Committee on Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Deaf Blind, Hard of Hearing, and Late Deafened
 

2007-2008 Committee Goals

This Committee is charged with the consideration of issues, policies and programs, impacting on services for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, and deaf blind, through the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

Goal #1
Develop MOUs with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD); the Association of Late Deafened Adults (ALDA), the State Higher Education Officers Association (SHEOA), American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB), and Postsecondary Education Programs Network (PEPNet) then post them on the CSAVR website. Distribute the MOU prototype to the State Directors and State Coordinators for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing as desired for in-state MOUs with these entities.

Goal #2
Solicit input from State Coordinators for the Deaf on wording of the RSA 911 Codes and definitions for Hearing Impairments and submit recommendations to RSA as they revise the 911 reporting form “sometime in the future.”
Goal #3
Advocate for implementation of the revised Model State Plan (MSP) for Vocational Rehabilitation services for individuals who are Deaf, Deaf Blind, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened, make it available electronically to states, and develop a tool or process to monitor or review reports of implementation of the MSP by each public vocational rehabilitation program.

Goal #4
Continue to Identify and assess value of existing training materials for “Rehabilitation of Individuals who are Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened”. Determine how these relate to VR services and practices and make this information available to states. Identify crucial training topics that are missing and explore potential resources for such development.

Goal #5
Develop a research proposal to identify effective program models for providing VR services to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and identify the funding source.

Among the suggested supporting questions that may be further examined by the research are:

  • What types of organizational structures or program models are utilized by states to provide VR services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing?
  • What types of leadership or administrative models are employed by states to manage VR services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing?
  • What types of professional personnel and caseload models are most commonly utilized by states to provide services to persons who are deaf or hard of hearing?
  • What outcomes are achieved by using different types of professional personnel and caseload models for serving persons who are deaf or hard of hearing?
  • Are services provided by “specialized counselors” more effective in producing quality employment outcomes than services provided by “general counselors”?

 

Goal #6
Explore and assess accessibility/accommodations for the CRC examinations for individuals with hearing loss. Submit a letter of recommendation to CRC and other state VR agencies on issues related to high stakes testing. Support and disseminate the white paper, when finalized, and post it on the CSAVR website.

Goal #7
Research what resources are being used to provide Independent Living Services for consumers who are deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind especially consumers who are “low functioning deaf”, determine their effectiveness for these populations, and identify the gaps in IL services.
 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Linda Harrington, Chair
NC Division Vocational Rehabilitation Services
805 Ruggles Drive
2801 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2801
(919) 855-3564 (Voice)
(919) 715-1776 (TTY)
(919) 733-7968 (Fax)
Linda.harrington@ncmail.net

Tammy Adams, SCD/HH
Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services
2129 East South Blvd.
Montgomery, Alabama 36111
(334) 613-2249- Voice
(800) 499-1816 TTY
(334) 613-3444 Fax
Tammy.Adams@rehab.alabama.gov

Timothy Beatty
Program Manager for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
California Department of Rehabilitation
2000 Evergreen Street
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 263-8938 Voice
(916) 263-7481 TTY
(916) 263-7480 Fax
tbeatty@dor.ca.gov


Kathleen Blewett
Associate Consultant
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
Policy, Legal Issues, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services
25 Sigourney Street, 11th Floor
Hartford, CT 06106
Phone- 860-424-4869
TTY- 860-424-4839
Fax- 860-424-4850
Kathleen.blewett@ct.gov


Cecil Bradley
VR Administrator
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Florida Department of Education
2002 Old St. Augustine Road Bldg. A
Tallahassee, FL 32301-4862
Tele: 850 -245-3353 or 3350
TTY: 850 – 245 – 3413 (also VP)
Fax: 850 - 245 – 3382 or 3366
Cecil.Bradley@vr.fldoe.org

