| TACE Learning Communities | |
The Asset Development Exchange (ADX) is designed to improve employment outcomes and retention through financial stability. Asset building strategies and information can sometimes make the difference between an unsuccessful closure and a successful employment outcome. SE TACE wants to ensure counselors have the information and resources they need to assist their clients in obtaining financial stability.
TACE's Job Development Exchange (JDX) provides VR professionals with the information and tools they need to successfully engage employers and address a wide range of barriers to employment. |
| TACE Archives | |
2010-2013 TACE webinar recordings, handouts and PowerPoint slideshows are archived and available for you to access at your convenience. |
| Other Learning Opportunities |
ADA Live! is a free monthly internet radio show broadcast by the Southeast ADA Center. The live call-in show can be heard the first Wednesday of each month from 1:00-1:30 PM Eastern Time. Recordings of past episodes, including a transcript, resources and more information are available at adalive.org.
Social Media and People with Disabilities: Building Online Networks to Enhance Community Engagement and Create a Level Playing Field
October 21, 2013
8:00-9:00 PM ET
Join this evening webinar for an overview of several social media networks and how social media can be used as an engagement tool by people with disabilities. Learn how social media sites work with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and on mobile devices.
Recovery on Campus: Supporting Young Adults with Mental Health Difficulties in Post-secondary Education Settings
October 22, 2013
1:00-2:00 PM ET
This webinar will focus on supporting young people with mental health difficulties, including co-occurring substance abuse, who are engaged in post-secondary education.
A Time for Change... Sheltered Workshop Conversion
October 22-23, 2013
Burlington, Vermont
Cost: $350
Examine the issues of policy change, training, and culture-shift needed to foster the conversion of sheltered workshops to community-based employment services. State policy makers, Developmental Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Advocates, and Families are encouraged to attend.
Innovative Research on Employer Practices: Improving Employment for People with Disabilities
October 22-23, 2013
Washington, DC
This state-of-the-science conference is hosted by the NIDRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes among Individuals with Disabilities (EP-RRTC).
Employment-Renewed Investments?
October 23, 2013
1:00-2:00 PM ET
This webinar will share the renewed developments in supported employment and the threats that remain to further improvement and expansion that must also be addressed.
Ticket to Work: Free Support Services for People with a Disability Who Are Ready to Work
October 23, 2013
3:00-4:30 PM ET
Learn about the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program and support services for people who are ready to work. This session will also feature information about self-employment.
Home Again and Back to Work: The Employment of Veterans with Disabilities
October 24, 2013
2:00-2:30 PM ET
This webinar will briefly consider two research studies. One study surveyed 421 veterans with disabilities to describe their readiness to enter (or re-enter) the workforce as a person with a disability. The other surveyed 1,083 HR professionals to describe their knowledge, expectations and practices around employing veterans with disabilities. This webinar will explore and discuss the practice implications of these studies for employers, disability service providers and veterans themselves.
Build your Community Based Organization (CBO) Network for Employment Success
October 30, 2013
2:00-3:15 PM ET
Cost: $50 APSE members/$100 non-members
Learn from best practice examples how to leverage you and your network for successful and sustainable employment outcomes without losing funding for placements.
Technology Interventions for People with Cognitive Disabilities
October 30, 2013
3:30-5:00 PM ET
Cost: $49
Research about cognitive support technologies (CST) indicates that it can help people with a wide range of disabilities to increase their participation in everyday activities. This session will explore CST - how these technologies support independence and self-determination for people with cognitive disabilities.
Apples to Androids: Using Cool New Technology to Create Consumer Buy-In
November 4-December 19, 2013
Cost: $200
New popular technology gadgets such as the iPad/iTouch/iPhone, Kindle, and Droid present endless possibilities to positively impact people's lives. This course will provide an overview of each type of device and some of the applications most relevant to individuals with disabilities. Through real life scenarios, you'll learn how this technology applies to the field of rehabilitation.
Job Coaching and Workplace Supports
November 6-19, 2013
Cost: $159
This 2-week course will cover effective job design, instructional and behavioral support strategies, and the development of natural and co-worker supports.
Supported Employment for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury
November 11 - December 9, 2013
Cost: $125
This course will offer participants an overview of TBI and the supported employment literature; suggestions on specific strategies to use to get to know the job seeker; a look at possible workplace supports with an emphasis on compensatory memory strategies; and some insight into ways to provide pro-active job retention services.
