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Transition Tidbits
Transition News and ResourcesSeptember 2014
In This Issue
Training: MT, Online
Training: Other States
MT News
Announcements
Employment
Health
National News
Post-Secondary
Social Security
Technology
Transition
Web Sites

Learning Opportunities: Montana and Online

 

The archived webinar Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: What's in It for People with Disabilities and AUCD Network is now available. The webinar highlights the job training improvements for people with disabilities in the new law and how the AUCD network can be involved.

 

The Workforce Investment Act Youth Flash Training Series offers brief (five minutes or less) trainings on a variety of youth-focused topics such as Helping Youth with Criminal Convictions Find Money for College and Paid vs. Unpaid Internships.

 

CILs and AJCs: Strategic Partnerships that Lead to Better Employment and Economic Advancement Outcomes

September 24, 2014

1:00-2:30 PM MT

Join this webinar to learn about findings and tools from a LEAD Center Demonstration Project.

 

Android Is Accessible. Really.

September 25, 2014

12:00-1:30 PM MT

This presentation discusses the level of accessibility available on Android to people who are blind or have low vision.

 

Powering Up Your Employment Potential through Accessible Technology: What People with Disabilities Need to Know

September 26, 2014

11:00 AM-12:30 PM MT

Learn how to effectively advocate for the adoption and promotion of accessible technology and why accessibility matters in the workplace.

 

Reasonable Accommodations and Youth Transitions to Employment

September 30, 2014

9:00-10:00 AM MT

This webinar will provide basic information on youth transitions to employment, including reasonable accommodations in the employment process, definition of disability, and when and how to disclose about a disability.

 

Sexuality, Education and Support for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Webinar Series Part One: The About Life Curriculum: What to Teach and When to Teach It

October 2, 2014

2:00-3:00 PM MT

Cost: $25 TASH members; $40 non-members

This session will be based on the About Life Sexuality Education Program offered within Western Carolina University's University Participant Program. 

 

2014 Chronic Illness and Disability Conference: Transition from Pediatric to Adult-based Care

October 2-3, 2014

Online Broadcast Live & in Houston, Texas

The 15th Annual "Transition Conference" delivers practical, insightful, and relevant information for physicians, social workers, counselors, faculty, staff, students, youth and young adults with chronic illness and their parents and guardians.

 

Self-Employment         

Oct. 13-Nov. 17, 2014

Cost: $250

 

Service Animals and You

October 15, 2014

1:00-2:00 PM MT 

This webinar, intended for consumers, will explore the importance of service animals and how they impact and affect a person's health and overall well-being.

 

Using Principles of Discovery and Career Enhancement

October 15-28, 2014

Cost: $159

This training focuses on developing career paths through innovative vocational assessment, career development skills, and vocational profiling for youth and adults with disabilities.

 

Montana Association for Rehabilitation Conference

October 15-17, 2014

Miles City, Montana

The conference will feature workshops such as "Education and VR: Policy Connections in Search of Practice Connections"; "Cradle to College and Career: A Different Start on a Different Path for Different Outcomes"; and "Youth Role in Transition: Can We Become the Adult Allies that Youth Need?"

 

Discovering the Possibilities with Visual Strategies: Meeting the Communication, Behavior & Social Skill Challenges in Autism Spectrum Disorders

October 15th - Great Falls

October 16th - Bozeman

October 17th - Billings

The OPI Montana Autism Education Project will provide three days of free training from Linda Hodgdon. Registration will open in September and will be advertised on the Montana Autism Education Project blog and the MAEP Newsletter

 

The New HCBS Rule: Employment/Day Guidance

October 21, 2014

11:00 AM-12:30 PM MT

As CMS articulates a new standard for what will and will not constitute Home and Community Based Services, advocates and policymakers are paying close attention to the implication for day and employment services. Join us to learn more about the potential impact and how to influence implementation relevant to employment and day services.   

 

Disability Disclosure: Supported Employment

October 27, 2014

9:00-10:00 AM MT

Nowhere is there more debate within supported employment than with the choice to disclose disability or not. It's a personal issue, and an essential consideration for job seekers and their support teams to consider.

 

Apples to Androids: Using Cool New Technology to Create Consumer Buy-In

Oct. 30-Dec. 11, 2014

Cost: $200.00

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.

