Program for Rehabilitation Leadership¹
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership (PRL) is an outreach program of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Through diverse training, technical assistance, and research activities, PRL supports the implementation of public disability and employment policy. PRL assists state and local service systems to achieve results.

PRL is nationally recognized for exemplary practices targeting public and private organizations that comprise the disability service and advocacy system. Activities are funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, as well as various state and local contracts. Deon Locklin served as Director of the Program for Rehabilitation Leadership in 2005.

Projects

The Regional Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program for Administration & Management (RRCEP-A&M). Deon Locklin, Project Director. The RRCEP-A&M was established in 1978 to meet the recurring learning needs of supervisors, managers, and administrators in state vocational rehabilitation agencies throughout the southeast. The RRCEP-A&M has evolved into an on-demand, rapid response, continuing education and technical assistance program serving state rehabilitation leaders. This project is funded through a cooperative agreement with U.S. Department of Education. (2004-2009, $1,706,050)

The Regional Continuing Education Program for Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRP-RCEP IV). Deon Locklin, Project Director. The CRP-RCEP IV addresses the broad range of learning needs shared by nonprofit organizations throughout the eight southeastern states. Begun in 1997, the CRP-RCEP is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, to provide continuing education and technical assistance to over 700 community providers and independent living centers. Each of these organizations provides employment-related services and support to individuals with disabilities. The CRP-RCEP is a partnership of the Program for Rehabilitation Leadership at Georgia State University and the Center on Disability and Employment at The University of Tennessee. (2002-2007, $2,500,000)

Consortium for Distance Education in Rehabilitation (CDER), in collaboration with San Diego State University and the University of North Texas. Sally Siewert, Project Director. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership at Georgia State University, the University of North Texas, and San Diego State University received funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, to provide M.S. degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling to currently employed professionals in the field, allowing them to meet current standards in federal legislation for the public rehabilitation service system. The degree program is conducted through distance learning, and includes cohorts of 50 counselors from throughout the nation. ($9,520)

RSA Scholars Program. Deon Locklin and Roger Weed, Project Directors. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership provides scholarships to Georgia State University students seeking a Masters degree in rehabilitation counseling. This five-year project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, and is a collaboration between the Program for Rehabilitation Leadership and the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services within the College of Education. Scholarships cover full tuition/fees and provide a nominal monthly stipend for up to 36 graduate students to pursue a five-semester course of study. This project is unique in its strategic emphasis on the human resource planning priorities of the Georgia public vocational rehabilitation program. (2004-2009, $750,000)

Strategic Planning and Needs Assessment Initiative (North Carolina Division of Vocational Rehabilitation). Deon Locklin. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership is assisting the state vocational rehabilitation agency in North Carolina with a long term initiative to transform the existing statewide service delivery system for individuals with disabilities seeking employment. The project involves comprehensive needs assessment, market-based strategic planning, and organizational change implementation. (2004-2005 contract $96,000; 2005-2006 contract $63,602)

New England Rehabilitation Leadership Institute (Assumption College). Deon Locklin. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership conducted a three-phased leadership development institute for state vocational rehabilitation agency personnel employed in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. ($20,156)

State Rehabilitation Council Training Initiative (U.S. Department of Education). Deon Locklin. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership assisted with a national initiative to provide training to State Rehabilitation Council members appointed in each state to oversee planning and evaluation of the state vocational rehabilitation agency. Georgia State University piloted the national training curriculum in January 2005, targeting participants from eight southeastern states. (2004-2005, $20,512)

Learned Optimism (U.S. Department of Education). Deon Locklin. A staff member from the Program for Rehabilitation Leadership was funded to complete a certification program at the Center for Positive Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, in the topic of Resilience. The curriculum is used to train state vocational rehabilitation agency supervisors and managers in building personal resiliency skills necessary for organizational change. (2003-2005 extension, $39,000 and $5,404)

Recruitment & Retention Initiative (U.S. Department of Education). Deon Locklin. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership was provided supplemental funding to assist state vocational rehabilitation agencies with human resource planning, as these agencies face critical personnel shortages at all levels. (2003-2005 extension, $31,019)

Employment Partners Team Contracts (Region IV State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies). Sally Siewert. The Program for Rehabilitation Leadership provides technical assistance to state vocational rehabilitation agencies throughout the southeast, to build capacity to network with private businesses and industries that employ individuals with disabilities. (2004-2006, $36,000)

1. For a complete listing of AYSPS Active Research Sponsored Grants from CY2005, see the Appendix: Report on External Funding.