North Dakota State Rehabilitation Council

2026 schedule of SRC meetings

Jan. 13, 2026 - 12 to 4 p.m. CT - Bismarck Workforce Center, 1601 E. Century Ave. and virtual by Microsoft Teams - SRC Jan. Agenda

Feb. 11, 2026 - 3:30-4:30 p.m. CT - Bismarck VR Central Office, 1000 E. Divide Ave. and virtual by Microsoft Teams - Special Meeting Feb. Agenda

April 14, 2026 - 12 to 4 p.m. CT - Bismarck Workforce Center, 1601 E. Century Ave. and virtual by Microsoft Teams - SRC April Agenda

July 14, 2026 - 12 to 4 p.m. CT - Bismarck Workforce Center, 1601 E. Century Ave. and virtual by Microsoft Teams - SRC July Agenda

Oct. 13, 2026 - 12 to 4 p.m. CT - Bismarck Workforce Center, 1601 E. Century Ave. and virtual by Microsoft Teams - SRC Oct. Agenda

Individuals who need accommodations to participate in the meetings or who would like more information can contact Aimee Volk at North Dakota Health and Human Services - Vocational Rehabilitation, 1000 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck, ND 58501, 701-328-8954, toll-free 800-755-2745, 711 (TTY) or alvolk@nd.gov. 

Roll Call

Members Present

Micah Olson, Trevor Vannett, Darrel Hannum, Josh Villbrant, Mistie Clementich, Mercedes Drechsel, Kaycee Johnson, Robyn Soiseth, Lea Kugel, Trampes Brown, Gillian Plenty Chief, Chaz Brobst, Amy Bergan, Bruce Klootwyk

Members Absent

Jacey Enget, Landis Larson

Others Present

Aimee Volk, Jennifer Moldenhauer, William Phillips, Robyn Throlson, Stephanie Bouche

Call to Order

Trevor Vannett called the meeting to order at 12:03 pm. There was a quorum present. 

April Agenda Approval

A motion to amend the agenda the April 2026 agenda and add election of officers was made by Josh Villbrandt and Robyn Soiseth­­­­­­­­­­­ seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.                     

January Minutes Approval

A motion to approve the January 2026 minutes as presented was made by Josh Villbrandt and seconded Robyn Soiseth. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried. 

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region 6 (Jamestown) Update – Jennifer Moldenhauer         

Coverage Area

• Serves nine counties: Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Stutsman, and Wells.

Staffing

• 1 Regional Administrator 
• 2 Support Staff
• 4 VR Counselors 
• 1 Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
• Share a Business Service Specialist with Fargo

Performance Data FFY 2025 (Reporting period: October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025)

• Applications: 215 out of 180 (119%)
• VR Plans: 159 out of 181 (114%)
• Successful Closures: 75 out of 76 (101%)

Performance Data FFY 2026 (Reporting period: October 1, 2025 – April 13, 2026 (50%)

• Applications: 136 out of 180 (76%)
• VR Plans: 159 out of 181 (114%)
• Successful Closures: 25 of 74 (34%)
• Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) Applications: 15 out of 30 (50%) 

Staff Stability

• In 2025 they welcomed a new counselor, and she covers the northern part of the region. They also had a new support staff join their team.

Case Movement Timelines FFY 2026

• Application to Eligibility: 15 days
• Eligibility to Plan Development: 52 days

Services to Students with Disabilities (SWD)

• 23 secondary education schools three vocational centers, two adult education programs and three universities are served in the Jamestown region.
• There is more mainstreaming with fewer hours in self-contained classrooms which has created some problems in connecting with students.

Community Partnerships

• They have been getting referrals from Job Service and Youth and Families through South Central Behavioral Health.
• Work collaboratively with James River Minimum Unit and JRCC.
• An area of growth has been having more community partners in offering job coaching. There is still a shortage in outlying areas but hopefully there is some expansion.

Recognition

• In FFY 2025 Claude received the Counselor Achievement Award at the VR Annual Conference.

Jamestown Economy

• Jamestown has a low unemployment rate of about 2.6% or less.
  • Jobs available include medical, assembly, manufacturing, fabrication, agriculture, direct support, retail, food service, and hospital.
  • Challenges to employment include housing, transportation, and child care.
• Bridges to Recovery opened last year and provides residential treatment programming and 24-hour services.
• The park board has worked to make their parks more accessible including adaptive playgrounds, accessible paths, and accessible kayaking.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region 3 (Devils Lake) Update – Mercedes Drechsel          

The Devils Lake office is co-located with Job Service.

Coverage Area

• Serves six counties: Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Ramsey, Rolette, and Towner. 

Staffing

• 1 Regional Administrator 
• 1 Support Staff
• 2 VR Counselors 
• 1 Vision Rehabilitation Specialist

Data

• Clients Served: about 130.
• Pre-Employment Transition Services: Average of 100 hours per month.
  • School Contracts: New Rockford High School and Devils Lake High School.
  • Working with Independence, Inc. for independent living services at Turtle Mountain Community High School (TMCHS).
• Tribal 121 Project: Having regular meetings with Spirit Lake Vocational Rehabilitation and working to develop regular meetings and collaboration with Turtle Mountain Vocational Rehabilitation. 
• North Dakota School for the Deaf and Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Collaborating for the XR VR experience and work readiness skill development.
• Job Service of North Dakota: Regular contact for service connection and referrals with unemployment, pride, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) primarily.

