Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Page 1
Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Winter Newsletter
Volume 16, Issue 1
Inside This Issue
A Note from the
Executive Director
1
PROMISE Grant is
Gearing Up to Start
2
Highlight on Staff
Involvement
2, 3
Update: IPS
4
New Staff Member
5
About the Editor
5
State of the Science
6
Conference
Staff Awards and
Recognition
6
RRTC-EBP VR
7
Staff Competition:
Change Wars
8
Professional
Development
Opportunities and
Upcoming Events
8
Finding Answers,
Creating Solutions,
Ensuring Futures.
Winter 2014
A Note from the Executive Director
John Lui, Ph.D., MBA, CRC, PVE
With the New Year upon
us comes the preparation
for yet another exciting
year! Although the temperatures have been
freezing cold here in Menomonie, that has not
stopped us from being
productive at SVRI!
new staff members to
SVRI as well, Gjerda
RhodeHumphries, Student Employee, and
McKenzie Anderson,
Graduate Assistant.
I am excited to be presenting at the State of the
Science Conference in
Though the PROMISE
April in Maryland on begrant is still in its early
half of the RRTC on Evistages, progress is being dence-Based Practice in
made towards beginning Vocational Rehabilitation
participant recruitment
(RRTC-EBP VR) with my
and enrollment activities. colleagues Dr. Michael
Wisconsin-PROMISE has Leahy (Michigan State)
also added two new staff and Dr. Fong Chan (UWmembers to its team, Sa- Madison). You can learn
mantha Ninneman and
more about that conferAmanda Schlegelmilch.
ence inside.
set up a “Change Wars”
competition to raise
money for a local organization called Stepping
Stones of Dunn County.
Finally, a summary of
RRTC-EBP VR’s recent
activities and research
updates, as well as how
I would like to provide
At a recent staff meeting, to get involved on
you with an update on
Appreciation Award reLinkedIn, has been inthe Johnson & Johnson cipients were announced. cluded in this issue.
and Dartmouth Individu- I would like to recognize
al Placement and Supthose individuals in this Please feel free to contact
port model project and
newsletter issue. In addi- me, as your questions
SVRI’s growing particition, I would like to high- and comments are alpation in the supported
light some of our staff
ways welcome. Stay
employment research
members’ involvement
warm, and enjoy the reprogram.
with various professional maining winter months!
and/or volunteer organi- —John Lui
I am happy to announce zations. Also, SVRI staff
that we have added two
Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Page 2
PROMISE Grant is Gearing Up to Start
In our Fall 2013 newsletter, you
may recall having learned about
the "Promoting the Readiness of
Minors in Supplemental Security
Income" (PROMISE) grant that
was awarded to Wisconsin. The
PROMISE grant is intended to
assist youth with disabilities who
are recipients of Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), as well as
their families, to improve future
educational objectives and/or
employment outcomes.
The Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI) serves as a
partner with the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
(DVR) in regards to participant
recruitment and enrollment,
evaluation, and outreach and
training activities. Recently, the
Wisconsin-PROMISE team submitted their proposed participant
recruitment and enrollment materials to the national evaluator,
who will then use those materials
to educate recruitment and enrollment staff around Wisconsin.
The proposed documents that
were submitted include:
needs throughout the project.
Amanda Schlegelmilch has a
background in Applied Psychology and is joining the team as our
new Research Specialist. Amanda
 a draft of a recruitment letter,
will work closely with the re evaluation data requirements, search team to ensure that the
administrative recruitment and
 participant consent and inenrollment processes run
take forms.
smoothly and participant inforThe team expects to begin active mation is protected. Welcome to
the team, Sam and Amanda!
recruitment and enrollment activities no later than Spring 2014. Further project progress and staff
What an exciting step in the
updates will be provided in subgrant’s progress!
sequent SVRI newsletter issues.
We are happy to announce two
new staff members (and UWStout alumni) to the SVRI
PROMISE team. Samantha Ninneman brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience in
transition to the team. Sam will
be working closely with Sally
Scheidegger and Cheryl Fine to
address soft skills and other
training content and outreach
The PROMISE team is developing a website, as well as key staff
contact information, that will
both be available soon.
If you would like to be added to
the monthly PROMISE newsletter contact list, please email Jennifer Gundlach-Klatt at
gundlachj@uwstout.edu.
Highlight on Staff Involvement
At SVRI, we believe in the imCayte Anderson:
Wisconsin Rehabilitation
portance of both professional and
Council (WRC), Evaluation
 National Association of Disapersonal participation in services
Committee Co-Chairperson,
bility Benefits Specialists
that positively impact others, as
governor appointed. Wiscon(NADBS), Key Advisor, forwell as ourselves. Affiliation with
sin Disability Benefits Netmer President. National Rehaprofessional associations and/or
work (WDBN), Advisory
bilitation Association (NRA),
volunteer organizations aids in
Board Member. WisconsinMember. Wisconsin Rehabiliour professional and personal
PROMISE, Steering Committation Association (WRA),
growth, helping us to be the best
tee Member.
Member, former President.
service providers we can be. We
National Council on Rehabili- McKenzie Anderson:
would like to highlight some of
tation Education (NCRE),
our active involvement with vari International Association of
Member. International Assoous organizations. “Highlight on
Rehabilitation Professionals
ciation of Rehabilitation ProStaff Involvement” article con(IARP), Student Member.
fessionals (IARP), Member.
tinues on page 3.
Volume 16, Issue 1
Page 3
Highlight on Staff Involvement (continued)
Sara Dekan:

