Watch the recorded webinar here. Genni Sasnett, a human services consultant with extensive experience in disability employment, and Jill Eastman, an award-winning employment specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, shared their perspectives about how employment support professionals can take a leadership role, and serve as civil rights change agents, while also empowering the people they serve to find fulfilling work and thrive in their careers.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Researchers Judith Gross (University of Kansas) and Grace Francis (George Mason University) work intensively with Hispanic families in rural Kansas. They talked about the importance of engaging culturally and linguistically diverse families in services for their children with IDD. Judith and Grace discussed the barriers these families face, and offered strategies for professionals to help ensure full access to services.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. When looking for a new job, it’s logical to “do the math.” We consider what we need (food, housing, healthcare) and what we want (gym membership, car, vacation). We balance potential income against expenses. Finally, we evaluate whether a particular job will help us achieve our goals. Benefits can be a lifeline, but continuous reliance on them can limit people to a life in poverty.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. This webinar looked at the subject of informed choice. What considerations come into play when someone with IDD “chooses work”? What information and exposure or exploration does someone need to decide to leave a familiar setting, such as a sheltered workshop or day program, to work in their community?

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Provider agencies across the country are transitioning from segregated “sheltered” workshop options to supporting integrated community careers for people with disabilities.

We just presented this poster at AUCD's Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. on Monday, December 5th 2016 along with our other poster here...

We just presented this poster at AUCD's Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. on Monday, December 5th 2016 along with our other poster here...

Project Summary:

In the 30 years since the introduction of supported employment as a demonstrated model in the Developmental Disabilities Act of 1984 and the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986, there has been continued development and refinement of best practices in employment support. The field has experienced the demonstration of creative outcomes for individuals with significant support needs, community rehabilitation providers that have shifted their business models to provide integrated employment, and states that have made a substantial investment in Employment First...

The findings from Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI’s) Delphi Process on Organizational Transformation can guide providers as they work to transform their services. These findings support the prioritization of goals and the development of key action areas that have proven successful.
In this brief, we will:
1. share ten essential elements in organizational transformation ranked in their order of importance according to ICI’s Delphi process, and
2. offer a set of considerations to providers as they move their organizational transformation efforts forward.

The current emphasis on integrated employment for people with IDD is accelerating the organizational transformation from sheltered workshops to community-based supports, creating both opportunities and challenges for local service providers. These providers need guidance on how to transform to community-based supports while maintaining high standards. This presentation shared findings from the Institute for Community Inclusion’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with IDD.