Challenges

• Lack of Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) in the Rolla and Belcourt areas.
• Follow through or no shows.
• Incarceration
• Employment opportunities in rural areas.
• Lack of behind-the-wheel training opportunities and limited availability of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the Rolla and Belcourt area.

Successes

• Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) program had a success story and found accommodations to continue to do hobbies and independent living skills.
• Devils Lake is fully staffed after one and a half years.
• Business Service Specialist that is out of the Grand Forks office has been instrumental in getting clients placed in jobs through on the job training, assistive technology, job reassignment, as well as ADA consultations with businesses.
• A counselor saved an excellent employment opportunity for an individual after a communication error that resulted in a satisfied client.
• Rehabilitation Tech is supporting the OIB program to become paperless.

VR Interim Director Update – Darrel Hannum

The central office is fully staffed. 

• Pre-ETS Administrator – Desiree Johnson
• Trainer position – Paul Nason

The Governor’s budget was recently released, and VR is working on their budget build that is due in July 2026. We have to look at a 10% reduction for upcoming session. There is a freeze on new positions.

Darrel and Cheryl have visited all regions of the state to meet with stakeholders and the VR offices. There are some partners they have identified that they will need to meet with more often.

There is a counselor that will be getting their American Sign Language (ASL) certification and a Vision Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS) that will be getting their Orientation and Mobility certification.

Project Search is in West Fargo and is for students in their last year of high school to that business, VR, Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP), and West Fargo Public School to assist with finding an internship for students that are on IEPs and eligible for VR services. North Dakota is the 48^th state to have a site. This is a pilot program to see if we can replicate this in the state.

VR is working with NDSCS is working with them for some camps. There will be a culinary camp for up to ten students that is an immersive experience. This will be June 21-24, 2026. There will be a Health Career camp on June 9, 2026. There will be upcoming camps in the near future.

Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) discussions are occurring throughout the state. The new Pre-ETS administrator is working hard to facilitate discussions with Department of Instruction (DPI).

We are starting to look at apprenticeship programs statewide.

We are re-engaging with our tribal partners. Pat Walking Eagle asked if they could have all of the tribal partners be invited to all of the SRC meetings. We are looking at restarting the On Common Ground with our tribal partners.

Parking Fee Discussion – Darrel Hannum

VR is supposed to be getting 50% of the imposed fees on accessible parking fines. Currently Fargo pays fines. Darrel, Cheryl and a VR Regional Administrator had a meeting with Bismarck, and they are issuing scholarships with their funds. They are issuing scholarships to students with disabilities.

Discussion was held on having the Executive Committee will be tasked with the Parking Fee processes and next step. Aimee will send a Doodle Poll to set up a meeting.

Tribal Updates – Spirit Lake VR Project – Pat Walking Eagle

No report.

VR Technology Roadmap – William Phillips – Data Systems Administrator for VR

The VR system is called AWARE, ND. The other system we use is called FileNet which is a records management system. 

This year there are three major technology projects. 

• SaraWorks we are finishing the terms and conditions. Then we would move into training and using the system. SaraWorks will cut down on manual follow-up, repetitive data entry, and routine administrative efforts. It is a scheduling assistant and can sent out texts, secure messages, reminders, e-signatures, and case note automation in AWARE, ND.
• We will be working with Alliance, which is the vendor for AWARE, ND to identify unused features.
• Keep building staff-facing case note templates.

Next Year

• Move from Tableau (only has two licenses) to Power BI to give updates and reports. Power BI is a web-based model that more staff can access with is included in Microsoft Suite.

Future

• FileNet and AWARE, ND integration do not work together.
• Keep scanning the market for a business services solution.

Statewide Independent Living Council - Robyn Soiseth

The last meeting was in February. The SILC just finished up the Triennial Needs Assessment as they start the work on the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). The next meeting will be May 7-8 in Grand Forks.

Client Assistance Program (CAP) Report – Micah Olson

Protection and Advocacy continue to reach out through information and referrals by disseminating CAP brochures, trainings, and outreach activities.

• Thirty-six (36) trainings to 1,462 people.
  • Trainings were for employment, legislative, Olmstead, and Protection and Advocacy services training.
• Ninety (90) outreach activities.
• There were 2,342 materials distributed.

Individuals that were served through CAP:

• Conflict about services to be provided – 11
• Communication problems between the client and the VR counselor – five (5)
• Related to VR application or eligibility process – seven (7)
• Related to the IPE (development or implementation) – two (2)
• Related to independent living services – one (1)

There are several resources available on the CAP website at www.ndpanda.org including videos.

CAP rarely has cases that go to higher levels due to the collaborative nature between VR, Centers for Independent Living, and Protection and Advocacy.

Election of Officers

Discussion was held on election of the new Chair. Trevor stated he would be willing to do the Chair position for the year. Trevor Vannett accepted the nomination for Chair.

A motion was made by Mistie Clementich for Trevor Vannett to be the SRC Chair and Robyn Soiseth seconded the motion. The motion was passed by all members. Motion carried.

Discussion was held on election of the new Vice Chair. Chaz Brobst accepted the nomination for Vice-Chair.

A motion was made by Josh Villbandt for Chaz Brobst to be the SRC Vice Chair and Amy Bergan seconded the motion. The motion was passed by all members. Motion carried.

