Employment First

1. Employment First By Sequaya Tasker Dave Benjamin

2. Outcomes Participants will learn information about: • “Employment First” • Transitioning Youth Initiative • Changes to DDA’s Waivers to support “Employment First”

3. What is Employment First? • Where the assigned work tasks offer at least minimum or prevailing wages and benefits, • Where typical opportunities exist for integration and interactions with co-workers without disabilities, with customers, and/or the general public, • Using typical or customized employment techniques to secure membership in workforce, where employees with disabilities are included on the payroll of a competitive business or industry or are self-employed business owners, • And being the first and preferred outcome for working-age youth and adults with disabilities, including those with complex and significant disabilities, for who working in the past has been limited, or has not traditionally occurred.

4. National Trends • Supported Employment (SE) has been twenty plus years in implementation in U.S. • First ten years (1986-1996) resulted in nearly 25% of people with developmental disabilities employed in community settings. • The right to integrated employment is established by The American Disabilities Act and Supreme Court’s Olmstead Ruling.

5. National Trends President Barack Obama’s Agenda for Disabilities seeks to: “increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities by effectively implementing regulations that require the federal government and its contractors to employ people with disabilities, providing private-sector employers with resources to Accommodate employees with disabilities, and encouraging those employers to use existing tax benefits to hire more workers with disabilities and supporting small businesses owned by people with disabilities.“ The White House disabilities agenda is posted at http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/disabilities

6. Great Expectations The Developmental Disabilities Administration ( DDA) believes that all people with developmental disabilities CAN work, and contribute to their community, when given opportunity, training, and supports that build on an individual’s strengths.

7. Employment First DDA’s Commitment Employment will be the first option considered for all people of working age (16 – 64) who receive DDA services.

8. Employment FirstStrategic Planning • In 2008, through various town hall meetings, focus groups, conferences, and other gatherings, the DDA engaged stakeholders in strategic planning for employment services. • An Advisory Group was formed to create a strategic employment plan and to help guide DDA through necessary Employment System’s Change

9. Maryland’s Employment First Advisory Group • DDA regional office and headquarters staff • Family Members • MD Association for Persons in Supported Employment (APSE) • MD Assoc. of Non-Public Special Education Facilities (MANSEF) • MD Center for DD (UCED) • MD Coalition for Inclusive Education • MD DD Council • MD Association for Community Services (Provider Network) • MD Dept. of Disabilities • MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing and Regulations • MD Div. of Rehab. (DORS) • MD Mental Hygiene Administration • MD School for the Blind • MD State Department of Education5 local school transition coordinators • MD Works • People On the Go of Maryland • Resource Coordination • The Arc of Maryland • University of MD (Special Ed)

10. Employment First Values All Marylander’s with developmental disabilities of working age: • Work! • Realize economic self-sufficiency through; • earning wages and benefits that are commensurate to the job and responsibilities, • the opportunity to save income and build assets, and • continued access to healthcare and other necessary services, in order to achieve the highest quality of life possible (Employed Individuals With Disabilities Program);

11. Employment First Values • Actively explore and develop their own unique career path; • Engage in the negotiation and terms of their employment; • Engage in all aspects of the work environment; • Build and maintain connections and relationships throughout their career path; • Have access to current information, resources and quality services to support their career paths.

12. Employment Discovery and Customization and Community Learning Services (approved by CMS in DDA’s waiver application 7/08)

13. Employment Discovery and Customization • Time-limited (3-month period) assessment, discovery, customization, and training activities to assist an individual in gaining competitive employment at an integrated job site where the individual is receiving comparable wages. • Include but are not limited to: community-based situational assessments; job development; job and task analysis activities; job training; work skill training; modification of work materials, procedures, and protocols; etc.

14. Employment Discovery and Customization • A job development strategy • More intense in nature than typical job development (i.e., job carving vs. circling want ads, internet job search, cold calling) • Good model for truly “discovering” a person’s strengths, skills and interests

15. Employment Discovery and Customization • Good model for people who are interested in working that are: • newly entering DDA services (including TY) and are not sure what type of work they want to do; • currently receiving Day Habilitation Services, OR; • currently receiving Supported Employment Services and are interested in changing jobs/careers. * No services will be provided to an individual if the service is available to them under a program funded through section 110 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

16. Community Learning Services • Community-based services, i.e., non site-based • Assist people in developing the skills and social supports necessary to gain employment; promote positive growth, and; provide activities, special assistance, support, and education. • Highly individualized (*No more than 4 people with similar interests)

17. Community Learning Services • Supports in the areas of: • Vocational (i.e., career exploration, volunteering, job shadowing, job try-outs, visits to local One Stop Career Centers, etc…) • Self Improvement (i.e., continuing education classes, classes at local craft store, joining a local civic organization, building a social and personal network, etc.) • Health and Wellbeing (i.e., exercise classes at the local YMCA or gym, healthy cooking classes, joining a weight control program, etc.)

18. Community Learning Services • Good model for people who are: • retired; • working less than 4 hours in a day, as a supplemental service during the day; • transitioning youth that are not sure about their future career, or; • currently receiving services in a Day Program or Sheltered Workshop and are interested in receiving services IN THE COMMUNITY

19. Community Learning Services • Are not: • an alternative to work -Employment is the expectation for all adults in our society • “center-based” “Meaningful day” or “retirement” activities, i.e., art therapy, recreational therapy, exercise classes, cooking classes, that are provided on-site • Progress towards the person’s employment goals will be assessed on an ongoing basis and reviewed annually or with greater frequency upon request.

20. Governor’s Transitioning Youth InitiativeTransitioning Youth Funding • Established in 1989 • Purpose: • To demonstrate the students with the most significant disabilities can work and contribute to their communities and Maryland’s economy. • To create a seamless transition from school to work (local school > DORS > DDA)

21. Governor’s Transitioning Youth InitiativeTransitioning Youth Funding Eligibility • To be eligible for funding through the Governor's Transitioning Youth Initiative (GTYI) the individual must be determined to have a “developmental disability,” as defined above. • Additionally, the student is eligible from the end of the school year in which he/she turns age 21. If the date of graduation is after the individual's 21st birthday, the individual shall continue to be eligible for one year after the date of graduation.

22. DDA Regional Offices Central Maryland Regional Office (serving Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Howard Counties, and Baltimore City) 1401 Severn St., Baltimore, MD 21230 410-234-8200; TDD (410)363-9430 Southern Maryland Regional Office (serving Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince Georges and St. Mary’s Counties) 312 Marshall Avenue, Suite 700, Laurel, MD 20707 301-362-5100; TDD 301-362-5131

23. DDA Regional Offices Western Maryland Regional Office (serving Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington Counties) 1370 Marshall Street, Hagerstown MD 21740 301-791-4670; TDD 1-888-791-0193 Eastern Shore Regional Office (serving Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Worcester, and Wicomico Counties) 1500 Riverside Drive, Salisbury, MD 21802 410-334-6920; TDD 1-800-735-2258

24. Questions

25. Resources Benz, M., Yovanoff, P. & Doren, B. (1997). School to work components that predict post school success for student with and without disabilities. Exceptional Children, 63,152-165 Flannery, K.B., Yovanoff, P., Benz, M.R., & McGrath-Kato, M. (2008). Improving employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities through short-term post-secondary training. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 31(1), 26-36 Taylor. S. (2004). The right not to work: Power and disability. Monthly Review, 55 (10).