Local Leaders Informational Webinar

1. Local Leaders Informational Webinar Kristen Helling, Ohio Employment First Project Manager

2. Webinar Schedule • Friday, April 12 at 10 a.m. • Friday, April 19 at 10 a.m. • Friday, April 26 at 10 a.m.

3. Employment First Taskforce Recommendation • Create a statewide system of training for providers of services that: • Identifies needs of each local community • Addresses the sustainability of the training systems • Emphasizes best practices to improve community employment outcomes

4. What is community employment? • “Community employment” means employment which is competitive employment and takes place in an integrated setting.

5. What is community employment? • “Competitive employment” means full-time or part-time work in the competitive labor market in which payment is at or above the minimum wage, but not less than the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by persons who are not disabled. • “Integrated setting” means a setting typically found in the community where individuals interact with persons who do not have disabilities to the same extent non-disabled persons in comparable positions interact with other persons. This includes employment settings where employees interact with the community via technology.

6. Who can apply? • Any “community” in Ohio may apply to be an implementation site • Multi-county collaboratives are encouraged to apply • Community • Self-defined • Not limited to geographic or governmental borders • Build upon existing natural alliances

7. Local Leaders Teams • Should include: • County Board(s) of Developmental Disabilities • Community Employment Service Providers (private and county board) • School districts including community schools • Families and Individuals • Private sector employers • Other Taskforce agencies: RSC, Mental Health, JFS (One-Stops) • Other agencies/organizations

8. With the assistance of a facilitator, Local Leader Teams will: • Develop an interagency agreement • Identify professional development needs • Develop an action plan to address professional development needs • Implement the action plan for the team • Facilitate the action plan within each member’s respective agency • Collect descriptive data on how teams work together

9. How to apply • Identify local team representatives and collaborate with them to develop the application response. Multi-agency teams will be given preference in the implementation site selection process. • Six implementation communities will be selected • DODD will assign a facilitator to each community

10. Facilitators will assist teams with: • Identification of needs with assessment tool • Development of action plan and proposed budget for each community • Development of action plan and proposed budget for regional/statewide training • Development of an interagency agreement • Technical assistance/monitoring/trouble-shooting for action plan implementation

11. Application • Must include a letter of collaboration • Must identify a “team coordinator” • Must include a directory of the contact information for each team member • Applicants may use official form, or create your own.

12. Application Narrative Section • Respond from a multi-agency perspective • 100 points total • 20 points: Team composition • 40 points: Description of collaboration, alignment of policies and practices, sharing of resources and sustainability • 20 points: Programs that currently support community employment • 20 points: Identified barriers and solutions

13. Narrative Question #1 • Given past considerations, what steps has your team taken to promote collaboration to support an increase in community employment for people with developmental disabilities? For transition youth (ages 14-22)? • Include examples of how policies and practices are currently aligned. • Describe how your community shares or regionalizes resources. • Describe how your team will sustain collaboration in the future. (40 points)

14. Narrative Question #2 • What programs currently support community employment for people with developmental disabilities? For transition youth? • (20 points)

15. Narrative Question #3 What barriers prevent expansion of employment opportunities for people and youth with developmental disabilities in your community? How are these barriers being addressed? (20 points)

16. Selection Criteria • Local Leaders Community Planning Teams will be selected based on this competitive application process, and • Analysis of existing DODD data related to community employment. • Data will be used to select sites which are representative of the state for replication purposes.

17. Deadline: June 1, 2013 • Submit electronically to EmploymentFirst@dodd.ohio.gov • Or send two copies, postmarked by June 1, 2013 to: • Kristen Helling Division of Policy and Strategic Direction Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities 30 E. Broad St., 12th Floor Columbus, OH 43215

18. For more information, please contact: Jennifer Hudak, Employment First Training Workgroup Co-Chair Jennifer.Hudak@koinoniahomes.org Jeff Davis, Employment First TrainingWorkgroup Co-Chair JDavis@opra.org