|
Learning Opportunities: Montana and Online
Mobile Devices to Support Transition for Persons with ASD with Tony Gentry Join these free VisionNet sessions (or view the archived sessions online):
November 18 (archived): Interview with an expert - a vocational specialist discusses her experience using handhelds as cognitive aids with people who have autism.
December 16: Apps for us - Apps and strategies to make YOUR work easier (office/organizational apps for educators and clinicians).
January 13: PDAs for PBS - Apps as positive behavioral support tools.
February 17: Field Reports - Group discussion of how using the strategies taught in the workshop is playing out in participant's work.
All sessions run from 4:30-5:30 PM Mountain Time. OPI renewal units are available. Register on the Montana Professional Development Portal (Course ID# 3393).
The Advocacy ATLAS: Resources on Access, Support, and Advocacy in Health and Insurance
November 26, 2013
12:00-1:00 PM MT
Looking for tools to help you and your family advocate for your needs? Health advocacy organization Genetic Alliance has developed the Advocacy ATLAS (Accessible Tools for Leadership and Advocacy Success) to provide resources on leadership, communication, outreach, and advocacy skills. The webinar will explain how to navigate the ATLAS to locate resources, focusing on resources around accessing health care, communicating about your health, and insurance and financial assistance.
Promoting Positive Development among Emerging Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions
December 3, 2013
11:00 AM-12:00 PM MT
This webinar outlines the Pathways model, which describes how providers can work productively and effectively with young people who experience serious mental health conditions.
Providing Quality Training
December 4-17, 2013
Cost: $159
Join this two-week course on strategies to provide effective training for youth and adults with learning challenges.
The Affordable Care Act - aka Obamacare: Yes It Is a Good Thing - Particularly for People with Disabilities!
December 6, 2013
12:00-1:00 PM MT
Cost: $25 APSE Members/$50 Non-Members
Attendees at this webinar will be provided a comprehensive overview of the ACA and how it can assist people with disabilities in maintaining necessary health coverage when going to work. New opportunities for long-term funding for employment supports will also be discussed.
Service Animals under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act
December 10, 2013
11:00 AM-12:30 PM MT
Cost: $45 per site
Learn how the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act differ in their definitions of service animals and the protections these laws offer for people with disabilities who use service animals. The webinar will also cover when service animal handlers need documentation and what kind, the difference between "service animal" and "emotional support animal", and the rights and responsibilities of service animal handlers, housing managers, and business owners.
DSM-5: A Spotlight On Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability
December 10, 2013
12:00-1:00 PM MT
The Importance of Assessments in Helping People with Intellectual Disability and Mental Health and/or Behavioral Challenges: New Ways to Address Antipsychotic Medications and their Side Effects and Ways to Assess Trauma
December 11, 2013
1:00-2:30 PM MT
The purpose of this webinar is to introduce unique assessment approaches in two different areas. The first area concerns the national crisis in overuse of antipsychotic medications to treat challenging behavior and non-psychotic mental health conditions. The second presentation will address the assessment of trauma in this population.
Performance Coaching
December 12, 2013
12:00-1:00 PM MT
Cost: $25 APSE Members/$50 Non-Members
This webinar will give each manager/supervisor/leader the tools and resources to hire the right people, establish meaningful expectations, and motivate and develop staff to provide what the business/organization expects.
Real Work for Real Pay for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
January 20-February 17, 2014
Cost: $200
This course will highlight the best practices that facilitate employment outcomes for individuals with ASD. Participants will learn about the concepts related to implementing high quality individualized supported employment services.
Self-Employment: A Customized Career Strategy for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
April 8, 2014
12:00-1:00 PM MT
Self-employment offers an alternative work option that enables individuals with ASD to pursue their specialized interests in a work context; market their knowledge and skills creatively; integrate a variety of accommodations into the design of their business; and customize a sustainable and productive career path. JAN Consultants will discuss the self-employment option focusing both on the development of the business itself, as well as potential accommodations in a small business context.
Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC has two new asynchronous web-based classes hosted by Relias and recognized by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals: Social Security Disability Benefits and Work: Address Fears and be Part of the Solution and Supplemental Security Income and Work: Address Fears and be Part of the Solution. Registration for each course is $27.
7 Essentials for Autism & Happy Holidays: Creating Enjoyable Events with Visual Strategies is a pre-recorded webinar that shares simple ways to use visual tools that can produce huge changes in the student's ability to participate successfully in special occasion activities. Registration is $10 before December 1, 2013.
EARN has a number of archived webinars available for viewing, including Employers Can't Afford to Ignore Mental Health and Disability Disclosure and Self-identification: Benefits, Barriers and Implementable Solutions.
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 11:00-11:30 PM MT. On December 4, 2013, the discussion will be about Accessible Meetings and Events. Recordings of past episodes, including a transcript, resources and more information are available at adalive.org.
|
Learning Opportunities: Other States
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.
2014 AMCHP Annual Conference
January 25-28, 2014
Washington, DC
The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs Annual Conference will feature more than 100 sessions led by researchers, federal officials, family and youth leaders, advocates, healthcare providers, and directors of state programs.
Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Conference
January 29-February 1, 2014
Orlando, Florida
Learn the latest cutting edge information, products, services and best practices in AT for service professionals serving children, students and adults with disabilities. Hear first-hand from product leaders and successful practitioners how AT is a transformative power for the services they provide and the individuals with disabilities they serve.
|
 |
 |
|
Welcome to the latest edition of Transition Tidbits. We hope you find the news and resources in this issue useful as you support young Montanans with disabilities in their transition to adult lives.
|
|
Montana News
Montana is part of a consortium of states that has been awarded PROMISE (Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income) funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The PROMISE initiative is intended to improve the provision and coordination of services for child SSI recipients and their families. Other states in the consortium include Utah, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, and Arizona. In addition, five individual states (Arkansas, California, Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin) will receive funds.
The Missoula Area MYTransitions Regional Team is ready to start work again. The regional meetings will provide an opportunity for all those involved with or who care about Transition in the Missoula area to sit at the same table and have a conversation. Please contact Michael Beers for more information or if you are interested in attending the first meeting (still to be scheduled).
The Rural Institute Transition and Employment Projects is pleased to announce four webinars scheduled for 2014. Interested individuals may participate from their own offices or homes, and there is no registration cost for any of the sessions. As training sessions are scheduled, invitations and registration instructions are emailed to Montana Transition Listserv members. To join the Montana Transition Listserv, go to the Transition and Employment Projects Home Page and enter your email address in the box provided.
January 14th, 1-2:30 (MST)
Systematic Instruction and Job Coaching--Part One
February 18th, 1-2:30 (MST)
Systematic Instruction and Job Coaching--Part Two
March 18th, 1-2:30 (MDT)
Planning Your Transition from Pediatric to Adult Health Care
May 13th, 1-2:30 (MDT)
Self-Management Strategies for People to Live and Work Independently
|
Announcements
The National Council on Independent Living is asking for participants in a survey on disability and employment. The survey takes about 10 minutes, and everyone who completes it has the option to be entered for a chance to win $500. The results will be shared with the White House, all 50 Governors, top media, disability groups, and more. For further information, please contact Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi at jlm@laszlostrategies.com or 202-365-0787.
George Washington University invites candidates to apply for the Spring 2014 cohort for their 12-credit Transition Special Education Certificate Program [PDF]. For further information about the application process, please contact Dr. Michael Ward, Program Coordinator. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2013.
The NIDRR-funded Research and Training Center on Employment Outcomes for Individuals who are Blind or Visually Impaired is conducting a nationwide Employment Mentoring Project which will pair college students who are legally or totally blind with mentors in their career fields who are also blind. Participants are being recruited through December 2013.
APSE has issued a Call for Proposals for the 25th annual conference, which will be held in Long Beach, California on July 1-3, 2014. The conference focuses exclusively on integrated employment of individuals with disabilities. The proposal submission deadline is January 15, 2014.
