Recovery with Results, Not Rhetoric

This report was undertaken by staff from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston pursuant to a task order from the Office of Disability and Employment Policy within the U.S. Department of Labor. While the great majority of the funding was provided by ODEP with an additional small amount allocated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the intent of this report was to provide guidance to both ODEP and the Employment Training Administration. This focus is meant to assist them in their respective roles in ensuring the workforce development system as envisioned under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, including within its Section 188 non-discrimination provisions, promotes universal access for customers with disabilities, including those attendant to mental illness

Case Studies of Local Boards and One-Stop Centers: Tackling Fiscal Issues

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) established a network of One-Stop Career Centers by integrating different employment and training services into one comprehensive workforce investment system. Within this environment, One-Stop partners are mandated to collaborate to create a seamless service delivery system that enhances access to services and improves employment outcomes for all individuals, including those with disabilities. WIA\u27s intent was to establish local workforce development systems that would respond to their areas\u27 specific needs with unique solutions and creative partnerships. In addition to service delivery, WIA encourages One-Stop partners to share in the operating costs of the One-Stop facility and contribute towards costs and services that benefit all One-Stop partners and their customers. While the potential benefits are clear, the practicalities of implementing these changes at the One-Stop level are challenging. This brief shares some of the strategies that One-Stop partners have used to address this challenge. This brief is part of a series of products offering practical solutions for Local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers as they strive to serve all customers, including those with disabilities. Topics covered in other briefs include partnerships with Vocational Rehabilitation, models of involvement for community-based disability organizations, addressing staff knowledge and concerns, and the underutilization of One-Stops by individuals with disabilities. The source of the information presented below is from case studies conducted in Los Angeles, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Wilmington, Delaware; New Orleans, Louisiana; Utica, New York; and Clark County, Washington. These case studies were conducted by researchers at the Institute for Community Inclusion at University of Massachusetts Boston. The quotes used in this brief are drawn from our interviews with One-Stop partner staff. To preserve confidentiality, staff names and titles have been omitted

Case Studies of Local Boards and One-Stop Centers: Creative Involvement of Community-Based Disability Organizations at One-Stop Career Centers

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) facilitates partnerships among organizations for more coordinated service delivery to all job seekers. Although the state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency is the only disability agency or program that is a mandated partner under WIA, community-based disability organizations (CBOs) can also work with One-Stop Career Centers to enhance their capacity to support customers with disabilities. Through case study research, the Institute for Community Inclusion identified several models of involvement between CBOs and One-Stops. These models illustrate that organizations can be creative in developing their partner roles to meet the needs of both their staff and their customers. This brief is part of a series of products offering practical solutions for Local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers as they strive to serve all customers, including those with disabilities. Topics covered in other briefs include fiscal issues, strategies for maximizing staff comptencies, and partnerships with Vocational Rehabilitation (VR). The source of the information presented in this brief is from case studies conducted in Los Angeles, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Wilmington, Delaware; New Orleans, Louisiana; Utica, New York; and Clark County, Washington. These case studies were conducted by researchers at the Institute for Community Inclusion at University of Massachusetts Boston

Economic Engagement: An Avenue to Employment for Individuals with Disabilities

The role that employment has played for persons with disabilities over the past several decades has moved from one of no engagement in the workforce to a realization that persons with disabilities can work and are interested in working. The shrinking workforce has increased employers\u27 interest in looking at the full range of potential workers, including those previously considered unemployable. The growing economy—coupled with the declining birth rate, the increase in technology and supports for a diverse workforce, and the increasing expectation that all persons should be provided with the opportunity to work—has led to a new view of individuals with disabilities. Many persons with disabilities perceived as not able to seek employment were not included in the unemployment statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor and thus were not counted as part of the available workforce. Labor force participation rates of persons with disabilities are less than one-third of those without disabilities. Legislative and administrative initiatives in the past ten years have stressed equality of opportunity and workforce participation of persons with disabilities as a high priority. As in the case of welfare reform, the focus has moved to employment as a realistic and preferred goal for many persons with disabilities. In response to these initiatives, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the primary health care resource for many persons with disabilities, has sought to support states in their effort to assist persons with disabilities interested in working to gain employment. The expansion of the Medicaid Buy-In and the passage of the Ticket to Work legislation (TTWWIIA) have both been directed at addressing some of the major barriers to employment for persons with disabilities. The Medicaid Infrastructure Grants (MIGs) encourage states to review and revise their health coverage practices to support persons with disabilities to enter and remain in employment. Through the expansion of the MIG initiative, CMS has encouraged states to develop supports and services that will enhance employment access and job retention for persons with disabilities

Institute Brief: Effective Career Development Strategies for Young Artists with Disabilities

One potential arena of employment for young people with disabilities is the arts. This brief reports on effective strategies that 47 young artists with disabilities used to gain access to arts-related experiences in order to further their educational and career pathways. Across program years 2002–2005, these young artists, all aged 16 to 25, were finalists in the VSA arts/ Volkswagen of America, Inc. Program, an arts competition that was intended to showcase their talents and accomplishments. As part of the overall evaluation, we were able to identify career development strategies based on a review of finalists’ program applications. This brief is mainly targeted at visual artists, although the strategies may also apply to other groups of artists

Data Note: Examining Collaboration between State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Agencies and State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

Since Fiscal Year 1988, the Institute for Community Inclusion has administered the National Survey of State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Agencies\u27 Day and Employment Services. The FY 2009 survey included a module to assess the ways in which state intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) agencies collaborate with their state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to support integrated employment outcomes for adults with IDD. A total of 40 agencies responded to the module. Their responses provide a broader understanding of the relationship between the two types of state agencies, and the ways in which they work together to provide integrated employment services

Research to Practice: Collaboration between State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Agencies and State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: Results of a National Survey

Do state intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) agencies collaborate with their vocational rehabilitation (VR) counterparts? If so, in what ways and how formalized are these collaborative efforts? This Research to Practice Brief provides answers to those and other questions

Research to Practice: The National Survey of Community Rehabilitation Providers, FY2004-2005 Report 1: Employment Outcomes of People with Developmental Disabilities in Integrated Employment

Where do people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities work? What are their hours, wages, and benefits? This brief covers partial results from a survey that gives a snapshot of the outcomes for recently employed people with developmental disabilities

Research to Practice: The National Survey of Community Rehabilitation Providers, FY2002-2003, Report 1: Overview of Services and Provider Characteristics

Two briefs examine the services people with developmental disabilities receive from community rehabilitation providers (CRPs). Despite recent emphasis on work in the disability field, people with DD were predominantly in sheltered employment or non-work services. Of people with DD in integrated employment, the majority had individual competitive jobs. However, three group employment models had above-average percentages of individuals with DD

Case Studies of Emerging/Innovative Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Practices in Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

The Vocational Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VR-RRTC.org) based at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston partnered with national content experts to identify promising VR employment practices serving people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the funding agency,requested an emphasis on identifying promising practices for people with mental illnesses and peoplewith intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities, and to identify promising practices related to order of selection and the designation of most significant disability. This report provides a summary of four promising VR employment practices for persons with IDD. The study included a nationwide call for nominations through extensive outreach using a variety of channels and venues, including (but not limited to) direct contact with VR agencies, Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and NIDRR. The VR RRTC formed a Delphi expert panel to review and rateall nominated practices using a systematic, multi-step procedure to evaluate nominations