MSD Network News Flash
Customized Employment and Planning Strategies March 2011 |
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Introduction | |
Good afternoon - welcome to the monthly electronic Southeast TACE Serving Individuals with Most Significant Disabilities Network News Flash (MSD Network News Flash). Here you will find the latest information about employment for people with the most significant impact of disability, including job development innovations, relevant legislation, upcoming training sessions, and exciting new web sites.
Please forward this MSD Network New Flash to agency staff, parents, individuals with disabilities, and anyone else you think might find the information useful. Invite them to subscribe by joining the Southeast TACE Employment Listserv. To subscribe, they simply send an email to brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu and type "subscribe employment" in the subject line. We'll take it from there! And remember - this list will not be shared with others and you may unsubscribe at any time.
Please visit the TACE MSD Network web site regularly to learn about current events in the world of employment for individuals with the most significant impact of disability. |
| Portals | |
MSD Network Portals Are Live!
The Portals for the TACE MSD Network are open! To start using this exciting new resource, visit the TACE MSD Network web site. In the "Portal For" section on the left-hand side of your screen, select "Counselor" or "Coordinator." This will take you to the "Login to MyTACE Account." You will use your MyTACE Account to register for available events, seek applicable credit, and access your specialized portal (Counselor or Coordinator).
Attended a TACE Webinar? You may already have created a MyTACE Account. If you have a MyTACE Account and want to access the Portal, email tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu and request to join the TACE Most Significant Disabilities 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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| Announcements | |
Rising Expectations: The Developmental Disabilities Act Revisited was recently released by the National Council on Disabilities in preparation for the reauthorization of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. According to the report, people with DD continue to wait for services in the community, services vary from state to state, the DD system is fragmented, and perceptions about people with DD are outdated in our country.
Decent Work for People with Disabilities - Count Us In! [Video] is a four-minute video developed to raise awareness about the barriers and the actions needed to help people with disabilities obtain decent work and a better life.
Evaluating a GPS-Based Transportation Device to Support Independent Bus Travel by People With Intellectual Disability shares research findings that when using a GPS-based system providing visual and auditory prompts, participants were significantly more successful at completing a bus route than were people using a map and verbal directions. Consider reviewing these findings to assist VR consumers in your area to navigate their communities more independently.
Are you familiar with this year's SSA adjustments? The Social Security Administration has released What's New in 2011? guidance for 2011 regarding changes to the benefit rates and maximum earnings that apply to Work Incentives provisions.
To assist consumers with the most significant impact of disability to be successfully employed in the community, flexibility is critical. Review Workplace Flexibility, Accommodation and Disability: Tools for Workforce Productivity [PPT] by Susanne M. Bruyere, Ph.D., CRC, of the Employment and Disability Institute at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Ithaca, New York to learn more about disability, employment and workplace flexibility; accommodation difficulties; and workplace flexibility strategies that maximize participation and productivity. |
| Supported Employment/Supported Self-Employment/Customized Employment | |
The Office of Disability Employment Policy describes Customized Employment as a strategy that "offers the chance for a job to fit who we are, what we need, and what we have to offer. It provides an avenue to employment for any job seeker who feels that traditional job search methods do not meet their needs. Customized Employment means individualizing the relationship between job seekers and employers in ways that meet the needs of both. It is based on an individualized determination of the strengths, requirements, and interests of a person with a complex life. The process is designed to meet the workplace needs of the employer and the discrete tasks of the position. When a customized relationship is developed, a shared employment alliance results." Customized Employment is an exciting, innovative, strengths-based approach to negotiating employment for people with the most significant impact of disability.
Griffin-Hammis Associates and their non-profit branch, the Center for Social Capital, just launched a new blog site for PodCasts showcasing original thinkers, practitioners, folks with disabilities, family members, advocates, policy makers, and others discussing topics of interest relating to the expansion and improvement of customized employment. In the coming months they plan to feature folks from diverse backgrounds speaking on related topics including organizational development, staff training, economic and social capital leveraging, community building, business ownership, amalgamated funding, Social Security, Veterans, autism, and policy.
State VR agencies wishing to train Counselors and their vendors to provide self-employment services will want to visit the newly-launched Certified Business Technical Assistance Consultant (CBTAC) web site. |
| Case Study |
Written by Ellen Condon, Director of the Rural Institute Transition and Employment Projects
"Patrick moved to a large home in the spring of 2009. He lives with another young man who also has a label of autism, and is supported by a staff managed by a contracted Developmental Disabilities provider agency. I got the opportunity to get to know Patrick and his support team when they asked for my assistance to create employment for him."
"Patrick wasn't someone I could ask, 'What would you like to do for work?' and get an informative answer. A question that abstract, if asked, probably wouldn't have gotten any response at all. Patrick's team members, including his family, didn't have a clear picture of what kind of job would work for him, either. Patrick had a few work experiences while he was in high school, performing cleaning and recycling. And at home he had enjoyed crushing soda cans and turning them in at the recycling center for money."
