Lumbee Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Presented by:

Celeste Hunt, MS

LT-VRS Director

North Carolina

Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina

57,200 Lumbee Indians reside in a four county area of NC.
Largest American Indian tribe east of the Mississippi River
The Lumbee tribe is a state recognized tribe seeking federal recognition

The Need

According to State Center for Health Statistics (SCHS) there is a 38.5% disability rate for the Lumbee tribe.
More than half of American Indians in NC are of the Lumbee tribe.
Lumbee Indians with disabilities have a minimal understanding of their impediments to employment.
Many Lumbee Indians with disabilities decline to seek help outside from established providers of counseling services due to fear and lack of trust. They needed a culturally sensitive VR program.

Population North Carolina Tribes

How It All Began…

June 11, 2007: Submitted the grant proposal to:
- Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S.
- Department of Education, Washington, DC.
July, 2007: Defended the Research Project:
- Committee Members: Dr. Kundu, Dr. Dutta, and Dr. Puckett
September 2007: Proposal Funded by RSA
- $2 million for five years
October 1, 2007: Program Director for the Lumbee Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Mission

The mission of the LTVR is to provide VR services in a culturally appropriate manner for Lumbee Indian consumers with disabilities, to identify the issues that American Indians who live in communities with cultural diversity face in working toward successful employment outcomes and to increase the knowledge or understanding of these rehabilitation problems through monthly collaboration meetings with community services.

Goal

The goal of the LTVR is to create and provide vocational rehabilitation services and promote successful employment for the members of the LTNC, consistent with individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, so that the consumers can prepare for, secure and retain gainful employment.

Lumbee Tribal Vocation Rehabilitation Services

Therefore, the motto of this program evolved into:

“Working to Improve the Quality of Life for Lumbee Indians with Disabilities”

The National Council of Disabilities estimated a 22% disability rate among American Indians
- 57,200 Lumbee Indians
- 12,584 with disabilities
Provide culturally sensitive services to Lumbee Indian with disabilities. Tribal members tend to decline to seek help from resources outside of its community due to fear and lack of trust.
Provide a safe environment for the individuals with disabilities to seek the required services.

The LTVR program will :

Establish accessible office, hire and train staff to successfully implement the VR program.
Increase tribal awareness of disability issues and VR services to improve community access and employment opportunities for VR consumers.
Provide culturally appropriate VR services to 235 eligible tribal members with disabilities on or near the tribal service area that will result in 156 successful employment outcomes over the life of the 5 year grant.
Evaluate program goals and objectives in order to ensure both
- the improvement of service provision as well as the
- attainment of consumer employment goals.

Objectives

Service Area

The tribal service area in North Carolina consist of four counties:
- Robeson
- Cumberland
- Hoke
- Scotland

Eligibility

Member of the Lumbee Tribe
Live in the four county tribal area:

2,310 square miles

Disabling condition or impediment to employment
A goal of seeking employment

Target Populations…

Disabilities can be seen or unseen. They can be physical, mental or emotional.
The illiteracy and low functional literacy rates have been a problem among the Lumbee Indians and leads to subsequent underemployment.
LTVR provide services to individuals with:
- Blindness and Visual Impairments
- Deafness and Hard of Hearing
- Respiratory issues such as Asthma
- Cardiac, CVA, and Circulatory issues
- Amputation, Arthritis, Rheumatism,
- Lupus, Burns, Back Pain, Obesity, and Cancer
- Mental and Emotional: Learning Disabilities and Depression
- Alcohol and Drug Dependency

Services Provided are:

Counseling and Guidance
Evaluation and Assessment
Vocational Training, technical assistance and/or transportation
Assistive Technology
Transition of students with disabilities
From high school to college or employment
Occupational licenses, tools, equipment and/or initial supplies
Job search, Job placements and follow-up

Collaborators…

North Carolina State VR Services
State Employment Commission
Private employment services and corporations
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Robeson Community College
One Stop Center
Mental Health Agency

LTVRS Staff

Program Director
Rehabilitation counselors (2)
Rehabilitation Technician
Administrative Assistant

Outcomes

Year 1: October 2007- September 2008

Goal was 15 activations with 5 successful outcomes

99 activations and 12 successful outcomes

Year 2: October 2008 - September 2009

Goal is 40 activations with 27 successful closures

110 activations with 15 successful closures

5 year goal is:

235 activations with 156 successful closures

Thank You!

Thank you to the TACE Center: Region IV

for this opportunity to present our Lumbee Tribe Culture in North Carolina and to share with you our efforts to provide effective and culturally-based vocational rehabilitation services to our consumers.

Tribal Head dress

Presenter’s Contacts

Celeste Hunt, MS

E-mail:chunt@lumbeetribe.com

TACE Center: Region IV

Toll-free: (866) 518-7750 [voice/tty]

Fax: (404) 541-9002

Web: TACEsoutheast.org

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

Email: tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu

Education Credits

Participants may be eligible for CEU and CRCC credits.

CEU Credit (.3)
- Participants MUST attend both sessions in this two part series: March 04 and March 18.
- For individual Session, CEU credit will not be issued.
- Site Coordinators must distribute the CEU form to participants seeking CEU credit on the day of the webinar.
CRCC Credit (1.5 per session)
- By March 20, 2009, participants must score 80% or better on a online Post Test and submit an online CRCC Request Form via the MyTACE Portal.
- Focus CRCC Code 008: Psychosocial & Cultural Issues in Counseling.

My TACE Portal: TACEsoutheast.org/myportal

Disclaimer

This presentation was developed by the
TACE Center: Region IV ©2009 with funds from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) under the priority of Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Projects (TACE) – Grant #H264A080021. However, the contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of the RSA and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government [34 CFR 75.620 (b)].

Copyright information

This work is the property of the TACE Center: Region IV.

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