RSI Benefits Planning – Amy Bergan

Amy went over eligibility, income rules, assets and resources, monthly payments, health insurance, and family benefits for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). She also talked about the work incentives for SSI and SSDI.

Committee Breakout Session

Committee Reports

Membership and Public Relations Committee 

Micah Olson was appointed to the council in place of Angie Dubovoy. Our current disability rate is 60%. 

Planning and Evaluation Committee

Went over and discussed the Confidentiality and Data Breach Administrative Policy.

Robyn Soiseth made a motion to approve the Confidentiality and Data Breach Administrative Policy as presented and Josh Villbrandt seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.

Resource Committee

No report.

Public Comment

No comment.

Josh Villbrandt made a motion to adjourn, and Amy Bergan seconded. Meeting adjourned at 4:05 p.m. Motion carried.

Roll Call

Members Present

Bruce Klootwyk, Josh Villibrant, Robyn Soiseth, Kaycee Johnson, Chaz Brobst, Jacey Enget, Gillian Plenty Chief, Trampes Brown, Lea Kugel, Darrel Hannum, Trevor Vannett

Members Absent

Mercedes Drechsel, Mistie Clementich, Landis Larson

Others Present

Aimee Volk, Robyn Throlson, Cheryl Anderson, Micah Olson

Call to Order

Jacey Enget called the meeting to order at 12:04 pm. There was a quorum present.

January Agenda Approval

A motion to amend the January 2026 agenda was made by Jacey Enget as the HIT, Inc. Presentation was cancelled. Robyn Soiseth made a motion to accept the amended agenda and seconded Chaz Brobst the motion. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.

July Minutes Approval

A motion to approve the July 2025 minutes as presented was made by Chaz Brobst and seconded by Robyn Soiseth. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.

Reschedule October 2025 Meeting

Discussion was held and a special meeting will be needed to discuss the state plan in February. Robyn made a motion to schedule a special meeting for February 11, 2026, at 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. and Lea Kugel seconded the motion. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region I (Williston) Update – Aimee Easton

Coverage Area

• Serves three counties: Divide, McKenzie, and Williams.

Staffing – fully staffed

•  1 Regional Administrator
• 1 Support Staff
• 3 Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselors  
  • A new VR Counselor was just hired.
  • 1 VR Intern that started on August 25, 2025.
  • They have downsized their office space and are currently working hybrid. 

They are currently serving 186 people. They are serving all but one high school in their region. Most schools have a Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) lab or a Project Discovery. 

They will have one of their VR counselors covering McKenzie County as they are growing. They serve Providence House in Arnegard as that referral source is strong.

• 186 clients on caseload
• 37 applicants since Oct. 1, 2025.
• 12 closures since Oct. 1, 2025. 
• Receive about four to six (4-6) referrals per week.
• Completing about two to three (2-3) applications per week.
• Goal is to have about 75 clients per VR counselor.
• Outreach about 3 days per week.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region I (Minot) Update – Tanya Ide

Staffing

• 11 staff are in Minot. They are fully staffed at this time.
  • Six (6) counselors, one vision rehabilitation specialist, one rehab technician, one business service specialist, one support staff, and one RA.
  • Two (2) counselors are senior counselors and one (1) is a Qualified Rehab Professional (QRP).
  • Two (2) counselors doing the master’s program in Rehab Counseling.
  • The rehab technician finished a bachelor’s degree and can assist with more assessments. 

Goals (25% of the way through FFY 2026)

Applicants

• 2026 - 53 of 300 (18%)
• 2025 - 264 of 300 (88%)

VR Plans and Services

• 2026 - 48 of 250 (19%)
• 2025 - 224 of 250 (90%)

Employed

• 2026 - 29 of 110 (26%)
• 2025 - 77 of 110 (70%)

Business Services

• 2026 -152 of 625 (24%)
• 2025 - 630 of 625 (101%)
• 2026 - 35 of the 127 State total
• 2025 - 204 of the 525 State total

Average Days in Status

• Application Status
  • 2026- Goal of 25 days or less – Currently at nine (9) days.
  • 2025- Goal of 25 days or less – 10 days.
• Eligible Status
  • 2026 - Goal of 48 days or less – Currently at 34 days.
  • 2025 - Goal of 48 days or less – 39 days.
• Transition Services
  • In the summer, caseload assignments were changed.  Two (2) counselors do transition outreach to other communities, one (1) counselor covers the Minot Public Schools, and one (1) counselor covers school close to Minot.
  • 1,008.25 hours of 3100 (33%) since October 1, 2025.
  • Serving 34 high schools, Minot Adult Learning Center, and Job Corps.
  • Two (2) counselors created a curriculum for four years of transition services, training to staff, and a toolkit for transition services.
• Vision Services
  • FFY 2026 – At 26% of goal of new Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) applications (13/50).
  • FFY 2025 – Met 118% of new OIB applications (59 of 50). 
• Partnerships/Providers
  • They maintain regular communication with Protection and Advocacy and Job Service.
  • They attend quarterly Community Connection Hour at Minot Adult Learning Center.
  • The business service specialist is a member of the local human resources (HR) chapter and chamber ambassadors, making great business partnerships and community connections.
  • Other staff are involved with Magic City Lions, Rotary, Sertoma, and Minot Optimist Club.
  • Chamber business after hours networking, ribbon cuttings, and the showcase of business.
  • Vision services booth at the ND State Fair and Veterans events.
• Areas of Focus
  • Completed uploading case file documents to Filenet in an effort to move toward paperless case management system.
  • Continued engagement with clients to ensure movement toward Employment Plans and eligibilities.
  • Changed to specializing areas of service to reduce the number of outreach counselors, hoping to help with the vehicle situation and caseload management. Areas of specialization are transition, provider services, and justice involved/behavioral health.