"Patrick wasn't going to be 'competitive' in employment, meaning that he wouldn't do well applying for job openings and being screened against other applicants and the demands of the position. However, we knew he could make a contribution to an employer if we could negotiate a position in a job site that was well-matched to his needs."
"Our first step was to determine what a 'well-matched job site' was for Patrick. I spent time with Patrick at his new home, getting familiar with his typical routine, observing him working on chores and academics. I talked to his parents and other people who knew him well. I learned the strategies that his support staff used to help him be successful during the day and I went on outings in the community with him and his staff. I was observing how he did things and what environments and activities were motivating to him and allowed him to be successful."
"All of these activities were for the purpose of getting a clear picture of what the characteristics of a good job environment would look like for him. What type of interaction on the job site would be best? How would the tasks flow? What time of day would work best? What type of tasks would he be most successful at? Where would he be most motivated to work? What supports would need to be in place? I was not assessing or judging his performance to determine if he was 'ready to work'. I began with the assumption that everyone is ready to make a contribution and to work. What I needed to know was: under what conditions would he be at his best, most productive, motivated and engaged, and what contributions could he make to a prospective employer."
"As I gathered stories and information and added my own observations I summarized what I had learned in a document called the Vocational Profile. Patrick's team (his family, contracted DD provider staff, his DD case manager, and his Quality Improvement Specialist from DD) reviewed it and helped add or edit the information until it was an accurate representation of who Patrick was at his best."
"Our next step was to meet as a team and consolidate the information from the Profile into a blueprint for the job that would be developed and negotiated on his behalf." Read more. |
| Counselor Tips | |
Customized Employment:
- Always starts with the person, not the job
- Initiates and assumes negotiation
- Typically involves representation of a job seeker
- Is an option for anyone
To customize:
- Presume that every VR consumer can work in their community
- Look for strengths, support needs, interests, and factors that motivate them
- Focus on supporting individuals to make a contribution, build skills and maximize their participation in all activities
Get to know the individual job seeker through Discovery before meeting with potential employers in the community.
Discovery allows us to determine who the applicant is...their complexities as well as their potential contributions to employers. When conducting Discovery, we look for:
- Conditions that must be in place/cannot be in place for the person to be successful
- Preferences and interests
- Contributions to be offered
- Discrete tasks to be performed
- Specific employers to be contacted/self-employment avenues to pursue
Discovery is often assumed; that is, we think we know someone but our knowledge is based upon the context in which we got to know them. We must validate what we think we know and observe the person in new contexts to gain a complete picture. We must also talk to other important people in the job seeker's life...different people have different parts of the puzzle.
When we discover rather than presume and diagnose, a useful description of a person starts to emerge. Discovery shows possibilities and leads to things a person is motivated to do rather than to fears, negativity and deficits. |
| Legislation/National News | |
Full Committee Hearing - Improving Employment Opportunities for People with Intellectual Disabilities [Video] - Watch or download the statements given by panelists before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on March 2, 2011.
Testimony provided at a public hearing of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), asserted that the greatest barriers to employment for people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities are employers' myths and fears about their condition, not the disabilities themselves. Strengthened efforts to dispel these myths and fears are necessary if we hope to address the stagnant and unacceptably high unemployment rate of people with disabilities.
Important changes to the ADA Title II and Title III regulations are in effect starting March 15. Title II applies to state and local governments. Title III applies to the private sector: stores, hotels, day care centers, non-profit organizations, medical providers, etc. Most of the changes in the two regulations are the same.
The White House Disability Budget Fact Sheet [PDF] outlines the President's disability budget priorities for fiscal year 2012. |
| Training | |
Upcoming TACE Topics:
Approaches to Understanding What an Individual Has to Offer an Employer
March 31, 2011
2:00-3:00 PM EST
This webinar will address different approaches to understanding what an individual has to offer an employer. Topics will include: Traditional vocational assessment versus the discovery process; Looking at tasks a person can perform; Translating tasks a person can perform into employment possibilities; and Starting job development from the vantage point of the person's contributions and interest rather than the job market. The expected outcome is that supervisors will understand how to use the discovery process to determine employment possibilities.
Steps of Customized Job Development Whether Developing Job Yourself or Contracting with a CRP
May 5, 2011
2:00 -3:00 PM EST
The webinar will present the steps of customized job development and what a vocational rehabilitation (VR) supervisor needs to know whether their staff is job developing themselves or contracting with a community rehabilitation provider (CRP). The expected outcome is that supervisors will have enough information to understand how a customized job is developed and how to monitor the progress of the job development.
Self-Employment as a Viable Option for Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities
June 9, 2011
2:00-3:00 PM EST
The webinar will highlight self-employment as a viable option for individuals with the most significant disabilities. The expected outcome of the webinar is that supervisors will understand when self-employment might be a good match for an individual with the most significant disability.
