Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

Findings from written survey of Employment Experiences and Focus Groups. The questionnaire sought to obtain information from individuals with disabilities about things that have helped them to get a job, barriers to employment, importance of medical benefits when making employment decisions, and how comfortable people feel disclosing their disability to an employer.

This chart, developed by the North Carolina MIG, projects the estimated costs and enrollment in health coverage for individuals with disabilities in the workforce. The numbers are based on a cost of $1,210 per individual, per month and covers the five years of the program (2007-2012).

Employment for All, a regional initiative of the MIG project, the Granite State Employment Project, produced a slide presentation explaining their role in developing a cross-disability employment system in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire MIG program, the Granite State Employment Project, and its programs within, Employment for All and the Monadnock Center for Successful Transitions, have held several planning meetings so far in 2007. Included below are the minutes for each of these meetings.

The Monadnock Center for Successful Transitions issued consent forms to eligible consumers to complete in order to participate in the Granite State Employment Project Consumer Forum. The purpose of the forum is to study issues regarding employment for individuals with disabilities in the Monadnock Region. The information gathered will be used in the strategic planning process for the Granite State Employment Project, the New Hampshire MIG. Also included is a list of the focus group questions.

The Alaska MIG grant has developed three fact sheets about the Americans with Disabilities Act. The first sheet explains the ADA, offers definitions, major provisions, and enforcement information. A second page explains general misconceptions about the law. The third sheet explains how the ADA covers employment issues.

What is Supported Employment? The following presentations, brochures and manuals explain the ways that supported employment helps consumers find and maintain meaningful jobs in the community. The Alaska MIG grantees have shared two presentations and brochure on the principles of supported employment. The manual is designed as a guide for employment specialist.

The Nebraska MIG program, in partnership with HHS, Easter Seals of Nebraska, and the Social Security Administration, held a training for the Medicaid Insurance for People with Disabilities program. The training included the following materials: flowcharts, research results, and PowerPoint presentations.

This strategic plan outlines the next five years, discusses goals and complements existing Alaska Works Initiative (AWI) activities to 1) address the major barriers that keep people with disabilities from working 2) enhance Alaska’s Medicaid programs and existing employment infrastructures to better meet the needs of working people with disabilities; and 3) imbed what has been learned through the AWI into a comprehensive employment system.

In February 2007, North Dakota Comprehensive Employment Systems produced a report that summarizes the current state of long-term care in North Dakota including funding sources, expenditures, and the potential outcomes of change is not initiated. The report goes on to cite recommendations for change.