The November issue of the Wrightslaw Special Ed Advocate offers information and resources to help military families locate programs, services, and supports to meet their needs.
Youth Advocate to Advocate for Youth: The Next Transition [PDF] leads young people through seven stages of transition from owning their own stories to becoming a supportive young adult for their peers.
|
|
Employment
The September 2013 LEAD On! newsletter includes articles covering the LEAD Center's First Annual Policy Roundtable to Improve Employment and Economic Status of Individuals with Disabilities; recent changes to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974; the Center's 2013 webinars; and more.
A recent article in The Montreal Gazette describes a group of deaf police officers in Oaxaca, Mexico. These officers monitor the city's surveillance cameras to look for crimes being committed. Their ability to read lips and keen attention to visual details are invaluable assets on the job.
The Office of Disability Employment Policy's Disability Blog features a number of guest blogs, including:
7 Simple Tips for Identifying, Preparing and Interviewing for Jobs
Hidden Vocational Challenges: Focus on Strengths and Solutions! and
Breaking down Geographic Barriers - Join the Virtual Discussion!
Employment First is a downloadable manual that covers 40 key elements needed to support Employment First. (Cost: $30)
Massachusetts has announced it will end new referrals to sheltered workshops as of January 1, 2014, and plans to end all sheltered work services in 2015, transitioning people in sheltered workshop programs to integrated and community-based services. Blueprint for Success: Employing Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Massachusetts [PDF] outlines the plan to implement these changes.
Barb Trader, TASH Executive Director, was this month's featured guest on the Griffin-Hammis Customized Employment Podcast, hosted by Cary Griffin. Interview topics included current trends surrounding inclusion, transition from school to adulthood, and the upcoming TASH Conference.
Vocational Rehabilitation Service Models for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Guide to Effective Employment Programs discusses the results of a study that focused on effective practices implemented by vocational rehabilitation service providers for people with ASD. The guide also outlines effective practices of VR vendors.
Facilitating Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders [PDF] is a Research to Practice Brief that describes challenges people with ASD may have when entering the workforce and offers suggestions on how to address the challenges.
Developing Model Programs for Supporting Individuals with ASD in Public VR Program through Knowledge Translation of Evidence-based Research [PDF] is a Research to Practice Brief that provides an overview of studies piloting new VR service models for people with autism spectrum disorders.
The Employment Environment: Employer Perspectives, Policies, and Practices Regarding the Employment of Persons with Disabilities by W.A. Erickson, S. von Schrader, S.M. Bruy�re, and S.A. VanLooy (Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, online ahead of print) examines employer characteristics, policies and practices as important workplace environmental factors. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
|
Health
Healthy Transitions: A Pathway to Employment for Youth with Chronic Health Conditions and Other Disabilities [PDF] is an Office of Disability Employment policy brief presenting highlights from a 2012 study on health care transition. Recommendations include education and outreach for youth, families, and other caring adults, and professional development for health care professionals that incorporates employment and transition related outcomes.
The Affordable Care Act: Goals and Mechanisms [PDF] examines the ACA and its implications for Maternal and Child Public Health.
The Health Reform Frequently Asked Questions webpage answers a number of questions about the Affordable Care Act and the health insurance Marketplace.
9 Things Millennials Need To Know About Obamacare (But Likely Don't) provides information about the health care exchanges, state-by-state differences in coverage, and employer obligations under the Affordable Care Act.
Download the LEAD Center's new monthly Policy Update - Health Care, Employment and Disability. The update is intended to "provide policymakers, disability service professionals, individuals with disabilities and their families with information about relevant policy developments regarding Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and related topics, with a focus on improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities." |
National News
The National Council on Disability released Strength in Our Differences, NCD's annual survey of federal disability policy. According to NCD Council member Janice Lehrer-Stein, "As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, NCD's report is intended to support continued progress toward achieving the goals of full equality, liberty and opportunity for Americans with disabilities." The report is divided into four subject areas:
- Ratification of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Economic Empowerment
- Health Care and Access to Medical Treatment
- Community Integration
|
Post-Secondary Education
This month, Think College Stories introduces readers to Vanessa [PDF] from VAST Academy and Houston Community College and Ian [PDF] from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. The October 2013 Think College E-News includes Student Stories, an introduction to the College Life Pack free-to-download vocabulary collection, information about post-secondary programs, and more. |
Transition
Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue: Participation Metrics [PDF] summarizes the results of the May 13-27, 2013, Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue. The dialogue was hosted by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration. Participants were invited to share their ideas and comments about barriers and opportunities to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities.
