Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Supporting Employment Consultants In Their Work With Job Seekers. A Longitudinal Study, Alberto Migliore, John Butterworth, Oliver Lyons, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Paul Foos, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

BACKGROUND: A key step for increasing the employment outcomes of job seekers with disabilities includes ensuring that employment consultants who assist them have the tools to succeed, including feedback about how they are performing. OBJECTIVE: Supporting employment consultants in their work with job seekers by providing feedback about the implementation of the support strategies recommended in the literature. METHODS: Sixty-one employment consultants completed a daily survey for one year, on their smartphones. RESULTS: Providing supports that lead to hire represented 30% of the employment consultants’ work time. When providing supports that lead to hire, most of the primary interactions were …

State Employment First Policies #3: Investing In Training And Technical Assistance To Build Capacity In Integrated Employment, Jennifer Bose, Jean Winsor, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

For more than a decade, many states have been developing policies that prioritize integrated employment as the first choice and preferred outcome for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). Collectively, these actions have been united under the framework of Employment First, a commitment by states and state IDD agencies to the propositions that all individuals with IDD (a) are capable of performing work in typical integrated employment settings, (b) should receive as a matter of state policy employment-related services and supports as a priority over other facility-based and non-work day services, and (c) should be paid at minimum or prevailing wage …

The Essential Characteristics Of Successful Organizational Transformation: Findings From A Delphi Panel Of Experts, Oliver Lyons, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Allison Cohen Hall, Stephanie Leblois, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

BACKGROUND: Federal legislation has called for the phasing out of sheltered workshops and the transition to integrated employment, causing providers to struggle with how to adapt their model towards providing community integration services.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Fall River, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Fall River, Massachusetts is home to 88,902 residents, of whom 9,015 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non- Latino white (79%), though Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (10%). This share of Latinos is slightly lower than the statewide population, which is 11%. Fall River is geographically located in the SouthCoast region, which has a relatively small share of Latinos (7%). Blacks make up 4% and Asians 2% of the city’s population.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Brockton, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Brockton, Massachusetts is composed of a population of 95,623 residents, of whom 11,767 or 12% are Latino, according to the 2016 American Community Survey. The city’s largest population is made up of black residents (39%), and white residents are the second largest ethno-racial group (33%). The share of Latinos (12%) is similar to their statewide population, which is 11% Latino. Brockton has a larger “other” population, which makes up 15% of the city’s population. This group is largely made up of Cape Verdeans. With only 1% of the population, the Asian group will be omitted from the …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Marlborough, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Marlborough, Massachusetts has 39,545 residents, of whom 6,902 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. While the city is majority non- Latino white (70%), Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (17%), which is higher than the 11% Latino share of the statewide population. Black, Asian, and “other” populations collectively make up 13% of the city’s population. The “other” category includes the 2,902 Brazilians who live in Marlborough.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: New Bedford, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of New Bedford, Massachusetts is home to 94,988 residents, of whom 18,014 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non-Latino white (65%), though Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (19%). This share of Latinos is higher than that of the statewide population, which is only 11%. Blacks make up 6% of the city’s population. New Bedford is geographically located in the SouthCoast region, which has a relatively smaller share of Latinos (7%).

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Watertown, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Watertown, Massachusetts is home to 33,849 residents, of whom 3,382 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non-Latino white (77%), though Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (10%). This share of Latinos is slightly lower than the statewide population, which is 11%. Asians, make up 8% of the city’s population. Watertown is geographically located in the metropolitan Boston area, which has a similar 10.8% share of its population Latino.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: West Springfield, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of West Springfield, Massachusetts is home to 28,575 residents, of whom 2,924 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non-Latino white (79%), though Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (10%). This share of Latinos is smaller than the statewide population, which is 11% Latino. Black, Asian, and “other” populations collectively make up only 11% of the city’s population.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Winthrop, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Winthrop, Massachusetts is home to 18,031 residents, of whom 2,177 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non-Latino white (85%), though Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (12%). This share of Latinos is slightly larger than the statewide population, which is only 11%. The other ethno-racial groups make up approximately 3% of the population. Winthrop is geographically located in Suffolk County that is 22% Latino.

Bringing Employment First To Scale: Support Coordination Strategies That Impact Employment Outcomes And Services For Individuals Served By State Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Barbara Brent, Rie Kennedy-Lizotte, Mary Lee Fay, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Leadership from NASDDDS and ICI worked together to determine topics for a series of white papers on policies that influence employment outcomes for individuals with IDD. This white paper is the third in a series of five. It provides an overview of strategies that support coordinators, or case managers, use to influence employment outcomes for individuals with IDD who are receiving state funded services.

