| Upcoming TACE Topics | |
Using Discovery vs. Evaluation to Learn from Work Experiences
January 20, 2011
2:00-4:00 PM EST
Are you having trouble using "tests" to guide a consumer toward a career or a job? Join the next webinar on Work Experiences and Discovery. This session will review how to target outcomes and how to capture the information in a way that will guide the job seeker toward a meaningful career.
Getting the Most out of Summer Transition Activities
February 10, 2011
2:00-4:00 PM EST
Summer is an ideal time to expand transition activities for youth. This webinar session will explore ways to make the most of students' summer breaks to prepare them for life after high school.
Transition Specialty Training
Offered in a course format with 50 participants (6 counselors from each state)
Session I: Customizing Employment, the strategy for employing all youth
Starting in January 2011 going every other week
Target Audience: Transition Counselor
Session II: Understanding the unique needs of Youth in Transition
Starting in February 2011 going every other week
Target Audience: Transition Counselor
Transition Webinar Strand: Looking Forward
Target Audience: Leadership & Counselors
First session:
Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
February 3, 2011
2:00-4:00 PM EST
In the past several years, there has been a surge in interest, growth and support for access to postsecondary education (PSE) for students with intellectual disabilities (SWID). This webinar will review some of the thinking and vision behind this movement, the most recent federal initiatives that support it, give an overview of the national picture of programs that support SWID in PSE settings, and take a look at some of the recent research findings about outcomes for students pursuing this option.
Transition Webinar Strand: Youth Partnerships that Make a Difference
Target Audience: Transition Counselors & Partners
Starting in March 2011
Secondary Education; Post Secondary; Social Security; Workforce Investment/Department of Labor; Medicaid; Department of Health and Human Services; Juvenile Justice; Community Recreation/Faith-Based Partnerships
Transition Webinar Strand: VR Transition Activities
Target Audience: Transition Counselors & Partners
Starting in May 2011
An overview of transition VR services in the country and best practices from three states.
Webinar Series for Business
A four-part webinar series (February, April, June and September) focused on leading practices that advance disability inclusion within business. Leaders in the field will share their experience, success, and practical methods for promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace.
Archives Available!
TACE Transition webinar recordings, handouts and PowerPoint slideshows are archived and available for you to access at your convenience.
10/27/2010
Role of Work Experiences in Guiding Careers
11/03/2010
Introduction to Assistive Technology
11/12/2010
Understanding the Types of Work Experiences
12/6/10
Selecting the "Right" Work Experiences with Youth |
| Upcoming Training Events | |
January 27, 2011
2:00-3:00 PM EST
Cost: Members $40.00; Non-members $90.00
Dr. Scott Standifer from the University of Missouri will review several "models" for understanding autism (diagnostic, Theory of Mind, Experiential, and TEACCH model), discuss possible impacts of autism in work settings, and review some possible accommodations.
March 3 & 4, 2011
Sheraton Westport Hotel, St. Louis, MO
Cost: $175 for two days, $95 for one day
This conference will bring together the disability employment services community (including vocational rehabilitation) and autism community to learn from each other and improve employment options for adults with autism.
5th Annual Secondary Transition State Planning InstituteMay 17-20, 2011
Charlotte, NC
Cost: None
The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) will
host its 2011 "Annual Secondary Transition State Planning Institute."
Attendees may represent education, vocational rehabilitation, adult services, families, youth, and other stakeholders in secondary transition from their state.
Be sure to check the TACE Events page for the most up-to-date training announcements. |
| More Training Opportunities | |
TARGET Discovery Series Archived Events:
Discover Diversity by Design
Learn how to apply the concept of universal design to all aspects of the workplace and create an inclusive, productive environment for all employees.
Discover Hidden Disabilities
Learn strategies and methods for providing accommodation to individuals with unidentified or 'hidden' disabilities. Discover ways in which you can prepare your workplace to accommodate all individuals, whether they identify as having a disability or not. |
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Greetings!