Tribal Updates – Standing Rock VR Project – Ben Wolf Necklace

Currently they have 38 consumers they are working with. They have partnered with state agencies to help serve their consumers. They work with individuals from North Dakota and South Dakota as the Standing Rock tribal lands span both states. They are able to utilize tribal resources that benefit their consumers which have been beneficial.

VR Interim Director Update – Darrel Hannum

Importance of Attendance and Federal Requirements

• The State Rehabilitation Council is federally required to meet four times per year.
• In order for our meetings to officially count, we must have a quorum.
• When you agreed to serve on the SRC, you committed to supporting the advisory board’s work – attendance is part of that commitment and is outlined in our Bylaws.
• Your attendance ensures that we can move forward with decisions, meet federal expectations, and continue the great work we do for North Dakotans with disabilities.

Reimbursement Updates

• A recent change requires that all members complete a W-9 or a Substitute W-9 (for direct deposit) before any reimbursement can be issued.
• If you need the form, reach out to Aimee.
• If you are traveling to attend SRC meetings and need a hotel room, please notify Aimee in advance so arrangements can be made (at least one week in advance).
• We will review the Bylaws and make recommendations for this update by the next meeting.

Statement of Interest Updates

• During the 2025 Legislative Session there was new guidance under North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 16.1-09-02, SRC members must complete a Statement of Interest annually (Jan. 1-31) versus when you are appointed.
• Please submit as soon as possible. If you need assistance contact Aimee.

Annual Report Submission

• The SRC Annual Report was submitted.

Other

• Darrel started on Oct. 27th as the VR director. 
• Cheryl Anderson is now the VR Assistant Director. They will be visiting all of the VR offices and having conversations with staff. They are working on reengaging businesses, agencies, and partners to benefit clients.
• They are reviewing all of the policies and procedures to ensure they align with the mission and vision of VR.
• They are working on additional training opportunities, especially for students and career pathways and hands-on opportunities.

FFY 2025 VR Data (Oct. 1, 2024 - Sept. 30, 2025) – Robyn Throlson

• Transition services (the numbers are not applied to VR as are potentially eligible)
  • 2,470 students were served.
  • 182 schools received services.
    • Core services that schools provide:
      • Job exploration
      • Work-based learning experiences
      • Instruction on self-advocacy
      • Counseling for post-secondary education
      • Workplace readiness training
    • VR Employment Services
      • 2,256 applicants (starting to see increases in these numbers)
        • 1,165 plans to work with clients.
        • 5,151 individuals worked with VR.
        • 724 clients were successfully employed.
        • 23% of the clients had a physical disability followed closely at 21% that had mental illness.
        • $15.3 million
          • Return on Investment - $9.50 pays back $1.92 in taxes.

Statewide Independent Living Council - Robyn Soiseth

The last meeting was in November. Senator Tim Mathern presented on the Special Session that will be around the Rural Transition Plan. They also had a presentation on the overview of the Statewide Independent Living Council. The Internal Affairs Committee completed and distributed a new SILC brochure to promote the council. The next meeting will be in February in Bismarck.

Committee Breakout Session

Committee Reports

Membership and Public Relations Committee

Angie Dubovoy resigned as the Client Assistance Program representative. Micah Olson has applied for the position. Our current disability rate is 60%. Looking at ways to get more tribal engagement. For the Bylaws, have Darrel part of the next meeting to review Bylaws.

Planning and Evaluation Committee

Client Authorized Purchases Operational Policy and have a proposed update:

• Stressed the importance of prior-approval and limited back-dating authorizations.
• Clarified the use of comparable benefits.
• Updated the language for the bid process for Level 1 purchases.
• Updated the dollar amounts for the subsequent levels.
• Amended the flow chart to reflect the changes.

Trevor Vannett made a motion to approve the proposed changes to the Client Authorized Purchases Operational Policy and Chaz Brobst seconded the motion. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Motion carried. 

They discussed the upcoming State Plan and amendments. They went over the ND State Satisfaction Survey results for one year.

Resource Committee

Discussed parking fees and discussed revisiting this topic. A Needs Assessment that was completed by VR staff, identified training topics were counseling skills, substance abuse, workplace wellness, etc. Training is given through Cyber Chats, Annual Training, etc. There is a toolkit that is being developed for transition students. Qualified Rehab Professionals (QRP) and how they are being evaluated and having identified mentors for counselors.

Public Comment

No comment.

Robyn Soiseth made a motion to adjourn, and Josh Villbrandt seconded. Meeting adjourned at 4:08 p.m. Motion carried.

