norma F. Krajczar Technology
Resource and Development Center
• Located Within JKRC
• Open to the public for
hands on experience
with the latest
technology products
• Demonstrations of
state of the art
products for people
who are blind and
visually impaired
• DeWitt Contract
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BEP AND NEW JERSEY
PERFECT TOGETHER!
Since the passage
of the 1937
Randolph-Sheppard
Act, NJ CBVI BEP
has worked to help
NJ residents who
are blind or visually
impaired become
independent
business operators
and entrepreneurs!
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Currently NJ has
60 active operators
owning:
• SNACK BARS
• VENDING MACHINES
• CAFES/CAFETERIAS
• The average
operator income is
$54,000
• $18,544,163 gross
sales as of 6/30/06
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Types of Contracted Services
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Independent Living for elderly or deaf/blind
Prevention of Blindness
Volunteers
Training and employment/supported
employment
Psychological Services
Advocacy/Legal
Recorded Books
Recreation
Assistive Technology
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To Contract or Not to
Contract Services
• Can we provide service
ourselves?
• Can we provide services
efficiently ourselves?
• Can we provide services
effectively ourselves?
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Contract Facts
• 15 Contracts
• 4.5 Million in
Value
• Smallest
ContractCumberland
County at
$20,868.00
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• Largest contract
DeWitt &
Associates at
$1.3 Million
• 12 different
funding sources
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Assistive Technology
• Any piece of
equipment that will
give independence to
someone who is blind
or visually impaired
• These tools may assist
consumers in gaining
access to information
both print and
electronic and
facilitates written
communication
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• Indispensable service
provided by the
Commission
• Maintaining current
relevant resources to
ensure our consumers
and staff are literate
and competent is
critical in the fast
changing world of
assistive technology
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RTAC
(REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
CENTER)
• Located in each
regional office
• Provides training,
demonstrations,
and evaluations of
assistive
technology to our
consumers,
educators and or
other interested
parties
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Independence Believe
and Achieve
• 11% of the Commission’s Workforce is blind and or
visually impaired
• Approximately 103 NJ Citizens go through
programming at the Kohn Center Each Year
• We rank third in the United States for Assistive
Technology Use
• In 2006, 303 NJ VR clients became gainfully
employed through the Commission’s Vocational
Rehabilitation Program
• CBVI provides assistive technology devices to our
consumers such as computers, notetakers, Braille
displays, Braille embossers (printer), scanners,
CCTV (Closed Circuit TV)
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Independence, Believe and
Achieve
• We partner with 402 school districts
• We serve 2300 children ages birth to 21
• CBVI supplies school districts with Braille
production systems to assist the child enabling
children to compete with their sighted peers in a
classroom environment
• CBVI staff have the ability to Braille documents and
information for staff and consumers
• We facilitate an annual two day workshop for
educators throughout the state to become more
familiar with instruction to students who are blind
or visually impaired
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INDEPENDENCE BELIEVE
AND ACHIEVE
• We provide staff with the latest assistive
technology training so they can better
serve our consumers
• 45,862 eye screenings were done in Fiscal
Year 06
• 25,539 of the above were pre-school
screenings
• 870 Consumers were referred to the
Commission in Fiscal year 06
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Regional Offices
Northern Regional Office
153 Halsey Street 5th fl.
Newark, NJ 07101
973-648-2111
Fax: 973-648-7674
Southern Regional Office
101 Haddon Avenue
Camden, NJ. 08103
856-614-3000
Fax: 856-614-3075
Central Regional Office
1510 Hooper Avenue
Toms River, NJ 08753
732-255-0723
Fax: 732-255-0949
Toll Free: 1-877-685-8878
01/08/07
WWW.CBVI.NJ.GOV
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