UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES

REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, DC 20202

> INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
>
> RSA-IM-03-05
>
> DATE: November 13, 2002

ADDRESSEES: STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCIES (GENERAL)

> STATE VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AGENCIES (BLIND)
>
> STATE REHABILITATION COUNCILS
>
> CLIENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
>
> PROTECTION & ADVOCACY OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS PROGRAMS
>
> REGIONAL REHABILITATION CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
>
> AMERICAN INDIAN VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICE PROGRAMS
>
> CONSUMER ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS
>
> RSA SENIOR MANAGEMENT
>
> MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARMWORKERS PROGRAM
>
> NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR MIGRANT AND SEASONAL
>
> FARMWORKERS VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION (NAMSFVR)
>
> SUBJECT: Formation of the National Alliance for Migrant and Seasonal
> Farmworkers Vocational Rehabilitation (NAMSFVR)

CONTENT: The purpose of this Information Memorandum (IM) is to inform
you of the mission and goals of NAMSFVR.

> NAMSFVR is an organization of funded projects under the Rehabilitation
> Services Administration (RSA), Section 304 Migrant and Seasonal
> Farmworkers Program. The mission of NAMSFVR is "to enhance career,
> employment and other opportunities for migrant and/or seasonal
> farmworkers with disabilities and their families that will lead to
> self-sufficiency by promoting advocacy, collaboration, coordination,
> and sharing of knowledge and resources among individuals and other
> entities with similar goals."
>
> The purpose of NAMSFVR is to: advance, improve and educate present and
> future projects funded under the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers
> Program, as sell as help coordinate and facilitate vocational
> rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities and their
> families by providing a variety of services that may include but are
> not limited to the following:

1.  Provide a forum for Directors and Administrators of Migrant and/or
    Seasonal Farmworker rehabilitation projects and others and to study,
    deliberate, and act upon matters affecting rehabilitation of Migrant
    and/or Seasonal Farmworkers and their families, with the ultimate
    goal of expanding the quality of rehabilitation services to Migrant
    and/or Seasonal Farmworkers with disabilities and their families.

2.  Provide a resource for the formulation and expression of collective
    points of view from RSA Section 304 Project Directors,
    Administrators and others involved with Migrant and/or Seasonal
    Farmworker rehabilitation on varied issues affecting rehabilitation
    and its consequences throughout the United States and its
    territories and to disseminate these views to service providers,
    related facilities, companies, and other concerned citizens.

3.  Provide a basis for communication with related organizations and
    governmental bodies on matters related to rehabilitation service
    provisions, education and research.

4.  Conduct and/or support research demonstrations leading to an
    improvement of vocational rehabilitation services for Migrant and/or
    Seasonal Farmworkers with disabilities and their families.

5.  Promote and maintain service outcomes that develop a professional
    identify for practitioners, workers, or representatives in
    rehabilitation service provision, education, and administration to
    Migrant and/or Seasonal Farmworkers with disabilities and their
    families.

6.  Conduct and support efforts to increase the number of former and/or
    current Migrant and/or Seasonal Farmworkers involved in (and as
    practitioners of) vocational rehabilitation.

> NAMSFVR's membership is open to current and former projects funded
> under the Section 304 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program. In
> addition, membership in NAMSFVR is open to any institution or agency
> whose primary work involves vocational rehabilitation, rehabilitation
> education, rehabilitation research, the education of Migrant and/or
> Seasonal Farmworkers and/or their families, or any Migrant and/or
> Seasonal Farmworkers assistance organizations, consumer/consumer
> family, students, individuals, and associate.
>
> Further, NAMSFVR is a collaborative effort amongst RSA, the State
> vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, consumer groups, the Regional
> Rehabilitation Continuing Education Programs (RRCEP), and other
> stakeholders in the VR program. It is through the combined efforts of
> representatives from these groups that NAMSFVR members hope to
> strengthen services to migrant and/or seasonal farmworkers with
> disabilities and their families.
>
> We would greatly appreciate your support of NAMSFVR. The second annual
> meeting of NAMSFVR is planned for March 2003 in Washington, DC. We
> encourage you to attend. For your information, attached is a listing
> of NAMSFVR board members as well as the general membership. The
> NAMSFVR web address is: migrant_rehabilitation@eGroups.com.
>
> > If you have any questions regarding this IM, please contact Ms. Mary
> > Chambers at (202) 205-8435, or via email at Mary.Chambers@ed.gov.
>
> Joanne Wilson
>
> Commissioner

Attachment

> cc: Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
>
> National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems
>
> National Council on Independent Living
>
> National Organization of Rehabilitation Partners
>
> National Rehabilitation Facilities Coalition

**NAMSFVR Mailing Address:**

425 N. Columbia Cntr. Blvd. #G201

Kennewick, WA 99334

\(509\) 734-4680

Fax: (509) 734-4680

# NAMSFVR Broad Members:

Noemi Ortego

President, NAMSFVR,

Washington State Migrant Council

1-800-478-2219

E-mail: nortega@wsmconline.org

Arnold Cantu

Vice President, NAMSFVR

Idaho Department of Vocational Rehabilitation

\(208\) 334-3390

E-mail: acantu@idvr.state.id.us

Louis Marino

Treasurer, NAMSFVR

Center for Human Services

\(856\) 575-0857

E-mail: louisMarino97@cs.com

Grogan Ullah

Secretary, NAMSFVR

Center for Human Services

\(717\) 334-2221

E-mail: Gullah@urc-chs.com

Sophia Martinez

Past President, NAMSFVR

Lansing, Michigan

\(517\) 316-08516

E-mail: moredvr@aol.com

RSA's Representatives:

Richard Corbridge

Rehabilitation Services Administration

Region X

Seattle, Washington

\(206\) 220-7843

Mary E. Chambers

Rehabilitation Services Administration

Washington, D.C.

