Learning Opportunities: Montana and Online
Ticket to Work: Support Services for People Who Have a Disability and Are Ready to Work
June 27, 2012
1:00-2:00 PM MT
If you are a Social Security disability beneficiary and want to make more money through work, Ticket to Work can provide the support you need to transition to greater financial independence and self-sufficiency.
Time, Travel & Transition:Using Visual Strategies for Student Success - Working with Autism Spectrum Disorders & Related Learning Needs
June 27, 2012
7:00-8:00 PM MT
This session will explore simple solutions to solve sometimes major problems related to time, travel and transition experienced by students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Fun, Sun and Healthcare Transition?
June 27, 2012
1:00-1:30 PM MT
Things are heating up with Got Transition Radio and on this episode, presenters will be talking about summer recreation and what that means for transitioning young adults.
Job Development
July 2 - 30, 2012
Cost: $125 per person; $500 for 5 registrants
This course covers specific principles associated with job development via online lectures and readings and then requires the learner to take action on his or her behalf to further develop a particular skill.
The iPad as a Personal Learning Device
July 26, 2012
12:00-1:30 PM MT
This webinar will introduce iPad users to the many applications, settings, features, functions, and apps that make the iPad a state-of-the-art personal learning device.
What's Normal? The Value of the Developmental Lens in Working with Transition-Aged Youth with Mental Health Challenges
August 7, 2012
11:00 AM-12:00 PM MT
Participants will be introduced to the latest theory and empirical research on development between ages 18 and 29. Explore distinctions between developmental vs. mental health challenges during emerging adulthood.
Weaving the Common Core through the Strands
August 8-10 2012
Salish Kootenai College, Pablo
Cost: $250
The Common Core is here... and so are RTI, MBI, GTE, IEFA, SPED, Technology... all of these great initiatives-how do we "weave" them together? Join as at the beautiful Salish Kootenai College campus and get ready for the new school year with workshops on common core, technology, behavior, gifted, special education, Indian Education and much, much more.
Supported Employment Web-Based Certificate Series
August 20-November 12, 2012
Cost: $250
This is an ACRE-certified course covering important employment strategies including assistive technology evaluation and application, developing business partnerships, career development, compensatory strategies, and much more.
Supported Competitive Employment for Individuals with Mental Illness
August 20-November 12, 2012
Cost: $250
This is an ACRE-certified course covering interagency collaboration, self-employment, workplace supports/computer supports, Social Security work incentives, and much more.
Innovative Technology for Students with ID in PSE
August 27, 2012
12:00-1:30 PM MT
Learn how new technologies, including mixed-reality environments, are transforming the learning experiences of students with intellectual disability.
Getting Started: Developing Inclusive College Opportunities
September 17, 2012
12:00-1:30 PM MT
This webinar will provide an overview of the issues involved in developing inclusive postsecondary educational opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities.
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Learning Opportunities: Other States
Autism Summer Institute
August 6-8, 2012
Concord, NH
Registration is now open for the 14th Annual Autism Summer Institute, a conference for families, educators, community service providers, and self-advocates. |
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We hope you enjoy the news and resources in our June issue of Transition Tidbits, and that they prove helpful to you as you work to promote the successful transition of young Montanans with disabilities.
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Opportunities for Youth
There are still spots available for youth to participate in the Youth Leadership and Advocacy Training in Helena June 28-29, 2012. The training will include FREE travel, accommodations and meals for all youth/caregivers attending. Please email youthmovemontana@gmail.com or TStone2@mt.gov for more information or to register.
The Addictive and Mental Disorders Division and the Children's Mental Health Bureau are looking for two young adults in the North Central Montana area who are interested in being trained as WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) facilitators. A grant will pay for the facilitator training expenses. The facilitators will then be paid a stipend to conduct WRAP training for youth and emerging adults. If interested, please contact:
Jane Wilson
Community Program Officer
Addictive and Mental Disorders Division
(406) 454-6078
jawilson@mt.gov |
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Save the Date!
