New Horizons 2007 Volume 46-3 Summer

7/28/2019 New Horizons 2007 Volume 46-3 Summer

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H RIZONSSOUTH CAR OLINA VOCATIONAL RE HABILITATION DEPARTMENT

Summer 2007Volume 46, Number 3 N E W

CMS changing the way agency worksWork is well under way on SCVRDs newest innovationin its eort to help people with disabilities get jobs andthe reviews are enthusiastically positive.

The electronic Case Management System (CMS) ischanging the way the agency does business, said Jay

Rolin, Inormation Technology director. Its the largestbusiness process project IT has tackled, involving almosteveryone on the development sta, he said.

The goal is to modernize the client case managementsystem with the least disruption, said Linda Lieser,assistant commissioner or Case Services.

Mia Howard is the IT project manager, creatingmockups o each step in the process and developing thework ows. Chitra Madabhushi is the analyst leadingthe development team or IT. The development team iscreating the applications and modiying the database asrequired.

Everyone in Case Services also is involved at somelevel, Lieser said.

Theres a lot to work out, and it takes a lot otraining, Rolin said. Its too big to do in a vacuum.

The design team meets frst thing every morning. Theteam consists o Howard, Lieser, Rolin, Case Servicespecialists Denise Koon and Ali Cato and whoever elseis the expert on the particular topic. They work throughthe logic and walk through every possible scenariobeore coming up with a prototype. Groups rom thefeld have been brought in at each stage to participate in

the development process.As each phase is completed, it is uploaded andmade available to the feld sta. The CMS message boxannounces the new program and provides instructions

I N S I D E

Comp services to go Upstate..............................2

Preshas activities show compassion.................... 3

Disability Forum.................................................4

Members o the CMS team include, rom let, Linda Lieser,Ali Cato, Denise Koon, Mia Howard, Jay Rolin and ChitraMadabhushi.

or access to online training. The instruction videosemploy Camtasia Studio sotware and provide stepby-

step directions. Case Services specialist Jennier Unekisand Cato are responsible or the instruction modules.Theres also an electronic bulletin board available orsta to post questions and suggestions.

The new system and the old system are both workingo the same database, Rolin said, so as new programsare made available, users can take advantage o themwhile bridging back to the old programs whennecessary. As the new programs are ready, the oldprograms are decommissioned.

We have completed the certifcate o eligibility,Lieser said. Next well start on the assessment to

determine VR service needs, which will include arevamp o the Career Planning and Employmentprograms.

The original idea was to work through the systemchronologically, but there have been detours.

For instance, there were concerns about thesignifcant time spent in monitoring and the need ortime and case management training, Lieser said. Sowe streamlined the workow under Appointments andTasks.

See CMS, page 4

Visit our Web site at www.scvrd.net


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H RIZONS2

New Horizons is published by the South Carolina Comp services to go UpstateVocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD),1410 Boston Ave., P.O. Box 15, West Columbia,SC 291710015.

The Public Inormation Ofce provides allnews and inormation. News materials may bereproduced with credit to New Horizons.

SCVRD distributes New Horizons ree bymail. Subscription requests or changes o addressmay be sent to the Public Inormation Ofce atthe above address, telephone (803) 8966833 oremail [email protected]

In accordance with ederal and state laws,SCVRD does not discriminate against any race,color, sex, national origin, age or disability inemployment or in provision o services.

Agency:Derle A. Lowder Sr., chairman, SumterLarry C. Bryant, secretary, Columbia

H. Lucius Laftte, M.D., atlarge, AllendaleDr. Roxzanne Breland, Greenville

Timothy W. Evatt, PendletonRhonda J. Presha, Elgin

Alease G. Samuels, WalterboroJoseph A. Thomas, Conway

SCVRD:CommissionerLarry C. Bryant

EditorSharon H. Kelly

SCVRD Ofces:(All numbers have TDD capability.)

Aiken: (803) 6417630

Anderson: (864) 2246391)

Beauort: (843) 5221010

BerkeleyDorchester (Moncks Corner): (843) 7616036; (866) 2976808 (Toll ree)

Camden: (803) 4321068(866) 2065280 (Toll ree)

Charleston: (843) 7401600

Conway: (843) 2482235

Florence: (843) 6628114

Ganey: (864) 4899954

Greenville: (864) 2973066

Greenwood: (864) 2295827(866) 4430162 (Toll ree)

Hartsville: (843) 3832662

Lancaster: (803) 2856909

Laurens (Clinton): (864 ) 8334121(866) 4430103 (Toll ree)

Lexington (West Columbia): (803) 8966333

(866)2065184 (Toll ree)

Marlboro (Bennettsville): (843) 4798318(800) 8494878 (Toll ree)

OconeePickens (Seneca): (864) 8826669

(866) 3130082 (Toll ree)

Orangeburg: (803) 5344939

Richland (Columbia): (803) 7824239

Rock Hill: (803) 3277106

Spartanburg: (864) 5853693(866) 4511480 (Toll ree)

Sumter: (803) 4692960

Walterboro: (843) 5383116(888) 5773549 (Toll ree)

Williamsburg (Kingstree): (843) 3545252

Enabling eligible South Carolinians withdisabilities to prepare or, achieve and

maintain competitive employment.

People with disabilities in the Upstatesoon will have access to a variety ospecialized programs now availableonly in West Columbia.

The S.C. VocationalRehabilitation Department hassecured state and ederal unds tobuild a 38,000squareoot acilityin Lyman that will house an areaofce and Comprehensive Servicesunit in the frst phase and a worktraining center in the second phase.

The Comprehensive Services unitwill oer specialized services orpeople with signifcant disabilities

that are now available only atSCVRDs Center or ComprehensivePrograms in West Columbia.Those services will includephysical therapy, occupationaltherapy, a brain injury program, apain management program, andrehabilitation engineering.

The department has VocationalRehabilitation centers in Greenvilleand Spartanburg, but there isno room or expansion at either

acility. The Lyman property willprovide service opportunities thatcomplement the Greenville andSpartanburg locations. The 9.5-acre site is situated between Groce

Road and the Middle Tyger River,near Byrnes High School and otherhuman service agencies in the area.

The Lyman center also willoer counseling and guidance,vocational assessment and jobreadiness training as do other VRcenters.

The unemployment rateor people with disabilities issubstantially higher than it is or thegeneral population. The GreenvilleSpartanburg area is growing rapidlyand there is a great demand orservices that will prepare people

with disabilities or competitiveemployment.

There also is a need to providecomprehensive services to arearesidents who have signifcantphysical disabilities and havedifculty managing a ourweekstay on the West Columbia campusThe Lyman acility will providespecialized services on a day basis.

Were trying to make all oour services accessible to ourclients who need them the most,and its usually harder or themto travel to Columbia because otheir disabilities, said SCVRDCommissioner Larry Bryant.

Commissioner Larry Bryantlooks to the uture as hesurveys the Lyman site.

NEW HORIZONS
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Preshas activities show compassionI Rhonda Presha is going tobe involved in something, shebelieves in doing it well.

And involved is what sheisin her job, her church, hercommunity and as a membero the S.C. State Agency orVocational Rehabilitation.

Shes a very valuablemember, said Derle LowderSr., chairman o the board thatgoverns the S.C. VocationalRehabilitation Department.She has a lot o great

ideas and she asks the rightquestions.Shes concerned about people

with disabilities and shes dedicatedto improving their quality o lie, hesaid.

Presha is modest about what shedoes, but the range o her activitiesspeaks or itsel.

A graduate o the Universityo South Carolina with a B.S. inbusiness administration, she went

to work in 1981 as a secretary inthe Computer Services Departmentat South Carolina Electric & GasCo. (SCE&G) in Columbia. Later,she became a computer traininginstructor within that department.

Today, the department has growninto the Inormation Services andTechnology (IST) Department atSCANA Services Inc., a subsidiaryo SCANA Corp., which is also the

parent o SCE&G.And Presha is responsible or

disaster recovery and oversighto IST policies, procedures andstandards.

As her career evolved, shewanted to get involved in thecommunity, so she volunteered.