Bringing Employment First To Scale: Pushing The Integrated Employment Agenda: A Case Study Of Maryland’S High-Performing Employment System, Jean Winsor, Cady Landa, Allison C. Hall, Caro Narby, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

This brief summarizes data collected from key informants in Maryland about the state’s efforts to support integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It highlights features that contribute to the effectiveness of Maryland’s collaborative structures that have resulted in the state’s success in achieving integrated employment outcomes for individuals with IDD across three state systems: IDD, vocational rehabilitation (VR), and education. Presentation of these features is organized by the seven elements of the Higher-Performing States Employment Framework. These elements have been found to be important in achieving higher rates of competitive integrated employment outcomes for people with …

Wenham Connects: An Age And Dementia Friendly Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Wenham is a small residential community of approximately 5,000 residents located about 22 miles north of Boston. Public transit access to downtown Boston located in the neighboring town of Hamilton provides access to employment and recreational activities outside of the town’s boundaries. In addition, Wenham is home to abundant green space (e.g., wetland systems and Wenham Lake) that provide residents with opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The Wenham Council on Aging (COA)is a municipal department designed to serve the needs of Wenham’s residents age 60 and older. It is responsible for advocating on behalf of Wenham’s …

A Comprehensive Database Of Senior Centers In Massachusetts, Jan E. Mutchler, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report was produced by the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA), a research unit within the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston, in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging (MCOA).

The goal of this project is to develop and distribute a comprehensive database that will contribute to successfully meeting the shared goals of MCOA and EOEA. It will facilitate clearer explanations about what COAs do, supporting more effective advocacy efforts on the part of MCOA and stronger reporting by EOEA. It will be a resource for MCOA staff, helping member COAs identify relevant models …

Easthampton Council On Aging Planning Study, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler, Ceara Somerville

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes collaborative efforts undertaken by the City of Easthampton Council on Aging (ECOA) and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA), within the Gerontology Institute at the McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts Boston. Beginning in Fall 2017, these organizations partnered to conduct a study to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of the City’s residents age 55 and older. During this assessment, multiple approaches were utilized to compile information that could be used to plan and implement current and future services. We examined data from the U.S. Census Bureau and from projections generated …

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Methuen, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Methuen, Massachusetts is composed of a population of 49,043 residents, of whom 12,290 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non-Latino white (68%), though Latinos make up the second largest ethno-racial group (25%). This share of Latinos is significantly higher than the statewide population, which is only 11% Latino. Black, Asian, and “other” populations collectively make up only 7% of the city’s population.

Latinos In Massachusetts Selected Areas: Taunton, Phillip Granberry, Trevor Mattos

Gastón Institute Publications

The city of Taunton, Massachusetts is home to 56,504 residents, of whom 3,272 are Latino, according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey. The city is majority non-Latino white (84%), and blacks (6.4%) and Latinos (5.8%) compose the second and third largest ethno-racial groups. This share of Latinos is lower than for their statewide population, which is 11%.

State Employment First Policies #2: Engaging Stakeholders In Development And Implementation, Jennifer Bose, Jean Winsor, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

This brief is the second in a series focusing on Employment First implementation as it relates to one of the seven elements within the High-Performing States in Integrated Employment model. It looks at the interagency collaboration and partnership element in depth. Interagency partnership and collaboration includes interagency agreements and relationships, provider collaboration, and outreach to stakeholders to ensure that integrated employment is a shared goal.
Case study data was collected for a sub-sample of seven states: Connecticut (CT), Delaware (DE), Kansas (KS), Minnesota (MN), Missouri (MO), Tennessee (TN), and Washington (WA). These states were selected because they represent a wide …

Bringing Employment First To Scale: Writing For Families: Tips To Increase The Impact Of Training Materials, Jennifer Bose, John Kramer, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

This brief covers some of the lessons learned in reviewing literature designed to engage with families about employment. It suggests some tips and strategies to use with families to increase effective involvement and collaboration.

