Employment Programs

Review a brief that profiles Medicaid Buy-In participants with severe mental illness and compares their characteristics, employment experiences, and medical expenditures with those of other program participants. Findings show that Buy-In participants had lower medical expenditures, were more likely to be employed and to increase their earnings over time.

What are some of the essential components of Medicaid long-term care programs? This brief, geared towards people working in Medicaid or disability employment, discusses payment for long-term care, range of services, administration, eligibility, functional assessment and rebalancing of long-term care systems. Also find examples of how some states have incorporated aspects of long-term care services and supports (LTSS) into their Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) programs.

Review the findings of six listening sessions where participants provided input on more effective ways to increase employment of women, veterans, and minorities with disabilities, the identfication of federal and state systems effectively collaborating to achieve successful employment outcomes, and identification of three top issues on which the federal government should focus to support an increase in labor force participation of people with disabilities.

Wondering how states are organizing and educating their key vocational and employment-related stakeholders? Attached is the agenda of the Consumer Workforce Development Strategic Workgroup Planning Session II, held as part of Hawai‘s Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant. Sections included are group sharing, actionable next steps, and a chance to review purpose and desired outcomes for the day.

This is the fourth in a series of briefs that focus on affordable housing strategies and state and local partnerships that increase housing opportunities for workers with disabilities. Asset-building strategies that can support affordable rental and homeownership occupancy are discussed, as well as shared equity strategies such as cooperative housing and community land trusts. Also find a link to the entire brief series.

Read about the implementation of the Workforce Inclusion Act of 2002 in CA. This study examined the use of In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) in the workplace and barriers to its use. Information was collected on the impact of state budget cuts and program changes made for fiscal year 2009-10. A policy recommendation was made to modify IHSS by giving consumers more flexibility in using their IHSS hours with less task-specificity, and increasing consumer-direction of their authorized hours.

Are MIGs assisting individuals with disabilities to become employed? An annual GPRA report has been produced since 2007. This report builds on previous work, and shows the continued impact of MIG funding in 2008 on programs and services that facilitate employment among individuals with disabilities. As the MIG program approaches the end of its authorized period, many states are committing to evaluating the programs, documenting their impacts, and sustaining the efforts beyond 2011.

How are federal agencies hiring, managing, and retaining employees with disabilities? This report draws from an online survey of government employees involved in the hiring or management process. Findings indicate that a number of barriers exist including lack of education around key mandates, lack of manager training and accountability. Though stereotypes were also a barrier, they were significantly less common in agencies with proper tools and knowledge.

The US Department of Labor sponsored three national demonstration projects to research effective policies and practices that improve self-employment outcomes for people with disabilities. These projects represented a diversity of locations, economic environments and stakeholder groups, and resulted in new knowledge as well as local policy and program improvements that will help individuals achieve their entrepreneurship career goals. The projects are described in the attached report.

How is New York's MIG program helping train employers about the benefits of hiring disabled employees? New York created Employer Briefs. Examining effective business practices for improving the bottom line of organizations, such as recruiting and retaining a productive workforce is the basis of Employer Brief One. Employer Brief Two covers six action steps companies can take to create a more inclusive, productive workforce. Samples are attached, which could be useful to other MIG states.