October 2019 Newsletter
Indiana’s “Work to Include” Coalition
Advancing Employment for Individuals with Disabilities
Pat Rogan, Professor, IUPUI School of Education and Co-Director, Work to Include Initiative
Susan Rinne, MPA and Co-Director, Work to Include Initiative
LOCAL UPDATES
Bonnie Bomer - Indianapolis: The Indianapolis team has been very active. Videotape “success stories” were made of Bonnie and Emily Munson, which will be posted on the Work to Include website. Bonnie appeared on the AFB TV show to discuss the Work to Include initiative. She also presented to the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce with team member, Angie Vandersteen. The Indianapolis team will be hosting a series of webinars about topics of interest related to employment. The first will address Benefits and is scheduled for October 24th from 10-11 am EST.
Zully Alvarado - Gary: Zully will be meeting with Workforce Development in Gary. She will be sure individuals with disabilities are included in the meeting. She wants to be sure that businesses hire people with disabilities (e.g., at the Casino). March is Disability Awareness month, so the Gary team will continue to push out information. Purdue University is a new partner.
Jeffrey Scherer – Ft. Wayne: Jeff is working on a PR campaign with Kevin Morris and working on employment with the Chamber. His team continues to work on transportation with various transportation providers, as well as doing an editorial for October Awareness month related to employment of people with disabilities.
Dee Ann Hart – Muncie: Dee Ann met with Jared Quarles several times. She has connected with Workforce Development and JAG (Transition age programs). The team is also working with the Mayor’s office to get a Mayor’s Proclamation supporting Employment First. Since it is an election year, Dee Ann met with both candidates for mayor and emphasized the need to increase employment for people with disabilities.
Jill Smith – Clarksville: Al, Mark, and Jill are working to ensure strengths-based assessment is being used by employment specialists. Al and Mark are presenting to Family Voices in Indianapolis on employment later this month. They are also participating in self-employment initiative through the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
Josh Miller – Evansville: Josh met with the Director of Easterseals about Employment First and met with Ben Trockman last week. He discussed using flyers to inform people about Employment First. The group is focusing on getting networks built among individuals with disabilities to spread the word about the benefits of employment and dispel myths.
#INCLUSIONWORKS
SUCCESS STORY
Derek Roberts
Prep Cook – Windsor Hall Purdue
I have been a prep cook for 1 year, but have been at Windsor hall for 4 years. I know all the stations in the kitchen and on the line. I went to Erskine Green Training Institute in Muncie so I could become an Prep Cook. I completed the Kitchen Cook program in April of 2017. Community employment is important to me because I want to work in the community I live. And working at the College gives me lots of experience with the students and others. My advice for others wanting employment is to get a job coach, or to work with a program such as Erskine Green so you can get the training you need to do the job you would love to be in when you’re ready for employment
Purdue wants to hire people with disabilities that want to work. So please, if you’re in this area, work with them to get a job.
Work to Include - Employment First Summit
We are on target for the first Work to Include - Employment First Summit on November 20, 2019 from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm at the West Market Conference Center, 150 West Market St, Suite 201, Indianapolis.
The Summit, held in conjunction with and the support of the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, will provide an opportunity to learn from Michigan and Ohio Employment First systems change efforts, highlight the activities of the Indiana Work to Include Coalition and its 400 members across the state, and advance Employment First in Indiana. Work to Include Team Leaders are asked to attend and report back to their local teams. Seating is limited but let us know if you want to participate. Please know, we will post results for all Coalition members on our website after the event
Employment First Planning Update
The Indiana Rehabilitation Commission is continuing its work on the Employment First plan mandated by the Employment First legislation. The Commission has worked diligently to include feedback from the Employment First Town Hall meetings. At this time, it appears the plan will be available before the end of the year. We will definitely let you know and post on our website.
Resources for Finding Services
There is a new free program just for Indiana called IndianaDisabilityResourceFINDER.org! Affectionately nicknamed FINDER, it is designed to make it easier for people of all abilities to identify and locate disability-related resources in their local communities. Funded by AWS Foundation, FINDER was made possible with the help of nonprofit organizations, State of Indiana representatives and families from across Indiana. FINDER contains nearly 2,000 service providers located across the state with the potential to include thousands more. The site is asking for feedback to ensure it has all the information you need. Please help us by searching FINDER for information in your community today. For more information, email Info@IndianaDisabilityResourceFINDER.org.
