April 2011

Southeast TACE Region IV

TACE Talks Transition 
Monthly Transition Information from the Southeast TACE

Upcoming TACE Topics 

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 VR supervisor needs to know whether their staff is job developing themselves or contracting with a community rehabilitation provider. 

 

Retention of Individuals with Disabilities and Multicultural Backgrounds into the VR Profession Part 2  

May 11, 2011

1:00-3:00 PM ET 

This webinar will provide useful information to enhance the ability of State VR agencies to effectively recruit and retain employees who reflect the demographics in their service areas. 

 

Autism 101 

May 18, 2011

12:00-2:00 PM ET

This is the first of four sessions in the Autism & Employment Learning Community Series. This webinar will address operational definitions for Autism Spectrum Disorder and related disabilities; common characteristics; tips for communicating & interacting; and common supports. 

 

Creating Workplace Partners through Work Experiences 

May 25, 2011

11:00 AM-1:00 PM ET

This webinar will address strategies for setting up and sustaining work experiences that will lead to competitive placements and employer partnerships.

 

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. 

  

Real Lives, Real Stories  

June 22, 2011

12:00-2:00 PM ET

This is the second of four sessions in the Autism & Employment Learning Community Series. The webinar will give VR personnel specific, real cases of 3-6 transition-age individuals with autism who have achieved competitive employment or are in the process of seeking and achieving competitive, customized employment.

 

From The Field 

July 27, 2011

12:00-2:00 PM ET

This is the third of four sessions in the

Autism & Employment Learning Community SeriesVR Counselors will share information and specific details about the effective approaches and supports they utilize for clients with autism.

 

Community Partnerships, Organization, & Employers  

August 31, 2011

12:00-2:00 PM ET

This is the fourth and final session in the Autism & Employment Learning Community Series. A variety of community partners, organizations, and employers will share their experiences collaborating on the employment outcomes of individuals with autism and the possibilities for employment.

 

Transition Webinar Strand: Looking Forward - Innovations in Transition

Target Audience: Leadership & Counselors 

Started in February 2011

Post Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities; Get a Job or Building Assets?; And more! 

 

Autism & Employment Learning Community Series

Target Audience: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Area Directors

Starting in May 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.

 

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

 

1/20/11

Using Discovery vs. Evaluation to Learn from Work Experiences

 

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

 

2/3/11

Postsecondary Education Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities 

 

2/10/11

Getting the Most out of Summer Transition Activities

 

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

 

3/31/11

Approaches to Understanding What an Individual Has to Offer an Employer

Upcoming Training Events

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.  
  

April 13-May 18, 2011
3:00-4:30 PM ET
Cost: $30 per session; $100 for all four sessions

April 13: Why Autism Across the Lifespan 

April 27: Issues and Considerations in Assessing Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders 

May 11: Future Care Planning for Persons with Autism 

May 18: Assessing for Autism in Children with Down syndrome: Issues and Considerations in Screening and Diagnostic Assessment Practices 
  

April 21, 2011

1:30-3:00 PM EST

Cost: None

Learn how leading Fortune 1000 companies are working to include disability-owned businesses in their supply chain.
  

April 21, 2011

3:30-4:30 PM ET
Cost: $25

Smartphones, PDAs and tablet computers can be powerful tools for managing cognitive-behavioral challenges experienced by people with autism. This presentation examines consumer platforms, applications and strategies for implementing individualized cognitive-behavioral suites.

 

National WISE Webinar 

April 27, 2011

3:00-4:30 PM ET

Cost: None

If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income, learn how you can benefit from Social Security Work Incentives, including the Ticket to Work program.  
  

May 3, 2011

12:00-1:00 PM ET

Registration Fee: $50 APSE Members/$100 Non-members

In this webinar, participants will learn about the growing Employment First movement that is happening across the United States and other countries.

5th Annual Secondary Transition State Planning Institute
May 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."
  

May 24, 2011

1:00-2:00 PM ET
Family members, youth, service providers, and researchers will offer perspectives on how to involve families in services in ways that are preferred by youth and young adults.

 

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.
  

June 14-16, 2011

Seattle, WA

 

June 16, 2011

1:30-3:00 PM EST

Cost: None
 
 

Be sure to check the TACE Events page 

for the most up-to-date training announcements.

Other Training Opportunities
The AAC-RERC provides 14 free webcasts on a variety of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) topics.
Greetings!  

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.

 

To make the TACE Talks Transition as useful as possible, we encourage you to let us know about your innovative local practices, transition tips for VR Counselors, and Customized Employment success stories. Send an email to Kim Brown at brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu and she'll schedule a telephone interview with you 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 join the listserv, they simply visit the the Southeast TACE Transition Services web site  and follow the Transition E-Mail-List link. We'll take it from there!    

And remember to visit the TACE Transition web site regularly to learn about current events in the world of transition.
NEWS FLASH!

A grant was awarded through the University of Maryland in conjunction with TransCen, Inc. to offer scholarships for an online Career Planning and Placement for Youth in Transition Graduate Certificate Program. This is a one-year, four-course, 12-graduate-credit, certificate program. It is intended for working professionals for whom the course content will be directly applicable. 