Inclusive Higher Education: Moving from Good Ideas to Great Outcomes
November 16-17, 2013
Washington, DC
Cost: $190
This event will feature both general and concurrent sessions on topics such as Current Strategies, Lessons Learned, Policy and Legislation, Funding, and more. Come, learn, share, and stay to network with colleagues from across the country at the Inclusive Higher Education Reception.
Customized Self-Employment
November 18, 2013 - January 27, 2014
Cost: $250
This online course is being offered by Virginia Commonwealth University's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center in collaboration with Griffin-Hammis & Associates. Discussion groups will be led by nationally known experts in self-employment from Griffin-Hammis & Associates.
A Movement United - 2013 TASH Conference
December 11-14, 2013
Chicago, Illinois
For more than 37 years, the TASH Conference has impacted the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders in the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.
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| Greetings!
We are pleased to bring you the latest Southeast TACE Serving Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities Network News Flash (MSD Network News Flash). In this edition, you will find Announcements, National News, Upcoming Learning Opportunities, and our other regular features.
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Asset Development Exchange 30-Second Trainings:
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Announcements:
Remember that October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! This year's theme is "Because We Are EQUAL to the Task." For more information about this national campaign to raise awareness about disability employment issues, visit the Office on Disability Employment Policy website.
The Summer 2013 issue of Connect!, the Helen Keller National Center's online newsletter, includes articles about the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program, apps used by people who are deaf-blind, Deaf-Blind Awareness Week activities, and much more.
Alabama is one of eight states that will receive a Disability Employment Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The funding is to be used to provide education, training and employment opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Evidence-Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation (RRTC-EBP-VR) "is designed to generate knowledge and evidenced-based vocational rehabilitation practices that improve employment rates, and quality of employment for persons with disabilities."
Linda Hodgdon's online newsletter features 8 Things Support Staff Absolutely MUST Understand about Students with ASD. In this article, the author shares key concepts that are applicable in all environments and for people of all ages with an autism spectrum disorder.
Wisconsin Vocational Rehabilitation recently adopted policy [PDF] that they will not pay for VR services delivered in sheltered workshops, including vocational evaluations, work adjustment, etc. Also, VR will not pay for any vocational evaluation that concludes a person is unemployable or needs pre-vocational services.
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Employment:
Functional Limitations in TBI and Their Relationship to Job Maintenance Following Work Re-entry by L.K. Artman and B.T. McMahon (Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 39(1), 13-21) describes the results of a study examining the relationship between self-reported functional limitations and job maintenance for individuals with traumatic brain injury. Memory loss and attention/concentration concerns were the most common limitations reported by participants. The report includes implications for rehabilitation counseling. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
ACN Connections - It's a match: Matching the Right People to the Right Job is an archived webcast describing the partnership between ACN Connections and Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation. ACN Connections is the employment department at the Autism Center of Nebraska. It has a 76% successful placement rate of individuals with ASD into competitive work placements.
Disability Scoop recently reported on a study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota that compared accuracy and speed of men with and without high-functioning autism screening baggage x-rays for weapons. The men with autism were as accurate and nearly as fast as the men without autism. Over time, the men with autism showed improved performance; performance of the men without autism declined.
Customized Self-employment and the Use of Discovery for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities by K.L. Heath, K.M. Ward, and D.L. Reed (Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 39(1), 23-27) examined the relationship between Discovery (a method to identify a job seeker's interests, supports, connections and skills) and successful business launch. Findings from the four-year StartUp Alaska demonstration project suggest there is an association between the use of Discovery and business start-up success. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Job Development Guidelines in Supported Employment by S.J. Swanson, D.R. Becker, and G.R. Bond (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 36(2), 122-123) provides a framework employment specialists can use to develop long-term relationships with employers that will benefit both job seekers and the employers. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Striking While the Iron Is Hot: The Effect of Vocational Rehabilitation Service Wait Times on Employment Outcomes for Applicants Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits
by T. Honeycutt and D. Stapleton (Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 39(2), 137-152) reports that longer VR wait times are associated with lower employment outcomes for SSDI beneficiaries. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Quandary of Hidden Disabilities: Conceal or Reveal?, an article in The New York Times by Katherine Bouton, uses a number of real-life examples to illustrate the complexity of deciding if/when to disclose a hidden disability.
