×
Vendor Announcements
Providers

Vendor Announcements

Grant Award Announcement

October 13, 2022

Florida’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) has been awarded $13.1 million to realize the Florida Arts to Competitive Integrated Employment (ArtCIE) initiative. The initiative will create an innovative model that assists individuals with disabilities currently employed in, or contemplating, subminimum wage employment to move toward competitive integrated employment (CIE) outcomes in the field of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation.

ArtCIE will offer opportunities to at least 1,000 individuals with disabilities; create a dual customer career exploration model with innovations in peer mentoring, work experience, virtual reality modules, and business engagement; and provide training for sheltered workshops and other subminimum wage providers, individuals, families, school personnel and employers.

Pilots for the program are set in Duval, Sumter, and Washington counties, with a focus on building the skills of participants to meet the needs of an industry flourishing in Florida and helping to fill the talent pipeline in these in-demand occupations.

The award is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) demonstration project with fourteen state vocational rehabilitation agencies. The purpose of these grants is to decrease the use of subminimum wages and increase access to competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.

AWARE: New case management system

September 7, 2022

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is excited to announce our transition to a new case management system called AWARE that will improve the way we collaborate and serve people with disabilities.

Many VR agencies cross the US effectively utilize AWARE, including our counterparts at the Division of Blind Services. AWARE will replace RIMS and other VR applications currently used to manage the rehabilitation process and the related records management process.

Our Vendors play an integral role in how we achieve successful outcomes for our customers and we will keep you informed during this transitional process.

Below are items to note:

  • AWARE is set to go-live Summer 2023.
  • PERM and STAR Web will be phased out and all vendor transactions will happen using the Vendor Portal in AWARE.
  • Training will be provided for the vendor community prior to go-live. VR will provide additional details on training dates as we get closer to the launch date.

More information and updates pertaining to AWARE will be available as the project progresses. Thank you for continuing to partner with our Division. We look forward to the outcomes we will be able to realize for our customers with your help.