Work Incentive Benefits Specialist Association
(WIBSA), Board Member.
Priscilla Matthews:

Meghan Donahue:

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), Education Committee Member, Accreditation AdHoc Committee Member, Job Analysis Task
Force, and Rehabilitation Engineer Professional
Specialty Group Vice-Chair for RESNA.
Lyndsey Ebling:

Erin Nierenhausen:
Work Incentives Benefits Specialists Association
 Second Mile Ministries in Haiti, Volunteer.
(WIBSA), Member. Citizens Employment and
(http://secondmilehaiti.com)
Training, Inc. (Eau Claire), Board Member.
Cheryl Fine:

National Association of Disability Benefits
(NADB), President. Wisconsin Rehabilitation
Counselors and Educators Association
(WRCEA), Immediate Past President. Registry
of Professional Vocational Evaluators (RPVE),
Board Member and Public Relations Committee.
Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment
Association (VEWAA), Board Member and
Newsletter Editor. National Rehabilitation Association (NRA), Member. Work Incentives Benefits Specialists Association (WIBSA), Member.
Lutheran Social Services, Women’s Way Board.
Casey Lubinsky:
Erika Peterson:

Registry of Professional Vocational Evaluators
(RPVE), Board Member.
Sally Scheidegger:
Registry of Professional Vocational Evaluators
(RPVE), Board Member. Wisconsin Rehabilita-  Trinity Equestrian, Eau Claire, Volunteer. The
ARC Eau Claire, Board Member. Junior Achievetion Counselor and Educators Association
ment, Volunteer. National Alliance on Mental
(WRCEA), Member. Eau Claire County CommuIllness (NAMI), Member.
nity on Transition (EC-CCOT). Youth Transition
Conference (YTC) Planning Committee. Stout
Paul Schwartz:
Vocational Rehabilitation Conference Planning
Committee.
 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA),
John Lui:
Board of Directors and Treasurer, chairman of
the Finance Committee.
 National Rehabilitation Association (NRA),
Member. Wisconsin Rehabilitation Association
(WRA), Vice President. National Association of
Disability Benefits Specialists (NADBS), Treasurer. Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment Association (VEWAA), Treasurer. National
Association of Service Providers in Private Rehabilitation (NASPPR), Secretary. Registry of Professional Vocational Evaluators (RPVE), Treasurer. Wisconsin Rehabilitation Counselors and
Educators Association (WRCEA), Treasurer.

Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Page 4
Update: Individual Placement and Support Project
“ ‘I just want to be normal,’ ” he said as we
spoke in a large dormitory room for inmates
with psychiatric problems. ‘I want to have a
job. I’ve never had a job.
I want to be able to say
hi to a co-worker.’ He
stopped, and there were
tears in his eyes.” From
“Inside a Mental Hospital Called Jail” article NYTimes.com
This quote resembles the
importance of, and the
need for, the implementation of the Individual
Placement and Support
(IPS) model. There is
much to be said in regards to the IPS model
program that was new to
the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
(SVRI) last year. SVRI
partnered with Johnson
& Johnson (J&J) and
Dartmouth to pilot the
IPS supported employment research program
in Western Wisconsin. A
year ago, 14 states
(Wisconsin included)
were implementing the
J&J-funded IPS models.
There are currently 17
states and two European
countries that are executing IPS within their
Department of Health
Services (DHS) and Department of Vocational
Rehabilitation (DVR). In
addition to Wisconsin’s
county consortium of
Barron, Chippewa, and
Dunn, Pierce, Polk, St.
Croix, and Washburn
counties have now
joined the IPS initiative
within the western regional consortium.
As the evidence-based
practice (EBP) program
indicates, not only individuals with severe mental illnesses are benefitting from the implementation of the IPS model,
but also the communities in which they reside.
The model promotes inclusion in competitive
work environments and
active participation
within the community.
Here is what some IPS
consumers say about
working and being part
of the community where
they live*:
“It was a pivotal moment in my recovery
knowing that I could
work and supported
employment provided
me the help I needed to
get there.”
“Being employed makes
me feel like I can function in the real world
again. It keeps my mind
focused on positive
things and keeps me
busy so that I only enjoy area of mental health.
the good things in life.” Wisconsin’s Department
of Health Services, Divi“Work builds character.
sion of Vocational RehaBeing praised by my
bilitation, and SVRI conboss for good work built
tributed to the success of
up my self esteem, and I
the $970,000 earrealized if I can do this,
marked grant to help
I can do other things
find jobs for people with
too!”
serious mental illnesses
“When you are homeby implementing the IPS
less, one thing you deal employment services to
with is people treating
the 72 counties in the
you like you are nobody. state.
Now that I work, I am
For more information
proud. Now I count.”
about the IPS project,
The IPS program has
contact Cheryl Fine or
proven to be successful Sally Scheidegger via
and continues to evolve email at
and grow. This IPS pro- finec@uwstout.edu or
gram has been so sucscheideggers@uwstout.e
cessful that Senate Bill
du. Further IPS updates
409 declared the IPS
to come in later SVRI
principles into law in the newsletter issues.
state of Wisconsin and
was signed by Governor
Scott Walker on January
23, 2014. The state
acknowledges the importance of providing
job development opportunities and ongoing
supports to individuals
with severe mental illnesses. Wisconsin recognizes the success of the *Consumer quotes retrieved
from IPS Supported EmployJ&J IPS model initiative ment: Recovery Through
and also believes that
Work 2014 calendar, published by J&J and Dartmouth
the entire state (72
Psychiatric Research Center
counties) needs more
(PRC).
programs like the IPS
model that provides effective services in the
Volume 16, Issue 1
Page 5
New Staff Member
We would like to introduce the
newest member of our staff, Gjerda RhodeHumphries, to SVRI! He
is a freshman at UW-Stout majoring in Professional Communication and Emerging Media with a
concentration in Digital Humanities. Besides Professional Communication, Gjerda is also interested in studying video-editing
software and animation.
As a student employee at SVRI,
Gjerda will assist the staff as
needed, including staff from the
Rehabilitation Research and
Training Center on EvidenceBased Practices in Vocational Re-
habilitation (RRTC-EBP VR),
Consumer Service Departments,
Workforce Resource, and WisTech Assistive Technology Resource Center. He will help with
website development and maintenance, as well as assist staff in the
use of social media, such as
LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Gjerda will also observe and provide input in activities related to
conducting research, disseminating information, and developing
training materials.
Welcome, Gjerda!
About the Editor
My name is McKenzie Anderson.
I have accepted the position as
the new Graduate Assistant to
John Lui and started here at
SVRI on January 13. I am currently a full-time graduate student at UW-Stout. I am working
towards a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and Vocational Evaluation. All members of the staff at SVRI have
been extremely welcoming and
helpful, and I look forward to
getting to know them better.
I am also excited to learn from,
and collaborate with, such dedicated and experienced individuals, which I know will positively
influence both my professional
and educational endeavors.
When not studying and working,
I enjoy cooking, taking my new
boxer puppy for walks, and
spending time with my family
and friends.
Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Page 6
State of the Science Conference
The State of the Science Conference, Advancing Evidence-Based
Practices and Policies to Close the
Employment Gap, will be held on
April 8, 2014 (1:00 pm—4:30 pm)
and April 9, 2014 (8:30 am—1:30
pm) at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference
will showcase research from three
Rehabilitation Research and
Training Centers (RRTCs), all of
which are funded by the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The
three RRTCs to present research
related to closing the employment
gap at the conference are: RRTC
Evidence-Based Practice in Voca-
tional Rehabilitation (EBP VR),
RRTC Employment Policy and
Measurement (EPM), and RRTC
Individual-Level Characteristics
Related to Employment Among
Individuals with Disabilities (IC).
Staff members at SVRI are directly involved in EBP VR. Speakers
on behalf of RRTC-EBP VR include: Dr. Michael Leahy from
Michigan State, Dr. Fong Chan
from UW-Madison, and Dr. John
Lui from UW-Stout. They will
present on April 8, with the tentative presentation topic being,
“Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors’ Perception of Evidence
Based Practices: Value, Barriers,
and Preparation Needs.”

