Washington Employment First

1. Washington Employment First • Total State Population: 5,894,143 • Number of job seekers with intellectual disabilities earning wages in individual integrated jobs at last count – February, 2012—2,804. Not yet everybody.

2. Employment First Why did Washington focus on work? • We believe that a human service system is obligated to deliver access to opportunities for Status and Respect Competence Power and Choice Relationships Integration Health and Safety And a way out of poverty. • We knew that the easiest most cost effective way to help people achieve the benefits of a valued life and decrease poverty is to have a good job that pays a living wage.

3. Employment FirstWhere did we Start • Education For All—Developmental Centers Conversion to Adult Programs • Most people lived at home with family • People not permitted to go to Sheltered Workshops—deemed not “educable;” not “trainable” • Vocational Rehabilitation began to step away from funding Sheltered Workshops – 2 decades • Sheltered Workshops accepted people with developmental disabilities

4. Employment First: What we knew • Everyone needs some support to do competent work • Everyone is better off if the job the person has matches her/his skills and interests • Everyone has the right and the responsibility to work

5. Employment First: DAY ONE What did Self Advocates Want • People First of Washington: We believe that all people have the right to have a job that provides a living wage, opportunity for advancement, and personal fulfillment. That is why we want jobs that: • Complement our abilities • Provide equal opportunities for competitive wages, benefits and retirement • Incorporate choice and change • Focus on career advancement

6. Employment First: DAY ONE Most people either earned nothing or earnings were below the poverty line.

7. Employment First: DAY ONE Washington supported people in segregated settings. Washington needed to learn a lot about how to support people in integrated employment Everybody had to participate

8. Employment First: DAY TWO What did families expect • Margaret-Lee Thompson, Dan Thompson’s mother, said “Dan’s job at Microsoft was the best thing that ever happened for Dan and his family. The hours he spent each week at work earning a good paycheck and great benefits, engaging with co-workers and in company activities (and sorting Bill Gates’ mail) were great.”

9. Employment First: DAY TWO • Family Dilemmas • Something to do • Schedule • Expectation • Safety

10. Employment First: DAY TWO Washington State partners with counties to deliver employment services Counties supported Employment First In the beginning many Sheltered Workshops had small integrated employment options

11. Employment First: DAY THREE BIG SHIFT FOR EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES (PROVIDERS) HOW DID THEY DO IT?

12. Employment First: DAY THREE • Employment agencies needed • Respect • Safety • Clarity on expectations • Funding support aligned with expectations • Active involvement in stakeholder discussions • Ongoing training and technical assistance • Support to be innovative

13. Employment First: DAY THREE • Facility based providers worked with their boards, communities and funders to start pilots and begin the conversion to integrated employment. • Counties developed and funded pilots that were new employment agencies devoted solely to integrated employment • Seeing the need and anticipating the future, some counties and employment agencies began working with schools to get students with I/DD employed in community jobs before they exited school.

14. Employment First: DAY FOUR How does Washington contract and pay for employment supports? • Counties negotiate billing rates for employment services. Employment service definitions and billable activities are established by the state w/stakeholder input. • State case managers assess individual needs and authorize employment services. The assessment question is not do you want to work; the question is what work do you want and what support do you need.

15. More about funding…. • Washington primarily relies on Medicaid HCBS waiver funding for employment supports • Employment Services are defined in the waiver • The average amount paid for employment services is about $550 per month per person, but may be higher or lower depending on need • The average number of hours of service in individual employment was 8.44 hours per month between Feb 2011 to Feb 2012 • Counties pay hourly and tiered rates

16. Employment First: DAY FIVE Building on thirty+ years of assuming earning a living wage is both possible and valuable for everybody, Washington’s Working Age Adult Policy was signed in July 2004 with full implementation in July of 2006. The policy led to passage of Employment First state legislation in the spring of 2012.

17. Employment First10 essential elements to full employment Clear mission and vision of everyone working in good jobs Strong leadership & continual stakeholder involvement Supporting providers to be innovative and competent Funding & contracting strategies promoting valued jobs Availability of training and technical assistance Collaboration with schools so youth start work at typical age Partnerships leveraging every possible resource/opportunity Promoting public and private sector employment Getting the word out and telling the story Collecting data; Evaluating results; Continue to improve…

18. With “Employment First” policy in place since 2004 – where are people now? Over 7,500 people rely on us for employment or day services in Washington….

19. What were 7,989 Working-Age People in Washington Doing and Earning in April 2011?

20. In February, 2012 what were 7,572 Working Age Adults Doing and Earning in WA Support Type# People #Working/Earning Ave Gross Wages Adult Day Care 9 0 Community Access 551 0 Group Supported Employment 1,069 1,002 $285.50 Individual Employment 5,122 2,804 570.16 Person to Person 192 16 213.44 Prevocational Employment 621 543 121.29 Individual TA 8 0

21. INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY INCLUSIONUNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON • Employment agencies send data every month • Wages Earned and Hours Worked • For a full description go to • http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=322 • ICI developed a website you can visit and see what is happening in Washington • http://www.statedata.info/washington-ddd/

22. STORIES • Bill Larry Joe • Clara Lori Harry • Gemma Andy Michael • Kenny Sue Heidi • Sarah Pedro Jeff • Steve Chris Alexa • Michelle Nicholas Dylan • http://peopleworking.wikispaces.com/

23. In general, what does our data tell us about how we are doing? • More people are working in individual jobs than 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, and the trend line for recent job loss mirrors or is slightly better than the general public. • The public cost benefit appears to be high – we have a stronger workforce, more dollars in our tax base, and the cost benefit on the investment is almost 8 hours of work for every hour of support. • But - not everyone is working – not yet. And the past few years have been brutal on everyone

24. Employment Specialist Investment

25. Contact Information Linda Rolfe, Director, Department of Social and Health Services Aging & Disability Services Administration Division of Developmental Disabilities • Linda.Rolfe@dshs.wa.gov