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GVRA director warns moving blind services to commission could erode agency synergies
Summary
Chris Wells, GVRA executive director, told the committee that transferring blind programs to a new commission could remove "close to 25%" of GVRA work and stressed that his agency has implemented online referral tools, dedicated counselors and other reforms.
Chris Wells, executive director of the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, told committee members GVRA has multiple programs including vocational rehabilitation (about a $120,000,000 program), the Business Enterprise Program and Georgia Industries for the Blind. He said the agency serves individuals seeking competitive integrated employment and has restructured to concentrate counselors on populations such as blind, low-vision, deaf and deaf-blind clients.
Wells said his concern about the bill is that "pulling out, close to 25%, of the agency itself" could erode synergies the agency has built while improving services such as online referral modules, weekly informational sessions and targeted counselor caseloads. He acknowledged shortcomings and said GVRA has increased counselor pay, changed hiring practices and aims to reduce caseloads for specialized populations.
Committee members asked for concrete budget numbers and a fiscal note; Wells said he could not provide an exact amount at the hearing and that money "assigned for that will follow the commission" but details on administrative breakdowns and overhead were not clear. Members expressed interest in a detailed fiscal analysis before moving forward with structural changes.
