July 2019 Newsletter
Welcome to the first update for Work to Include Coalition members.
We hope to provide this information to you monthly to keep you up to date on what local planning teams are doing and to let you know about additional resources and ways you can provide your voice in policymaking activities in Indiana.
Town Hall Meetings and Local Action Teams
As you know, we held 11 Employment First Town Hall meetings over the past five months. The locations were Gary, Merrillville, Lafayette, Indianapolis, Muncie, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Bloomington, Clarksville, Evansville, and Richmond. We had over 400 people with disabilities, family members, and other advocates attend and suggest solutions to employment barriers. In all of those communities, teams are now taking those suggestions and developing local plans. We have distilled the hundreds of ideas down into the following main themes, you will recognize:
THE MAIN THEMES
The state must send a clear and unified mandate that competitive, integrated employment is the first and preferred outcome.
Local areas and state level planners should develop comprehensive transportation options to expand availability for individuals with disabilities.
There should be a coordinated campaign to promote hiring goals for business and to educate employers about resources.
Providers of services should be accountable for employment outcomes for the individuals they serve.
The state should continue to invest heavily in school to adult life transition services and track student employment outcomes.
Indiana should work to expand the knowledge of all who work with individuals with disabilities on work incentives available to them from public assistance programs.
In the coming months we will be asking you to share your communities’ activities and progress. We hope to highlight that so we can all learn together what works. If you want specifics for any community, just email srinne60@gmail.com.
Facebook and Email Updates
We are really hoping to get information out and to keep Coalition members connected through our social media efforts. We hope you can help us to post more information, resources, and success stories. Email Pat or Susan if you have a story to share. Please do “like” and “follow” our Facebook page where we have almost 300 followers.
This email distribution will go to all who attended the town halls. We have sent each Work to Include Team Leader a community list. If you don’t have it just let Susan know at srinne60@gmail.com. It is also possible to send Susan and email and she can send to your participants.
WATCH FOR THE EMPLOYMENT FIRST WEBSITE
The www.worktoinclude.com website should be up in the next couple of months.
Governor's Planning Council Outcome Survey
We need your input. As part of the Governor’s Council grant report, we need to know what kind of impact your participation in Work to Include is having. Please take a minute to go to the link below and answer the questions. Will only take a few minutes…promise.
Medicaid Waiver Redesign
The state of Indiana is conducting a survey with the purpose of gathering input on proposed changed to the Medicaid Waiver. If you are a family member are on the Waiver, it is critical you let them know what you think. The survey has a summary of feedback the state has gotten so far and right now there is nothing that references the need for more and better employment support!! It is important that they hear from a number of people about the need to focus on employment. The link below leads to a letter which includes the link to the survey. Just a warning that you will have to look for it. Thanks!!!
Thank you!
For more information please contact,
Pat Rogan (progan@iupui.edu) or Susan Rinne (srinne60@gmail.com)
