Vocational Improvement Program, Inc. Provides Employment for Handicapped

Katherine Rodriquez Trust Fund Information

Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services.

The CARF family of organizations currently accredits close to 47,000 programs and services at more than 20,000 locations on five continents. More than 8.3 million persons of all ages are served annually by more than 6,000 CARF-accredited providers.

CARF accreditation extends to 17 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

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CARF Survey Report for Vocational Improvement Program, Inc.

Organization Vocational Improvement Program, Inc. (VIP) 8675 Boston Place Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 Organizational Leadership Wendy A. Rogina, Chief Executive Officer Ashok Madahar, Board Chair Survey Dates August 16-18, 2010	Previous Survey August 22-24, 2007 Three-Year Accreditation Survey Outcome Three-Year Accreditation Expiration: September 2013 Survey Team Debra K. Miller, Administrative Surveyor Kathryn A. Knedlhans, Program Surveyor
Programs/Services Surveyed Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job Development Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job Supports Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job-Site Training Employment Services: Employment Planning Services Employment Services: Organizational Employment Services

SURVEY SUMMARY
Vocational Improvement Program, Inc. (VIP), demonstrates strength in many areas.

•	The leadership of VIP is clearly established and provides great vision of what the organization can achieve for persons served.
•	Public relations tools and materials were developed with a brand in mind and are easily recognizable throughout all print and promotional items. This carries over into the buildings, trucks and vans, and most everything else that is for public use.
•	The organization is very clear on both its mission and values, and these are easily recalled by all stakeholders. This in turn makes it easy to refer to this organization as the provider of choice.
•	Funders see great value in the services offered and enjoy the easy working relationship they have built over the years.
•	The atmosphere is "can do" and very positive in the workplace. From the floor supervisors to the receptionist, from the work activity program workers to persons served in individual placements, and everywhere in between, it is clear everyone at this organization has a valued role.
•	The organization has not only built its reputation on serving persons with disabilities, but also as a business that means business.
•	Using resources to hire a training person for the organization was a good move several years ago, but putting resources toward additional trainers in all three work activity program sites in the past year during an economic downturn was a gamble that will repay the organization by providing a better trained and interested workforce when jobs are again plentiful. This was a forward-thinking and innovative use of funds and personnel.
•	Information collected in the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis used in strategic planning is honest and forthright. It clearly shows that employees feel at ease speaking their mind.
•	The board of directors is diverse, and thought was put into selection and retention of good board members. Together with management, these members look to the future and better ways to both prosper as a business and serve persons with disabilities well.
•	The organization is clearly involved in regional networking and advocacy with other similar businesses in the Inland Empire and should be proud of its commitment with staff on various committees to further these efforts.
•	Financial planning and practices reflect sound business and management practices and demonstrate that a nonprofit can also be a business run like a business.
•	Attention to safety and safe practices throughout the organization is one of VIP’s strengths.
•	The transportation system is a value-added component for persons served. Transportation serves individuals who work shifts in the community that occur outside regularly scheduled public transportation times or routes. By the organization providing this service, persons served have opportunities that would otherwise be closed to them.
•	VIP has many longstanding relationships with local employers that foster win-win business relationships that ultimately benefit persons served with diverse places to work where they continue learning new skills.
•	VIP has invested in hiring trainers for all three base programs, which allows one-on-one and group training that helps persons served better perform and directly relates to increased earnings.
•	The Wall of Fame is a wonderful visual celebration of persons served who transitioned from the base program into community employment situations. This serves as an incentive to other team members.
•	VIP has worked hard to develop employment sites with a wide range of skill levels that accommodate a variety of consumers.
•	Family members and funding agencies both express a high degree of satisfaction with the quality services being offered to consumers.
•	Consumers at base programs and individual and group placements are all happy with their jobs and services they receive through VIP.

Vocational Improvement Program should seek improvement in the areas identified by the recommendations in the report. Consultation given does not indicate nonconformance to standards but is offered as a suggestion for further quality improvement.

On balance, VIP clearly provides employment opportunities to persons served in the Inland Empire. The organization strives to identify needs and provide solutions and opportunities in all employment areas. It is well respected by funders, persons served, and industry in the geographic areas served. Its future is based on solid planning and collaboration.

