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Vocational rehab awarded over $97K grant
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Posted on Oct 18 2005
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation was recently awarded a competitive grant, totaling $97,065 for a five-year period, by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Administration.
The federal funds will be used to support in-service training participation—on and off-island—of OVR staff in specific VR related topics dealing with case services management and administration.
OVR director Tee Abraham said the activities designed to be funded under this grant will allow OVR staff to obtain VR academic requirements, rehabilitation certification credentials, and administrative/fiscal job skills in grantsmanship. These training activities will be coordinated with Northern Marianas College and San Diego State University, the designated RSA Region IX Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program service provider for the public VR state agencies in the CNMI, Guam, American Samoa, Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Arizona.
OVR first applied for this highly competitive grant in FY 1999 and was awarded a five-year grant covering the period form fiscal year 2000 to 2005. The results of the first grant award enabled some OVR staff to participate in technical conferences and training activities offered on and off-island.
“Most importantly, three VR counselors were assisted through this grant to earn their master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University via a distant education program,” said Abraham.
All costs, including tuition and fees, books and reference materials, including Internet connections and laptop computers for each, were paid for by funds from the in-service grant. Each VR staff who signed up to enroll in classes offered by NMC or SDSU, was required to enter into a service agreement with OVR to pay back the costs incurred for their professional development.
For more information about this project, contact Abraham at 664-6537 or 664-6538. (PR)
