Crossing the Agency Boundaries on Employment for Youth with

Significant Disabilities

Capacity Building InstituteMay 8, 2013

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Presented by the National Community of Practice on Transition

Session Collaborators

• Dara Baldwin, NCIL• Catherine Burzio, TACC• Joanne Cashman & Mariola

Rosser, IDEA Partnership• Catherine Fowler, NSTTAC

• Joan Kester, GWU/Mid-Atlantic TACE Center

• Down Rowe, NPSO• Judy Shanley, Easter Seals• Linda Tasco, AZ DDD

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Bringing People Together on Issues• Capacity Building Institute 2012• Decision to work on integrated employment• CoP leads the work• 3 webinars..co-lead by organizations , states and

TA centers• WI request to the CoP ( LRE and Transition)• Bring it back to Capacity Building Institute 2013• What next?????

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What we did …

• Three Webinars • Get the Picture – February 20, 2013• Get in the Picture – March 27, 2013• Change the Picture – April 24, 2013

• Follow this work on sharedwork site: http://www.sharedwork.org/web/transition/wiki/-/wiki/Transition/Webinar+Series+on+Employment

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Get the Picture: Post School Life for Students Significant Disabilities

Dara Baldwin Dawn Rowe

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IDEA Purpose

To ensure that all children with

disabilities have available to them a free

appropriate public education that emphasizes

special education and related services

designed to meet their unique needs and

prepare them for further education, employment, and

independent living.

IDEA Regulations §300.1(a)8

Guiding Questions

• What do we know about the post school experience of students with significant disabilities?

• What is the family perspective on post school experience?• How do developmental disabilities staff view the post-school

experience for youth with significant disabilities? • What opportunities and challenges school staff and

developmental disabilities staff face in transitioning youth with significant disabilities?

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Guiding Questions• How do vocational rehabilitation staff view the post-school

experience for youth with significant disabilities? • What opportunities and challenges school staff and vocational

rehabilitation staff face in transitioning youth with significant disabilities?

• What have Centers for Independent Living (CIL) learned in supporting young adults in the community and employment?

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Post-School Outcomes Continue to Remain Bleak for Youth with Disabilities

11Source: Part B SPP/APR 2012 Indicator Analyses

Get the Picture: Family Perspectives

ABILITY TO MAKE INFORMED CHOICES –

youth and their families must develop

• Self-Knowledge,

• Self-Determination,

• Knowledge of Adult Systems,

• and be engaged in the process.

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Person-Centered Approach

• Services and supports designed to meet needs of the

individual—before, during and after transition

• Based on a vision of the future

• Begin thinking about transition sooner than later—it’s all

about collaboration

• Life-long process

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Transition to EmploymentBegin discussion as early as age 14 Encourage work experiences during school breaksCollaborate with families/caregivers, students and high school teachersNew transition service being created for all DDD participants interested in going to workSplit programs to encourage work experienceIncreased awareness about VR Transition Services; Populations served

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Employment = Empowerment

• Through employment PWD are empowered to live independent lives

• It takes a village!! Collaboration is Key!!

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Get in the Picture: Connecting with Efforts to Improve

Community and Employment Outcomes

Joan KesterLinda Tasco

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This webinar showcased many exciting national initiatives which promote integrated, competitive employment for transitioning youth with disabilities. Participants will learn about the goals of each initiative, cross-stakeholder engagement, how to connect to state and local projects, where to tap into resources, and have an opportunity for dialogue.

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A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities

NGA Chair’s Initiative 2012-13Delaware Governor Jack Markell

• Use your connections to students to set high expectations for individuals with disabilities.

Old expectation: “Will I get a job? New expectation: “What job will I get?”

• Engage your own networks to promote awareness about the skills and abilities of people with disabilities

• Consider each state’s policy framework and align your efforts to the maximum extent possible

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Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Initiatives

The purpose of the Rehab. Act and VR program nationally is to empower individuals with disabilities to maximize employment, economic self sufficiency, independence, and inclusion and ‑integration into society

• Council of State Administrators of VR (CSAVR): Transition Services Committee

• CSAVR VR-Business Network• Examples of Employment Initiatives

– Delaware Early Start Supported Employment– Mid-Atlantic Transition Leadership Council – Models of

Replication19

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Projects of National Significance:Partnerships in Employment Systems Change

Purpose of these Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Grants:

• To enhance collaboration across existing State systems, including programs administered by State Developmental Disabilities agencies, State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies, State Educational agencies, and other entities to increase competitive employment for youth and young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

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Employment First: What Is It? General theme:

Employment in the community is the first/primary service option for individuals with disabilities

APSE Statement on Employment First

Employment in the general workforce is the first and preferred outcome in the provision of publicly funded services for all working

age citizens with disabilities, regardless of level of disability.