Vocational Improvement Program, Inc., has earned a Three-Year Accreditation. It is commended for its efforts to provide quality services and encouraged to use its resources to address opportunities for improvement noted in this report and the CARF standards as guidelines for continuous quality improvement.

SECTION 1. ASPIRE TO EXCELLENCE®

A. Leadership

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations identify leadership that embraces the values of accountability and responsibility to the individual organization’s stated mission. The leadership demonstrates corporate social responsibility.

Key Areas Addressed

• Leadership structure
• Leadership guidance
• Commitment to diversity

• Corporate responsibility
• Corporate compliance

Recommendations
A.5.d.(2)
Although the policy states the time frame depends on the nature of the investigation, the organization should specify the time frame to initiate an investigation in its policies and written procedures on waste, fraud, abuse, and other wrongdoing.

C. Strategic Integrated Planning

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations establish a foundation for success through strategic planning focused on taking advantage of strengths and opportunities and addressing weaknesses and threats.

Key Areas Addressed
• Strategic planning considers stakeholder expectations and environmental impacts
• Written strategic plan sets goals
• Plan is implemented, shared, and kept relevant

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

D. Input from Persons Served and Other Stakeholders

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations continually focus on the expectations of the persons served and other stakeholders. The standards in this subsection direct the organization’s focus to soliciting, collecting, analyzing, and using input from all stakeholders to create services that meet or exceed the expectations of the persons served, the community, and other stakeholders.

Key Areas Addressed
• Ongoing collection of information from a variety of sources
• Analysis and integration into business practices
• Leadership response to information collected

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

E. Legal Requirements

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations comply with all legal and regulatory requirements.

Key Areas Addressed
• Compliance with all legal/regulatory requirements

Recommendations
E.2.c.
E.2.d.
Although the organization clearly has an approach to legal action, it is recommended that it expand
its written procedures to guide personnel in responding to investigations and other legal action.

F. Financial Planning and Management

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations strive to be financially responsible and solvent, conducting fiscal management in a manner that supports their mission, values, and annual performance objectives. Fiscal practices adhere to established accounting principles and business practices. Fiscal management covers daily operational cost management and incorporates plans for long-term solvency.

Key Areas Addressed
• Budget(s) prepared, shared, and reflective of strategic planning
• Financial results reported/compared to budgeted performance
• Organization review
• Fiscal policies and procedures
• Review of service billing records and fee structure
• Financial review/audit
• Safeguarding funds of persons served

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

G. Risk Management

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations engage in a coordinated set of activities designed to control threats
to their people, property, income, goodwill, and ability to accomplish goals.

Key Areas Addressed
• Identification of loss exposures
• Development of risk management plan
• Adequate insurance coverage

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

H. Health and Safety

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations maintain healthy, safe, and clean environments that support quality services and minimize risk of harm to persons served, personnel, and other stakeholders.

Key Areas Addressed
• Inspections
• Emergency procedures
• Access to emergency first aid
• Competency of personnel in safety procedures
• Reporting/reviewing critical incidents
• Infection control

Recommendations
H.4.a.(1) through H.4.b.(6)
H.4.b.(8)
The organization provides personnel with training, but it is not necessarily competency based in all areas specified in the standards. There is clear evidence that health and safety practices are discussed at safety meetings and during inspections, and drills and identification of unsafe environmental factors are covered at the time of self-assessments and during regular safety meetings. The organization utilizes the reporting format and training provided by the Inland Regional Center to identify and report critical incidents. In addition, the organization provides training on reducing physical risk. However, it is recommended that personnel receive training that is competency based and this be provided upon hire and annually addressing health and safety practices, identification of unsafe environmental factors, emergency procedures, evacuation procedures, identification and reporting of critical incidents, and reducing physical risk.
H.5.c.(6)
H.5.c.(7)
It is recommended that the organization’s written emergency procedure be expanded to address identification and continuation of essential services.

I. Human Resources

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations demonstrate that they value their human resources. It should be evident that personnel are involved and engaged in the success of the organization and the persons they serve.