Roll Call

Members Present

Amy Bergan, Chaz Brobst, Trampes Brown, Mercedes Drechsel, Angie Dubovoy, Jacey Enget, Jim Fleming, Kaycee, Johnson, Lea Kugel, Robyn Soiseth, Trevor Vannett, Josh Villbrant

Members Absent

Misty Boully-Clementich, Gillian Plenty Chief, Landis Larson

Others Present

Aimee Volk, Alicia Halle, Cheryl Anderson, Barb Burghart, Robyn Throlson, Ben Wolf Necklace, Stephanie Bouche, Devyn Halvorson, Curt Markel, David Kvasager, Cathy Quintane

Call to Order

Jacey Enget called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm. There was a quorum present.

July Agenda Approval

A motion to accept the July agenda was made by Chaz Brobst and seconded by Lea Kugel. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.

January Minutes Approval

A motion to approve the January 2025 minutes as presented was made by Chaz Brobst and seconded by Trevor Vannett. The motion passed by unanimous decision. Motion carried.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region 4 (Grand Forks) Update – David Kvasager

The Grand Forks office is co-located with Job Service within the Job Service building.

Coverage Area

• VR Counties: Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina, and Walsh counties.
• Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) Counties: Covers the above four counties plus Traill,Griggs, and Steele.

Staffing

• There are 12 total staff in Grand Forks.
  • 1 Regional Administrator (RA)
  • 6.5 Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRCs)
  • 0.5 Assessment Specialist
  • 2 Support Staff
  • 1 Business Service Specialist
  • 1 Vision Rehabilitation Specialist (VRS)

Performance Data (Reporting Period: October 1, 2024 – July 8, 2025)

• Applications: 304 out of 390 (78%)
• VR Plans: 244 out of 320 (76%)
• Successful Closures: 104 out of 130 (80%)
• Individuals Employed: 47
• OIB Performance: 43 out of 48 (90%); the VRS has logged 7,164 miles—second highestamong all VRS staff.
• Current Open Cases: 638
• Average Caseload per Counselor: 98 (with four VR Counselors managing over 100 cases).

Staff Stability

• A new Vision Rehabilitation Specialist began in November. Aside from this, the office has had no turnover in the past three and a half years.

Case Movement Timelines

• Application to Eligibility: 13 days
• Eligibility to Plan Development: 41 days

Services to Students with Disabilities (SWD)

• Nineteen high schools are served across the four core counties.
• The Alternative Transition Program (ATP) provides Pre-ETS services through a contract.
• One VRC covers 13 additional high schools, primarily in remote northern areas.
• Teacher contracts are in place to provide job coaching for summer work experiences.

Community Partnerships

• Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs): DHI Success Unlimited, All Embracing Home Care, Red River Stepping Stones, Anne Carlsen Center, and Community Options.
• Other Collaborations: Job Service, UND, Northland Community and Technical College (NCTC), Northeast Human Service Center (NEHSC), Centre Inc., and services for justice-involved individuals.

Recognition

• At the October VR Conference, the Grand Forks office received the "Swift Response" team award and the overall "Team Achievement" award.
• Additionally, a Grand Forks staff member was honored with the "Counselor Achievement" award.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region 5 (Fargo) Update - Curt Markel

The Fargo office is a freestanding office and not co-located with other agencies.

Performance Data (Reporting Period: October 1, 2024 - July 8, 2025)

• Applications: 399 out of 525 (76%)
• VR Plans: 303 out of 400 (76%)
• Successful Closures: 134 out of 195 (69%)
• OIB Applications: 52 out of 65 (80%)
• Average Caseload per Counselor: 79

Transition Services 

• Thirty-Five (35) secondary education programs, including two transition programs (InVest and Transition Academy).
• There are two proposals for Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to develop and expand employment skills and opportunities for youth in high school.

Business Climate

• In Fargo, 2.3% in healthcare, technology, and agriculture.
• In Wahpeton, 2.4% in educational services, healthcare, and construction.
• Successful closure in all industries, including cooks, cleaners, truck drivers, nursing, certified nursing assistants, dietary aid, psych technicians, elementary education, speech pathology, IT, engineering, accounting, etc.
• Good working relationship with community partners.

Challenges

• Waitlist for services.
• Housing for justice involved.
• Community Rehabilitation Professionals (CRP) waitlists, as it is difficult for them to serve areas outside of Fargo.
• Serving more participants with the same number of staff and funding.

Successes

• The Fargo office is fully staffed as of June 16, 2025.
• They had one counselor pass the CRC exam in January.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region 8 (Dickinson) Update - Catherine Quintane

The Dickinson office is a freestanding office and not attached to other agencies.

Coverage Area

• Serves eight counties in western ND.

Staffing

Dickinson is currently fully staffed.

• There are 5.5 total staff.
  • 1 Regional Administrator
  • 2 VR Counselors
  • 1 Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
  • .5 Business Service Specialist

Office

The office runs on a hybrid model and is pre-approved when staff work from home. They offer appointments in-person, over the phone, or through Teams in an effort to meet participants where they are.

Performance Data (Reporting Period: October 1, 2024 - July 8, 2025)

• Applicants: 12
• Successful Closures: 29

Challenges

• There is only one Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP) in the region and they only provide services in Dickinson.
• There are no schools that have a contract to provide VR transition services.

Successes

• Have a monthly collaboration with Developmental Disabilities (DD).
• Strong relationships with local employers.

VR Interim Director Update - Jim Fleming

He has been the interim director for one year. The revised target for getting a VR director is October 1, 2025. Turnover has created some challenges within VR. We are working on centralizing services statewide.