 

The deadline to apply for these scholarships is May 1, 2011. The scholarships offer a tuition and stipend award for 12 graduate credits in the University of Maryland's Department of Counseling and Personnel Services. The scholarships are intended for professionals with a bachelor's degree who are employed in special education, rehabilitation or related programs. Credits may be transferred to CSPD, CRC and degree programs in rehabilitation and related disciplines. The four courses start in September 2011 and are completed in August 2012. For more information, go to www.education.umd.edu/EDCP/placement, contact the Program Coordinator at (301) 405-2872, or email Dale Verstegen at dverstegen@transcen.org

Are you accessing the Portals?

The Portals for the TACE Transition Services are an exciting resource - are you using them? If not, 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.

Counselor Tips: 
Summer is rapidly approaching. The school vacation months offer prime transition planning and preparation time. We generally encounter fewer scheduling conflicts with young VR consumers than during the school year; more jobs and work experiences are available; it gives youth a chance to test out assistive technology in the community and in work settings; families and young adults have more opportunity to connect with local resources; continued focus on transition helps prevent skill regression; and young adults can have FUN while preparing for the future!

 

Working toward having full days in the summer will prepare youth to have a full life after high school. Research shows that "...youth with severe disabilities who are meaningfully engaged in the summers between the ages of 14 and 22 could gain a combined total of 1 to 2 years of additional opportunities to further develop their employment, self-determination, social, and recreational skills, as well as establish relationships in the community" (Carter, Ditchman, Sun, Trainor, Swedeen, & Owens, 2010). Spring work experiences and teacher expectations for summer work are positive predictors of summer employment outcomes...a summer job can be included as part of the transition IEP (Carter, Ditchman, Sun, Trainor, Swedeen, & Owens, 2010).

 

Clearly the time to start is NOW. So how can VR Counselors partner with other agencies, schools, families and consumers to maximize transition planning and preparation during the non-school months?

 

Identify Student Needs

Has the student had any work experience?

- No, and the school doesn't offer it (try a general work experience)

- No, and the student is earning a diploma (consider a matched work experience before college)

- Yes, the student has had work experiences through school (pursue a summer job)

 

Age of student?

- Younger students: exposure to work; try various tasks and environments; learn job-related skills; begin thinking about self-management and self-direction

- Older students: clarify what they want to do for work; build skills in areas of interest; learn what features of an employment environment work and don't work

- 18-21-year-olds: paid positions; expand skills and tasks in areas of interest; experience an ongoing job

 

Conduct a Local Needs Assessment

         Do schools offer off-site work experience?

         If so, what does it look like?

         If not, how can it be developed?

         What other resources are available for young adults?

         Is the local provider inside your agency or in community?

         What have students been exposed to?

         What partners should we connect with? (E.g., schools, Workforce youth projects, adult agencies such as CRPs and developmental disability service providers, friends, neighbors, family members, mental health counselors, case managers, habilitation aides...)

 

Promote Summer Transition Activities

         Developing independence skills (encourage families to work with their child to set and achieve goals such as learning to prepare a meal, developing safety strategies, building skills through chores, practicing self-advocacy, etc.)

         Testing AT in different settings, including the workplace (explore alternative support strategies such as written, picture or tech-based checklists; digital watches; cell phone alarms; iPod apps for prompts...)

         Participating in summer camps and community recreation (to build self-esteem and skills, clarify interests, establish community connections, etc...Independent Living Centers are often great resources)

         Attending classes or specialty programs (mobility and transportation training, mentoring through peers at the Independent Living Center, life skills workshops, self-advocacy classes, community/adult education classes, etc.)

         Volunteering (tie this in with the young adult's interests and work with the volunteer coordinator/supervisor to target specific tasks, develop skills, and build in necessary supports)

         Job shadowing (short-term observations based on student's interests)

         Service learning/internship (structured, hands-on, paid or unpaid)

         General, matched or customized work experience (Department of Labor guidelines must be followed; focus on conditions, interests and skills)

         Summer job/self-employment (generally for youth who have had work experiences; wages paid directly to young person who performs standardized or customized work assignments)

 

What Can We Learn from Summertime Work-Related Activities?

         What environments work/don't work?

         What type of supervision works best?

         What tasks work/don't work for this individual?

         How does this young person learn most efficiently?

         What are his/her support needs?

         How does he/she interact with coworkers? Customers?

         What support strategies are most effective?

         What motivates/interests this young adult? 

         What is the overall quality and pace of performance?

         Are there other connections that can be made through this activity/experience?

 

Give yourselves and your transition-aged consumers a head start on the next school year...work collaboratively to create a summertime transition plan this spring! 

Transition Innovation:

If you want resources to help you do a better job while enjoying it more, get on the NSTTAC (National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center) Listserve. The Listserve sends out once weekly notices of upcoming events and new resources, plus you get the "money back guaranteed" newsletter. If for any reason you feel the newsletter does not help you with your transition-related job, NSTTAC will send you a gift certificate for a free lunch in your town. To join the Listserve, send a message to Larry Kortering korteringlj@appstate.edu or Pat Braziel  brazielpm@appstate.edu.