 

Real Work for Real Pay for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder                

Nov. 3-Dec. 1, 2014

Cost: $150

This course will highlight the best practices that facilitate employment outcomes for individuals with ASD.

 

Montana Youth in Transition Conference

November 5-7, 2014

Missoula, Montana
This conference is an opportunity for students, parents, teachers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, case managers and others to network, explore resources, and discover pathways to meaningful futures!

 

Career Profiling - Supported Employment

November 10, 2014

9:00-10:00 AM MT

Join us as we delve deeper into the use of the career profile as a best-practice vocational tool.

 

Mental Health and Vocational Rehabilitation Collaboration: Supported Employment

December 1, 2014

9:00-10:00 AM MT

This session will highlight how SE programs and their local VR offices can collaborate. In addition, information regarding the larger statewide roll out of IPS-SE between VR and MH will be presented.

 

Rural Job Development - Supported Employment

December 12, 2014

9:00-10:00 AM MT

This session will focus on approaching job development with an eye toward social capital, economic development and even self-employment as an option.

 

 
Learning Opportunities: Other States

The Arc's National Convention

Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2014

New Orleans, Louisiana

Absorb the energy of committed volunteer leaders, chapter professionals, family members and advocates. And keep your skills fresh by learning from the best in the field and sharing experiences with colleagues from across the country.

 

Collaborations: The Building Blocks of Evidence-based Practice Conference

October 2-3, 2014

Flagstaff, Arizona

The Evidence-based Practice in Disability Disciplines Conference supplies professionals who work with individuals with disabilities the resources they need to effectively implement evidence-based practice in their respective disciplines.

 

14th Annual Autism Conference: Autism - Advances in Research and Services

October 16-17, 2014

Baltimore, Maryland

Join the premier educational autism event in the area for educators, clinicians, families, researchers and healthcare professionals.

 

2014 Think College Wisconsin Conference: Raising Expectations

October 17, 2014

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Participants will hear from one of the founders of the national Think College movement and network with other colleges and school districts in various stages of planning and implementation of college initiatives.

 

Transition Rocks

November 6- 8, 2014

Cleveland, Ohio

Participate in strands such as transition assessment, cultural diversity, postsecondary education, employment, and community partnerships.

 

OCALICON 2014

November 19-21, 2014

Columbus, Ohio

OCALICON is a national conference and exhibition on autism, assistive technology, and low-incidence disabilities (including visual impairments, hearing impairments, traumatic brain injury, and more).

 

The 2014 State of the Art Conference Postsecondary Education and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

November 20-21, 2014

Fairfax, Virginia

The conference will provide 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.

 

Be the Future: TASH Annual Conference

December 3-5, 2014

Washington, DC

For more than 38 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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Welcome to 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

Register now for the Montana Youth in Transition Conference, to be held November 5-7, 2014, in Missoula!

 

The Rural Institute Consumer Advisory Council is recruiting a representative from the Montana Developmental Disabilities Program, as well as individuals with developmental disabilities from the north and south central areas of the state to serve on the council.

 

The advisory council helps various Rural Institute projects determine necessary and appropriate activities, establish priorities, develop work plans, craft products, deliver training, and conduct evaluation activities. Term lengths run for 12 months and may be renewed. Meetings are held quarterly; one meeting is face-to-face (generally in Missoula or Helena) and the other three are conference calls. In addition, council members may be asked to serve on work groups or task forces, which could require additional meetings by conference call.

 

Travel reimbursement is available for council members. Honoraria are offered to youth/young adult members and family members of individuals with disabilities if their time to attend meetings is not compensated through a job. The Rural Institute is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to allow members to fully participate in the advisory council activities.

 

If you are interested in being considered for a seat on the Consumer Advisory Council, please contact Kim Brown and request an application form.


Announcements

The National Disability Institute is accepting entries for the My American Dream - Voices of Americans with Disabilities video contest. Individuals with disabilities are invited to create and submit a three-minute video that tells their story and the steps they plan to take to make their American Dream come true. The deadline for submissions is September 23, 2014. The grand prize winner will receive $1000, a digital tablet, and sessions with a mentor to help make their dream a reality.

 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness month. The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy offers an online Resource Toolbox to help your office plan events and activities for NDEAM.