Youth in Transition Workshops will be held in Great Falls on August 14, Shelby on August 15, and Havre on August 16. The times and locations will be announced in the near future. Each workshop will be a fun day of learning about resources for young people involved in mental health services who are transitioning to adult living. Parents and case managers are also invited. For more information contact Jane Wilson, Adult Mental Health Bureau: 406-454-6078 or Christine Huber, Children's Mental Health Bureau: 406-454-6088. |
Montana News
The Montana Council on Exceptional Children Special Education Research AWARD 2012 was given to Ellen Condon (Transition and Employment Projects Director) and Gail McGregor, both of the Rural Institute, at the MCEC Conference (April 25-27) in Billings, MT. Congratulations Gail and Ellen! Montana is applying for a federal Money Follows the Person grant to support opportunities to serve more individuals in home and community-based settings rather than in institutions. The Department of Public Health and Human Services is seeking input from consumers, advocates, long term care providers, and interested parties as they design the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Project. DPHHS would like to know what benefits and services are needed in your communities to support individuals in successfully transitioning to and remaining in home and community-based settings. Please join DPHHS staff to discuss this important issue: St. John's Lillis Center 2429 Mission Way Billings, MT 59102 Wednesday, June 27, 2012 1:00 - 3:00 PM Hilton Garden Inn 2520 14th St. Southwest Great Falls, MT 59404 Thursday June 28, 2012 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Consumers and family members may request travel reimbursement for mileage at the meeting. Please contact Cecilia Cowie with any questions at 406-444-4150. |
Announcements
The Winter/Spring 2012 issue of Impact [PDF], published by the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota, focuses on supporting new career paths for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is filled with thought-provoking articles by national leaders and innovators in the disability employment field.
The Case for Inclusion 2012, produced annually by United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), ranks how well state Medicaid programs serve individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. The report also provides examples of policies and practices from the top-performing states. Visitors to the UCP website can:
- Compare state & national data
- View state scorecards
- Interact with the ranking map
- See highlights of the 2012 report, top and bottom 10 states, most improved states and those with biggest drops, and facts about the best performing states
- Advocate for areas needing improvement in states, and promote achievements that maintain high quality outcomes, like eliminating waiting lists and closing large institutions
- Download the full 2012 report and previous reports
The winning videos in the Campaign for Disability Employment's 2012 "What can YOU do?" video contest have been selected. The contest, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, challenged filmmakers to produce videos showing the diverse skills that people with disabilities offer. |
Employment
Each month, the Current Population Survey (CPS) is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the survey, the May 2012 Youth Employment Rates were as follows:
Age 16 to 19: Disability - 10.5%, No Disability - 25.9%
Age 20 to 24: Disability - 33.9%, No Disability - 62.4%
Thought Sauce! Hot Ideas for Cool Employment is a downloadable manual of the most requested informational articles on Customized Employment from Griffin-Hammis Associates. Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Integrating Employees With Disabilities Into a Distribution Center Environment [PDF] is a peer-reviewed article in Professional Safety magazine that presents data from the Walgreens distribution center in Anderson, SC. According to the report, employees with disabilities show greater retention, equal productivity and equal safety related to their peers without disabilities. The Small Business Resource Fact Sheet [PDF] published by the Employer Assistance and Resource Network outlines information and resources (accommodations, tax credits, EARN, etc.) available to assist small businesses to better understand disability employment issues. |
National News
The recent SparkOpportunity Challenge asked America's youth how to create jobs and connect youth to education. 135 video submissions were submitted by young people, and the videos drew more than 10,000 votes in just 10 days. View the winning entries and see if they trigger ideas for your community! |
Post-Secondary Education
Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston has published Perspectives on Life after High School for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities [PDF]. This brief describes the findings and impact of a statewide web survey conducted in Florida for families of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The survey gathered perspectives about post-secondary education for students with IDD and information on current practices.
A Prelude to Progress: The Evolution of Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities [PDF] is a Think College brief that gives an historical perspective, discusses current realities, and imagines what comes next for individuals with intellectual disabilities who wish to attend college. |
Social Security
The Social Security Administration can fast-track the evaluation process for disability claims if they fall under its Compassionate Allowances Program, developed for applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards. |
Technology
The archived Accessible Technology's Role in Today's Workplace webcast is now available. This event, hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, is part of an online educational series designed to explore the connection between emerging technologies and the employment of people with disabilities. |
Transition
The archive of the May 24, 2012 Transition to Employment: Evidence-based Policies and Practices webinar is now available. The webinar addressed the following objectives: 1. Examine post-school employment outcomes for transition-age youth with intellectual disabilities, autism and other developmental disabilities; 2. Gain an overview of recommended and promising practices that increase employment outcomes for students with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities; 3. Discuss how research findings can be used to develop public policy to improve transition outcomes. Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder [PDF] reports on a study that found more than 50% of youth with an ASD who had left high school in the past two years had no participation in employment or education, and youth with an ASD had the lowest rates of participation in employment compared with youth in other disability categories. |
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