L’Tanya (Terrye) Fish
Program Specialist for the Deaf & Communicative Disorders
NC Division Vocational Rehabilitation Services
2801 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-2801
Tele: (919) 855-3585 (V)
(919) 855 – 3579 (TTY)
(919) 715 – 9646 (FAX)
Terrye.Fish@ncmail.net

Thomas G. Jennings, Director
NJ Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation Services
P.O. Box 398
Trenton, NJ 08625-0398
(609) 292-7318 – Voice
(609) 292-2919 – TTY
(609) 292-4033 Fax
Thomas.Jennings@dol.state.nj.us

Gary Neely, Director
MS Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
P.O. Box 1698
Jackson, MS 39215-1698
(601) 853-5203 – Voice
(601) 853-5205 – Fax
gneely@mdrs.state.ms.us


Marlene Jones Kinney, Branch Chief
D.C. Rehabilitation Services Admin.
810 1st Street NE, Suite 9011
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 442-8597- Voice
(202) 442-8720- Fax
marlene.jkinney@dc.gov

Rebecca Sills, Coordinator - Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind
Dept of Labor/Vocational Rehab Svrs.
1700 Century Circle Suite 300
Atlanta GA 30345
Phone: 404-486-6481 V
TTY: 404-486-6484
FAX: 404-486-0197
rebecca.sills@dol.state.ga.us

Terry W. Smith, Assistant Commissioner
Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services
Division of Rehabilitation Services
4900 Lamar Blvd.
Austin TX 78751-2399
Phone- 512-424-4220
Fax- 512-424-4277
Terry.smith@dars.state.tx.us

Pat Tomlinson
Rehabilitation Consultant
268 Bayshore Drive
Brick,
NJ 08723-7502
(732) 477-9346- Voice
(732) 262-0984- Fax
(732) 539-4306 Cell
mandalay@comcast.net

COMMITTEE PARTNERS

Steven Boone, Ph.D.
Rehabilitation Research & Training Center for
Persons who are Deaf/HH
University of Arkansas
26 Corporate Hill Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-686-9691 Voice/TTY
501-686-9698 Fax
sboone@uark.edu

Gerry Buckley, Assistant VP, Advancement
NTID
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
585-475-6724
gbuckley@ntid.rit.edu

Sheila Conlon-Mentkowski, NAD Representative
Client Assistance Program
200 Evergreen Street
Sacramento, CA 95815
916-263-7372
916-263-7455 TTY
s.mentkowski@comcast.net

Jeffrey Clopein
US Department of Education
Office of Education and Rehabilitation Services
Rehabilitation Services Administration
400 Maryland Ave. SW
PCP – Room 5004
Washington, DC 20202
202-245-7561
Jeffrey.Clopein@ed.gov

Rosaline Crawford
National Association of the Deaf
8630 Fenton Street, Ste. 820
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-587-7730
Rosaline.Crawford@nad.org

Daryl Crouse, CI, CT
President
Communication Access Network
925 Wappoo Road, Ste. C
Charleston, SC 29407
Phone- 843-763-3890
TTY- 843-763-3944
Fax- 843-571-6325
daryl@caninterpreters.com

Deborah DeStefano
Executive Director of Enrollment Services
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
Deborah.DeStefano@gallaudet.edu

Charlene Dwyer, Administrator
Wisconsin Div. Of Voc. Rehab.
2917 International Lane, Suite 300
Madison, WI 53707-7852
(608) 243-5603 Voice
(608) 243-5680 Fax
dwyerch@dwd.state.wi.us

William Gannon, Director
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
1521 No. 6th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
WGANNON@state.pa.us

T. Alan Hurwitz,
VP for RIT, CEO/Dean NTID
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
585-475-6317 V/TTY
585-475-5978 Fax
alan_Hurwitz@rit.edu

Ron Jacobs, Director
Deafness Rehabilitation Programs
San Diego State University
3590 Camino del Rio North
San Diego, CA 92108
619-594-1571
rjacobs@mail.sdsu.edu

