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Transition News and Resources - March 23, 2016
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Register now for the Montana Youth in Transition (MYT) Soft Skills Train the Trainer Sessions! For youth who are new to the job market, understanding soft skills is a difficult but important step in their growth. To support these students and young adults, and the professionals who serve them, the Montana Youth in Transition Project has developed a youth-oriented soft skills curriculum. The course includes free access to the MYT Soft Skills Curriculum (including updates), with a variety of activities and exercises proven to engage and motivate youth and young adults to enter the world of work, with a focus on effective communication and personal decision making. This training is appropriate for anyone supporting youth in preparing to be or who are currently employed. The MYT Soft Skills Curriculum also demonstrates techniques for teaching students with a wide variety of learning styles and abilities.
All sessions will be held from 9:30 AM until 2:30 PM.
April 1: Great Falls - RSVP by Monday, March 28 at 5:00 PM.
April 19: Libby - RSVP by Tuesday, April 12 at 5:00 PM.
April 21: Polson - RSVP by Friday, April 15 at 5:00 PM.
The registration fee is $30 per person, payable to "NCILS/MYTransitions". To register for this session, please email mylfjuneh@bresnan.net with "Insert Name of City Soft Skills Training" in the subject line. In your message, include the names of individuals attending the session and the name of their employer. Please include information about how payment will be made and if your agency will need to be invoiced. For more information, please email mylfjuneh@bresnan.net or call 406-442-2576. 4 CEU credits (OPI) and 4 SWP/MFT/LAC credits will be available.
Recruitment continues for the 2016 Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF)! If you know of high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors with disabilities who you think may benefit from this program, please invite them to apply. Those who have previously attended MYLF as delegates and others with an interest in youth with disabilities may volunteer to serve as staff members. MYLF is scheduled for July 18-22 on the Carroll College campus in Helena. The application deadline for both delegates and staff is March 25, 2016.
Montana Vocational Rehabilitation has partnered with the University of Montana's Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities to offer Movin' On in Montana, a free summer transition program for high school students. This is a four-day, on-campus experience for any Montana high school student (age 15-19) with a disability who is considering college. Students will stay in a residence hall, attend seminars, take campus tours, experience a college lecture, become familiar with student resources and participate in community activities. Seminar topics include assistive technology, self-advocacy and choosing a college major. This year's session will take place June 27-30, 2016. The registration deadline is May 1, 2016.
Save the date for the first-ever Disability Employability Conference to be held in Great Falls May 11-13, 2016. This conference will provide information to assist in exploring and understanding employment options. Employers, job seekers, educators, families, and program staff are encouraged to attend. More information will be available soon.
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For timely news about autism research, upcoming learning opportunities and more, subscribe to the Montana Office of Public Instruction's Montana Autism Education Project Newsletter.
A new resource is available for transition services in the state of Montana. Through a contract with Montana Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services, the Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) Technical Assistance Center will provide technical assistance to Montana schools and VRBS staff regarding Pre-ETS for high school students. If you would like to learn about Pre-ETS training opportunities, resources, technical assistance availability and more, join the Montana Pre-ETS online mailing list.
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The HEATH Resource Center offers an online Job Application Process Module developed to help youth learn about the job search, application, and interview processes, and to identify key resources and strategies for finding and securing employment.
Understanding Barriers to Competitive Employment: A family Perspective by G.L. Francis, J.M.S. Gross, A.P. Turnbull, and R. Turnbull (Inclusion, 2(1), 37-53) examines the perceptions of barriers to competitive employment among 68 families who attended Family Employment Awareness Training. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Employment for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Retrospective Review of a Customized Employment Approach by P. Wehman, V. Brooke, A.M. Brooke, W. Ham, C. Schall, J. McDonough, S. Lau, H. Seward, and L. Avellone (Research in Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 53-54, 61-72) provides a retrospective review of 64 individuals with ASD who were referred to a program for supported employment services from 2009 to 2014. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
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Supporting Students with Asperger Syndrome on College Campuses: Current Practices by G.P. Barnhill (Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 31(1), 3-15) examines the accommodations accessed and the support services provided, including support groups, counseling, supervised social activities, and summer transition programs. The author offers recommendations for implementing support programs. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Does College Training Have a Role to Play in VR? from Research In Focus: A Weekly Digest of New Research from the NIDILRR Community, looks at the impact of college and university participation as a vocational rehabilitation intervention for job seekers with disabilities.
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Self-Advocacy and Advocacy
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The Easter Seals Thrive program seeks to support and empower young women with disabilities. Thrive is an online community offering chats, events, social media pages, and more. Disability.Blog recently featured a guest post describing the author's experience with Thrive.
Speaking Up for Yourself and Other Youth, a resource page of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, defines "advocacy", offers tips young people can use when advocating for themselves in treatment situations, and connects youth with several state and national youth advocacy organizations.
Youth Organizing! Disabled and Proud (YO!) is a California-based youth education and advocacy group. The YO! website offers a variety of youth leadership, advocacy, and self-advocacy resources, many of which are relevant to young people across the country.
Speak Up! guides young adults with disabilities through the skills they need to map out personal goals, learn about rights and responsibilities, ask for help in ways that get results, and get organized.
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Subscribe now to the PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment e-newsletter featuring important national news and resources on transition planning, employment, postsecondary education for youth and young adults with disabilities, and other related topics.
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The Office of Disability Employment Policy has launched a new webpage highlighting the Employment First, State Exchange on Employment and Disability, and States as Model Employers programs.
