Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

In 2000, Rhode Island launched an initiative called “Rhodes to Independence” (RTI) to promote systems changes that reduce barriers to employment. RTI focuses on health care, transportation, housing, youth transitions, and diversity. Below, find RTI’s 2005 annual report, a recruitment brochure for the RI Business Leadership Network, and brochures in English and Spanish advertising Sherlock, a health insurance program for employed people with disabilities.

Here is a brief profile of an innovative program that combines palliative care with employment services to help people with chronic pain acquire or keep employment. Learn how core teams of nurses, social workers, and pharmacists coordinate healthcare services and provide referrals to employment services. The profile examines the history and development, program goals, funding, and keys to success of the program.

The first of these two presentations is for volunteer partners who help persons with disabilities and their families integrate employment transition into individual education plans (IEP). It is broad in scope, touching on the rights of the individual and family, employment and training resources, and state supports available. The second training focuses on the policy level and describes the goals, participants, outcomes, and keys to success of a statewide youth transition program.

Find here a profile of enrollment, employment, and earnings in the 32 states with both a Medicaid Buy-In program and a Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) in 2006. Specifically, the report identifies how employment and earnings are influenced by the characteristics of participants and state programs.

This document includes selected statistics and information on disability inclusion and management in specific Oregon Industries. Find statistics on staffing by occupation, leading causes of disability, cost of accommodations and more.

This report provides recommendations for persons with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) to acquire and maintain employment in Oregon. Currently, the common program for people with TBI/ABI nationally is Vocational Rehabilitation. However, this report suggests expanding services by using a supported employment model with an interdisciplinary team. Major characteristics of this model include paid employment, integrated worksites and ongoing support.

The process for providing persons with disabilities the information, advocacy and counseling necessary for them to best use public benefits and available work incentives to achieve their goals is referred to as benefits incentives planning. Find presentations on benefits planning system development and on encouraging collaboration of agencies to build a statewide, all-participant inclusive benefits planning system in Oregon. Also included is a colorful game board that introduces the concept.

Find quarterly newsletters from 2006 and 2007 used to keep stakeholders, professional staff and others up-to-date on activities of the Oregon Competitive Employment Project.

As an evidence-based practice, supported employment provides people with mental health diagnoses a mainstream job paying at least minimum wage in a setting which provides ongoing support and includes other people who are not disabled. Find a training for professionals embarking on conversion from day treatment to supported employment for persons with mental health issues and baseline calculations by which to begin measuring the effectiveness of this conversion.

These trainings focus on the use of person-centered planning and connecting with community partners as a strategy for employment. The trainings were created for persons ages 16-24 with developmental disabilities and their families, transition specialists and other professional staff. Find the "Self-Directed Employment" Presentation and the "Getting a Job" Training, which includes an evaluation, materials list, copy of the presentation and other handouts.