Working with vocational rehab, DDS, and community agencies to secure community employment with the supports you need for success

Jorwic, Nicole

Kramer, John

Mercer, Nancy

Pierce, Jill

ThinkWork! at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston

Walker, Kevin

English

University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass

1register here: http://sos2017.ideascale.com/a/registerFamily Engagement 2register here: http://sos2017.ideascale.com/a/register Engaging families earlier National clearinghouse with employment materials Focus on expectations and experiences Anticipatory guidance Misunderstood expectations Parents as partners in authentic engagement Address inconsistency and lack of cohesion “Lack of cohesion between schools, VR, and adult agencies needs to change” Use simplified, consistent language Discontinuity in funding3Reduce incomplete guidance from system “I feel if service providers could meet with families earlier they could build relationships” “I would love to see a national clearinghouse or resource center that is devoted to materials for families as well as the person with a disability to use.”4Communication Gaps with Vocational Agencies“I found out accidentally by asking guidance about a Workability class at HS. It was about how to work at a first job and often accompanied a student working in retail which sometimes the counselor helped you find and other times you found with your family's help.”5Misunderstood expectations of system “The disability field offers incredible supports, services and innovations for people with developmental disabilities in all areas of life. However, we are starting to recognize that we have created a false sense of security and dependency that the bureaucratic system itself is the only answer to supporting good lives and the lives we want for people with disabilities.”6Confirming and aligning ideasStart earlier, much earlierClarify expectations about what a system can and should doConsistent communication –addressing feelings of unfairnessReframing work – understanding modern employer needs7Prioritize Collaborative activities “I think another way families can be brought in earlier are through Collaboration for Success Nights (open to educators, providers, families, students), which may allow for relationships to form much earlier than the transition time frame so that come the traditional age of transition there isn't a system overload for families” Start early and often focusing on expectations and experiences Think of the end user when creating materials, training and engagement strategies. Moving from vision to outcome8register here: http://sos2017.ideascale.com/a/registerPolicy9register here: http://sos2017.ideascale.com/a/register 10Engagement: Policies that help people get jobs in the communityIdeas Votes CommentsAreas we need to improve our understanding of state policy and strategy that will lead to better employment outcomes6 33 19Ways to improve communication and collaboration across state agencies and services2 15 4Examples of how employment related policies prioritize employment or get in the way of employment that need to be addressed2 19 11Ways the state agencies can support providers to develop and implement creative and effective employment supports2 30 15How might states communicate with and support families more effectively to think about and plan for employment?2 9 3What else do we need to focus on? 1 7 615 113 58register here: http://sos2017.ideascale.com/a/register Data Need a “deeper dive” into existing data Longitudinal data What comprises “data”  Triangulation at all levels Creative, effective supports Needs funding You get what you pay for Advanced training Improve communication across agencies, services Shared agendas Teamwork – shifting from competition to collaboration Better state-level communication Prioritize employment Supporting informed choice ratings/evals of job developers?11www.ThinkWork.org12Allison.hall@umb.eduJohn.Kramer@umb.edu

Meshing Employment Services

https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&amp;context=thinkwork

Meshing Employment Services

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University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass