Upcoming TACE Transition Topics |
Developing Sales Tools for Customizing Employment: The Portfolio and Visual Resume
October 27, 2011
1:00-3:00 PM ET
This webinar provides the tools that build confidence on the part of job developers and boost the relevance of a negotiated, customized relationship for employers.
Preparing for Negotiations with Employers
November 7, 2011
1:00-3:00 PM ET
This webinar provides a discussion of the components of effective customized job development representation.
Community Partnerships, Organization, & Employers
November 16, 2011
12:00-1:00 PM ET
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.
Autism & Employment Learning Community Series
Target Audience: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Area Directors
Started in May 2011 Information, tools, and tips to communicate, interact, and support individuals with autism to reach integrated, competitive employment goals.
Job Development Exchange
Target Audience: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and Community Rehabilitation Providers
Started in July 2011
The Exchange will focus on what a counselor needs to know, whether they are buying job development services or doing it themselves. The Exchange launched with an Online Toolkit for Job Placement and Employment Professionals and a series of webinars, to be followed by an evolving menu of timely resources, tools and interactive learning opportunities.
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TACE Training Archives |
2010 and 2011 TACE webinar recordings, handouts and PowerPoint slideshows are archived and available for you to access at your convenience.
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Upcoming Training Events |
TASH Webinar Series: Discovery - The Foundation of Customized Planning
Date: At your convenience through October 31, 2011
Cost per session: Individual: $35 Members/$55 Non-members; Group: $65 Members/$85 Non-members
In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, TASH has made a five-webinar series on customized employment planning available through the rest of October.
Into Adulthood: Transition to Work for Individuals with Autism Online Course
October 24-December 5, 2011
Cost: $298.07 (tuition and textbook)
This course will provide the participant with an in-depth understanding of the concepts related to positive transition planning for youth with autism.
Got Transition Radio Episode 2: Healthcare Transition & College- It Doesn't Have to be Learned the Hard Way!
October 26, 2011
3:00-3:30 PM ET
Tune into this episode of Got Transition Radio as hosts Mallory Cyr and Eileen Forlenza offer their insight about what high school students with and without special health needs might think about as they begin the college transition process.
Job Development Web Course
October 26-November 8, 2011
Cost: $149
The course includes applying marketing principles, creating various job-seeking tools, and developing business partnerships.
The Workforce Recruitment Program: Tapping the Talent of Students and Graduates with Disabilities Webinar
October 27, 2011
2:00-2:30 PM ET
Employment First: Moving From Policy to Practice
October 31, 2011
1:00-2:00 PM ET
Cost: $50 APSE Members/$100 Non-Members
This session will describe implementation of Employment First in one state aimed at expanding capacity and promoting effective and replicable models of service delivery. Audience participation will be an integral component of this presentation.
2011 State of the Art Conference on Postsecondary Education and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
November 3-4, 2011 Fairfax, Virginia
An opportunity for colleges and universities, researchers, program staff, parents and self-advocates to discuss the current state of research and practice in the field.
On the Path to Recovery: Medication, Mental Health Treatment, and the Transition to Adult Life Webinar
November 4, 2011
1:00-2:00 PM ET
Join a discussion of key issues that affect the use of psychotropic medication by young adults who are experiencing mental illness.
Alliance for Full Participation: Real Jobs--It's Everyone's Business
November 17-19, 2011
National Harbor, Maryland
Be a part of a national conference that seeks to find solutions to the challenges facing increasing integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"No Excuses" - TASH National Conference
November 30-December 3, 2011
Atlanta, Georgia
TASH brings together every aspect of the disability community to learn from one another, share best practices and unite for a shared vision.
JAN Webcast: Understanding and Accommodating Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Workplace
December 13, 2011
2:00-3:00 PM ET
Presenters will discuss situations and practical solutions for challenging workplace issues related to autism spectrum disorders.
2012 Disability Policy Seminar
April 23-25, 2012
Washington, DC
Save the date!
Be sure to check the TACE Events page
for the most up-to-date training announcements.
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Transition Portals |
Have you accessed your Portal today?
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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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. |
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Counselor Tips:
For all the latest and greatest Transition tips, attend the 2011 TASH Conference November 30-December 3, 2011 at the Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia! One of the conference highlights will be the November 30th-December 1st Employment for Youth In Transition pre-conference hosted in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services; Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation; HSC Foundation; Georgia Department of Education; and Southeast TACE.
