As part of the 2016 Annual Summit on Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation, on September 9, 2016 in Richmond Virginia, the first cohort of participants in the Program Evaluation & Quality Assurance (PEQA) Technical Assistance Center (PEQATAC) Certification. The PEQATAC has developed a one-year certification program Certification on Vocational Rehabilitation Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance that will result in increasing the numbers and qualifications of program evaluators and quality assurance specialists in State VR agencies.
The certificate program includes strategies to develop key competencies necessary for successful implementation of program evaluation and quality assurance activities, including:
- Knowledge of the State-Federal VR program
- Data collection methodologies
- Data analysis and interpretation
- Making evaluative judgments and recommendations
- Effective communication of results (including presentations, drafting reports, and building partnerships)
- Ethical practice
The Fall 2016 PEQA Cohort includes:
- Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (Becky Oberrecht)
- Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (Thomas Selke)
- Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (HarrietAnn Litwin)
- Florida Division of Blind Services (Bertha Hyche)
- Illinois Department of Health Services (Kim Pieczynski)
- Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (David Higginbotham)
- Nebraska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (Cheryl Ferree)
- Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (Alana Evans)
- South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation (Margaret Alewine)
- Virginia Department for the Blind (Deborah Collard)
A spring 2017 PEQA training is also planned. More information on how to apply and the application and training dates will be posted on our training certification page.