Council Connection
Facebook

Visit Website

Join Email List
In This Issue
Myth vs. Fact
Does
Employment First
 mean
Employment Only?
No. Employment First means finding and keeping a job should be the first option discussed with a person when identifying goals for the his/her Individual Plan. The IP should reflect goals based on a person's unique wishes, strengths and talents and identify services to support those goals.
From the Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) 
Family members and adults with DD talk honestly about working in the community-- fears, concerns, and surprises.

Camille Cain, Montgomery County Employee 
"I love my work," Cain says with pride.  
Transition & Employment
Meet Brandon Ziemke and others who draw on their own transition experiences to share words of advice and lessons learned.

Watch:  

Tips for Parents & Families 

Contact Us
Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
217 E. Redwood St. Suite 1300
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-767-3670
1-800-305-6441
MD Relay: 711
[email protected]
 SUMMER 
2015
Camille Cain, Montgomery County Employee, "I love my work!" 
www.dol.gov/odep/profiles/CamilleCain.htm
Welcome!
We welcome you to this issue of Council Connection that focuses on employment. It highlights current developments and activities in Maryland and provides a snapshot of the status of employment in the State. There is much work to be done to improve the employment outcomes of people with developmental disabilities.  It is our hope that this issue will further discussion, encourage connections and collaborations, and the sharing of ideas.

Maryland's Scorecard on Employment and Integration 

Did you know...

 

....that 33% of people who participate in a DDA funded employment or day service have an integrated job in the community? Or that 50% attend a facility based non-work program for part of or the whole day?  Despite the fact that Maryland does better than other states when it comes to integrated employment, there are still many people who are unemployed and under employed. Maryland can and must do better.  Read more about where we are now, what the data tells us, and how Maryland compares, here.

 

Not sure what "facility based non-work" is or "group integrated job"?  Definitions found here: DDA Employment Outcome Definitions


Focus on Employment:
Key State Initiatives 

Learn about five Maryland initiatives that will improve employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.  These initiatives include opportunities for Maryland stakeholders to get involved.  
DD Council Supports Phasing Out Segregated Facility-Based Day Programs & Sheltered Workshops

In December 2014, the Council adopted the following position, which we will advocate and support to see implemented:

Maryland should reduce the use of, and eventually phase out, segregated facility-based day programs and sheltered workshops for people with developmental disabilities including people with the most significant disabilities and support needs.  This requires development of meaningful alternatives that are more integrated and have adequate funding and staff support. 

 

Recent DD Council Employment Grants

The DD Council has a long history of advocating and supporting initiatives to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.  This link provides a brief glimpse of our funded initiatives: DD Council Employment Grants

The Council Supports Great Ideas with Small Grants! 

SEEC received funding for training and certification of vocational staff for employment discovery...

 

 

The DD Council's small grants (up to $2,500) support initiatives and activities in Maryland that improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families and increase their inclusion in community life. 

 

Recently the Council approved a small grant for SEEC, Inc. to contribute funding toward a training titled, Discovery, Profile Development, Customized Employment Plan and Visual Resume Three Day Learning Experience on Best Practices.  SEEC applied for the grant as a part of a Discovery Consortium that included the Spring Dell Center, Compass, The Arc of Howard County, and The Arc of Central Chesapeake.

 

Read more about the training and our small grants here.