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Council Leadership Structure

Council Structure Chart

The council elects a chair and a vice chair each year.  Here is some information about the role of the chair and the vice-chair.

Duties of Elected Officers

The duties of the Chairperson are:

The duties of the Vice-chairperson are:

The duties of the Committee Chairpersons are:

Council Committees

The WSRC has five committees, here is a bit of information about the role and function of each committee. 

Standing Committee Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of the Executive Committee are:

  1. Providing supervision and performance evaluation for the Executive Director of the Council.
  2. Developing and negotiating (with DVR) a proposed resource plan for the WSRC.
  3. Making decisions about the use of Council resources including funding, staff time, and general Council capacity.
  4. Developing and approving quarterly meeting agendas.
  5. Developing the vision for the WSRC’s mid-range and long-term progress.
  6. Assuring that the WSRC is meeting all federal mandates on time and within budget.
  7. Supporting strategic planning and work plan development.
  8. Assuring that Committee Chairs have equal access to information and support needed to advance the work of their committees.
  9. Producing the Annual Report with the significant support of staff.
  10.   Acting as the primary steward of the Council’s resources and public image.

The responsibilities of the Member Recruitment & Participation Committee are:

  1. Developing or updating recruitment materials as needed.
  2. Designing and implementing a recruitment plan for yielding candidates for each of the positions the Council is recruiting for between January and June.
  3. Tracking the attendance of Council members.
  4. Coordinating the completion, collection, and analysis of member surveys for staff review.
  5. Supporting the Council in developing and sustaining practices that advance an accessible Council culture.
  6. Assisting members in identifying strategies for facilitating full participation in Council activities.
  7. Providing support as needed for addressing sensitive member concerns or emerging issues.
  8. Coordinating orientation and welcome of new members.
  9. Identifying opportunities for members to develop and refine leadership skills and knowledge to assist them in preparing for progressive leadership opportunities as Council members.

The responsibilities of the Employer & Rehabilitation Partnerships Committee are:

  1. Supporting the WSRC to gather and process information about the role and mission of the external partners DVR collaborates with most frequently in the Vocational Rehabilitation Process. (Examples of key partnerships mentioned in the Rehabilitation Act are with: the Department of Services for the Blind, Tribal VR, Workforce Development partners, the State Independent Living Council, Community Rehabilitation Programs, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Parent Training and Advocacy Centers. The Mental Health Division and the Division of Developmental Disabilities are key partners in providing the necessary extended longer-term supports that clients who are achieving successful rehabilitations through supported employment depend on);
  2. Acting as a sounding board or a market research group for DVR as it develops marketing tools or initiatives to strengthen partnerships and communication with external partners, particularly employers;
  3. Collaborating with DVR in seeking feedback from its external partners to assess the state of its partnerships;
  4. Crafting recommendations (as needed) for DVR about how it could strengthen specific partnerships to improve service, increase capacity to serve customers, or support the achievement of quality rehabilitations

The responsibilities of the Planning, Policy & Advocacy Committee are:

  1. Reviewing and commenting on proposed changes to DVR’s customer service manual which establishes internal policies and practices used by VRC’s when providing service.
  2. Seeking feedback from the Client Assistance Program about the potential impact of changes to internal policies and practices.
  3. Identifying opportunities for the WSRC to support the effort of DVR internal workgroups. 
  4. Requesting a semi-annual update from DVR about the status of all internal work groups addressing issues related to direct service.
  5. Identifying, educating Council colleagues, and commenting on any rule making activity being pursued by DVR or any agency request legislation that DVR intends to bring before the state legislature.
  6. Tracking any developments at a federal level regarding the process of reauthorization for the Rehabilitation Act and informing the Council of developments as needed.
  7. Supporting the development of DVR’s State Plan (whether full or updated) by sponsoring State Plan forums and providing input on priorities.
  8. Writing the WSRC portion of DVR’s State Plan (section 4.2c).
  9. Working with the Executive Committee and sometimes with DVR to advocate for substantive changes within the Vocational Rehabilitation System by educating legislators at a state and federal level.

The responsibilities of the Customer Satisfaction and Program Evaluation Committee are:

  1. Evaluating DVR program performance data, including but not limited to: the dashboard; the latest Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) data; data illuminating performance on the federal standards and indicators tracked by the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
  2.  Requesting and reviewing fair hearing information and assessing it for trends or areas of concern.
  3. Sponsoring quarterly customer forums and writing a quarterly summary of what we learned to share with the field and DVR administration.
  4. Collaborating with DVR in the development and completion of a customer needs assessment every three years.
  5. Surveying DVR customers to assess their satisfaction with services.
  6. Collaborating with DVR program evaluation staff to assess emerging trends.