Employment Now: Building a Foundation for Change

1. Employment Now: Building a Foundation for Change AN UPDATE FROM THE 2005 SUMMIT

2. Employment Summit 2005 • About 75 participants • Disability community and state agency leaders • Shared information on employment outcomes in MA for individuals with disabilities (Snapshot Report) • Heard from state agency leaders about their accomplishments and challenges • Discussed key issues Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

3. Discussion topics included: • What are and/or ought to be the shared values in employment? • What should be counted? • What type of activities, services and supports should be in place? • How can we collaborate, break down the silos? Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

4. Key Recommendations: • Establish common definitions and enhanced data tracking to measure employment of people with disabilities • Establish common definitions • Establish common outcome measures such as wages and hours • Establish process measures - ex. number of plans that include employment • Develop common methods for data collection Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

5. Progress to date: EOHHS Task Force on Employment • Chaired by Elmer Bartels and Claire Ghiloni • Includes all EOHHS agencies that have employment services as well others • Interagency subcommittee has • Developed a common definition for employment • Recommended a common set of outcome measures • Identified agency gaps in data collection and infrastructure • Subcommittee work has been integrated into Employment Outcome reports that all EOHHS agency are now required to submit monthly Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

6. Key Recommendations: • Establish shared values across state agencies – including commitment to work for everyone, self determination and peer-to-peer models • Train state agency staff • Review and modify regulations and policies • Address employment needs across the lifespan • Review regulations and internal policies on ADA compliance • Evaluate public employment of people with disabilities Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

7. Progress to date: • Training for state agency staff on public benefits with a pro-work message • Peer Employment Benefits Network pilot • EOHHS Employment Task Force Sub-Committee on Youth • Focusing on youth in state custody (over 50% have a disability) • Interface with other youth and transition related initiatives in the state • Requires further attention • ADA compliance • Public sector employment Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

8. Key recommendations: • Establish the “Unified Comprehensive Career Center” approach that provides employment services that serve all people through collaboration with a variety of agencies including employers. • Develop a “best practices” report • Develop Memorandums of Understanding between key agencies • Develop a prototype • Provide employment services and support within 5 years Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

9. Progress to date: • EOHHS Task Force on Employment brings together all EOHHS agencies as well as others (ex.DWD) • Developing a common definition of employment is a critical first step to collaboration • Preliminary discussions underway to look at opportunities for cross agency procurement • Efforts underway to more collaboratively engage employers - interagency training • More discussion needed Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

10. Key Recommendations: • Develop a series of activities to enhance employment outcomes for people with disabilities • Employer incentives • Interagency sharing of resources and flexible supports • Self-employment • Move people out of workshop into jobs • Address employment needs of people receiving TANF who have disabilities Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

11. Key recommendations (cont’d): • Promote a recovery based approach to employment for individuals with mental illness • Training in high growth industries • Remove CommonHealth cap and do not enact an asset test • Establish an annual summit Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

12. Progress to date: • Services for Education and Employment (SEE) Technical Assistance Project • DMR Statewide Employment Initiative • MassHealth Outreach campaign schedule for late 2006 • Interagency planning meeting on self-employment • New DTA initiatives to address employment needs of TANF recipients with disabilities • Changes in CommonHealth • 2006 Summit Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

13. Acknowledgements Employment Now 2006 Employment and Disability Summit 2005 are sponsored by the Massachusetts Medicaid Infrastructure and Comprehensive Employment Opportunities Grant (MI-CEO) The MI-CEO is a collaborative project of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Center for Health Policy and Research at UMass Medical School, and the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston. This grant is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CFDA #93-768). For more information visit: www.MI-CEO.org Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)

14. Contact information: Abbie Averbach Center for Health Policy & Research University of Massachusetts Medical School (508) 856-7856 Abigail.averbach@umassmed.edu Cindy Thomas Institute for Community Inclusion University of Massachusetts Boston (617) 287-4312 Cindy.thomas@umb.edu Employment Now -Nov. 3, 2006, sponsored by the MI-CEO grant (www.MI-CEO.org)