The Rural Routes to Employment Project: Customizing Employment, Expanding Communities

1. The Rural Routes to Employment Project: Customizing Employment, Expanding Communities Beth Keeton, Southeastern Regional Director The Center for Social Capital www.centerforsocialcapital.org GRIFFIN-HAMMIS, LLC

2. The Rural Routes to Employment Project • Established through a FDDC (Florida Developmental Disabilities Council) grant with the Center for Social Capital • Initial funding: 1 year (extensions possible) • October 1, 2011: anticipated start date Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

3. Rural Routes: Year 1 Project Goals • Identify and work with 5 rural communities • Discern barriers & opportunities to consumer-directed employment • Application process • Open to agencies/entities throughout state • Application disseminated through state networks • If interested: contact project staff • bkeeton@centerforsocialcapital.org • pcassidy@griffinhammis.com Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

4. Rural Routes: Year 1 Project Goals • Facilitate public meetings & focus groups in each of the 5 target areas to: • Engage communities • Identify stakeholders • Generate data on barriers & opportunities Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

5. Rural Routes: Year 1 Project Goals • In each location: • Form Community Action Teams (CATs) • Perform comprehensive resource mapping to inform employment creation in collaboration with entities such as: • Project 10 • The Institute for Small & Rural Districts • Local Economic Development authorities, civic groups, and other other community partners Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

6. Rural Routes: Year 1 Project Goals • Develop scalable models of rural economic development and employment program refinement • Building upon community partnerships and collaboration • Utilizing an economic development approach • Identifying community/business “needs” and providing a solution Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

7. Rural Routes: Year 1 Project Goals • Conduct best practice training on: • Customized Employment • Self-employment/microenterprise including • Family and consumer-directed assessment (Discovering Personal Genius) • Employment support Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

8. Rural Routes: Year 1 Project Goals • Develop replicable, cost-effective model employment initiatives based upon: • Blended funding • Employment creation • Consumer controlled methods Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

9. Community Action Teams The CAT approach emphasizes that through collaborative efforts of a variety of interested stakeholders resources and strategies are better leveraged to support individual job seekers to achieve their employment goals. Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

10. CAT Roles & Responsibilities • Work to identify areas in practice and policy that impede or enhance CE implementation and outcomes • Work collaboratively and strategically to resolve those issues locally • Share identified issues with FDDC and other key state agencies for statewide impact Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

11. How CATs Support Employment Outcomes • CATs specifically organized and trained to utilize flexible strategies & tactics to increase individualized employment outcomes for people with disabilities in their local communities • Employment is key focus and primary responsibility • Made up of a broad representation from the community (i.e. schools, businesses, providers, community organizations) Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

12. Rural Routes: Training Components • Discovering Personal Genius • Customized Employment • Resource Ownership • Self-Employment/Microenterprise • Benefits Planning & Analysis Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

13. Rural Routes: TA Components • Each site receives comprehensive TA, including: • Helping coordinate collaborations • Implementing strategies to blend funding • Assisting to develop additional resources • Providing outreach to the local employment community • Helping with benefits analysis and planning • Problem-solving identified barriers in practice &policy Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

14. Customized Employment is • Based on Interest-Based Negotiation between the Job Seeker and the Employer • Person-Centered • One-Person-At-A-Time • Identifies the Ideal Conditions of Employment using Discovery • Includes Self Employment Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

15. Customized Employment is • Not a Service or Program – It is an Approach • Not Group-Based • Not Labor Market-Driven • Not looking for that Dream Job • Not Vocational Evaluation & Testing • Not Interest Inventories Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

16. Customized Employment is • Especially effective for Individuals with High or Complex Support Needs • Applicable to anyone, with any disability (or without) seeking employment • Circumvents the Comparison of Applicants made in Competitive Hiring • Relies on natural relationships, supports, training Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates

17. Customized Employment • Discovering Personal Genius • A planful approach that reveals life themes • That presents a path of Discovery • That begs Investigation • That creates Options • That breeds Innovation in job development • Go where the career makes sense Center for Social Capital/Griffin-Hammis Associates