According to TASH, "This conference within the conference features best practices in youth transition that result in integrated employment for young people perceived as the most challenging to serve. Topics covered include multi-agency partnerships and funding strategies; defining and describing 'employment first' strategies; philosophy and values that guide practice; successful transition planning; experiences during high school and post-secondary options that lead to employment; parent and student roles in successful transition outcome and much, much more." It is designed for both educators and counselors.
Southeast TACE is offering two strategies for attending: On-site participation and live streaming via the Internet!
Please try to come to Atlanta...
TACE will pay the TASH registration fee for the TACE Transition Conference ($300 per Transition Coordinator) in each Southeast state (one staff from the general rehab and one staff from the services to the blind). Please confirm that you want these two registrations as soon as possible and follow up with the names of the registrants by November 1. Please send this information to Patricia McClain in the MGA office. She will coordinate with TASH for the registrations.
Live Streaming...
Live Streaming Participation registration will open up in late October. There will not be a fee for VR agencies in the Southeast and their partners, such as VR consumers, vendors, school personnel, teachers, employers, and others involved as partners in transition, such as Medicaid-funded providers, residential staff, and college partners.
Host a Local Mini Conference!
Can't travel to Atlanta this year? Host a mini-conference in your community and invite local partners to attend the live streaming event. What a fun, easy, and inexpensive way to participate in the excitement of TASH!
1. Make a list of Transition partners in your area.
2. Choose a location that can accommodate the attendees and the live streaming.
3. Invite your partners - share your enthusiasm!
4. Drop us a quick email and let us know your plans so we can share them in the next TTT. Your ideas and initiative might encourage other communities to host their own mini-conferences.
5. If you are willing, we'd love to conduct an interview with you after your event. We can share your experiences with other TTT readers. Send us an email to schedule an interview.
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State Highlight
Thanks to Nancy Brooks-Lane for sharing this with TTT readers!
WORK WORKS FOR ALL: THE SOUTH GEORGIA EMPLOYMENT COLLABORATIVE
PROJECT ABSTRACT: Individuals with disabilities are an important, overlooked part of the labor pool. The disturbing rate of unemployment among individuals with disabilities is 14.5% compared to 9.1% for individuals without disabilities, and the labor participation rate for individuals with disabilities is 21.5% compared to 69.8% for individuals without disabilities. In a 2011 study by Robert Cimera published in the TASH journal, Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, findings indicate that supported employees returned an average monthly net benefit to taxpayers of $251 (or an annual net benefit of $3,016.08 per supported employee) and generated a benefit-cost ratio of $1.46 for every dollar spent. The comprehensive research looked at all 231,204 supported employees funded by Vocational Rehabilitation services throughout the entire United States from 2002 to 2007. As a result, the project partners from Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, Georgia Advocacy Office, Institute on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia, Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, provider networks and Employment First Georgia, alongside individuals, families, citizens, and advocates, asked "Why are there not more individuals with disabilities working?" We know the Discovery Process effectively creates an outcomes-based foundation for employment planning, and we know that Customized Employment enables a good match between the strengths, needs and interests of the job candidate and the business needs of the potential employer. Additionally, evidence-based supported employment/individual placement and support achieve quality outcomes. BUT these critical processes are underutilized. Therefore, Work Works for All evolved as one-way to attempt to impact some of these issues in Southern Georgia.
METHOD:
v Development of an Employment Collaborative as a resource for job seekers which utilizes social capital in the process of addressing employment for individuals with disabilities. We thrive when we share a sense of belonging and have meaningful connections to others. Social networks have immense value and social connections can change lives. Research indicates that 63% of individuals employed were hired as a result of social networks.
v Development of an Employment Collaborative Charter and proposal for the Southeast Technical Assistance and Continuing Education Center which is dedicated to improving competitive employment outcomes for individuals with the most significant disabilities through education, leveraging resources, shared experiences and communication.
For additional information, please contact Nancy Brooks-Lane: 404.861.6190. |
Transition Innovation:
The September National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth blog features Learning to Manage Your Money - Advice for Youth and Registered Apprenticeship: A Postsecondary Option for All Youth.
The Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults discusses the Person-centered Planning Process (PCP) in their September 2011 Connect! newsletter. As described in the article, "PCP is a method of helping a person plan for his/her future with the support of interested people. This includes: Seeing 'people' first rather than labeling them; using ordinary language rather than professional jargon; searching for a person's gifts and capacities in community life; empowering the voice of the person; appreciating a person's life history; identifying the current conditions of one's life and the changes needed to move towards a desirable life." |
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Announcements:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released an Informational Bulletin [PDF] regarding Updates to the Section 1915(c) Waiver Instructions and Technical Guide regarding employment and employment related services. The bulletin highlights the importance of competitive work, acknowledges best and promising practices, emphasizes person-centered planning, clarifies the time-limited nature of pre-vocational services (without giving specific limits), and more.
In celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the public VR program, a special edition of American Rehabilitation [PDF] was produced through the collaborative efforts of CSAVR, NIDRR, ICDR, NRA, and the ADA Network. |
Customized & Supported Employment:
The New York Times featured Autistic and Seeking a Place in an Adult World, the story of a young man on the autism spectrum pursuing his dream of working in animation.
Griffin-Hammis Associates (GHA), and its not-for-profit arm The Center for Social Capital (CSC), is currently working with several innovative state VR agencies as they adopt Customized Wage and Self-Employment strategies to better serve individuals with the most significant disabilities. Florida VR adopted a progressive self-employment policy a number of years ago and worked with CSC to develop the Certified Business Technical Assistance Consultant certification program for its vendor agencies. Over 100 people have now been certified through this program that provides extensive training, technical consultation on businesses, and resources such as spreadsheets that integrate the impacts of earnings on Social Security benefits.
Visit the TACE Transition web site for a variety of Customized Employment publications.
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Employment:
With the support of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, NCWD/Youth developed new Apprenticeship Workshop Training Materials, which will be useful for youth service professionals, workforce board administrators, state and local apprenticeship coordinators, community college representatives and other training providers, and potential and current apprenticeship employers.
Dale DiLeo's "Ending Disability Segregation" blog continues with Engineered Employment: An Inadequate Solution for Adult Joblessness and Student Transition. The post describes how some schools and disability agencies have lost focus of their mission of helping people with disabilities find good jobs.
Keeping the Promise: Self Advocates Defining the Meaning of Community Living [PDF] is a white paper produced from a March, 2011 Summit by leaders from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the National Youth Leadership Network, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, and allies. "Whether we work in sheltered workshops, enclaves, or day habilitation centers, vocational segregation of us from people without disabilities does not count as community living. It is not gainful employment if we do not have the opportunity to make money at the same levels as other people who work in our community. We lose an important aspect of community life if we spend our time only around people with disabilities, in day habilitation centers, and are not able to be included in our broader communities." "Anything that segregates us from our communities is not community."
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National News:
President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation on October 3, 2011, to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month. In the proclamation, the President stated, "I urge all Americans to embrace the talents and skills that individuals with disabilities bring to our workplaces and communities and to promote the right to equal employment opportunity for all people."
On September 27, 2011, the US Labor Department announced awards of more than $21 million in Disability Employment Initiative funding to 7 states (California, Hawaii, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin). The money is to be used to improve education, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes for youth and adults who are unemployed, underemployed and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits.
On October 4, 2011, Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY) introduced the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2011 (H.R. 3086). The bill would phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which allows employers holding special wage certificates to pay their workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. |
Post-Secondary Education:
The September Think College Newsletter is now available. This edition includes a profile of ACE-IT in College (which stands for Academic Career Exploration-Individualized Techniques), an innovative 30-month program at Virginia Commonwealth University that leads to a School of Education Certificate of Completion. Each ACE-IT student's coursework is built upon their interests and employment goals as described in their person-centered plan. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education as one of the one of the Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities.
The Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults released an updated version of their 1996 A Guide for Students Who Are Deaf-Blind Considering College [PDF]. The guide helps students identify how they best learn; evaluate the physical campus and services of a college or university; and develop questions to ask to ensure a school's programs are accessible to someone who has vision and hearing loss. Employment Activities and Outcomes of College-Based Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities [PDF] by Meg Grigal and Amy Dwyre, discusses research findings from a study of dual enrollment transition programs, in which students ages 18-21 with Intellectual Disabilities receive their final 2-3 years of public school transition services on a college campus. |
Featured Web Site:
PEPNet's Getting a Job! Tools, Techniques, and Trainings website was developed and designed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing transitioning to work and the professionals who work with them. The website offers a series of topical videos accompanied by supporting documents and related materials, educator's guides and role model videos. |
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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
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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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