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State Employment Leadership Network: What We’ve Learned

National membership network of state intellectual and developmental disability agenciesCurrently 27 member states

Systems change must fit within overallculture of state

Systems change requires both:big picture perspective and leadershipwillingness to get into “nitty gritty” policy and

practice details

Slow and steady wins the race

It’s not one thing, it’s a lot of things

Youth Transition Demonstration Grants: Social Security Administration

• The Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) is a random assignment research study to promote and rigorously evaluate promising strategies to help youth with disabilities become as economically self-sufficient as possible as they transition from school to work.

• YTD is part of a broader initiative to encourage disability beneficiaries to work.

• Partners: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR), MDRC, TransCen, Inc.

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Change the Picture:Promoting more integrated employment &

change expectations with transition personnel

Catherine BurzioCatherine Fowler

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Success Stories• South Dakota Dept. of Human Services (DRS): Project Skills Program

• Ronda Lynch, MS, CRC, Sr. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor • Melissa Flor, Assistant Director, Special Education Program,

South Dakota Department of Education• http://dhs.sd.gov/drs/projectskills/default.aspx• Contact: Melissa Flor 605-773-8195 Melissa.Flor@state.sd.us

• Walgreens Indiana Statewide Consortium (WISC)-Services • Contact: James Emmett emmettx4@aol.com

• Alternative Work Concepts, Inc.• Jacque Gerdes, Assistant Director• Scott Whetham, Program Coordinatorawc@efn.org www.alternativeworkconcepts.org

Involving FamiliesSean Roy – www.pacer.org• Begin giving information on employment & employment supports in middle

school (to parents)• Support for transition & employment related parent training & advocacy• Meaningful work done around new ways to make sure families are involved &

viewed as partners. This includes addressing pre-service gaps in the way we train teachers & youth service professionals

Circle Seven Workforce Board in Indiana www.ncwd-youth.info/node/1302 Children’s Aid Society of New York www.ncwd-youth.info/node/1339 CIL of North Fla. HS/HT Program www.ncwd-youth.info/node/1340

Tips & Takeaways• Start Early!• Ask, Speak up, Ask again!• Work from the expectation…employment for ALL• Youth to Work Coalition (NSTTAC)

Project ACTION (Accessible Community Transportation in our Nation) Building an Accessible Transportation Continuum for

Students with Disabilities to Support Transition

Educators Safe Routes to Schools

Pupil Transportation

K12Campus

TransportationHigher Education

Public Transportation

Interconnected Systems and People

Students &

Families

http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

http://www.napt.org/www.nasdpts.org

http://tsdconference.com/www.ahead.org

http://www.apta.com/www.cec.sped.orghttp://www.dcdt.org/

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The Transportation Connection 1. Across the three topics addressed through the Webinars

this year, how do you see accessible transportation options for students fitting into these topics?

2. Access to transportation is cited consistently as a barrier to student realization of post-school goals. However, States or local school districts in general, don’t seem to have policies and strategies to ensure that educators can teach transportation content, or students have opportunities to learn about a range of transportation options. How can we enhance the integration of transportation in transition services? 29

What’s the follow up…

• Creating a tool relating the LRE concepts to transition and preparation for employment (based on OSEP letter to WI)– Less than 10 slides with notes – Ideas for presenting the tool to start local dialogue– Completed by June 30, 2013– Volunteers welcome

• Go to WIKI to sign up and/or follow this work

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What the LRE and Transition Practice group will do…

• Keep integrated employment in the national and state dialogue

• Bring it up in your team meetings and Capacity Building Institute plans

• Get involved in the CoP activities throughout 2013-14 • Contribute your ideas on the WIKI (www.sharedwork.org

) • Sign- up to stay connected

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• How do we build on webinar content and in what forums?• Discussions on Sharedwork?• Topical briefs and dialogue guides?

• What additional topics do we want to address?• Hangout with a bunch of passionate people!• Learn lots and acquire resources! • Be a thought leader and share your talents!• Be a part of this national initiative!

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Start the dialogue in your community…