Translating Research into a Seamless Transition Model by Debra M. Luecking and Richard G. Luecking (Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 2013, online ahead of print) reports on how a model for delivering seamless transition services has been applied in Maryland for diverse special education populations.
(Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
State Differences in the Vocational Rehabilitation Experiences of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities [PDF] examines outcome statistics of a cohort of youth who applied for VR services from 2004 through 2006. The study addressed the following questions:
- To what extent does each state's population of transition-age youth with disabilities apply for VR services?
- Among those who apply, how likely is it that a transition-age youth will receive services?
- What proportion of youth who receive VR services have their cases closed with an employment outcome, and how does that compare with the employment rate for the state's entire population of transition-age youth with disabilities?
In his Transition from School to Work: Time to Move Out from your Classroom Walls blog post, Dale DiLeo urges schools to move into their business communities, build flexible career development curricula that are customized for each student, and engage their local employers.
Linking Youth Transition Support Services: Results from Two Demonstration Projects is now available on the Quality Mall website. This research article describes two projects designed to help older youth with disabilities access adult services and supports.
Transitioning Youth with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities: Predicting Community Employment Outcomes by M.L. Simonsen and D.A. Neubert (Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, vol. 36, no. 3, 2013, pp. 188-198), reports findings from a study that examined community employment outcomes for 338 transitioning youth with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in one state 18 months after exiting public school. The study found that race/ethnicity, family expressed preference for paid work in the community, paid work experience, and self-management and community mobility skills were predictors of community employment. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
An Exploratory Survey of Transition Teaching Practices: Results from a National Sample by Y.K. Pham (Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, vol. 36, no. 3, 2013, pp. 163-173) found that secondary special educators reported teaching skills related to disability awareness, self-advocacy, goal setting and attainment, and utilization of supports more frequently than those related to employment. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
During Meetings I Can't Stand it When... A Guide for Facilitators and Team Members [PDF] offers suggestions and strategies that meeting facilitators and team members can use to promote meaningful youth participation in planning meetings. Tips for Your Team Meetings: A Guide for Youth [PDF] shares suggestions and strategies to help young people become more involved in their team meetings.
Project SEARCH with ASD Supports: A Randomized Clinical Trial to Explore Competitive Employment for 18-to-22-Year-Olds with Autism Spectrum Disorders reports the findings of a Virginia Commonwealth University study. According to the report, youth with autism between the ages of 18 to 22 achieved employment at 87% in Project SEARCH with Autism Supports, while a control group only achieved employment at 6%. |
Web Sites
The Genetic Alliance's Advocacy ATLAS: Accessible Tools for Leadership and Advocacy Success features a variety of resources organized by topic areas such as Access to Healthcare, Insurance and Financial Assistance, Transition to Adulthood, and Communicating about Your Health.
The Jenny Hatch Justice Project seeks to "inspire and support strength and justice through advocacy, information, research and education, by giving people with disabilities, families, advocates, attorneys, and professionals the tools they need to protect and promote the rights of people with disabilities to make their own choices and determine their paths and directions in life." The project's website features a variety of resources promoting alternatives to guardianship.
The LEAD Center (National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities) website houses publications, webcasts, and other resources to expand employment and leadership opportunities for people with disabilities.
The ADA Legacy Project launched their website, which will provide news, updates, scheduled events, and information on partners who are preserving disability history, celebrating its milestones, and educating the public and future generations of advocates.
|
|
|
|
|
