North Carolina was chosen as a targeted community through the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center: Targeted Communities (VR-TAC-TC) or Project E3. Project E3 partnered with State VR Agencies and local community partners to improve outreach and employment-related services to underserved people with disabilities in this community.

Shortcut Links

Targeted Communities
Key Information
Underserved Populations
Primary Challenges
Strategies to Address Barriers
Project Outcomes

map of north carolina North Carolina boasts scenic beauty, a moderate climate, a culture rich in history and the arts, and world-class sports and recreational opportunities. With 300 miles of Atlantic coastline and the highest mountain peaks east of the Rockies, it is the 6^th most-visited state in the nation.

North Carolina has the 9^th largest economy in the United States. It is the United States’ top producer of sweet potatoes and the 2^nd largest producer of Christmas trees.

There has been a clear division in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas since 2000. Urban areas show steady job growth, low unemployment, and rising wages, while many rural counties have experienced job loss, rising levels of poverty, and population loss as their manufacturing base has declined.

Predicted employment growth areas include health and medical services, professional services, wholesale/retail trade, and construction-related industries. Construction is projected to be one of the fastest growing industries in the state, and healthcare support occupations and healthcare practitioners are projected to be the two fastest growing occupational groups.

Targeted Communities

The state-federal vocational rehabilitation system in North Carolina faced many challenges as it strove to serve people with significant disabilities and promote competitive integrated employment. Project E3 provided intensive technical assistance to two regions of the state:

Region 1: West Mountain Region (Allegheny, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties)
Region 2: East Counties (Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, and Northampton Counties)

This map shows the Geographic Regions where Project E3 will provide technical assistance.

Key Information:

Participation in Snap

west mountain region

Region 1

east counties region

Region 2

Statewide average = 14.6%

Poverty Rate

Boone (Wautaga County)

Region 1

North Wilkesboro (Wilkes County)

Region 1

Statewide average = 17.2%

Unemployment

Boone (Wautaga County)

Region 1

North Wilkesboro (Wilkes County)

Region 1

Statewide average = 4.3%

Targeted Populations

Students or youth between the ages of 14-24, and
Adults between the ages of 25-64 who:
Are residents of economically disadvantaged rural and remote communities
Have a diagnosis of mental impairments (cognitive and/or psychosocial, emotional, or other) and those with blindness or low-vision
Have applied, are eligible for, and/or are receiving SSI benefits

These populations were characterized as:

Residents of rural and remote communities
Consumers receiving federal financial assistance (TANF)
SSI and SSDI recipients
Persons with multiple disabilities

Primary Challenges for Targeted Populations

Some of the challenges of this population in North Carolina included:

Lack of information in the community about disability and vocational rehabilitation resources.
Minimal opportunities for financial literacy and economic empowerment opportunities through vocational rehabilitation services.
Scarce information about employment and work incentives for youth with disabilities.
Lack of cross-agency training/coaching in the areas of generational poverty, financial empowerment, and self-advocacy.
Limited access to employment, training, and educational opportunities due to rural and remote locations.
Lack of transportation options.

Key Strategies to Address Barriers

Following are some of the key strategies developed and implemented to address the targeted populations' challenges and barriers to employment.

Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR): To understand a community’s issues and concerns, one needs data and information both supplied by common data sources and interpreted by the community to better understand their issues and possible solutions to those issues. CBPR’s methodology is predicated on deep and extensive community involvement in the identification of issues and concerns and in the resolution of those issues and concerns.

North Carolina Project E3: Poverty, Disability, and CBPR

Trauma Informed Care: North Carolina identified this as a needed strategy for adding expertise to their counseling approaches. After receiving training, NC discussed ways to apply in their daily work (uses of ACES as an example) as well as sustain TIC going forward (e.g., part of new counselor training package and a checklist).

Financial Literacy Training: After receiving the “Your Money, Your Goals” training staff thought that the budgeting worksheets, SSI Benefits Estimator and ABLE accounts would be most beneficial. Materials were shared with local partners to spread the work about financial empowerment. Staff intended to use parts of the training in their daily work.

Presentation: Financial Empowerment

Motivational Interviewing: Provided introductory information about MI and found it improved the Client Counselor interactions and addressed client concerns. Considered providing more in-depth training to further embed MI principles in daily work.

Self-Employment: North Carolina garnered community support and resources with day long sessions “Resources For Entrepreneurs With Disabilities” in Boone and Rocky Mount. Sessions brought together bankers, community development corporations, Chambers of Commerce, etc. to describe their services and meet VR staff.

Job Exploration Counseling: Innovative Strategies for Job Placement – 20 for 20 in 2020 – North Carolina found innovative strategies for job placement in a presentation by Ashley Cross at the 2019 Leadership Academy. In addition to training provided by Ms. Cross, North Carolina tested and expanded a creative strategy “20 for 20 in 2020”. This strategy had counselors pick 20 cases from their current caseload that they would focus extra attention to gain employment in 2020.

Presentation: Creative Customer Service

North Carolina Overview PowerPoint Presentation

Download the North Carolina Overview Presentation (PowerPoint)

Project Outcomes

Project E3 provided North Carolina’s state Vocational Rehabilitation agencies and their partners with the skills and competencies needed to effectively and efficiently address barriers to competitive integrated employment and community integration encountered by persons with disabilities in these regions.

Our specific goals for this project were to:

We will leverage promising practices, knowledge, and experience gained from this project to expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities from underserved and economically disadvantaged populations throughout North Carolina and across the United States.

Strategically reach out to 10% of the eligible populations.
Increase by 10% the number and percentage of low-income individuals in the targeted populations applying for vocational rehabilitation services.
Increase by 10% the number and percentage of Individual Plans for Employment developed and implemented by participants each year.
Increase by 10% each year the number of participants who achieve their competitive, integrated employment goals. With youth and student participants, the employment outcome may represent a short-term outcome; not necessarily reflect case closure and full gain attainment.
Increase the number of students participating in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) pre-employment transition services. We estimate a 10% increase each year.
Increase the number of individuals successfully achieving measurable skills gains leading to a credential or employment. The goal metric will be determined in close consultation with North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation/Disability Services for the Blind.
Increase the number of individuals who successfully attain a credential. Increase the number of individuals successfully achieving measurable skills gains leading to a credential or employment. The goal metric will be determined in close consultation with North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation/Disability Services for the Blind.
Increase the number of participants earning above minimum wage as well as those having access to employer-sponsored benefits such as insurance, paid leave, etc. The goal metric will be determined in close consultation with North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation/Disability Services for the Blind.