Alexandria Commission of Persons with Disabilities
Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund
In 1994, Virginia's General Assembly approved the creation of the Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund ("RSIF"), which was designed to promote investment in meeting the needs of individuals with physical and/or sensory disabilities.
The City of Alexandria has proven that RSIF grants have provided sustainable programs, which have demonstrated long-standing and ongoing benefits to its residents. Specifically, past grants have funded an improved reservation system for the DOT Paratransit service, housing grants, DASH talking buses, a pilot test of audible pedestrian traffic signals, and assistive technology at JobLink, which was recognized by the Department of Labor as a national model for implementing and using assistive technology within employment centers.
The Code of Virginia establishes incentive funds at both the state and local levels. Subsection A of Section 51.5-50 establishes a State RSIF "administered by the Department of Rehabilitative Services to meet programmatic and individual recipient needs not otherwise met through existing federal, state, or local programs, and to develop community programs to meet the needs of persons with physical and sensory disabilities."
In addition, Section 51.5-51 states “local disability services boards may establish a local rehabilitative services incentive fund and may make expenditures from such fund to meet programmatic and individual recipient needs not otherwise met through existing federal, state, or local programs and to develop community programs to meet the needs of persons with physical and sensory disabilities."
Furthermore, Section 51.5-49 requires that the Disability Services Council ("DSC") develop a grant allocation system, which requires local match.
The local Disability Services Boards ("DSB"), like the Alexandria Commission on Persons with Disabilities, identify unmet or underserved needs through a triennial needs assessment report, which uncovers areas for change and improvement to increase the quality of life for individuals with physical and/or sensory disabilities.
In addition, the local DSB, is charged with the duty of administering the RSIF, which is a reimbursement grant, and is only awarded when a matching local percentage is met. The local match cannot be in-kind services or other state money. Monies may be used to increase service capacity through expanding existing services or creating new services, but more importantly to stimulate model programs, coordinated services systems, and program innovations.
The guiding principles for the Rehabilitative Services Incentive Fund are:
- To serve as a first step in the development of the community-based, consumer-focused service delivery system envisioned by the Commission on the Coordination of the Delivery of Services to Facilitate the Self-Sufficiency and Support of Persons with Physical and Sensory Disabilities in the Commonwealth;
- To establish fiscal incentives for state and local commitment of resources to address needs identified by a DSB for new programs or expanded access to existing services. The State RSIF cannot be used to supplant the existing funding of a service operating in the community. Participation in the RSIF is a local option;
- To provide seed money for program innovation and coordination of services among organizations, jurisdictions, and Disability Services Boards; and
- To enable DSBs to serve as catalysts by leveraging resources for services from multiple private and public sources and to stimulate statewide expansion of models that work.
The Alexandria Commissions on Persons with Disabilities reviews the proposals, selects one applicant, and forwards it for consideration to the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services in Richmond.
To apply for an RSIF grant:
Search
City of Alexandria, VA
GMail
Yahoo! Mail
AOL Mail
Hotmail
My Email
Facebook
Twitter