\(202\) 205-8435

**NAMSFVR General Membership by States**

**ARKANSAS**

Association of Rehab Industry and Business, Inc.

105 Reserve Street

Hot Springs, Arkansas 71902

Bing Bennett: Project Director, 501-624-4087

Fax: 501-623-4087

E-mail: arib@hsnp.com

# CALIFORNIA

## Central Valley Opportunity Center

1748 Miles Court

P.O. Box 2307

Merced, CA 95344

Ernie Flores: Executive Director

209-363-2770

Fax: 209-383-2859

E-Mail: efcvoc@aol.com

# COLORADO

State of Colorado

Department of Human Services

## Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

720 North Main, Suite 320.

Pueblo, CO 81003

Sam Medina: Project Director, 719-544-1406

Fax: 719-544-1634

E-mail: Sam.Medina@state.co.us

Jude Printz

Region VIII Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, CO 80639

E-mail: jprint@rrcep.unco.edu

\(970\) 351-1324

# 

# FLORIDA 

Florida Department of Education

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

2002 Old St. Augustine Road, Building A

Tallahassee, FL 32301-4862

### Marilyn Campbell: Project Director

### (850) 488-8380

Fax: (850) 921-7214

E-Mail: CampbeM@vr.doe.state.fl.us

**HAWAII**

## Hawaii State Dept. of Human Services

Vocational Rehabilitation & Services for Blind

601 Kamokila Blvd., Room #515

Kapolei, HI 96707

Neil Shim, Project Director

808-692-7719

Gayle Palumbo: Project Specialist

415-556-4071

Fax: 808-586-5377

E-mail: nshim@DHS.state.hi.us

# IDAHO 

## Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

650 W. State Street, Room 150

P.O. Box 8372

Boise, ID 83720-0096

Berry Thompson: Project Director

208-334-3390

Fax: 208-334-5305

E-mail: bthompson@idvr.state.id.us

# 

# ILLINOIS 

Illinois Office of Rehabilitation Services

Department of Human Services

100 W. Randolph, Suite 8-100

Chicago, IL 60601

Gerardo Jimenez: Project Director

312-814-4047

Fax: 312-814-2923

E-mail: jjgi4@aol.com

# KENTUCKY

## 

## Commonwealth of Kentucky

Department of Vocational Rehabilitation

209 St. Clair Street

Frankfort, KY 40601

Mindy Yates: Project Director

502-564-4440

Fax: 502-564-1268

E-mail: MindyL.Yates@mail.state.ky.us

**MARYLAND (2 projects: #1-serving Pennsylvania; and #2 serving New
Jersey)**

## Center for Human Services

7200 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 600

Bethesda, MD 20814

Grogan Ullah: Project Director (Pennsylvania)

301-941-8515 or 717-334-2221

E-mail: Gullah@urc-chs.com

Louis Marino: Project Director (New Jersey)

856-575-0857

Fax: 856-575-0845

E-mail: LouisMarino97@cs.com

Fax: 301-941-8427

# NEW MEXICO 

NM Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

435 D St. Michael\'s Drive

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Project Director, Veronica A. De Leon-Dowd

\(505\) 954-8589

\(505\) 954-9562 FAX

E-mail: vdeleon-dowd@state.nm.us

# NEW YORK

Rural Opportunities, Inc.

400 East Avenue

Rochester, NY 14607

Tammy Freeberg, Project Director

585-589-7027

Fax: 716-340-3337

E-Mail: tfreebergl@ruralinc.org

Mary Chambers, RSA Project Officer, 202-205-8435

# OHIO

Rural Opportunities, Inc.

2-453 Count Road V

Liberty Center, OH 43532

Michal Urrutia, Program Director

Phone: (419) 875-6654

Fax: (419) 875-4010

Cell: (419) 308-5920

E-mail:  Michal919@aol.com

# 

# OKLAHOMA

INTEGRIS Health, Inc.,

4219 South Western

Oklahoma City, OK 73109

Pamela G. Clark, Ph.D.

\(405\) 644-5343

Fax: (405) 644-5384

E-mail: clarpg@integris-health.com

# SOUTH DAKOTA

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

P.O. Box 218

Sturgis, SD

Bill Podhradsky, Program Director

605-347-4467

Fax: 605-347-5223

E-Mail: rmorris@bhssc.tie.net

# UTAH 

## Utah State Office of Rehabilitation

250 E. 500 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Hector Cando: Project Director

801-374-7724

E-mail: hcando@utah.gov

Fax: 260-205-8435

# WASHINGTON 

## 

## Washington State Migrant Council

105 B. South Sixth Street

## Sunnyside, WA 

Noemi Ortega: Project Director

509-837-5443

Fax: 509-837-8046

E-mail: nortega@wsmconline.org

John W. McClure

Training Specialist

Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation

Western Washington University

425-774-4446

Direct line: 425-771-7432

Toll free: 1-888-377-0100