Good afternoon - welcome to the monthly electronic Southeast TACE Talks Transition. Here you will find the latest information about transition, employment for people with disabilities, and relevant legislation. We'll also tell you about upcoming training sessions and introduce you to exciting new web sites. This month we'd like to invite you to share innovative transition practices happening in your community or state. Send an email to Kim Brown at brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu and she'll schedule a telephone interview with you at your convenience to learn more about what you are doing. The information will be written up and shared in a future TACE Talks Transition and on the TACE Transition Services web site. Please forward this TACE Talks Transition to agency staff, teachers, parents, individuals with disabilities, and anyone else you think might find the information useful. Invite them to subscribe by joining the Southeast TACE Transition Listserv. To subscribe, they simply send an email to brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu and type "subscribe transition" in the subject line. Or they can subscribe by visiting the Southeast TACE Transition Services web site and following the Transition E-Mail-List link. We'll take it from there! We hope that the January TTT provides you with helpful information and new tools for 2011! |
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Transition Portals Are Live! The Portals for the TACE Transition Services are open! To start using this exciting new resource, visit the TACE Transition Services web site. In the "Login For" section on the left-hand side of your screen, select "Counselor" or "Coordinator." This will take you to the "Login to MyTACE Account" page. You will use your MyTACE Account to register for available events, seek applicable credit, and access your specialized portal - Transition Services Counselor or Coordinator.
Attended a TACE Webinar? You may already have created a MyTACE Account. If you have a MyTACE Account, email
tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu and request to join the TACE Transition Network.
If you don't already have a MyTACE account, follow the instructions to "Create a New MyTACE Account" and also apply for Portal access. |
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Counselor Tips:
How many of your clients have quit their jobs, worked below Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) or refused to work after receiving four years of education due to misinformation about the impact of working on benefits? Are you unsure about the rules of SSA benefits and working? Keep a copy of When to Contact a Benefits Planner [PDF] handy to assist you in advising your client on when to contact a Community Work Incentive Coordinator (CWIC) or Benefits Planner.
There were 103 grants awarded throughout the U.S. and the U.S. territories in 2006 to a new SSA grantee program called Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Projects or WIPAs. Many of the WIPA grantees are organizations that were formerly known as Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach projects or BPAOs. The WIPA projects were funded to assist SSA disability beneficiaries with information about work incentives, benefits planning, and making good choices about work. The 103 Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects across the U.S. and the U.S. territories work with SSA beneficiaries with disabilities on job placement, benefits planning, and career development.
By working with a WIPA, SSA beneficiaries will be better equipped to make informed choices about work. Each WIPA is staffed with CWICs to: provide work incentives planning and assistance; help beneficiaries and their families determine eligibility for Federal or State work incentives programs; refer beneficiaries with disabilities to appropriate Employment Networks or State VR agencies based on individual needs and impairment types; provide general information about potential employer-based or federally subsidized health benefits coverage available to beneficiaries once they enter the workforce; and inform beneficiaries with disabilities of further protection and advocacy services available to them.
WIPAs are authorized to serve all SSA beneficiaries with disabilities, including transition-to-work aged youth, providing benefits planning and assistance services on request and as resources permit.
To find the WIPA project nearest you please visit the Service Provider Directory.
Source: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/wipafactsheet.html |
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Transition Innovation:
iPhone, iPad and iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education [PDF] gives the app's name, a description of what the app can do, and a link to the app.
Insight: Think College Brief, Students and Educational Coaches: Developing a Support Plan for College [PDF] provides an overview of the supported education model and some of the challenges associated with using educational coaches in college. A description is provided of how one Massachusetts student and his educational coach used a Student-Educational Coach Agreement to plan for the support that the student needed to successfully attend college.
Supporting Successful Transitions for Individuals who use AAC provides information on major barriers and important supports to successful transitions for individuals who use AAC. Case examples provided by individuals who use AAC are shared to illustrate transition strategies that promote positive outcomes.
In AAC and College Life: Just Do It!, Beth Anne Luciani describes her experiences as a student at California University of Pennsylvania. Through hard work and the development of an outstanding support team, Beth Anne has pursued her dream of a college education. The webcast also includes commentary from faculty who have taught Beth Anne, as well as the insights of family members, academic advisors, and staff from the Office for Students with Disabilities.