Key Areas Addressed
• Adequate staffing
• Verification of background/credentials
• Recruitment/retention efforts
• Personnel skills/characteristics
• Annual review of job descriptions/performance
• Policies regarding students/volunteers, if applicable

Recommendations
I.6.d.(4)(a)
I.6.d.(4)(b)
Although the organization addresses performance objectives established in the last evaluation period during performance evaluations, it should more specifically assess performance related to these objectives in the feedback. This could include keeping it specific to the goal and objective set in the past year with specific measurable data. Performance objectives are established but not consistently measurable. It is recommended that performance objectives be measurable. The organization is encouraged to teach supervisors to write specific, measurable objectives for all supervised employees.

J. Technology

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations plan for the use of technology to support and advance effective and efficient service and business practices.

Key Areas Addressed
• Written technology and system plan

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

K. Rights of Persons Served

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations protect and promote the rights of all persons served. This commitment guides the delivery of services and ongoing interactions with the persons served.

Key Areas Addressed
• Communication of rights
• Policies that promote rights
• Complaint, grievance, and appeals policy
• Annual review of complaints

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

Consultation
• Although VIP might not receive any formal grievances throughout the year, it is suggested that a statement be included in each of the director’s annual reports to note this.

L. Accessibility

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations promote accessibility and the removal of barriers for the persons served and other stakeholders.

Key Areas Addressed
• Written accessibility plan(s)
• Status report regarding removal of identified barriers
• Requests for reasonable accommodations

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

M. Information Measurement and Management

Principle Statement
CARF-accredited organizations are committed to continually improving their organizations and service delivery to the persons served. Data are collected and information is used to manage and improve service delivery.

Key Areas Addressed
• Information collection, use, and management
• Setting and measuring performance indicators

Recommendations
M.4.c.(3)
For service delivery improvement, it is recommended that the organization incorporate measures for indicators of service access into its data collection system.

N. Performance Improvement

Principle Statement
The dynamic nature of continuous improvement in a CARF-accredited organization sets it apart from other organizations providing similar services. CARF-accredited organizations share and provide the persons served and other interested stakeholders with ongoing information about their actual performance as a business entity and their ability to achieve optimal outcomes for the persons served through their programs and services.

Key Areas Addressed
• Proactive performance improvement
• Performance information shared with all stakeholders

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

SECTION 2. QUALITY INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

A. Program/Service Structure

Principle Statement
A fundamental responsibility of the organization is to provide a comprehensive program structure. The staffing is designed to maximize opportunities for the persons served to obtain and participate in the services provided.
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Key Areas Addressed
• Services are person-centered and individualized
• Persons are given information about the organization’s purposes and ability to address desired outcomes

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

B. Individual-Centered Service Planning, Design, and Delivery

Principle Statement
Improvement of the quality of an individual’s services/supports requires a focus on the person and/or family served and their identified strengths, abilities, needs, and preferences. The organization’s services are designed around the identified needs and desires of the persons served, are responsive to their expectations, and are relevant to their maximum participation in the
environments of their choice.
The person served participates in decision making, directing, and planning that affects his or her life. Efforts to include the person served in the direction or delivery of those services/ supports are evident. The service environment reflects identified cultural needs, practices, and diversity. The person served is given information about the purposes of the organization.

Key Areas Addressed
• Complete, confidential records are maintained

Recommendations
B.8.a.
B.8.d.
When a health or safety risk has been identified in the assessment of potential risks to a person’s health or safety in the community, it is recommended that actions to be taken to minimize identified risks be documented. Although the organization’s individual habilitation service plan program summary form includes areas addressing strengths, abilities, and cultural/religious preferences as well as health and safety risks, the information is not always consistent in these specific areas. It is suggested that case managers specifically address each individual area in the plan.

D. Employment Services Principle Standards

Principle Statement
The standards in this subsection assert basic principles that should be demonstrated by any organization seeking accreditation in the area of employment services.

Key Areas Addressed
• Goals of the persons served
• Personnel needs of local employers
• Community resources available
• Economic trends in the local employment sector

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

SECTION 3. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

Principle Statement
An organization is free to choose which of its services it will seek to have accredited, but when a service has been selected, all locations at which the service is provided must be included in the survey. CARF will not accredit only a portion of a program or service. CARF does not consider the funding or referral entities or the populations served as differentiating a service so as to exclude portions of it from being included in the survey.
If the geographical service area is extensive, however, CARF may choose to impose geographical limitations on the extent of a single survey in order to ensure that the most meaningful survey will be conducted.
Each organization is encouraged to submit all applicable services and supports for accreditation in order to be identified as a quality organization by potential recipients of services and to facilitate funding arrangements. All accredited programs and services and organizational contact information are identified on the CARF website (www.carf.org) to assist persons in connecting to your quality services and supports.

