Employment Programs

The Iowa Dept. of Elder Affairs was seeking proposals for development of two local ADRC pilot projects to provide a coordinated system of information and access in order to minimize confusion, enhance individual choice and support informed decision-making. Core functions include planning, collaboration, long-term services, supports & options counseling. Proposals were due on 3/20/08. Use this RFP as an example in developing similar products.

New Jersey WorkAbility was implemented in February 2001 and extends basic Medicaid coverage to working-age residents who are employed, have a permanent disability, and have income and asset levels below specified thresholds. Find an evaluation of this program, including a description of current and former enrollees, an evaluation of the program focused on employment variables, earning trends and more, and a series of recommendations for the future.

Created in 2006 and comprised of representatives from nine federal agencies, the taskforce was charged with developing multi-agency strategies to address the aging of the workforce. This report summarizes the Taskforce’s findings and recommendations including self-employment, flexible work arrangements and customized employment. Notably they suggest exploring the increasing the employment focus of Aging and Disability Resource Centers and enhancing collaboration with One-Stop Career Centers.

A series of reports, commissioned by The Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, contain an analysis of the human services workforce in Massachusetts and its implications for the future. Identified in the first report, job recruitment and retention are a growing concern. This second report focuses on factors contributing to the human services workforce shortage and provides insight into challenges faced by providers across the Commonwealth. Key features and strategies are outlined.

Youth Employment Solutions – Project YES! – is a systems change project funded by the Nebraska Health and Human Services System through Nebraska’s Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. The purpose of Project YES! is to increase the competitive employment of Nebraska’s SSI, SSDI, and CDB eligible youth in transition. A summary of the purpose of Project YES! is included, and the Community Team Summary from 2006 is attached.

Two trainings, presented in 2005 by the Nebraska Health and Human Services Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, provided information on how poverty relates to disability. Included are the registration and agenda sheets. Nebraska Health and Human Services website is also provided.

Presented by the Kolb Foundation for Disability Education, this series of forums was designed to serve as a resource for people with disabilities throughout Nebraska to learn about opportunities to work without jeopardizing their health care coverage and to promote self-sufficiency. Included are press releases, a flyer and an employer letter about the events.

This report was authored by PHI for the Health Field Collaborative (HFC) in Michigan to bring attention to its approach to improving retention of entry-level workers in health care and direct-care workers in the long-term care industry. The study explains how HFC created the Opportunity Partnership & Empowerment Network (OPEN) to address a critical local need. It outlines components of the program, reviews outcomes for the pilot phase, and identifies factors for sustaining it in the future.

The Montana Medicaid Infrastructure Grant held the Empowerment of Native Americans with Disabilities Conference on November 2, 2006. Some of the topics addressed included: barriers to employment, social security benefits planning and vocational rehabilitation. Conference materials (flyer, brochure, agenda and evaluation) are included as example.

The Montana Medicaid Infrastructure Grant has produced this variety of survey tools, designed to obtain information on the employment of people with disabilities in Montana and assist the State in developing and/or improving programs and services that will enable Montanans with disabilities to gain employment.