Employment Programs

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.

A growing number of individuals with disabilities are leaving the workforce and obtaining SSDI. Statistics show that the household incomes of these workers are falling behind those of workers without disabilities. This brief lays out a two-pronged approach for bending these curves—increasing the employment rate for people with disabilities, reducing their reliance on federal support, and increasing their household incomes—while preserving benefits for those who are unable to work.

Iowa's MEPD (Medicaid for Employed People with Disabilities) program allows individuals to earn money for work and maintain their savings in the bank, which would normally put them over the limit to receive Medicaid. Follow this link to find quarterly installments of a newsletter designed to educate consumers on relevant information.

In December, 2010 Idaho put out this first edition of a newsletter aimed at providing outreach to consumers regarding Personal Assistance Services (PAS). This newsletter shares personal stories about individuals who are actively involved in Idaho’s local communities because Medicaid offers PAS. May be replicable by other states looking for ideas on how to share personal stories

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.