The ABLE National Resource Center has launched a website which will serve as a clearinghouse for ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account information.
The Universal Design Website provides access to universal design resources, including articles, links, and other new content from multiple sources.
The Center for Parent Information and Resources website includes an Employment Connections page, which offers tips for getting started, understanding the network that's out there to help, reasonable accommodations in the workplace, job coaches, and supported employment. |
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Learning Opportunities - Montana and Online
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March 23, 2016
1:00-2:30 PM MT
Join this webinar to learn how Ticket to Work and other Social Security work incentives can help beneficiaries reach their financial goals. Presenters will share tips, tools, and resources around basic financial knowledge such as budgeting and expense tracking; understanding tax benefits; and asset building.
March 24, 2016
10:30 AM-12:00 PM MT
This Montana-specific webinar will provide an overview of the Pre-ETS provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); specific activity ideas for each of the five Pre-ETS categories; and an introduction to services available through the Montana Pre-Employment Transition Services Technical Assistance Center.
March 24, 2016
1:00-2:30 PM MT
Join this webinar to learn more about the Independence Through Employment Toolkit, a collection of resources for CILs and AJCs to deepen their understanding of each other's services and structure to improve the lives of job seekers with disabilities through employment.
March 29, 2016
12:00-1:30 PM MT
Learn how ABLE accounts might interact, and compare to, special needs trust, pooled income trusts, and financial and benefits planning.
March 30, 2016
2:00-3:00 PM MT
Visual supports help the person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder make sense of their environment, understand what is being asked of them, and complete tasks more successfully and independently. During this webinar, the presenter will give real-world examples ranging from early childhood to adulthood that address academic, communication, and social goals, plus daily living activities.
March 31, 2016
11:00 AM-12:00 PM MT
Part of a monthly webinar series exploring policy issues for people with developmental disabilities, family members, and advocates.
April 7, 2016
8:30 AM-12:30 PM MT
Billings, MT
This session will introduce participants to strategies that enable them to envision the possibility of community employment for everyone; assist in identifying interests, aptitudes and skills of people with significant disabilities; illustrate how to include all students in work-based learning opportunities; and provide strategies for approaching employers to negotiate a job for an individual with a disability. While this session will focus on students with significant disabilities, the content will be applicable for all students who need some flexibility and creatively to be successful in employment.
April 7, 2016
12:30-4:00 PM MT
Billings, MT
Presenters Abby Cooper and Roger Shelley and members of the Pre-ETS Technical Assistance Center team will meet with Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and/or schools to strategize how the information and strategies shared in the morning session can be incorporated into school work plans with VR and identify additional technical assistance, training and support needed from the Pre-ETS TAC.
April 12, 2016
1:00-2:30 PM MT
During this webinar, the presenters will describe assistive technology (AT), both high- and low-tech, to help young adults with disabilities succeed at school and at work. Ideas for funding will also be shared.
April 12, 2016
1:30-2:30 PM MT
Joel Carver will discuss how he became who he is today and the path he took to be a William and Mary student in the center of the first college-supported Neurodiversity group in the nation.
April 13, 2016
April 20, 2016
April 27, 2016
4:00-6:00 PM MT
The first webinar session will focus on the process of building student portfolios. Session two will describe goal tracking tools and strategies for actively involving students in setting goals and self-evaluating their performance. In the third webinar, participants will learn strategies for helping students experience increased positions of leadership in the school community.
April 14, 2016
10:30 AM-12:00 PM MT
Matching students with work experiences in rural communities may be a rewarding experience for not only the student, but the community, too. In this webinar, learn techniques for employment matching and community engagement in our rural Montana communities. Materials and worksheets will be provided.
April 14, 2016
12:00-12:45 PM MT
The presenter will examine employer engagement strategies and demand-side factors associated with employment of people with disabilities. Effective strategies and tools will be presented.
April 18-May 16, 2016
Cost: $125
This course will take a closer look at customized employment and how it can facilitate employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. It will also review strategies for collaboration and braiding funding to support the needs of an individual with a disability to be successfully employed in the community.
April 20, 2016
1:00-2:00 PM MT
This webinar will share best practices in college program staff training and ongoing support, and offer several strategies for assuring that staff have the appropriate training to support students with ID in career development and employment activities.
April 25-June 6, 2016
Cost: $300.05
This course provides participants an understanding of the issues, challenges, and strategies that are involved with helping youth with autism transition to work and participate to the fullest degree in society.
May 2-July 25, 2016
Cost: $325
This course provides an extensive overview of supported employment and how to facilitate competitive jobs for individuals with significant disabilities.
May 10, 2016
1:00-2:30 PM MT
Detailed description available soon.
May 10, 2016
1:30-2:30 PM MT
This webcast will discuss the importance of using person-centered planning tools for individuals with ASD pre-k through adulthood.
May 23-June 20, 2016
Cost: $125
The course will cover Supported Employment/Customized Employment; Job Development; Business Research; Employer Relations; Job-seeker Representation; Employer Concerns; and more.
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Learning Opportunities - Other States
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April 6-9, 2016
Washington, DC
The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs annual conference that was canceled due to severe weather in January has been rescheduled. Information for current and new registrants is now available, along with details about the conference program.
April 17-19, 2016
Sioux Falls, SD
Plan to attend the University of South Dakota's Center for Disabilities 2016 Symposium, featuring nationally renowned keynote speakers, presentations on leading edge topics such as Supported Decision Making, multiple breakout sessions, and more.
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