 

The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nominations for the Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities [PDF]. The committee, mandated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, will prepare recommendations for the Secretary of Labor on (1) ways to increase employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities or other individuals with significant disabilities in competitive, integrated employment; (2) use of the certificate program for subminimum wages; and (3) ways to improve oversight of the use of such certificates. Nominations must be submitted by October 14, 2014.

 

For regular news updates from the Office of Public Instruction Montana Autism Education Project, subscribe to the MAEP mailing list.

 

The Pacific Alliance on Disability Self-Advocacy announces a new online resource for self-advocacy groups and self-advocates in Oregon, Washington, California and Montana. The website features webinars, resources, guides, and a forum for self-advocates to talk and share strategies with each other.

 

The NIDRR-funded project on Defining Success: Web-Based Transition Training for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is seeking parents of children with TBI to participate in a study assessing the effectiveness of a web-based intervention for youth with TBI transitioning from school. Qualifying participants will take a short online survey before and after visiting the Transition Web website over two months, after which they will receive $75 in compensation. For more information, email [email protected].

 

The Center for Social Capital, Inc., the non-profit affiliate of Griffin-Hammis Associates, has been retained by the Florida DD Council to work with the state Employment First Collaborative membership regarding staff development, materials, and resources. As part of their initial efforts, CSC staff members are cataloging community employment training materials, curricula, and related resources that are grounded in the values of individualization, inclusion, and real/commensurate wages. In particular, they wish to review training materials for front line staff working with youth and adults across all disability types. Curricula, workbooks, train-the-trainer guides, videos, webinars, PowerPoint presentations, on-line classes, and manuals, available for free or at a cost, are welcome for submission. If you wish to have your materials reviewed for possible inclusion or can recommend specific resources, please e-mail a brief description, preferably with a link, to Nancy Brooks-Lane.

 

In a recent edition of her online newsletter Use Visual Strategies, Linda Hodgdon described 12 Essentials Every Classroom Must Have for Autism Success.  

Employment

The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched The Young Entrepreneurs Essential Guide to Starting a Business, an online course which introduces young entrepreneurs to the basics of creating and financing a successful business.

 

An Empowerment Model of Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities in the United States by F.E. Balcazar, J. Kuchak, S. Dimpfl, V. Sariepella, and F. Alvarado (Psychosocial Intervention/Intervencion Psicosocial, 23(2), 145-150) uses case studies to describe the impact of an entrepreneurship program on the lives of the entrepreneurs who have participated thus far.

 

A special issue of the Journal of Vocation Rehabilitation has been made available online. The issue contains the European Union of Supported Employment (EUSE) 2013 Conference Proceedings. Learn about current practices from Europe and around the world to assist people with disabilities to find and maintain employment.

 

Getting the Most out of Vocational Rehabilitation [PDF] is an easy-to-understand guide for young adults.

 

Evidence-based Best Practices in the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program that Lead to Employment Outcomes, a special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, is available online at no cost.

 

Multiple Case Studies on Effective Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Practices provides an analysis of the best practice policies, procedures, practices, and structural elements that lead to successful employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

 

Separation from Supported Employment: A Retrospective Chart Review Study (Disability and Rehabilitation) reports that in this study, the largest number of separations from supported employment were due to termination, resignation, and mutual consent of the employer and employee. Common issues leading to separation included "poor work performance, attendance and punctuality problems, conflicts with the supervisor, and social and behavioral issues." (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

 

Are You Employable?, a guest post on Disability.blog, summarizes a number of qualities and attributes employers need from their employees, including desire, commitment, reliability and more.

 

Health

The Taking Charge of My Health: Partners in Health Transition website provides information and resources for teens and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to help them successfully transition from pediatric to adult health care. The website also offers a section for family members.

 

Switching to 'Adult Doctor' Sometimes Hard for Kids with Chronic Illness explores some of the challenges young people with chronic illnesses or disabilities face when transitioning from a pediatrician to a medical provider who serves adults.

 

The Health Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Toolkit for Primary Care Providers offers best-practice tools for providers and resources for patients and families. The website is divided into four categories: General Issues, Physical Issues, Health Watch Tables, and Behavioral and Mental Health Issues.

 

National News

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network recently published a resource for employers on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The brief WIOA overview includes links to additional information on the Department of Labor and Department of Education websites.

