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Research To Practice: Medicaid Involvement In Employment-Related Programs- Findings From The National Survey Of State Systems And Employment For People With Disabilities, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Dana Scott Gilmore, Susan Foley

Jennifer Sulewski

This brief analyzes data from ICI's National Survey of State Systems and Employment for People with Disabilities regarding the priority Medicaid agencies place on employment and their involvement in recent policy initiatives.

Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies Helping People With Psychiatric Disabilities Get Employed: How Far Have We Come? How Far Do We Have To Go?: Case Studies Of Promising Practices In Vocational Rehabilitation, Joseph Marrone, Mary Lynn Cala, Kelly Haines, Heike Boeltzig-Brown, Susan Foley

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The final set of eight promising practices out of the 58 nominated practices are summarized here and then described inmore detail in the appendix. Each descriptive write up can be used independently and provides sufficient detail for review. A note from the VR RRTC Team: These are descriptions of practices in one snapshot of time. We acknowledge that by thetime we are able to produce asummary report, practices may have evolved or modified, and new practices may have emerged. For more specific details or up to date descriptions we advise going to the source, the state VR agencies, directly. We …

Case Studies Of Emerging/Innovative Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Practices In Improving Employment Outcomes For Individuals With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, Robert Burns, Kelly Haines, Elizabeth Porter, Heike Boeltzig-Brown, Susan Foley

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

The Vocational Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VR-RRTC.org) based at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston partnered with national content experts to identify promising VR employment practices serving people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the funding agency,requested an emphasis on identifying promising practices for people with mental illnesses and peoplewith intellectual disabilities/developmental disabilities, and to identify promising practices related to order of selection and the designation of most significant disability. This report provides a summary of four promising VR employment practices for persons with …

Description Of Supported Employment Practices, Cross-System Partnerships, And Funding Models Of Four Types Of State Agencies And Community Rehabilitation Providers, Kelly Haines, Joseph Marrone, John Halliday, Michael Tashjian, Martha Klemm, Susan Stoddard, Susan M. Foley

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

In 2005, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) awarded the VR Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) to the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and its partners, InfoUse in Berkeley, California and the Center for the Advancement and Study of Disability Policy. In 2010, NIDRR provided supplemental funds to the ICI so that the VR-RRTC could include a focus on the provision of supported employment (SE) services. This SE research would focus on vocational rehabilitation (VR)agency partnerships with other state entities, and sources and models for long-term funding (extended services). The …

Institute Brief: Effective Training For Employment Consultants: Job Development And Support Strategies, Amy Gelb, Derek Nord, Alberto Migliore, John Butterworth

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This Institute Brief summarizes the key elements of a training and support approach designed to improve job development practices. Employment Consultants who participated supported more individuals to enter employment, and supported people to achieve higher-quality jobs with more hours and higher levels of pay, than a control group who had not yet received training.

Research To Practice: Collaboration Between State Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities Agencies And State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies: Results Of A National Survey, Heike Boeltzig, Jean E. Winsor, Kelly Haines

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Do state intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) agencies collaborate with their vocational rehabilitation (VR) counterparts? If so, in what ways and how formalized are these collaborative efforts? This Research to Practice Brief provides answers to those and other questions.

Data Note: Job Seekers With Disabilities At One-Stop Career Centers: An Examination Of Registration For Wagner-Peyser Funded Employment Services From 2002 To 2007, David Hoff, Frank A. Smith

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933 established a nationwide system of public employment services, known as the Employment Service. Wagner-Peyser funds are a primary source of funding for the services of One-Stop Career Centers that provide employment services available to all people, including people with disabilities. This data note examines trends on a national and state-by-state basis in the number and percentage of job seekers who self-identified as having disabilities who register for Wagner-Peyser Employment Services.

Data Note: Indicators Of Labor Market Success For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Frank A. Smith, John Butterworth

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Reporting meaningful indicators of labor market success for individuals with disabilities, particularly Intellectual Disabilities (ID), is challenging for a number of reasons. Measures that allow people to indicate specific disabilities like ID are uncommon in large national data sets. Additionally, the use of the “traditional” unemployment rate reported by the Department of Labor as an indicator of labor market success for people with disabilities leaves people who are not in the labor force, a significant group when it comes to subpopulations of people with disabilities, out of the calculation. In this data note, we discuss the implications of using the …

Case Studies: Employment Data Systems: Florida's Agency For Persons With Disabilities, Allison Cohen Hall, Jean Winsor, John Butterworth

Case Studies Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The increasing emphasis on government accountability at the state and federal levels has increased interest in and use of outcome data. Moreover, research has found that high performing states in integrated employment generally have a clear and visible data collection system that provides individual outcome data (Hall et al, 2007). But what are the most important elements in designing and using a system? Stakeholders have raised questions regarding creating effective data collection systems, identifying variables with the most utility for influencing policy, and using data as a strategic planning tool. This series is intended to shed light on the successes …

Tools For Inclusion: Disclosure Of Disability Information At A One-Stop Career Center: Tips And Guidelines, David Hoff

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

One-Stops Career Centers (One-Stops) were established under the federal Workforce Investment Act to provide a full range of job seeker assistance under one roof. One-Stops are located at a variety of locations in each state, with more than 3,200 centers across the country. More than 13 million people per year use the One-Stop system. Many of these are people with disabilities.