With the legislative session, VR's budget was largely left intact; however, we are still looking for savings. The VR budget is in the Department of Education budget plan. VR is 78% federally funded and 22% state funded.

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) has a provision for getting paid minimum wage, which has made it hard to recruit participants. During the legislative session, HB 1066 was enacted that adopted a compensation rate for SCSEP of $12.00 per hour, instead of the federal minimum wage.

Jim stated that he will look at the Bylaws by the next meeting.

Statewide Independent Living Council - Robyn Soiseth

The last meeting was in May. Scott Burlingame presented a history of Independent Living and updates on the prospective budget. A presenter came and talked about Community Awareness and what has been successful for them. Currently, the council is full, and there are three new members.

Tribal Update - Ben Wolf Necklace - Standing Rock Vocational Rehabilitation

Ben has been with VR since 2012 and has been the director since 2018. They have 38 consumers they are serving. They are funded through 2029. The challenges have been with turnover, and as of yesterday they are fully staffed. They have a staff of four members. They have offices in Standing Rock, ND, and McLaughlin, SD. They were able to purchase a new work vehicle. They have not had a lot of face-to-face time with partners.

Client Assistance Program (CAP) - Angie Dubovoy

They provided information and referral services. They completed 52 trainings last year that reached 875 people. They participated in 22 vending booths. 14 people viewed the CAP video on the CAP website.

The main areas of conflict were services received, VR process, communication, employment plan, independent living services, etc.

National SRC Update - Chaz Brobst

She attended a session on relationships between VR, DD Council, and the SRC. There were a couple of sessions on what the SRC is. She got a couple of books. Discussion was held on the books and if they would be helpful for the SRC. The SRC liaison and the Membership Committee will look into this prior to the next meeting.

Election for Chair and Chair Elect

Jacey Enget called for nominations for Chair. Chaz nominated Jacey. No other nominations were made. Jacey accessed the nomination.

Action: Chaz Brobst made a motion to nominate Jacey Enget for Chair, Trevor Vannett seconded the motion. All voting members present were in favor. No one opposed. Motion carried.

Jacey called for nominations for the Chair Elect. Chaz Brobst was nominated and Chaz nominated Trevor Vannett. No other nominations were made. Chaz declined the nomination. Trevor Vannett accepted the nomination.

Action: Chaz Brobst made a motion for Trevor Vannett as Chair Elect and Angie Dubovoy seconded the motion. All voting members present were in favor. No one opposed. Motion carried.

2026 SRC Meeting Dates

A discussion was held on the meeting dates and times. It was discussed to lengthen the meetings by one hour and start at noon.

Action: Trevor Vannett made a motion to have the meetings on January 13, 2026, April 14, 2026, July 14, 2026, and October 13, 2026, from noon till 4:00 p.m. CT, Angie Dubovoy seconded the motion. No one opposed. Motion carried.

Committee Reports

Membership and Public Relations Committee

There are three new members, and we need one Business and Industry representative. The current disability of the board is 47%. We discussed how to get SRC members for the Business and Industry representative. We are going to look at the information from the National Center for SRC.

Planning and Evaluation Committee

Angie Dubovoy gave an update on the Conflict-of-Interest operational policy. There will be an ethics policy link added, filing will only be for those who need to know, and considerations for a counselor if they are out of the office. The committee agreed with the recommendations and had no changes.

Action: Chaz Brobst made a motion to approve the Conflict-of-Interest operational policy as presented, and Trevor Vannett seconded the motion. Robyn Soiseth asked for it to be read during the discussion. All council members were in favor of the change. The Council supported the change in the Conflict-of-Interest operational policy. No opposition. Motion passed.

They went over survey results and in the past, they used Market Solutions, and now they are using Market Research and getting more surveys back. They want to have more contact with the client and counselor. 89% of those surveyed said they had no problems with VR services.

Resource Committee

Cheryl Anderson gave an update since they were all new to the committee she reviewed the roles. VR training is done on multiple levels through an annual needs assessment, case reviews, staff members, monthly cyberchat meetings, specialized training, new staff go through new staff training, contract with a learning management services (Yes/LMS), VR annual conference, etc.

They review the progress towards meeting the Qualified Rehab Professionals (QRP) standards. In 2022, the criteria changed for counselors that needed a master’s degree to a bachelor's degree. To ensure VR is providing quality services they developed an outline for training. They are working on developing a mentorship program with four senior counselors to ensure they are providing consistent training for new staff.

Public Comment

No comment.

Trevor Vannett made a motion to adjourn, and Lea Kugel seconded. Meeting adjourned at 4:19 p.m. Motion carried.

Roll Call

Members Present

Terry Peterson, Mercedes Drechsel, Jacey Enget, Jim Flemming, Misty Boully, Trampes Brown, Lea Kugel, Amy Arenz, Angie Dubovoy, Josh Villbrandt, Robyn Soiseth, Chaz Brobst

Others Present

Alicia Halle, Cheryl Anderson, Barb Burghart, Robyn Throlson

Members Absent

Shannon Cook, Landis Larson, Renee Wetzsteon, Gillian Plenty Chief

Call to Order

Amy Arenz called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm. There was a quorum.

January Agenda

A motion to accept the January agenda was made by Lea Kugel and seconded by Jacey Enget. Motion carried.

