Recruitment and Retention

New Jersey's DiscoverAbility operates with the mission of providing resources, networking opportunities and ongoing professional development to staff working in the field of disability employment. To access webinars, articles, and other important resources, explore their website. Also attached is an example of outreach work - a staff scholarship opportunity, providing five employees with the ability to attend a training conference. May be replicable by other MIG states.

The state of New Hampshire's Granite State Employment Project presents Employment Leadership Award to employers who demonstrate leadership in their commitment to employing workers with disabilities in order to provide them with earned recognition as well as to share their success stories to raise awareness among other employers. May be replicable by other states seeking to provide MIG outreach and recognition.

How is the state of Nevada preparing its youth to enter the job market or the world of post secondary education as they transition out of high school? Attached are two presentations on the subject. One presentation explains post high school options, such as post-secondary education and available job training and the second presentation provides education on creating a resume.

Unemployment rates among people with disabilities is historically high. In Massachusetts, a Disability Task Force on Employment was formed in May 2008 to take a critical look at the Executive Branch’s current policies and practices and search for best practices in the public and private sector that pertain to recruiting, hiring, accommodating, promoting and retaining people with disabilities in the workplace. This report presents a summary of the focus group findings.

How does the state of Massachusetts disseminate important disability related information? Attached are four examples of issue briefs put out by Work Without Limits, a Massachusetts Disability Employment Initiative, that aims to educate consumers with disabilities as well as policy makers on relevant news and statistics. Some topics covered are disability prevalence, employment, income and poverty statistics, and more.

How is the state of Louisiana disseminating important information to individuals with disabilities who are employed or seeking employment? Attached are several examples of tip sheets developed by Louisiana’s Medicaid Infrastructure Grant project with funds from the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. Included is information on jobs, benefits, support, taxes, and more. May be replicable by other states hoping to provide similar outreach.

On November 15, 2010, the CHOICES CEO Project sponsored an “Employment for ME Summit” to introduce Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ new employment policy. A resource page with extensive information about the summit, and links to technical resource materials disseminated at the conference, was put on a web page for those who couldn’t attend, and for ongoing reference for those who did attend. In addition, 14 important segments were put on YouTube.

How is the state of Kansas working to ensure that consumers can both work and receive the SSDI benefits that they are entitled to? Attached are several examples of studies done in the state of Kansas where individuals with disabilities were surveyed on important information such as why they delayed applying for disabilities benefits and barriers to finding employment. These findings may be beneficial for consumers as well as employers.

This chart book highlights findings from two new federally sponsored national surveys. Both surveys represent a major advance in the data available about two of America’s most important jobs, certified nursing assistants working in nursing homes and home health aides in home health and hospice care settings. The chart book is intended to help multiple audiences understand these jobs, issues, and challenges; and establish useful benchmarks as goals toward which improvement efforts might aspire.

The Idaho Business Leadership Network's purpose is to develop and grow affiliates and to build workplaces in order to promote the employment of qualified persons with disabilities. Find several examples of work products from the conference including pre-conference outreach material, the agenda, presentation materials, and a conference evaluation.