Each year, the Job Accommodation Network updates the Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact publication. Consistent with previous years, the 2013 study findings show that the benefits employers receive from making workplace accommodations outweigh the costs.
Work at Home Requests: A Reasonable Accommodation? discusses telecommuting and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
On October 3, 2013, Dr. Steve Hall, former provider, school teacher, State DD and Mental Health Director, expert in Medicaid and systems change joined Cary Griffin (Griffin-Hammis Associates) for an informative discussion about community employment, systems change and Medicaid. Listen to the archived recording on the GHA website and visit Dr. Hall's blog.
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National News:
On July 10, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration submitted a Policy Directive [PDF] to revise its Vocational Rehabilitation Program Case Service Reports. Customized and self-employment services will be included in reporting data effective October 1, 2013. |
Post-Secondary Education:
According to the program website, VCU ACE-IT in College is a "five-semester inclusive, on-campus college experience for young adults with intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, or autism. With the support of an education coach, ACE-IT in College students take VCU classes and participate in VCU activities. In addition to taking classes, students participate in internships, employment, service learning, and social experiences, as the goal of the program for each student is competitive employment in an area in which the student is interested and can excel in through taking VCU courses."
Think College Stories introduce readers to Will [PDF] at the College of Charleston; Brent [PDF] from SITE at Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis; Jose [PDF] from Project Stingray at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg; and Rebecca [PDF] from Next Steps at Vanderbilt University, Nashville.
Post-secondary Students with Disabilities Receiving Accommodations: A Survey of Satisfaction & Subjective Well-being by H.J. Reinschmiedt, M.E. Spring, B. Dallas, F.D. Buono, and T.D. Upton (Journal of Rehabilitation, 79(3), 3-10) reports the findings of a study that examined subjective well-being and student satisfaction with education accommodations for postsecondary students with disabilities. According to the report, "The 5 accommodations receiving the highest satisfaction scores were: (1) assistive reading technology, (2) testing with accommodation, (3) text conversion services, (4) reader/writer/interpreter, and (5) assistive listening technology. Six accommodations receiving the lowest satisfaction scores were: (1) academic advisement and counseling, (2) assignment extensions/modifications, (3) taped lectures, (4) academic accommodation planning, (5) tutorial support/one-on-one assistance, and (6) classroom accommodations."
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Social Security:
Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program: Overview and Current Issues by William R. Morton provides an overview of the Ticket to Work program and other work incentive programs created by Ticket to Work legislation. The report also discusses issues surrounding Ticket to Work implementation.
My Social Security allows individuals to access their personal Social Security information, including benefit and payment details, earnings records, estimates of futures benefits, etc. The online service also allows people to change addresses, phone numbers and direct deposit information.
Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) programs offer in-depth information and individual counseling about Social Security disability benefits and the effect of work on these benefits. Funding for the WIPAs was reauthorized and projects resumed as of August 1, 2013.
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Technology:
Nick, the star of the newest AT in Action video, owns his own lawn-care business. He uses assistive technologies to drive, operate his laptop computer, and more.
The VA PTSD Coach Online offers exercises, tools and strategies for coping with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Disruptions: Visually Impaired Turn to Smartphones to See Their World, an article in The New York Times, shares a variety of ways in which people with visual impairments use their smartphones and apps to navigate (and to enjoy) the world. Top Ten Free Mental Health Apps provides links to mobile apps clients may find useful for their mental health toolkits. |
Websites:
The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision website houses a variety of resources and publications VR Counselors might find useful.
Ramps.org is a clearinghouse for information about ramps. The site includes an online directory of ramp builders and accessibility programs across the United States.
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Please forward this MSD Network New Flash to agency staff, parents, individuals with disabilities, and anyone else you think might find the information useful.
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 Serving Individuals with Most Significant Disabilities Network News Flash, please contact Kim Brown at brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu.
To unsubscribe to the Southeast TACE Employment Listserv, use the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this message or send an email with "unsubscribe employment" in the "Subject" line to brown@ruralinstitute.umt.edu. Please do not flag the messages as spam - this may prevent delivery of the web blasts to other people using your Internet provider who wish to continue receiving the TACE MSD News Flash.
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About the Southeast TACE Serving Individuals with 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 Team:
Chip Kenney, Project Director & Principal Investigator
Jill Houghton, Network Coordinator, Organization Development Specialist
Abby Cooper, Consultant
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