 

WIA is Now WIOA: What the New Bill Means for People with Disabilities [PDF] provides a brief overview of the disability-related provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for policymakers, federal and state agency personnel, service providers, and educators.

 

Two new videos have been posted to the ADA.gov website. The Promise of Olmstead:  15 Years Later features images and live interviews from disability rights advocates, including Sue Jamieson, the lead attorney in the Olmstead case, and people with disabilities who live independently and fully participate in their communities. Voices from the Olmstead Decision features video clips submitted by individuals with disabilities, their family members, and other stakeholders from across the nation whose lives have been positively impacted by Olmstead's promise of community integration.

 

StateData: The National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes 2013 [PDF] is now available online. The report provides state and national-level employment statistics for Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities over a 25-year period. 
Post-Secondary Education

The College & Career Readiness and Success Organizer provides a consolidated visual representation of the elements that impact a learner's ability to succeed in college and careers.


Social Security

The National Disability Institute has produced the Wage Reporting Fact Sheet for SSA Disability Beneficiaries [PDF]. The two-page fact sheet describes when and how to report wages, and how the wages are counted.

 

As part of the agency's long-range planning process, the Social Security Administration seeks ideas, opinions and feedback about how SSA should serve America in 2025. To submit comments for "Vision 2025", visit Ideascale.com and click "Submit New Idea" on the left side of the page. If you haven't used Ideascale.com before, you will have to register a new account. The deadline for comments is October 1, 2014.

 

Technology

Mobile Technology for Special Education: It's More Than Apps discusses mobile devices such as iPads, iPods and iPhones, as well as educational apps that can be used with the devices. The article includes rubrics for evaluating specific apps.

 

Apple's iPhone Is at the Center of Another Major Revolution describes several innovative uses of the iPhone as an assistive device for people with disabilities.

 

The AbleData database of assistive technology classifies almost 40,000 products by each product's intended function or any special features it possesses. 
Transition 

Public VR: The Go-To Organization for Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities is the first part of a discussion around vocational rehabilitation and transition services to youth and young adults.

 

Employment Social Skills: What Skills Are Really Valued? by M. Agran, C. Hughes, C.A. Thoma, and L.A. Scott (Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals) reports the findings of study that asked a national sample of secondary teachers to rate the importance of social skills in employment settings and the extent to which these skills were being taught. Skills rated as most important included:

  • Seeking clarification for unclear instructions
  • Arriving at work on time
  • Refraining from inappropriate touching of others
  • Carrying out instructions needing immediate attention
  • Notifying a supervisor when assistance is needed
  • Responding appropriately to critical feedback
  • Interacting well with customers/clients

(Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

 

Effect of Supported Employment on Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes of Transition-Age Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Case Control Study by P. Wehman, F. Chan, N. Ditchman, and H.J. Kang (Survey Methodology) reports study findings suggesting that supported employment services enhance the vocational rehabilitation outcomes of young adults. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

 

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? [PDF] guides young adults through the process of researching a suitable career field.

 

Decreasing Dropout Rates for Minority Male Youth with Disabilities from Culturally and Ethnically Diverse Backgrounds explores the problem of high school dropout rates among American Indian, African American, and Latino males with disabilities. The report examines the obstacles that impede these young men from graduating and offers direction to improve services.

 

The Cradle to College and Career Practice Group, part of the IDEA Partnership's National Community of Practice on Transition, has posted the Sharing Resources for the Start of School webinar and a number of other transition-related resources from around the country.

 

An Action Plan for High Schools: Voices from Key Stakeholders incorporates input from young adults on the autism spectrum, their families, employers, school professionals, post-secondary service providers and others regarding the needs of high school students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Web Sites

The Explore VR website provides access to the latest research on the public VR system. Visitors can also download the latest VR data or request a customized analysis.

 

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) is closing down. The NICHCY website will remain available until September 30, 2014. After that date, site visitors will be redirected to the Center for Parent Information and Resources.

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Please note: the Transition and Employment Projects at the University of Montana Rural Institute shares information and resources our listserv members may find of interest. We do not endorse the web sites or workshop contents or their providers, and we assume no responsibility for the validity of information provided on sites or in sessions not hosted by our agency.

 

This project is funded in whole or in part under a Contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Department.