Over the years, shes been anadult literacy tutor in RichlandSchool District One; taught

Rhonda Presha

computer classes at the ColumbiaUrban League; was a student tutorat her church, Brookland Baptist inWest Columbia; and served on thechurchs Womens Day Committee.

Today, shes a member o thechurchs Hospitality Ministryand the Brookland FoundationsBlack Male Conerence PlanningCommittee; the Columbia Sectiono the National Council o NegroWomen; the Greater ColumbiaArea Chapter o Black DataProcessing Associates, and theSouth Carolina Chapter o theAmerican Association o Blacks inEnergy, which supports RichlandOnes Lunch Buddy program.

Shes a member o the S.C. Vo-cational Rehabilitation Associationboard and has served on SCVRDsBusiness Advisory Committee (BAC)

since the late 1980s.Members o the BAC work with

SCVRD sta in the InormationTechnology Training Program,providing advice on the specifcinormation technology skillsrequired or employment. BACmembers take an active role in allphases o the program, includingcourse development, candidateselection, instruction, mentoring,

and job placement and ollowup.

Presha has mentoredseveral students during hertenure.

Its wonderul to hear theirlie storieswhere they were,where they are now, shesaid.

This program gives themanother opportunity orgrowth and personal as wellas proessional development.

And, because o the

programs reputation, thestudents go on to good jobs

utilizing the skills theyve learned,she said.

Theres a sense oaccomplishment when you helpsomeone, she said. And that sayswhat VR does.

Presha was recruited or theSCVRD board in 2001.

I am very pleased to have anopportunity to serve on the S.C.State Agency or Vocational Reha-bilitation board because SCVRD isinvolved in the community and itcares about the people, she said.I am honored to participate in thisprocess or empowering personswith disabilities.

Its been a wonderul experi-ence, she added. Its a strongboard. The sta is very supportive.

A native o Pinewood, shes very

close to her mother, brother and hisamily, who still live there.

She does try to take care ohersel and oten can be ound inthe aisles o Columbias health oodstores. Shes a jazz bu and enjoysthe theater and the arts.

Lately, though, shes beenconsumed by work, so therehasnt been much time to ocus onleisure activities.

Summer 2007


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CMSContinued from page 1

The benefts o the new system are considerable. A totally electronic work environment and case fle. All inormation will be stored. Work activities will be recorded through tasks,eliminating documentation redundancy. All records (medical, psychological, educational,

etc.) will be scanned, indexed, and added to thecase fle using a bar code that will link to theclients record.

It will provide absolute verifcation o Social Security numbers and SSI/SSDI benefts with amounts.

Intelligence will be built into the system; it willmake the user ask the right questions. Automatic

tasks will remind the user to take action.

The case ow will be more natural because theinormation will be in sequence.

Spartanburg counselors Barry Waddell and AlvaYoung, who recently were invited to view the changes,pronounced it feld riendly.

I was impressed with the detail and what theyunderstood about what counselors do, Young said.

Im ready to go, agreed Waddell. I look orward totraining the feld and making it happen.

Disability ForumAgency representatives and the general public hear aboutSocial Security programs or people with disabilities and

get an overview o the SCVRD program August 15 during aDisability Forum in Rock Hill.

The orum, held at SCVRDs Rock Hill area ofce,

eatured sessions on Social Security Disability WorkIncentives, the Ticket to Work program, the Plan or

Achieving Sel-Support and S.C. Pathways TowardEmployment.

The 33 participants came rom the Social SecurityAdministrations Rock Hill ofce; S.C. Pathways TowardEmployment; the S.C. Commission or the Blinds Rock Hillofce; York County Disabilities and Special Needs Board;Piedmont Medical Center; Winthrop University; CatawbaMental Health Center; the S.C. Department o MentalHealth; the Rock Hill Workorce Center; the USC School oMedicine; and SCVRD.

The South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department reports that it printed 5,300 copies o this newsletter at a cost o$663.40, or about $.13 a copy.

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H RIZONSSouth Carolina VocationalRehabilitation Department1410 Boston AvenuePost Ofce Box 15West Collumbia, SC 291710015

Return Service Requested

NonproftUS Postage

PAIDWest Columbia, SC

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New Horizons 2007 Volume 46-3 Summer

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