Nebraska s Video Conferencing Solution

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1 2012 NASCIO Recognition Submission Nebraska s Video Conferencing Solution Category: Digital Government: Government to Citizen (G to C) Nebraska Office of the Chief Information Officer.leading the way Jayne Scofield, I. T. Administrator Network Services 501 S. 14 th Street Lincoln, NE Phone: Jayne.scofield@nebraska.gov State of Nebraska Project Initiation: April 2010 Project Completion: December 2011

2 Executive Summary The State of Nebraska covers approximately 77,000 square miles, Recent statistics indicate that indicate that approximately 45% of the State s population live in Douglas County (Omaha area) and Lancaster County (Lincoln area). These two counties are within 50 miles of each other in the southeast portion of Nebraska. Lincoln is over 400 miles away from Scottsbluff. For employees who were performing this commute 1 or 2 times per month, this cost over $250 per trip, not including gas expenses. Because of its geographic size and sparse population, commuting throughout Nebraska for business meetings, activities, etc., can become costly for anyone needing to interact with their government or wanting to participate in government processes. In 1991, the State of Nebraska began its first venture into video conferencing between remote locations in Nebraska to assist citizens and employees by reducing their expenses with efficient access to the more urban areas. Video conferencing equipment was placed at six locations throughout the State at an approximate cost of $45,000 per location. In 2011, the Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation (VocRehab) Division took this venture one step further. VocRehab introduced video conferencing into their environment to assist citizens needing assistance to get back into the workforce. The goal was to be able to provide this service while overcoming unnecessary and expensive travel across the state. Video conferencing for VocRehab has given people with disabilities an opportunity to be employed, and to increase their participation in events that they wouldn t have been able to do otherwise. They are able to do this through the successful use of video conferencing technology. VocRehab provides dedicated video conferencing rooms for people with disabilities, as well as various employees, to use. Many of the locations VocRehab established for video conferencing overlapped the locations where the OCIO was providing video conferencing service. Additionally, many of the OCIO systems were ready for an additional technology refresh, costing significant dollars. As VocRehab identified the areas that they were planning to service, the OCIO looked at the opportunity to collaborate with VocRehab and establish better service at a lower cost. Eventually, through this partnership the two agencies have established 35 sites. These locations provide people with places to go to conduct business, as well as train those with disabilities to get them back into the workplace.

3 2012 Nebraska s Video Conferencing Solution NASCIO Award Submission Digital Government: Government to Citizen Video Conferencing Business Problem and Solution Statistically, having a disability can place someone in the world s largest minority group and cause them to lose out on some great career opportunities. Through the use of video conferencing, VocRehab has truly made the world flat for those individuals with disabilities who are getting back into the workforce. It is an opportunity for people with disabilities or people that live a significant distance from a training location to gain the skills to be employed and to increase their participation in events that they wouldn t have been able to otherwise. Video conferencing has given the State of Nebraska a solution that will enable people to work and perform that may not have been able to do so before. Vocational Rehabilitation through the use of video conferencing has presented itself as an opportunity for businesses to hire people who might have been have negatively impacted due to an injury or disability. Prior to video conferencing people that had difficulty traveling had to either decline participation in some activities or lost their jobs because of their disability. Now, people can pursue their careers without any constraints. Although video conferencing has been in place in numerous states and used by various applications, this deployment is unique for two reasons. First, the solution was deployed to serve a constituency that needed to obtain training and work. However, once deployed, the solution became an opportunity to serve the entire state population. Currently there are 23 State operated locations available in Nebraska for the purposes of video conferencing and 12 available for VocRehab. The population of the cities where these conference sites are located ranges from 1,581 to 408,958. On average, these rooms are used about every other week in each location. In the room, people are provided a camera and a large monitor to conduct business and job duties. Bookings are made by the Nebraska Education Telecommunications Commission (NET) and an employee for NET assists with the setup of the conference. Additionally, VocRehab staff are trained internally to use the equipment. Vocational Rehabilitation has seen such progress through the use of video conferencing that this project is predicted to be ongoing for as long there is a need for people with disabilities to use it. Via word of mouth and through the Vocational Rehabilitation website

