Employment Programs

What barriers remain to employment for people with disabilities? The first report presents the results of a survey asking S.C. business leaders this and other questions regarding benefits, challenges, and supports needed to better employ people with disabilities. The second report asks a broader sample of the business community about their perceptions of workers with disabilities, how they affect the workplace, and what accommodations and incentives they consider to be reasonable and effective.

Since 2001, the U.S. Department of Labor has funded 20 Customized Employment and 6 Workforce Action demonstration projects to identify policy mechanisms that effectively support customized employment. This report gives the background, key findings, successful strategies, obstacles, and analysis of the different projects. The main work product is a set of local, state, and federal policy recommendations generated by the initiative.

Mathematica researchers examine the effects that the Medicaid Buy-In program has had on participants’ earnings. The first brief looks at whether earnings increase after enrollment. The second profiles the workers that earn the highest wages. The last brief profiles all Buy-In participants and compares earnings data by state. Each brief analyzes the traits of the workers and different state programs to identify successful strategies.

How many people served by home and community-based mental health services in your state are employed? This DataNote explores this question and illustrates a wide variance in outcomes between states, suggesting the need for further research to identify and implement best practices.

Up to 70% of community rehabilitation providers report that individuals with disabilities prefer to stay in facility-based, rather than community-based, employment programs. This edition of the “Customized Employment Corner” series confronts some challenges of helping individuals make informed choices about employment options. The questions and answers address issues of finding jobs that fit individuals’ qualifications and choices, communication, and funding.

The first in a series on housing issues, this brief provides an overview of various federal and state housing financing programs that can be used to support low income workers with disabilities. The brief also summarizes the related nature of housing and employment services and the impacts of the current housing market on employees with disabilities. The series is meant to provide information to MIG grantees and help them create linkages with agencies providing direct housing services.

The author interviewed individuals with serious mental illnesses to illustrate their experiences, motivations, and ambitions in the workplace. The stories and analysis challenge misconceptions about this population’s abilities and willingness to work. Rich work histories show that the career patterns of this group do not vary dramatically from those of people with less severe mental illnesses.

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.

States are ranked in this report based on the outcomes of Medicaid services provided to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The key outcomes measured are the promotion of independence and meaningful employment, tracking quality and safety, keeping families together, and reaching those in need. Each state’s progress is measured by comparing data from the previous year. This report is issued annually with past editions available on the included website.

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.