Autism & Employment Learning Community Series
Target Audience: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Area Directors
Starting in April 2011
Information, tools, and tips to communicate, interact, and support individuals with autism to reach integrated, competitive employment goals.
Archives Available!
TACE webinar recordings, handouts and PowerPoint slideshows are archived and available for you to access at your convenience.
1/27/11
How Can You Establish a Climate that is Excited about Serving Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities
2/2/11
Recruitment & Retention of Individuals with Disabilities and Multicultural Backgrounds into the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Profession
2/17/11
Flexible Workplaces Benefit Everyone, Especially Persons with Disabilities
2/24/11
Impact of How VRCs View Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities on their Caseload
Training Events:
Lights, Camera, Action! Using Video-Based Instruction to Increase Independence of Individuals with Disabilities in Employment Settings Webinar
April 1, 20111:00-2:30 PM ET
Cost: $50 APSE Members/$100 Non-members
The purpose of this webinar is to provide an overview of how to use video technology to support individuals with disabilities in employment settings. This presentation offers practitioners with the "nuts and bolts" tools necessary for creating and implementing video-based prompting systems in supported employment settings.
TASH Webinar Series: Discovery - The Foundation of Customized Planning [PDF]
April 4, 11, 18, 25 and May 2, 9, 2011
3:00-4:30 PM ET
Cost: Members $75/session, $405/series; Nonmembers $115/session, $621/series
This six-session series on Discovery will provide educators, adult service personnel and family members with the critical information necessary to facilitate discovery for persons with significant disabilities. This alternative to comparative assessment addresses the essential question so often overlooked by evaluations and tests, "Who is this person?" The sessions offer a comprehensive overview to discovery, the relationship to employment and transition from school to adult work, relevance to curricular outcomes and development of visual and written profile documents that capture the information learned during discovery.
Building the Corporate Business Case for Including Disability-Owned Businesses in Supplier Diversity Webinar
April 21, 2011
1:30-3:00 PM ET
Cost: None
Learn how leading Fortune 1000 companies are working to include disability-owned businesses in their supply chain.
NJC Conference: Research Challenges and Future Directions in Evidence-Based Communication Interventions for Individuals with Severe Disabilities
June 9-11, 2011
Atlanta, GA
Conference presenters and panelists include experts in the field of communication intervention research and related fields with diverse perspectives and methodologies.
Employment For All - Believe it, Achieve it!
June 14-16, 2011
Seattle, WA
Creating a Model with Business: Common Sense Approaches to Access and Accommodations Webinar
June 16, 2011
1:30-3:00 PM ET
Cost: None
On-line Employment Applications and Website Accessibility Webinar
September 15, 2011
1:30-3:00 PM ET
Cost: None
Be sure to check your state's TACE web page to learn about state and local training events.
Other Training Opportunities:
The Social Security Administration maintains a Webinar Archives, which even allows users to sign up and receive information when new webinars are available.
The AAC-RERC provides 14 free webcasts on a variety of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) topics. |
| Web Sites | |
Social Security Online offers a free, on-demand webinar [Video] that describes how to apply for Social Security disability benefits online. The presentation includes information about who can apply online, the Adult Disability Checklist, the Adult Disability Report and other documentation that must be submitted along with the application for benefits.
Career Connection Series: Ready to Choose Work? You May Already Have a Ticket is a blog entry by Dan O'Brien, Acting Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration, that describes the Ticket to Work program in layperson's terms.
Disability.gov's Other Resources Web page has information about other federal government websites that offer information about benefits, student loan programs, grants, staying healthy and many other subjects.
The Cornell University ILR School, Employment and Disability Institute conducts research and provides continuing education and technical assistance on many aspects of disability in the workplace.
Re-Able the Disabled - From Disabled to Star is the disability resource section of the TCJobs.com site. According to the site, "One way we judge our success here at TCJobs.com is by the number of jobs we help find for unemployed disabled individuals living here in Traverse City. We hope to convince employers that hiring disabled individuals is not only right thing to do - BUT THE SMART THING TO DO. Hiring a worker with a disability is both a retention strategy and an employment strategy - people with disabilities have higher than average retention rates and company loyalty." Visit the site for employment resources, including "Dispelling Disability Myths" to share with businesses in your community. |
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About the Southeast TACE Most Significant Disabilities Network News Flash:
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.
Meet the Southeast TACE staff (click on the person's name to learn more about him or her):
Chip Kenney, Project Director & Principal Investigator
Jill Houghton, Deputy Director
Steffany Stevens, Training Coordinator & Administrative Specialist
If you have any questions about TACE or would like to request technical assistance, please contact Jill Houghton at jilldh@bellsouth.net. For questions about the Southeast TACE Employment Listserv or the monthly Southeast TACE MSD Network News Flash, please contact Kim Brown at brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu. |
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