Cawthon to Co-Present Workshop on Model VR Planning for State Leaders

The 2023 Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness (SERID) Annual Conference will feature a workshop co-presented by Dr. Stephanie Cawthon that will update state leaders on the Model State Plan for Vocational Rehabilitation Services for Deaf People. 

She was commissioned to create the Model State Plan (MSP) in 2022 by the Deaf Professionals Network at the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation.

The MSP charts an ambitious leap forward in how state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies support deaf people in employment and career pathways. It is a comprehensive 111-page guide to VR services that are both deaf-centered and reflective of current research, application, and best practices – plus, it features an easy-to-disseminate infographic that highlights top priorities in the VR field.   

The workshop, “Three Legs of a Stool: Unpacking the Key Frameworks That Guide the Model State Plan for VR Services for Deaf People,” is on Saturday, October 28. Dr. Cawthon will co-present with David Hankinson, who is the Programs Manager of Vocational Rehabilitation in the Statewide Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Unit of the Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services.  

The 2023 SERID Conference is on October 26-29 in Charlotte, NC. It is a training conference for professionals who lead and provide services for deaf, hard of hearing, and DeafBlind people, with members from North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.