Wayne Jennings
Florida Blind Services
Deaf/Blind Coordinator
325 W. Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399
850-245-0349
Wayne_Jennings@dbs.doe.state.fl.us

Angela Jones
RID President
4201 Mt. Voss Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
858-504-2777 Voice
Angela_Jones@mac.com

Wil Koki
National Technical Assistance Center for
Asian & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities (NTAC AAPI) and
Hawaii Centers for Independent Living (HCIL)
414 Kuwili Street, Suite 102
Honolulu, HI 96817
wilk@pacificil.org

Marcia Kolvitz, Ph.D.
Postsecondary Education Consortium
c/o Indianapolis Satellite Office
178 Derbyshire Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46229
317-894-9386 v/t
865-974-3522 fax
mkolvitz@utk.edu

George Kosovich
Rehabilitation Services Administration
US Department of Education
330 C Street SW, MES Bldg. # 3217
Washington, DC 20202-2736
George.Kosovich@ed.gov

Susan Lascek
Supervisor of Regional Reps
1003 Virginia Avenue, Suite 106
Atlanta, GA 30354
404-766-5800- Voice
404-766-2820- TTY
404-766-3447- Fax
slhknc4@aol.com

Leeda Laykasek
Division for Rehabilitation Services
4900 North Lamar Blvd.Austin, TX 78751
512-424-4196
Leeda.Laykasek@dars.state.tx.us or Nancy.abee@dars.state.tx.us

Joe McNulty
Helen Keller National Center
111 Middle Neck Road
Sands Point, NY 11050
(516) 944-8900 X 270- Voice
(516) 944-8637- TTY
(516) 944-5984- Fax
HKNCDIR@aol.com

David J. Miles, Director
Nez Perce Voc. Rehab Srvs.
P.O. Box 365
Lapwai, ID 83540
(208) 843-7363
(208) 843-7365 Fax
davidm@nezperce.org

Ed Placke, Assistant Commissioner
New York State Education Department
One Commerce Plaza
Room 1624
Albany, NY 12234
eplacke@mail.nysed.gov

Terry D. Portis, Executive Director
Hearing Loss Association of America
7910 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1200 Bethesda, MD 20814
301-657-2248 Voice
301-657 2249 TTY
tportis@hearingloss.org

Gwendolyn T. Powell
Virgin Islands Rehab Council
WORK-ABLE, Inc.
3004 Estate Altona, Ste. #6
St. Thomas, VI 00802-5735
340-774-5899- V/TTY
340-774-8350- Fax
rubytim@viaccess.net

Thomas (Rocky) Somers
Data Management/Program Specialist
OSERS/RSA SMPID
Department of Education
550 – 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20202
TDD 1-202-245-6721
Voice/Relay 1-800-377-8642 ask for 1-202-260-6721
Thomas.Somers@ed.gov


Chris Sutton, Academy Administrator
Hearing Loss Association of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Ste. 1200
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-657-2248
CSutton@hearingloss.org

Kristine Smith, Asst. Director
Dept. of Human Srvs, Div. Of Rehab
100 S. Grand Ave. – West
Springfield, IL 62704
(217) 558-0419 Voice/TTY
dhsvr60@dhs.state.il.us


Douglas Watson, Ph.D., Director
Rehabilitation Research & Trng Cntr for
Persons who are Deaf/HH
University of Arkansas
26 Corporate Hill Drive
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-686-9691 Voice/TTY
501-686-9698 Fax
Dwatson@uark.edu

Other Contacts

-Diane Brooks – NTID
Dbrooks@ntid.rit.edu

-Janel Grossinger – Gallaudet
Janel.Grossinger@Gallaudet.edu

-Karen Keefe – ALDA
aldaKaren@rcn.com

-Annette Reichman
Annette.Reichman@ed.gov

-Mary Lovley – OSERS
Mary.Lovley@ed.gov

Updated: 01/17/2007

 

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