According to the project web site, the Georgia Department of Labor's High School/High Tech Initiative is a collaborative effort that acknowledges the need for all youth to reach their highest academic potential...a cooperative venture that recognizes the need for all youth to be exposed to career pathways that build bridges between high school and the workplace or postsecondary education. This transition innovation was featured in the November/December 2010 "School Transition" AT Program E-Zine. |
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Employment:
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Autism Spectrum Disorders project is compiling an online VR Counselor Directory of specialty counselors or lead counselors dealing with individuals with ASD who are interested in seeking vocational rehabilitation service supports. The directory is intended to help consumers and families initiate contacts with the VR system.
Employment Activities and Outcomes of College-Based Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
in the October issue of "Insight," describes findings from the five-year Postsecondary Education Research Center Project established by TransCen, Inc., and funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. This project tracked 96 individuals with intellectual disabilities in Maryland and Connecticut who had attended college classes as part of their secondary education experience.
Source: The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News at http://www.ncset.org/enews/.
Chris Klein: Building Relationships through the Tools of Communication [YouTube video] introduces viewers to Chris Klein, a graduate of Hope College and the driving force for Clay Vessel Inc (http://www.clayvesselinc.org ), a not-for-profit resource for assistive technology. Chris was born with cerebral palsy, and uses augmentative communication to help support his work with Clay Vessel, be a Motivational Speaker, be an active member of his community and local church, and live independently in Holland, Michigan.
Getting Support, Supporting Others: A Handbook for Working with Non-Visible Disabilities [PDF] is a resource for individuals with disabilities, their co-workers and supervisors, and HR professionals to help all stakeholders understand issues of disclosure and how to handle interpersonal challenges that may arise when an employee has a non-visible disability. |
Announcements:
To assist states and local school districts with professional development efforts in secondary transition, the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) has created presenter guides on topics such as Indicator 13, Self-Determination, and Transition Assessment. These guides include PowerPoints with scripted notes, plus all materials needed to complete the activities in the presentation.
The Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology & Transition Planning is a 50-page guide aimed at providing families with the information they need to effectively prepare for and participate in periods of transition in their children's lives. Individuals may order one free copy of the guide. Additional print copies are available for $10. A discount is available for bulk orders. |
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Legislation/National News:
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's official blog, Youth Face a Challenging Job Market. "Unemployment reached record highs among youth during the recent labor market downturn and data suggest that jobs continue to be scarce for this group. For 20- to 24-year-olds, the seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 15.2 percent in October 2010, down from the record high reached earlier this year but not much different from a year ago."
Source: U.S. Department of Labor. |
Featured Web Site:
Include Me! Website on Including Self Advocates has information and ideas on how to include Self Advocates in conferences. There is information for people organizing conferences and for Self Advocates going to conferences. |
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Do you have specific topics you would like to see addressed in a future
TACE Talks Transition? Are you doing something innovative in your state that you would like to share with others in the region? Do you have examples of successful student work experiences that might inspire your colleagues? Let us know - we want to hear from you! Contact Kim Brown at brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu.
If you have any questions about TACE or would like to request technical assistance, please contact Civa Shumpert at norciva@gmail.com. For questions about the Southeast TACE Transition Listserv or the monthly Southeast TACE Talks Transition, please contact Kim Brown at brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu. Sincerely, The Southeast TACE Transition Team |
Meet the Southeast TACE Transition Team
(click on the person's name to learn more about him or her):
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About the Southeast TACE Talks Transition:
This free service is being sponsored by Southeast TACE, the Technical Assistance & Continuing Education (TACE) Center for Region IV. TACE is a partnership of academic, governmental, and community expertise that provides technical assistance and continuing education activities to meet the training and organizational development needs of State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and their partners in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Southeast TACE supports VR, Community Rehabilitation Programs, Centers for Independent Living, Client Assistance Programs, and other agencies to enhance employment outcomes, independent functioning, independent living and quality of life for persons with disabilities throughout the eight states in the Southeast Region IV.
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To unsubscribe to the Southeast TACE Transition Listserv, use the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this message or send an email with "unsubscribe transition" in the "Subject" line to brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu. |
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