4 ( this information has been shared with potential beneficiaries of the system. The purpose of the project is to help an individual develop the skills they need to perform in a specific job area, such as a position in a medical center. Depending on the job that the client is interested in, Vocational Rehabilitation would ask if the employer or business owner is willing to teach the client the job. On-the-job training is always paid for by Vocational Rehabilitation and has a limit of $4,000 per client. The client can be either part-time or full-time. This is beneficial to the employer because it gives them someone qualified to help them with their workload at little or no expense. Significance to the Improvements of the Operation of Government The project has provided aid to the citizens of Nebraska who may have a disability or have trouble traveling. The relationship between the OCIO and VocRehab has increased the number of locations available to the public and has encouraged people to continue or pursue their careers. It improves government operations by not only reducing duplication of governmental services, but also allowing people with disabilities the opportunity to get back into the workforce. The strategy for VocRehab is to serve disability groups and help businesses improve their daily operations. Vocational Rehabilitation provides employers with these personalized business solutions: Providing pre-screened applicants Providing follow-up and support after the hire Providing job modification and barrier removal Being a tax incentive resource Not only does this project benefit employees, but it also benefits the employers and the business. These solutions help employers to improve their day to day operations and gain employees that will be a tremendous asset to their business as well. The main goal is to ensure employers that through this program VocRehab can respond to a business specific needs with qualified candidates and appropriate technical support. Benefit of the Project (Financial and non- Financial) Once an employee becomes disabled and it is sometimes difficult for them to perform their job. Instead of an employer letting them go, it is more efficient for everyone if the employee can be rehabilitated. Now through the use of video conferencing, vocational rehabilitation is an option. Some of the ways VocRehab can save time and money is through the hiring processes, training processes, and job

5 retention. During the hiring process Vocational Rehabilitation can provide prescreened applicants. They also customize training based on the employer s needs. Vocational Rehabilitation helps people connect with the appropriate jobs to ensure an effective match. There are numerous success stories that stem from video conferencing and the number of people that benefit from this service increases daily. One example is Patrick Bate. Bate was born with Hemiplegia, a weakening of one side of the body. He believed that vocational rehabilitation was his best option in pursuing his goals. He used video conferencing via VocRehab and received great results that will support him for a lifetime. After graduating from Southeast Community College he lacked real world experience and sought out VocRehab for assistance in getting a fulltime job. He graduated with a visual publications degree and was looking to work with graphic design, printing, and web design. After working through some initial testing he was placed with a VocRehab placement specialist so that they could work together to find the best career path. Bate now works a part-time job at NET in the Learning Services Department where he does website design. Here, he is exposed to various different tasks that enable him to grow and become successful in his work. Bate says that he is very thankful and without VocRehab he doesn t know what he would have done especially since in a tight job market in an area that is very specialized. For every $1.00 appropriated to VocRehab by the Nebraska Legisalture, the state earns $3.69 in Federal funding and yields $4.69 in services to Nebraskans with disabilities. On average an individual who has been successfully re-employed as a result of VocRehab through video conferencing, returns $12.07 to the taxpayers for every $1.00 spent as well. Video conferencing services significantly reduce the cost traveling, which includes gas, lodging, meals, and time lost while on the road. Instead of the business or the employer paying for these costs, people can use video conferencing for $40.00 an hour. The OCIO and Vocational Rehabilitation share the costs of the circuits to each location as well as the cost for maintenance on the hardware. Financially, this solution is worth the effort. The State of Nebraska has also used video conferencing to connect with people outside of the country. Recently Nebraskans have contacted people from Australia for educational purposes and Dubai for a new job interview. If it weren t for video conferencing coordinating interviews with people outside of the country may not have been an option. Video conferencing is the best way Nebraskans can continue their careers, reduce travel costs, and enable more education.