Data Note: Wia Employment Outcomes And Trends, Monica Cox, Frank A. Smith

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This data note focuses on employment outcomes for individuals served by the One-Stop system through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult funding stream. Outcomes data include the rate of WIA customers entering employment and their employment retention rate. This data note compares outcomes among adults with reported disabilities to those without reported disabilities.

Data Note: Employment Rates In The General Population And Vr Rehabilitation Rates, Alberto Migliore

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program plays a critical role in assisting people with disabilities gaining integrated employment. In 2006, for instance, 48,876 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) exited the VR program after receiving services, with 56% of those who received services finding jobs in integrated employment. This percentage, known as the VR Rehabilitation Rate, varied from 42% in Hawaii to 77% in Maryland, if excluding the figure in Oklahoma where the VR rehabilitation rate was 22%.

Data Note: Job Seekers With Disabilities At One-Stop Career Centers: An Overview Of Registration For Wagner-Peyser Funded Employment Services, David Hoff, Samita Bhattarai

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933 established a nationwide system of public employment services, known as the Employment Service. Via the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, the Employment Service was made part of the One-Stop service delivery system. Wagner-Peyser funds are a primary source of funding for the core and other services of One–Stop Career Centers that provide employment services available to all people, including people with disabilities.

Data Note: National Day And Employment Service Trends In Mr/Dd Agencies, Jean E. Winsor, John Butterworth

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

In FY2004, 22% of individuals receiving day supports from state mental retardation or developmental disability (MR/DD) agencies participated in integrated employment while 56.5% of individuals were supported in facility-based settings. While the data demonstrate a continued decrease in the percent of people served in facility-based settings (from 60% in 1999 to 57% in 2004), it also suggests a slight decrease in the percent served in integrated employment (from 25.5% in 1999 to 22% in 2004).

Institute Brief: Increasing Placement Through Professional Networking, Allison Fleming, Diane Loud

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The national percentage of people of working age with disabilities who are employed continues to hover around 37%, compared with 80% for their peers without disabilities. However, according to the Harris Poll (2004), 67% of people with disabilities who are not currently working would like to be. In the late 1990s, a Presidential Task Force began work on improving the employment rate for adults with disabilities, a national priority that was further supported by the New Freedom Initiative of 2001, creating a bipartisan effort. Despite these initiatives, the rate of employment for people with disabilities has not increased.

Tools For Inclusion: Minimum Wage Increase: What It Means For People With Disabilities (Updated 2009), David Hoff

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This publication provides guidance to individuals with disabilities regarding the increase in minimum wage, with a particular focus on understanding who this increase applies to, the impact of the wage increase on public benefits, and how to deal with issues that may arise with employers.

Data Note: The Relationship Between Supported Employment Status And Minimum Wage For Vocational Rehabilitation Integrated Employment Closures In 2004, Frank A. Smith, Dana Scott Gilmore

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Some VR customers earn less than minimum wage despite being closed successfully, i.e., exiting Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services into an integrated employment setting. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay less than the minimum wage to a person whose disability impairs their capacity to be productive at a particular job. People in supported employment are more likely to have a disability that makes them eligible for Section 14(c) minimum wage exemption. How do wages for customers in supported employment compare to those earned by other customers?

Research To Practice: The National Survey Of Community Rehabilitation Providers, Fy2004-2005 Report 1: Employment Outcomes Of People With Developmental Disabilities In Integrated Employment, Heike Boeltzig, Dana Scott Gilmore, John Butterworth

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Where do people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities work? What are their hours, wages, and benefits? This brief covers partial results from a survey that gives a snapshot of the outcomes for recently employed people with developmental disabilities.

Data Note: Relationship Between Ssi Recipients Who Work And State Unemployment Rate, Katherine Fichthorn, Dana Scott Gilmore

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

The Supplemental Security Income program (SSI) administered by the Social Security Administration provides cash assistance to low-income individuals who are seniors, blind, or have a disability.

