The report states that the office is also “challenged” in providing training and continuing education to its employees and staff.
The report was prepared by the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S Department of Education and based on an assessment of OVR from fall of 2008 to summer of last year.
According to the report, OVR, which is under the governor’s office, “underutilizes counselor aides and rehabilitation technicians who could maximize agency performance to increase service delivery and the quantity and quality of employment outcomes for persons with disabilities.”
The inability to recruit and retain management and program staff is also one of OVR’s “challenges,” the report stated.
It added that counselors assess, identify the strengths and weaknesses, and recommend necessary training to OVR clients before being recommended to an employer.
OVR is not in compliance with federal requirements, the report stated.
“Two of three OVR counselors do not meet the agency’s comprehensive system of personal development standard and do not have a plan to meet the requirements and are performing the non-delegable functions of a qualified counselor,” the report added.
Variety tried to get a statement from OVR, but was told that its director, Maggie Olopai-Taitano, was off-island “attending to an emergency.”
OVR, which receives federal funds, is “tasked to extend rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities to prepare for, secure, retain, or regain employment.”
Its mission is to “increase employment and promote independence among eligible individuals with disabilities” in the CNMI.
