DSHS Strategic Plan- Vocational Rehabilitations Strategic Goals

 

At DSHS, our House of Health and Human Services priorities drive our agency’s Strategic Plan goals. This page highlights DSHS – Vocational Rehabilitation strategic goals, action plans and success measures.  

 

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In the strategic planning process, we identify three key components. 

  1. The Strategic Goal: Sets the goal that we are striving to achieve. 
  2. The Action Plan: Our action strategies to get there. 
  3. The Success Measure: The outcome to achieve a goal. 

 

Read below about all of the components of DSHS-Vocational Rehabilitation's strategic goals. Strategic Plan Metrics notebook coming soon.   

 

Strategic plan index: Jump to a section of the plan by clicking the Strategic Goal (SG) 

  1. Highly Engaged, and Skilled Team.
  2. Safe, Efficient, and Secure Operations. 
  3. Customer Service Excellence. 
  4. Successful Participant Outcomes. 
  5. Strong Business, Partner, and Community Relationships. 

Strategic Goal #1: Highly Engaged, and Skilled Team. 

The Action Plan: 

  • Implement role-specific and topic-specific training as needed.  
  • Utilize an electronic Enterprise Performance Management System to link strategies to operational plans, integrate data from various information systems, bring visibility to performance and identify problem-solving opportunities, to promote performance excellence and create a culture of continuous improvement.  
  • Hire and retain staff to effectively implement and maintain programs and services, with a focus on equitable compensation and a sustainable workload.  

Success Measure: 

  • 1.1: Available workforce data indicates that 8% of available applicants have a disability. Current workforce data shows a percentage significantly lower than that within DSHS (currently 5.4%). Leaders will work towards opening opportunity and inclusive practices, take steps to remove barriers for applicants within DSHS.  
  • 1.2: Increase positive responses to the following Employee Engagement Survey questions selected as the Department focus by June 2026:  

I feel as if I belong at my agency.  

My agency provides me with the opportunity for learning and development.  

I feel supported during organizational change at this agency.  

Provide a professional development program focused on belonging for DVR staff.  

 

Strategic Goal #2: Safe, Efficient, and Secure Operations. 

The Action Plan: 

  • Establish a data-based reporting framework that supports routine review of program progress and service quality and informs decisions and improvements at all levels.  
  • Adopt technology solutions that streamline the vocational rehabilitation service model and enhance participant service experience and outcomes.  
  • Maintain a safe and accessible work environment to ensure staff and visitors remain safe and secure and business operations are maintained and can recover quickly.  

Success Measure: 

  • 2.1: Hold monthly business reviews with priority Action Plans reviewed on a quarterly basis through June 2026 and ongoing. 
  • 2.2: 95% of staff complete annual training on emergency preparedness plans by June 2026 and annually thereafter. 

Strategic Goal #3: Customer Service Excellence. 

The Action Plan: 

  • Provide continuity of case management and frequent engagement to ensure participants experience timely, continuous progress throughout the vocational rehabilitation process.  
  • Reach out to people with disabilities who don’t have access to services and find better ways to engage with them.  
  • Enhance accessibility, accommodations, and service delivery options to ensure access to DVR services.  
  • Complete regular staff training to promote understanding of government-to-government relations and cultural humility when working with American Indian and/or Alaska Native participants and partners.  

Success Measure: 

  • 3.1: Increase overall customer satisfaction rate from 68% to 75% by June 2026.  
  • 3.2: Increase rate of customer satisfaction with service timeliness from 58% to 62% by June 2026.  
  • 3.3: Increase timely completion of individual plans for employment from 80% to 90% by June 2026.  
  • 3.4: Complete 35% of the action items in the ADA Action Plan and make progress on an additional 15% by June 2026.  
  • 3.5: Increase referrals of participants who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) to Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation programs to 75% by June 2026.  
  • 3.6: 95% of staff complete 7.01 training within six months of hire and every three years thereafter.  
  • 3.7: Implement problem solving and performance improvement practices to address results of qualitative case reviews by June 20263.1: Insert success measure.  

Strategic Goal #4: Successful Participant Outcomes. 

The Action Plan: 

  • Deliver best practice, person-centered assessments and career and training services to support DVR participant employment and benefits that meet basic needs.  
  • Ensure successful transitions into the workforce for students with disabilities by implementing best practice, person-centered transition and pre-employment transition services programs in collaboration with schools, tribal education agencies, other transition partners, students and families.  

Success Measure: 

  • 4.1: Increase the percentage of DVR participants who achieve successful employment outcomes from 40 to 45% by June 2026.  
  • 4.2: Establish a baseline and target for the percentage of DVR student participants entering post-secondary education or employment within one year of exiting secondary education by June 2026.  
  • 4.3: Increase the percentage of DVR participants who exit DVR services with incomes at or above 200% of federal poverty level to 25% by June 2026.  

Strategic Goal #5: Strong Business, Partner, and Community Relationships. 

The Action Plan: 

  • Collaborate with partners to increase job opportunities, job supports, and access to other workforce services for people with disabilities.  
  • Formalize and implement targeted business engagement efforts.  

Success Measure: 

  • 5.1: Establish Key Performance Indicators for Community Rehabilitation Programs by June 2026.  
  • 5.2: DVR and Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation partners mutually identify objectives and measures addressed in the Statewide Cooperative Agreement to improve the delivery of and access to vocational rehabilitation services for American Indian/Alaska Native individuals with disabilities by June 2026.