Approval of October Meeting Minutes

A motion to approve the October 2024 minutes was made by Angie Dubovoy and seconded by Josh Villbrandt. Motion carried.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Region 2 (Minot) Update - Tanya Ide

Goals (25% through the year)

Applicants

• 2025 - 78 of 300 (26%)
• 2024 - 296 of 300 (99%)

VR Plans and Services

• 2025 - 50 of 250 (20%)
• 2024 - 238 of 250 (95%)

Employed

• 2025 - 28 of 110 (25%)
• 2024 - 116 of 115 (101%)

Business Services

• 2025 -140 of 625 (22%)
• 2024 - 652 of 625 (104%)

Transition Services

• Serving 33 High Schools, Minot Adult Learning Center, and Job Corps.

VR Interim Director Update - Jim Fleming

Training was given from Child Support to Vocational Rehabilitation staff to better integrate the process for suspended drivers' licenses for nonpayment of child support.

The Legislature has convened. A change of Governors makes program budgets more complicated.

The VR Interim Director, Jim Fleming, will present testimony for VR in early February. He will be presenting on HB1012, which includes the VR budget and HB 1066, which relates to the minimum wage paid by the Department of Health and Human Services under the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is under VR.

The federal government is being funded by a continuing resolution – no new money, including no inflationary adjustments to the VR grant.

The budget assumes a three percent increase in federal grant dollars and the corresponding increase in state funds to draw down the full grant.

Compression of program funding creates a heightened need for savings in all aspects of program operations. Exploration of outside revenue or additional reimbursements and the possibility for remote staff in Region 3 (Devils Lake).

Appeals Report - Robyn Throlson

VR is waiting on one report from the Supreme Court. The time to get that back is unknown at this time.

Statewide Independent Living Council - Robyn Soiseth

No report.

Tribal Update

No report.

National SRC update

Tabled.

Bylaws - Amy Arenz

Discussion on potential changes to the bylaws. Changes will be presented at the next meeting.

Elections

Amy Arenz called for nominations for Chair. Lea Kugel nominated Amy Arenz. No other nominations were made. All voting members present were in favor. No one opposed.

Amy called for nominations for the Chair Elect. Chaz Brobst nominated Jacey Enget. No other nominations were made. All voting members present were in favor. No one opposed.

October 2025 Meeting

Rescheduled to Oct 21.

Planning and Evaluation Committee

Robyn Throlson gave a report on the Client Purchase Policy and the Maintenance Transportation Vehicle Repair Policy. Other committees tabled with Chair approval.

Action: The Council supported the change in the Client Purchase Policy and the Maintenance Transportation Vehicle Repair Policy.

Public Comment

No one present.

Jacey Enget made a motion to adjourn, and Angie Dubovoy seconded. Meeting adjourned at 2:53 pm. Motion carried.

Roll Call

Members Present

Mercedes Drechsel, Jacey Enget, Renee Wetzsteon, Misty Boully, Lea Kugel, Amy Arenz Angie Dubovoy, Chaz Brobst.

Members Absent

Trampes Brown, Shannon Cook, Terry Peterson, Russ Cusack, Landis Larson

Others Present

Trampes Brown, Shannon Cook, Terry Peterson, Russ Cusack, Landis Larson

Call to Order

Amy Arenz called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm. There was a quorum.

Approval of July Agenda

A motion to amend the agenda to add Jennifer Moldenhauer and Cathy Quintane as VR presenters, was accepted. Motion to accept was made by Renee Wetzsteon and seconded by Jacey Enget. Motion carried.

Approval of April Minutes

A motion to approve the April 2024 minutes was made by Lea Kugel and seconded by Chaz Brobst. Motion carried.

VR Region 6 (Jamestown) Update

The region covers Wells, Foster, Griggs, Stutsman Barnes, Logan Lamoure McIntosh, and Dickey counties. There are eight (8) employees in the region.

Growth in partnership with Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Health. Monthly meetings with Developmental Disabilities staff. Behavioral Health invited VR to their staff meetings for the purpose of increasing successful employment outcomes for mutual clients.

Region serves 24 secondary ed, three (3) vocational centers, two (2) adult ed, and three (3) universities. Strong relationship with schools.

Challenges to employment are access to affordable housing, transportation, and childcare.

Last year met and exceeded goals. Have achieved 86% of goals with 154 of 176 application. 77% of successful closures with 58 of 74. Average eligibility time is 19 days. Average 44 days to plan.

VR Region 8 (Dickinson) Update

• Serves 8 counties.
• One counselor resigned. An intern stayed on to fill that position.
• Vision Specialist has resigned.
• Hybrid office – staff work from home and the office.
• They can offer virtual visits to clients.
• Average 14 days to eligibility.
• Staff meet with clients on a biweekly basis to increase engagement.
• Has a Pre-ETS contract with Dickinson High School
• Working to improve referrals for transition students.
• They are at 98% for applications.
• 79% for the year on successful employment closures.
• New partnership with Heartview.

Meeting Dates 2025

Discussion to keep the SRC meetings on the second Tuesday of each quarter (January, April, July, and October) from 1-4.

Action: A motion to approve the 2025 meeting dates, January 14, April 8, July 8, and October 14, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm was made by Renee Wetzsteon and seconded by Angie Dubovoy. Motion carried.