Bringing Employment First To Scale: State Of The Science As A Knowledge Translation Strategy, John Kramer, Caro Narby, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

To synthesize our findings to date, the ThinkWork team at ICI developed 3 draft papers that captured the core themes from our RRTC on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD). We asked experts in the field to weigh in on these papers, and then broadly disseminated the papers to multiple audiences. Our primary goal was to engage with a diverse group with a range of perspectives and experiences, including fellow researchers, state agency employees, rehabilitation providers, and individuals with IDD and their families. To reach this goal we used a Knowledge Translation (KT) process. KT has …

Older Workers In Boston: An Age-Friendly Perspective, Jan Mutchler, Brittany Gaines, Ping Xu, Caitlin Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

As this report makes clear, work challenges experienced by older people are not uncommon in Boston. Retraining and upgrading skills are required for some people to retain or secure employment. For those who have not participated in job search for some time, support with job seeking strategies may be necessary. Programs that also offer socioemotional support are helpful to some older job-seekers. Yet while training and job search support is an important part of the solution, these are not the only targets of intervention required. Employers need to be educated about successful strategies that will help them to retain their …

Strengthening Employment Services For Job Seekers With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (Bringing Employment First To Scale, No 15), Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Oliver Lyons, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Strengthening the effectiveness of employment services for job seekers with disabilities is key for improving their employment outcomes and their financial self-sufficiency. The purpose of this brief is to examine the quality of employment services available to job seekers with disabilities, and to offer recommendations for improvement. Findings are from a longitudinal study that involved 61 employment 37 employment programs in 17 states. Data were collected through a survey employment specialists, delivered to the job developers, or participants’ business developers. smartphones every work day for one year. Based on these findings and the literature about effective employment support practices, we …

Family Experiences In Engaging In Employment: How Do We Improve Outcomes?, John Kramer, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Session 018: Abolishing Exploitive Labour Practices Room: Freedom H

Sponsors: Disability Youth, Aging, and the Life Course

Organizer, Presider &

Discussant: Katherine Caldwell, University of Illinois at Chicago

Papers:

“Differences in Earnings among Persons with and without Disabilities,” Alexandra Krause, Florida State University

“Family Experiences in Engaging in Employment: How Do We Improve Outcomes?” John Kramer, University of Massachusetts Boston

“Shifting the Paradigm through Entrepreneurship,” Katherine Caldwell, University of Illinois at Chicago

Families And Employment Of People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Results From A Scoping Study, John Kramer, Jennifer Bose, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Purpose: Recent policy changes expanding community employment for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and awareness of the important role of family members as facilitators of these opportunities motivated this scoping review of the literature on family engagement with the IDD service system.

Methods: Researchers used Arksey and O’Malley’s six-stage scoping review methodology (2005) to map a wide range of literature to discover the resources and strategies available to families supporting people with IDD to find employment; the resources and strategies to support people with IDD and families to develop a vision of employment; and the resources and strategies to support …

Marshfield Council On Aging Planning Study, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes collaborative efforts undertaken by the Town of Marshfield Council on Aging (COA) and the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging (CSDRA), within the Gerontology Institute at the McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts Boston. Beginning in Fall 2017, these organizations partnered to conduct a study to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of the Town’s residents age 50+, and also of participants at the Marshfield COA/Senior Center. During this assessment, several approaches were utilized to compile information that could be used to plan and implement current and future services. We examined data from the …

Using Data To Ignite And Sustain Employment Systems Change, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Using A Light Touch: Engaging Families Using Facebook Messenger, John Kramer, John Shepard, Jennifer Bose, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Research shows that families are essential in the employment process for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Frequently, however, messages they receive about employment are conflicting and can vary between service systems, often due to a lack of coordination across these systems. These conflicting messages can frustrate families and negatively affect their employment expectations and their efforts to support employment outcomes. The present study examines how a well-planned and individualized engagement strategy could improve families’ expectations about employment for their family member with IDD, and how those improved expectations impact the employment planning process. This pilot focused on engaging …

Access To Integrated Employment: Employment Outcomes And Services, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Jean Winsor, John Butterworth, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

Presentation at American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Annual Meeting. St. Louis, MO.

Aging In Bedford: A Community Needs Assessment, Caitlin Coyle, Rebecca Mailman, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report describes research undertaken by the Center for Social & Demographic Research on Aging within the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, on behalf of the Bedford Council on Aging (COA), to investigate the needs, interests, preferences, and opinions of Bedford’s population of residents who are age 55 and older. The contents of this report are meant to inform the Bedford COA, and other municipal entities, for the purposes of planning and coordination of services, but also to build awareness about issues facing the Town of Bedford’s senior residents.

Building An Evidence-Based, Holistic Approach For Moving Integrated Employment Forward, John Butterworth, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jason Billehus, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.