Equal Opportunity in the Workforce System

1. Equal Opportunity in the Workforce System NASWA Equal Opportunity (EO) Training October 31, 2013 3:30PM EST

2. Today’s Speakers Michael Morris Public Policy Team Lead, LEAD Center Executive Director, National Disability Institute Bobby Silverstein Principal, Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC

3. The National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD) is a collaborative of disability, workforce and economic empowerment organizations led by National Disability Institute with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, Grant No. #OD-23863-12-75-4-11.

4. Agenda • Overview of LEAD Center • Centers for Independent Living (CIL) Demonstration Project • Examples of the public workforce system’s innovative policies and practices • Connecting with the LEAD Center

5. LEAD CENTER History and Priorities • Established in October 2012 as an initiative of National Disability Institute. • Funded by the Dept. of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). • Focus on Employment, Economic Advancement and Leadership (Public Policy) for people with disabilities. • Collaboration with: • 7 National Organizational Partners • 9 Subject Matter Experts • 16 Knowledge-Transfer Dissemination Partners

6. LEAD Center & NaswaPartnership • Developed a strategic partnership during LEAD Center’s first year • LEAD Center presented to NASWA EO Committee • NASWA identified EO officers to interview for policy analysis of State Workforce Investment MOAs

7. LEAD Center Mission To advance sustainable individual and systems level change. To produce results that improve, competitive integrated employment and economic self-sufficiency outcomes for individuals across the spectrum of disability.

8. LEAD Center Example: CIL Demonstration Pilot • 5 CILs are fostering greater partnership with their local AJCs to increase utilization of AJC services by CIL customers seeking employment • Expected Outcomes and Objectives: • Develop Promising Best Practices to Produce a Replicable Model for other CILs to Utilize. • Improve Employment Outcomes of Job Seekers with Disabilities. • Expand CIL Impact and Expertise to Create System Change. • Improve AJC Service Delivery.

9. Wia Responsibilities regarding persons with disabilities • State plans • SWIBs and LWIBs • Governors (Methods of Administration (MOA)) • WIA Section 188 Disability Checklist identifies basic requirements, includes list of questions and examples of non-mandatory practices

10. Promising practices Identification • Identified promising and emerging practices for enhancing programmatic accessibility based on: • Review of State Methods of Administration Plans • Review of promising practices identified by states • Review of documents prepared by the Disability Employment Initiative

11. Input provided by: NASWA EO Committee Civil Rights Center DOL- Employment and Training Administration DOL- Office of Disability Employment Policy DEI Grantees NDI Consulting, Inc.

12. Examples of practices used by American job centers Dedicated Staff Marketing and Outreach Consultation with Community Groups Operational Collaboration Partnerships and Linkages Training of Staff Registration and Orientation Person-Centered Employment Planning Integrated Resource Teams

13. Examples of practices used by American job centers, continued Individualized Resource Mapping Asset Development Strategies Customized Employment Service Delivery to Youth Adequate Network of and Payment to Providers Goals, Objectives, Data Collection Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

14. Dedicated staff • Assign dedicated staff with expertise in provision of services and supports to: • Enable navigation to higher paying jobs and economic security for individuals with disabilities • Provide support to staff • Leverage funds and resources • Conduct outreach to disability community • Provide training

15. Marketing and outreach Include in general presentations statements that people with disabilities are encouraged to use services and supports Work with employers and employer groups to understand value of flexibility and customizing employment to recruit and hire a diverse workforce Offer customized training in specific skills needed by employees with disabilities

16. Marketing and outreach, CONTINUED When conducting outreach, include speakers with disabilities Hold tours in partnership with disability organizations Hold off-site presentations in accessible locations Send notices to entities and groups that serve people with disabilities

17. Consultation with community groups • Identify partners in the disability community who will engage in ongoing collaboration • Coordinate cross-training with various community-based organizations to facilitate up-to-date information on topics such as: • Disclosure of disability • Social Security work incentives • ADA and reasonable accommodation • Employer resources such as JAN

18. Operational collaboration • Use common intake form for all new customers • Develop a universal release of information form that addresses: • Disclosure of personal information • Why disclosure may be appropriate • Personal information individual permits to be disclosed and to whom

19. Partnerships and linkages Convene working group to address systemic barriers to joint service provision Include WIPA benefit counselors Maintain list of local resources available to staff and customers

20. Training of staff • Conduct cross-training to promote relationships between staff, partners and community organizations • Provide ongoing awareness training to staff and partners on a range of subjects • Use ETA’s Workforce3One website Disability and Employment Community of Practice • https://www.workforce3one.org/

21. Registration and orientation • Consider: • Options for privacy • Asking all customers about need for accommodations • Partially lowering front desks • Presentation during orientation on customers’ rights • Providing accessible formats in writing and reviewing them verbally during orientation • Providing a packet describing disclosure rights, considerations, and obligations

22. Person-centered employment planning • Develop an individualized plan for employment using career exploration and discovery process, • Actively involve the job seeker • Help job seekers create presentational portfolios for employers • Provide self-advocacy training to job seekers with disabilities

23. Integrated resource team • Provide services and supports in tandem with other partners for job seekers who need access to multiple service providers and resources • Coordinate resources to meet the needs of job seekers through a full range of core, intensive, and training services including • Community service organizations • Publically funded service delivery systems • e.g., Medicaid, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities

24. Individualized resource mapping Offer job seekers the opportunity to prepare resource plans that include an explanation of available resources Offer the opportunity to “map” career goals, challenges, and resources and increase effective teamwork and communication between community systems and partners

25. Asset development strategies • Enhance long-term economic self-sufficiency, including: • financial literacy training, • individual development accounts, • PASS and other SSA work incentives, • the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax provisions, and • self-directed benefit and resource accounts

26. Customized employment • Flexible Process • Individualized relationship between job seeker and employer • Based on determination and discovery of strengths and interests • Determined through Discovery (Individual and/or Group) • Often takes the form of: • Task reassignment, • Job carving, and • Self-employment

27. Service delivery to youth • Use Guideposts for Success including: • School-based preparatory experiences • Career preparation and work-based experience • Youth development and leadership • Connecting activities • Transportation, • Health care • Financial planning • Family involvement and support

28. Adequate network of and payment to providers Integrating services and blending and braiding of funds from multiple sources Become and operate a Center-based Employment Network under the SSA Ticket to Work Program Use payment mechanisms that take into consideration additonal costs of providing auxiliary aids and accommodations

29. Goals, objectives, data collection What gets measured, gets done. Analyze data, including meaningful participation by individuals with disabilities in and use of core, intensive, and training services. Ensure that management information systems comply with legal requirements including storage and confidentiality.

30. Monitoring and continuous improvement • Recruit a team of diverse community members • Assess efficacy of Centers and partners • Regularly engage a “secret shopper” • Assess the experience of job seekers with disabilities • Develop action-oriented plans • Ensure continuous improvement of efforts

31. Learn more • www.leadcenter.org • View archives of webinars • Receive updates and announcements about training and events • Sign up for Social Media Options • Subscribe to the LEAD Center LEAD On! E-Newsletter