VR Assistant Director Update

• Introduction of the Interim Director-Jim Flemming
• Increase in Successful Closures – the highest recently by 30%.
• Increase in cases served.
• Served more people than in entire FFY 22-23 or prior years. 36% increase from highest recent years.
• Completed New Provider Onboarding Packet – shared with providers and have received positive feedback.
• State Plan has been submitted and approved.
• Priorities framework for the Disability Employment Learning Collaborative has been submitted to NGA.
• Plan on working with WDC for Accommodations Fund and for establishing a Disability Council.
• Implemented Drive notes- a way of formatting the counselor’s documentation.
• Alicia Halle invited Mercedes Drechsel to present about her attendance at the national SRC and CSAVR.
• Opportunity for an SRC member to attend the National Coalition of State Rehab Councils this fall.

Tribal Updates

None.

Committee Reports

Membership - Trampes Brown

Need a SILC rep and business representative. Renee Wetzsteon and Jacey Enget will contact a few businesses. Trevor Vannett has applied to come back to the Council.

Planning and Evaluation Committee - Terry Peterson

Reviewed Strategic Plan Data for the quarter. Reviewed results from the latest Satisfaction Survey Market Decisions Marketing was awarded the contract for the Survey. New contract starting and staff will review survey questions for possible revisions.

Resource Committee - Landis Larson

Not receiving the appropriate amount of funds for the parking fees. VR is working with legal to rectify this.

Public Comment 

None.

Adjournment

At 4:02 a motion was made by Jacey Enget to adjourn the meeting and Misty Boully seconded.

Roll Call

Members Present

Russ Cusack, Renee Wetzsteon, Misty Boully, Amy Arenz, Angie Dubovoy, Trampes Brown, Gillian Plenty Chief, Damian Schlinger, Shannon Cook

Members Absent

Landis Larson, Terry Peterson, Jacey Enget, Kevin Phelps, Lea Kugel, Chaz Brobst, Mercedes Dreschel

Others Present

Robyn Throlson, Trevor Vannett

Call to Order

Amy Arenz called the meeting to order at 1:03 p.m. There was a quorum.

Approval of April Agenda

A motion to accept the agenda was made by Renee Wetzsteon and seconded by Gillian Plenty Chief. Motion carried.

Approval of January Meeting Minutes

A motion to approve the January 2024 minutes was made by Russ Cusack and seconded by Renee Wetzsteon. Motion carried.

Standing Rock High School Presentation - Collette Fleck

Collette Fleck with Standing Rock presented on a variety of topics related to transition activities at Standing Rock High School. Her power point is available by request from SRC liaison.

Client Assistance Program Report - Angie Dubovoy

Protection and Advocacy continues to reach out through information and referrals, disseminating Client Assistance Program (CAP) brochures, Trainings and Outreach activities. They have information and resources on their website. CAP and Vocational Rehabilitation rarely have cases that go to higher levels due to the collaborative nature between VR, Independent Living Centers, and Protection and Advocacy.

Committees - Amy Arenz

Reviewed committee membership and recommended changes from Robyn Throlson, Cheryl Anderson, Barb Burghart, and Amy Arenz, who worked on combining the Employment Committee duties into the other three committees. All but one of the Employment committee duties was dissolved. The one employment committee duty remaining was the Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) grant (parking fees) and was placed with the Resource Committee. There will be one new committee and that is the Executive Committee. The duties of that committee were reviewed. The Executive Committee will meet as needed. Re-assigned committee members. 

Action: Shannon Cook made a motion to dissolve the Employment Committee and transfer the CIE grant duties to the Resource Committee. Renee Wetzsteon seconded. Motion carried.

Action: Russ Cusack made a motion to begin a new executive committee. Trampes Brown seconded. Motion carried.

Bylaws - Amy Arenz

Action: Russ motioned to remove NDACP as a required council member in the bylaws and change the language in the bylaws from “The Chair shall be elected annually and may serve up to three consecutive or non-consecutive terms” to “The Chair shall be elected annually and may serve up to two consecutive or non-consecutive terms.” Gillian Plenty Chief seconded. Motion carried.

VR Director Update - Damian Schlinger

Discussion around outreach to help ease fears of people who work or are seeking work and receive Social Security Income and Social Security Disability Income and how work may or may not impact benefits. Discussion around Rehab Services Inc. (RSI) benefits planning as a beneficial resource.

Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) - Russ Cusack

State plan is out for public comment. Russ Cusack's term as SILC representative will be ending this month so this will be the last SRC meeting as the SILC liaison.

Tribal Updates - Gillian Plenty Chief

Gillian is the new American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation representative (AIVR). Has been on the counsel before. Standing Rock AIVR just resubmitted their grant-waiting to hear.

Membership and Public Relations Committee - Renee Wetzsteon

None.

Planning and Evaluation Committee

Reviewed and analyzed quarterly data as well as the most recent results from the most recent Satisfaction Survey-no recommendations. Contract for satisfaction survey is nearing end and a new request for proposal (RFP) has been issued. State plan is still in Federal Review.

Resource Committee

None.

Public Comment

No one was present for public comment.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:00 pm. The persons who motioned and seconded to adjourn is not available and thus not recorded.

To apply for the SRC or for a list of members, visit the North Dakota Boards and Commissions website.