Best Practices in Achieving
Employment Outcomes: Findings from a Multiple Case
Study of Agencies in the Public Rehabilitation Program,
which Dr. Michael Leahy will
mediate.

Personal and Environmental
Factors that Support and Encourage Innovation and Best
Practices that Lead to Employment Outcomes in Public
Rehabilitation, which Dr.
Fong Chan will mediate.
For additional information, visit
http://research2vrpractice.org/
conference.
Michael Leahy and Fong Chan
will also be moderators of discussions held on April 9. The tentative discussion topics include:
Staff Awards and Recognition
SVRI would like to congratulate the staff members
that received an Appreciation Award, which is a
peer-nominated award. The staff members here at
SVRI are recognized for their excellence and diligence in performance, as well as their continuous
professional improvement and development. The
recipients recognized were:

Beth Biederman, Jaclyn Jerrick, and Lyndsey
Ebling (SVRI Committee Addressing Recreational Functions—S.C.A.R.F.—Team)

Deb Hulleman, Jennifer Gundlach-Klatt, Luanne Reckin, and Marion Sandow (Support
Staff)

Sara Beguhn (Evaluation Services)

Sara Dekan (Benefits Analysis Services, Employment Services)
We recognize your excellence and appreciate all
that you do!
Volume 16, Issue 1
Page 7
RRTC-EBP VR
Summary of Activities,
February 2014
The Rehabilitation Research and
Training Centers Evidence-Based
Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC-EBP VR) conducts
evidence-based research and provides practitioners with
knowledge and tools for evidencebased vocational rehabilitation
practices that will improve employment rates and quality of employment for people with disabilities. Our goal is to ensure that
new knowledge gained through
the course of research ultimately
improves the lives of people with
disabilities, as well as furthers
their participation in society. To
learn more about us, visit http://
research2vrpractice.org/
Research Updates
employment rates and quality of
employment for people with disabilities who receive vocational rehabilitation (VR) services from
state agencies.
oped to include evidence-based
resources for VR counselors to use
in practice to assess and improve
consumer motivation to work.
Phase II:
Join the RRTC Discussion
Group on LinkedIn
Findings from Phase I research
provided the basis for selecting
four high performing state VR
agencies for the Phase II study.
The resulting research provides a
comprehensive analysis of the policies, procedures, practices, and
structural elements related to the
provision of effective, best practices that lead to successful employment outcomes for individuals
with disabilities served in the four
-state sample.
A “community” of practitioners is
growing through the RRTC’s
LinkedIn discussion group
(research2vrpractice.org). Discussion topics provide resources relevant to VR practitioners and regularly provide group members with
information related to disabilityspecific strategies connected with
successful employment outcomes,
employer needs and labor market
demands, and professional skill
development.
Phase III:
You can JOIN the discussion by
following the link below!
Phase III continues with research
involving the Individual Classifi- http://www.linkedin.com/
Phase I:
cation of Functioning Disability
groups/research2vrpracticeorgIn Phase I, the RRTC used a multi and Health (ICF), motivation (in 5155033?
-level design to look at the Reha- collaboration with research partbilitation Services Administraners from Southern University),
tion’s (RSA) 911 data across a
and motivational interviewing (in
three-year timeframe (FY 2007collaboration with Minnesota and
2009). This phase identified
Wisconsin VR programs). A “VR
promising practices that improve Counselors’ Toolkit” will be devel-
Page 8
Staff Competition: Change Wars
In keeping with the
spirit of its mission
statement, the Stout
Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SVRI)
recently competed in a
Change Wars competition. Staff members were randomly
divided into two teams
at SVRI’s Holiday Pot
Luck on December 16,
2013. Fundraising ef-
forts continued until
January 27, 2014,
when the results were
announced at SVRI’s
annual Chinese New
Year lunch. A total of
$297.88 was collected
from the staff competition.
Funds will be donated
to Stepping Stones of
Dunn County, a local
Professional Development
organization dedicated
to providing food, shelter, and support to
community members
in need. According to
their website, Stepping
Stones can purchase
$10.00 worth of food
through the Feed My
People Food Bank in
Eau Claire for every
dollar donated.
Upcoming Events
Opportunities
CRC Exam Preparation Workshops

May 15—July 10, 2014
Physical Disabilities


March 11, 2014

April 8, 2014
March 13—April 24, 2014
Apples to Androids: Using Cool New
Technology to Create Consumer Buy-In

Wheelchair Clinic
March 20—May 1, 2014
If you would like more information about training
opportunities, or if you would like to register for a
course, visit www.uwstout.edu/svri/training.cfm
SVRI Open House
Cool Tools for Accessing Mobile Devices

April 24, 2014, 9:00AM-10:30AM