C. Employment Planning Services

Principle Statement
Employment planning services are designed to assist a person seeking employment to learn about employment opportunities within the community and to make informed decisions. Employment planning services are individualized to assist a person to choose employment outcomes and/or career development opportunities based on his or her preferences, strengths, abilities, and needs.
Employment planning uses some type of employment exploration model. This may involve one or more of the following:

• Situational assessments
• Paid work trials
• Job tryouts (may be individual, crew, enclave, cluster, etc.)
• Job shadowing
• Simulated job sites
• Staffing agencies/temporary employment agencies
• Volunteer opportunities
• Transitional employment

Key Areas Addressed
• Employment opportunities within the community
• Informed decision making by participants
• Referrals to services to implement employment plan

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

H. Organizational Employment Services

Principle Statement
Organizational employment services are designed to provide paid work to the persons served in locations owned, leased, rented, or managed by the service provider. A critical component and value of organizational employment services is to use the capacity of the organization’s employment and training service design to create opportunities for persons to achieve desired employment outcomes in their community of choice.

Service models are flexible and may include a variety of enterprises and business designs, including organization-owned businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, shops, franchises, etc.

Key Areas Addressed
• Paid work provided by organization
• Legal guidelines adherence
• Employment goals of persons served

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

I. Community Employment Services

Principle Statement

Job Development
Successful job development concurrently uses assessment information about the person seeking employment to target the types of jobs available from potential employers in the local labor market. Typical job development activities include reviewing local employment opportunities and developing potential employers/customers through direct and indirect promotional strategies. Job development may include facilitating a hiring agreement between an employer and a person seeking employment. Some persons seeking employment may want assistance at only a basic, informational level such as self-directed job search.

Job-Site Training
Job-site training services vary according to the needs of the new employee and the complexity of the job. Training can include assisting the employee with performance on the new job task and helping the person to understand the job culture, industry practices, and work behaviors expected by the employer. It may also include training the employer and coworkers to understand the training methods and accommodations needed by the worker. Job-site training is intensive for the initial orientation of an employee to the job tasks. Job-site training may consist of customizing the job to meet the needs of the new employee and employer, task analysis, counseling, and supports with the intent of leading to natural supports and/or reduced external job coaching. These services are typically not long-term, ceasing after the individual has become stabilized on the job.

Job Supports
Ongoing job support services are activities that are employment-related and needed to promote job adjustment, retention, and advancement. These services are based on the individual needs of the employee with focus on long-term retention of the person in the job after the initial training period. Routine follow-up with the employer and the employee is crucial to continued job success. Supports are a critical element of the long-term effectiveness of community employment. Support services address issues such as a decrease in productivity of the person served, assistance in training a person to complete new tasks, changes in work schedule or work promotion, adjusting to new supervisors, and managing changes in nonwork environments or other critical life activities that may affect work performance.

Key Areas Addressed
• Integrated employment choice
• Integrated employment obtainment
• Integrated employment retention

Recommendations
There are no recommendations in this area.

PROGRAMS/SERVICES BY LOCATION

Vocational Improvement Program, Inc.
8675 Boston Place
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730

Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job Development
Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job Supports
Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job-Site Training
Employment Services: Employment Planning Services
Employment Services: Organizational Employment Services

VIP, Inc. - Hesperia
17292 Eucalyptus
Hesperia, CA 92345

Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job Development
Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job Supports
Employment Services: Community Employment Services: Job-Site Training
Employment Services: Organizational Employment Services

VIP, Inc. - San Bernardino
1310 East Riverview
San Bernardino, CA 92408

Employment Services: Organizational Employment Services

Corporate Office
8675 Boston Place • Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 483-5924 • (909) 483-5927 Fax

High Desert Office
17292 Eucalyptus Street • Hesperia, CA 92345
(760) 948-1312 • (760) 948-0993 Fax

San Bernardino Office
1310 East Riverview Dr. • San Bernardino, CA 92408
(909) 478-7537 • (909) 796-2154 Fax