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Transitions to Integrated Employment for People with Most Significant Impact of Disability

Transitions to Integrated Employment for People with Most Significant Impact of Disability. Alliance for Full Participation November, 2011. Understanding the Problem. Indicator 14 not given enough importance

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Transitions to Integrated Employment for People with Most Significant Impact of Disability

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  1. Transitions to Integrated Employment for People with Most Significant Impact of Disability Alliance for Full Participation November, 2011

  2. Understanding the Problem • Indicator 14 not given enough importance • Indicator 13 allows work other than integrated employment to be post-secondary employment outcome in an IEP • Practical result – very few youth with significant disabilities have integrated employment outcomes in their IEPs • End result – School and IEP team not focused on integrated employment because its not a goal in the student’s plan…inviting VR is “not applicable” when it comes to Indicator 13 compliance

  3. Understanding the Problem • No attention given to developing truly useful age-appropriate transition assessment for youth with most significant disabilities • Most recommended resource (NSTTAC Technical Assistance Guide on Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment) is 35 pages and includes one sentence addressing youth with most significant disabilities: “Students with more severe or complex disabilities would be best served by a person centered planning approach.” [p. 4]

  4. Transitions to Outcomes Other than Integrated Employment • Lack of relevant AATA results in school believing integrated employment is not feasible • School staff still focused on what’s typically been done in the past – perpetuates status quo • Youth are still ending up in sheltered and non-work adult service programs • Occurs during school and after graduation • What can be done to shift focus toward integrated employment?

  5. Schools • Develop and use an AATA truly suitable for students with significant disabilities • Combine the best of Person-Centered Planning and Discovery • Expand Discovery approach to cover all life areas to be addressed in the transition plan • Target funding to transition opportunities that are aimed at integrated employment…Ask CRPs for something different

  6. Vocational Rehabilitation • Stop funding work adjustment training…Ask CRPs for something different • Fund Discovery rather than testing and evaluation for students with significant disabilities • Purchase customized approaches to job development, including use of visual resume • Involve families and friends in creating and implementing job development plan

  7. Wisconsin Long-Term Care System • Redefined prevocational services in long-term care system…Asking CRPs for something different • All prevocational service recipients now expected to make reasonable and continued progress toward participation in integrated employment • Restricted access to prevocational services in sheltered workshops for youth and other new entrants • Must have integrated employment goal /intent documented in individual plan

  8. Wisconsin Long-Term Care System • Community prevocational services can be authorized for youth who are uncertain about whether they want to pursue integrated employment • Community prevocational services allow exploration of integrated employment options…Asked CRPs to offer this • Sometimes leads directly to job offers!

  9. Support CRPs in Organizational Change: WI CRP Rebalancing Initiative • Rebalancing grants and technical assistance • Support to develop and offer something different: -Community-based prevocational services -Customized employment -Transition programs focused on integrated employment • Support to put organizational policies in place that make integrated employment the first option offered by the CRP

  10. Support CRPs in Organizational Change: WI CRP Rebalancing Initiative • Funding sources want to purchase something different…CRPs adapt OR • CRPs propose something different to schools, VR and long-term care agency…funders adapt -individual level or program level • Push for change from two directions

  11. Prioritize Youth in Sheltered Work: Set Goals with CRPs • Any funder of prevocational services can do it • Challenge CRPs to propose a target number of youth in prevocational service that they will assist to transition to at least part-time integrated employment by year end • Let CRPs choose the youth to focus on • Give them technical assistance and support • Get out of their way! • Ask them to mentor other CRPs to expand impact

  12. For More Information • Lisa A. Mills, PhD Consultant (608) 225-4326 lmills67@charter.net Coordinator Wisconsin CRP Rebalancing Initiative Wisconsin Customized Employment Initiative Consultant on Wisconsin Waiver Service Definition Changes

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