Agency Employ & Econ Development Dept

Contractor PACER Center

SWIFT Contract Number SC 54537

Project Name PACER Transition Partnership

Project Number (if applicable) {Empty}

Summarize purpose of the contract, including why it was necessary: PACER assisted Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) with needs in four areas:
1. Improving outreach, training and individual assistance to Minnesota families of youth with disabilities.
2. Improving VRS staff capacity to effectively partner with families whose youth are consumers of VRS services.
3. Improving VRS staff understanding of special education law, and increasing VRS staff capacity to advocate for youth who are in special education.
4. Improving VRS staff understanding of assistive technology and its impact on transitioning to employment for youth with disabilities.

Why necessary:
In 2012, VRS conducted an investigation into unsuccessful case outcomes. A portion of this study was focused on youth, with parents of past consumers participating in focus groups to discuss their experience in working with the VRS program. Overwhelmingly, parents noted disconnects between the VRS service structure and the needs of their youth. In particular, they wanted to see more collaboration between the youth, themselves and VRS staff; they wanted greater involvement in the VRS process. They reported misunderstandings about the role of VRS and other communication issues as well.
Furthermore, VRS staff that serve transition-age youth were surveyed in August 2012 regarding their training needs in serving youth. Of the 160 staff that responded, 83% reported that they were either “somewhat” or “very” interested in training in developing/ maintaining relationships with transition-aged youth and 82% reported that they were either “somewhat” or “very” interested in training in developing/ maintaining relationships with parents/ family.

Project Duration

Start Date Mon, 10/22/2012 - 00:00

Original end date Tue, 09/30/2014 - 00:00

Actual end date Tue, 09/30/2014 - 00:00

Did project finish on time? Yes

Total billable hours utilized (if applicable) {Empty}

Contract Amounts

Original contract: $465000

Amendments $-132500

Contract total $332500

Did project finish within budget? Yes

What was the funding source? Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Is this a sole source contract? Yes

If this was a single source contract, explain why the agency determined there was only a single source for the services (if applicable) PACER Center is Minnesota’s only “Parent Center” for families of children and youth with all disabilities from birth through 21 years old. Parent Centers, comprised of Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), provide training and assistance to the families of the nation’s 7 million children with disabilities. These centers are funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Every state has at least one PTI, and those with larger populations may have more. The CPRCs provide services to underserved families in smaller geographic areas. There are currently 106 Parent Centers in the United States.

Parent Centers serve families of children of all ages (birth to 26) and with all disabilities (physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional). Parent Centers provide a variety of services including one-to-one support and assistance, workshops, publications, and websites. The majority of Parent Center staff members and board members are parents of children with disabilities so they are able to bring personal experience, expertise, and empathy when working with families.

Specifically, Parent Centers help families to:
•better understand their children’s disabilities and educational, developmental, and transitional needs
•communicate more effectively with special education, early intervention, and related professionals
•understand their rights and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal special education law
•obtain appropriate services for their children through participation in the individualized education program (IEP) and individualized family service plan (IFSP) decision making process
•resolve disagreements and understand the benefits of alternative methods of dispute resolution
•connect with other local, state, and national resources that assist children with disabilities
PACER Center is a Minnesota nonprofit organization serving individuals with all disabilities. PACER works to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life for youth and young adults with disabilities, and their families. PACER is an innovator in parent and family engagement, exemplifying the values of parents helping parents, family-professional collaboration, and cultural competence for over 30 years. PACER has a long-standing history of advocating for youth with disabilities and their families, as well as providing training and technical assistance on issues such as special education, transition to adulthood, employment, access to postsecondary education, assistive technology, and family engagement.

Finally, PACER is nationally recognized for its expertise on vocational rehabilitation and transition issues. PACER is a partner in the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD-Youth), a national technical assistance project funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, and administers another national technical assistance project funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act Project (TATRA). TATRA provides training and technical assistance on career development, vocational rehabilitation legislation, policy, and other issues affecting transition-age youth to parent centers also funded by RSA. In addition PACER has developed transition-to-employment-focused parent training materials with funding from the U.S. Offices of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, as well as Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Youth Development, Department of Education, and Department of Human Services. PACER Center is also the “ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center (NPTAC)” which provides all 106 Parent Centers, Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers across the country with innovative technical assistance, up-to-date information, and high quality resources and materials.

Evaluator Name Alyssa Klein

Evaluator Email Address alyssa.klein@state.mn.us

Evaluate the contractor's timeliness The contractor performed as was expected and needed in terms of timeliness. All specific items within the contract were conducted within the timesframes that we requested.

Evaluate the contractor's quality The contractor's quality was exceptional. The staff training, parent workshops, parent listening sessions, Simply Said Video, reports, etc. were done to our satisfaction.

Evaluate the contractor's cost We believe that the costs were within what might customarily be expected for this type of work.

Evaluate the contractor's overall performance Overall, we are very satisfied with the performance of work from PACER Center in this two-year P/T contract. They delivered all that was outlined in the contract in a timely, effective manner.

Would you engage the contractor's services again? Yes

Describe any negative action taken during the duration of this contract (i.e., termination, pursuit of suspension, etc.): {Empty}

Please rate the overall experience with the contractor 5 - very satisfied