 

America's Promise Alliance, in partnership with the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, has released a free online curriculum titled $aving Our Futures: A Financial Responsibility Program for Young People. It is designed for youth in middle and early high school to teach them about financial responsibility, and to advocate for smarter money management in their homes, communities and from elected officials.  

Employment: 

SEDL's Vocational Rehabilitation Service Models for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders Project profiles two effective programs this month:POW&R (Newark, Delaware) and Job Path (New York, NY).  

 

The National Consortium on Leadership & Disability for Youth (NCLD/Y) recently released Internships: The On-Ramp to Employment, A Guide for Students with Disabilities to Getting and Making the Most of an Internship [PDF]. This publication guides young people through the step-by-step process of finding, applying for, participating in, and even evaluating an internship.

 

The Association of Career and Technical Education's flagship magazine, Techniques, dedicated the entire March issue to apprenticeship.

 

Employment-Supportive Personal Assistance Services (E-PAS) Facilitate Employment of Persons with Serious Physical and Mental Disabilities by Raymond E. Glazier, Ph.D. (Director of the Abt Associates Center for the Advancement of Rehabilitation and Disability Services and Member of the MA Work Without Limits Initiative) describes workplace PAS and funding sources.

 

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.

 

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.
Announcements: 
Possibilities: A Financial Resource for Parents of Children with Disabilities was first published in 2004 by the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) and PACER. The popular financial planning guide is now online and has been updated and expanded. Topics include organizing financial records, managing money, preparing income taxes, health insurance options, dealing with debt, saving for college, preparing youth for adult employment, and more.
  
The Influential Role of the Job Developer: Increasing Self-Determination and Family Involvement During the Job Search summarizes research conducted at the Institute for Community Inclusion which found that job developers are perceived by family members and individuals with disabilities as the ones responsible for leading the employment process. The job developer also had a significant impact on whether or not an individual chose to accept a job.

 

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) has prepared a white paper on Mobile Devices and Communication Apps based on interviews with more than 25 AAC "thought leaders" representing multiple stakeholder groups.

Legislation/National News: 

Important changes to the ADA Title II and Title III regulations went into effect on 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 revisions to the two regulations are the same. Key changes include a revised definition of service animals to only include dogs, and distinctions between regulations applicable to wheelchairs and those applicable to other power-driven mobility devices (such as the Segway).

 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's regulations to implement the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) have been released. The regulations simplify the determination of who has a "disability" and will make it easier for people to establish that they are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). EEOC has several fact sheets that explain the ADAAA, including Questions and Answers on the Final Rule Implementing the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and Questions and Answers for Small Businesses: The Final Rule Implementing the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.

Social Security: 
Social Security has released the 2011 RedbookDownload or bookmark this handy resource for SSI and SSDI eligibility requirements, accompanying health insurance, state supplemental payments if any, and formulas for determining the monthly payment amount.

 

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. 

Featured Web Sites:

YouthRules! was launched by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2002 to increase public awareness of Federal and State rules concerning young workers. The web page provides quick access to information about Federal and State labor laws that apply to young workers, such as the hours youth can work, the jobs youth can do, and how to prevent workplace injuries. As VR Counselors develop and promote work experiences and paid employment for transition-age youth, it is critical they be knowledgeable about applicable labor laws and wage and hour regulations. Counselors may use the handy interactive map to directly access their State guidelines and ensure young workers have safe and rewarding work experiences. VRCs - bookmark these sites today for speedy future reference!

 

National Gateway to Self-Determination provides information about current best and evidence-based practices in enhancing self-determination in the lives of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

 

Autism NOW National Autism Resource and Information Center 

a national initiative of The Arc, offers resources and information for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, their families, and other targeted key stakeholders.

 

The Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence website provides information on training activities, fact sheets, and summaries of journal articles on topics related to ASD.

 

AskEARN.org, a new site launched by the National Employer Technical Assistance Center, provides a one-stop resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, and retain qualified employees with disabilities.

 

Our Ability is a new web portal for mentoring. Visit the site to view and listen to stories about successful people with disabilities in the education and business world.

 

Punch-In.org is a new self-directed Employment Assistant that is geared for young adults with disabilities seeking to enter the workforce.

 

JobTIPS is a free program designed to help individuals with disabilities such as autism explore career interests, seek and obtain employment, and successfully maintain employment.

 

Searchable Online Accommodation Resource is the Job Accommodation Network's web page for exploring various accommodations for people with disabilities in work and educational settings.

 

Workplace Accommodation Examples is a Wiki created as a means to share unique accommodation ideas. It is located at CATEA's Work RERC site at Georgia Tech. Visitors may read case studies about successful workplace accommodations and add their own.

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 youth 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):
 
Chip Kenney, Project Director & Principal Investigator
Jill Houghton, Deputy Director
Steffany Stevens, Training Coordinator & Administrative Specialist
Norciva (Civa) Shumpert, TACE Transition Consultant
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.
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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