Pushing The Integrated Employment Agenda: Case Study Research In Washington State, Jean Winsor, Allison Cohen Hall, John Butterworth, Dana Scott Gilmore

Case Studies Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This is the second in a series of publications highlighting findings from case studies in three states—New Hampshire, Washington, and Colorado—that are recognized as high performers in integrated employment. These products are intended to be a practical resource for states as they work to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain gainful employment.

ICI identified “high-performing” states based on the following criteria: the percentage of citizens served by the state’s mental retardation/developmental disabilities agency that participate in integrated employment, and the rate of growth in integrated employment.

In 2003, a team of ICI researchers conducted face-to-ace interviews with state and …

Research To Practice: The National Survey Of Community Rehabilitation Providers, Fy2002-2003 Report 3: Involvement Of Crps In The Ticket To Work And The Workforce Investment Act, Heike Boeltzig, John Butterworth, Dana Scott Gilmore

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This Research to Practice brief examines CRP participation in the Ticket to Work and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Findings showed that CRPs were more involved in WIA than the Ticket program.

Research To Practice: Employment Services And Outcomes Of People Receiving Welfare Benefits And Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Susan Foley, Jonathan Woodring

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Poverty programs have undergone substantial reform in the past decade, and there has been a heightened interest in exploring the experiences of people with disabilities who receive welfare benefits. This report profiles people with disabilities who had TANF, GA, or both at application to VR services and completed these services in the year 2003.

Research To Practice: Diabetes And Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Services And Outcomes, Jonathan Woodring, Susan Foley

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Approximately 18 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. This brief uses Rehabilitation Services Administration data to provide a picture of people with diabetes using the Vocational Rehabilitation system.

Research To Practice: Job Networking In Diverse Communities, Rooshey Hasnain, Jennifer Bose, Joy Gould, John Butterworth

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

While individuals with disabilities face many obstacles when seeking employment, there are usually additional challenges for those from diverse cultures. To address this issue, ICI formed partnerships with community immigrant organizations to teach networking techniques to job seekers.

Tools For Inclusion: Getting The Most From The Public Vocational Rehabilitation System, Colleen Condon, Cecilia Gandolfo, Lora Brugnaro, Cindy Thomas, Pauline Donnelly

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Every state has a vocational rehabilitation agency that is designed to help individuals with disabilities meet their employment goals. Vocational rehabilitation agencies assist individuals with disabilities to prepare for, get, keep, or regain employment. This publication answers questions frequently asked by individuals with disabilities. For consumers.

Institute Brief: Taking The Mystery Out Of Customer Service, Heike Boeltzig, Lora Brugnaro, Cecilia Gandolfo, Amy Gelb, Karen Zimbrich, Lara Enein-Donovan, Cindy Tsui, Joy Gould

The Institute Brief Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

With the current emphasis on universal access to employment services for all members of the community, the workforce development field needs to evaluate service delivery. A "mystery shopper" program is one of many evaluation tools available to ensure continuous quality improvement and customer satisfaction. This technique allows organizations to collect data on the experiences of One-Stop Career Center customers from the customer perspective. The brief includes a sample shopper questionnaire.

Research To Practice: State Agency Systems Collaboration At The Local Level: Gluing The Puzzle Together, The Staff Perspective, Gabriella Santoro Rado, Doris Hamner, Susan Foley

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Some states acknowledge the benefits of interagency collaboration but have trouble putting it into action. ICI researchers worked with local offices to help them improve the One-Stop Career Center network for people with disabilities. This brief gives an "in the trenches" view of tools that worked.

Massworks: Massachusetts Launches The Disability Program Navigator Initiative, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

MassWorks Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Welcome to MassWorks, our initiative for disability, workforce development, and employment professionals in Massachusetts. All too often, it seems, we work towards the same goals from different sides. With the many day-to day demands of our jobs, it's easy to miss opportunities to share ideas and resources across agencies. The aim of MassWorks is to bring information to workforce and disability professionals who have the goal of improving employment outcomes for Mass. residents with disabilities.

Research To Practice: Medicaid Involvement In Employment-Related Programs- Findings From The National Survey Of State Systems And Employment For People With Disabilities, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Dana Scott Gilmore, Susan Foley

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

This brief analyzes data from ICI's National Survey of State Systems and Employment for People with Disabilities regarding the priority Medicaid agencies place on employment and their involvement in recent policy initiatives.

Tools For Inclusion: Making It Easier To Go To Work: What The Changes At Social Security Mean To You, David Hoff, Elena Varney, Lisa O'Connor

Tools for Inclusion Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Recent changes to Social Security reduce the financial consequences of working for people who receive benefits. This publication explains the changes and how they impact people with disabilities who want to work.