#INCLUSIONWORKS
Legislation to Watch
The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support,
or Autism CARES Act:
A bill that includes more than $1.8 billion for research and other federal efforts to address the needs of people with autism is headed to President Donald Trump. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the CARES Act, on September 19.
Transformation to Competitive Employment Act:
A new bill to help people with disabilities get real jobs for fair pay has been introduced in Congress. This essential bill phases out the discriminatory practice of paying people with disabilities less than the minimum wage. It also provides funding to support industries that move toward a business model that encourages competitive employment for people with disabilities.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Is there a way our local Coalition can participate? Yes! Observed each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents. Each year has a different theme; this year’s is “The Right Talent, Right Now,” which emphasizes the essential role that people with disabilities play in America’s economic success, especially in an era when historically low unemployment and global competition are creating a high demand for skilled talent. Employers of all sizes and in all industries are encouraged to take part. Learn more about NDEAM.
Medicaid Waiver Redesign
Work to Include provided comment to the Division on Disability and Rehabilitative Services regarding the upcoming redesign of the Medicaid Waiver. The comments came from our Advisory Council and local Coalition members. The following is a summary of those recommendations. Waiver recommendations in the right-hand column and overall systems recommendations in the left column.
Work to Include Coalition
People with disabilities, their families, and advocates told us they want…
To ensure all planning, policies and community of practice initiatives undertaken by the state agencies serving individuals with disabilities prioritize competitive integrated employment for ALL per Employment First legislation requirements.
IDD Service System
Utilize the LIFE Course Framework with all in the IDD service system, including people living in group homes and others not on a Medicaid Waiver.
HCBS Waiver
The LIFE Course Framework provides a great opportunity, but it is imperative that the state put policies in place that ensure there is a strong emphasis on employment as an outcome of services for everyone, including those with the most significant disabilities.
Ensure state agency and provider staff collaborates to promote Employment First:
Increase the knowledge of state agency staff, independent case managers, and adult service providers about Employment First legislation, policies, work incentives and best practices for employment.
Ensure payment rates to providers allow for compensation that attracts and retains employment professionals who have the capability to operate effectively in complex and diverse work environments.
Establish statewide training and certification requirements for employment professionals so skill sets are consistent across the state.
Align service definitions and funding with Indiana’s Employment First policy and ensure the incentives support individuals in community jobs. Services should be flexible and incorporate:
Individual directed transportation options
Benefits counseling
Pre-vocational and habilitation to include career development activities in the community
Support for development of self-advocacy skills and self-directed decision making skills
Accommodations and other items needed on the job
Job development during transition periods (e.g., between jobs)
Some of the above are new services which are allowable but not currently supported in existing Waiver definitions. Some, such as benefits counseling, could be assigned to independent case managers.
Provide support (e.g., consultative, financial) to agencies providing segregated services to shift their business model to provide integrated employment.
Through a self-directed option, allow individuals to design unique support plans that assist them to get and keep community jobs. This should include:
Ability to develop and negotiate transportation options with employers, co-workers or others
Support to employers to provide ongoing assistance on the job
Habilitation options should help people gain and maintain employment.
Indiana needs to send a clear and unified mandate to all that competitive integrated employment is the first and preferred option. This requires a system of accountability to show how dollars are shifted, an increase in the number of people who are working, and the reduction in the number of people in facility-based day services.
Include supported decision making in planning and practice.
Establish a quality assurance mechanism that holds providers and case managers accountable to employment outcomes for those they support.
Revise individual budgeting process to ensure people do not have to make a choice between employment support and other services when developing their budgets.
CHECK US OUT…
Please help get the word out! Go to our Facebook and LinkedIN pages and share them widely. We hope you enjoy the access to employment-related content and are sure others will, too. Thanks!
HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS STORY YOU ARE WANTING TO SHARE?EMAIL SRINNE60@GMAIL.COM. SHORT, SWEET AND A PICTURE WOULD BE WONDERFUL!
Thank you!
For more information please contact our Co-Directors,
Pat Rogan, Professor, IUPUI School of Education at progan@iupui.edu
or
Susan Rinne, MPA at srinne60@gmail.com
