Following the completion of this research project, steps were taken to initiate action outcomes. A two-day training symposium was held November 9-10, 1995, in Syracuse, New York, hosted by Cornell University and the American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (AIRRTC) at Northern Arizona University.
It provided extensive information to representatives from several of the New York State Indian nations, VR, and other health and human service providers in New York State. Discussions during the symposium by both state VR agency and American Indian representatives reflected concerns from American Indian representatives that the difficulty in accessing VR services is not from any dearth of need for services by the American Indian population but in the approach through which the services are being provided.
A segment of attendees felt strongly that for services to be effective, they must be provided in an environment in which American Indians would be comfortable, such as in local communities or on reservations.

As a result of this training symposium, it was suggested that there is a need for cultural sensitivity training for non-American Indians who are in the service delivery system.
It was also suggested that it would be beneficial to have more American Indians trained as service providers.
This led to a discussion about the possibility of applying for a grant from RSA to provide VR services on the reservation in New York State. A grant writing workshop by Cornell University, in collaboration with the AIRRTC, “Section 130 Vocational Rehabilitation Program Development,” was held June 13-14, 1996 in Syracuse, New York.

Conclusions and Recommendations

It would appear that while a comprehensive and integrated service delivery system exists on paper to meet the needs of American Indians with behavioral health diagnoses in New York State, the service system fails, in reality, to reach the service population.

Recommendations from this research effort include the need to ensure VR agency responsiveness to the diverse needs of Native people, aggressive outreach within American Indian communities, reduction of barriers to timely access of public VR data regarding service delivery, a comprehensive study of the meaning(s) of “refused services,” demonstrated VR intervention to American Indians in proportion to their numbers in the population, demonstrated cultural competency among VR administrators and counselors, opportunities for electronic networking among VR counselors working with American Indians, and community focused research.

Funding for AIRRTC projects and dissemination materials are awarded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education (DOE), grant number H133B3006. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the grantee, and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of NIDRR, OSERS, or DOE.

Fact sheet no. 2 compiled and edited by Priscilla Lansing Sanderson, Julie Anna Clay, James Stephens, and Libby Reeg. The full technical report, An Examination of the Vocational Rehabilitation Needs of American Indians with Behavioral Health Diagnoses in New York, is available from the American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. To request AIRRTC reports, and AIRRTC publication catalog, contact the AIRRTC Training and Dissemination Secretary at (520) 523-7054, FAX (520) 523-9127, or TTY (520) 523-1695.

This document is available in alternate formats upon request by contacting the AIRRTC Training and Dissemination Secretary at (520) 523-7054, FAX (520) 523-9127, or TTY (520) 523-1695. AIRRTC is located at the Institute for Human Development, an Arizona University Affiliated Program at Northern Arizona University.

ISBN: 1-930563-02-7

NAU is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Institute NAU Creative Communications/G39840/1M/03-01