Manuals

This guide is about creating the opportunity for people with developmental disabilities to have a home and people to share everyday life with. Building on the experiences of states, the guide explains the service system components necessary to develop and sustain shared living. Available in print only.

This guide, developed by the Florida MIG program, provides an outline of the most important areas to remember when delivering an effective two-day training seminar. Sections include introduction to Supported Employment, laws and regulations, marketing and teaching adults. Also included are examples and handouts on resumes and job seekers profiles.

Looking for samples of MIG program training materials for consumers? The state of New York created a series of informative guides to educate New Yorkers with disabilities about their programs. These reports cover areas such as the earned income tax credit, how to build assets with a plan for achieving self support, and the impact of earnings on supplemental security income benefits. Samples are attached and could serve as guides to other states looking for clear, well designed models.

How are states incorporating new media into their MIG grant training programs? Webinars allow for a cinematic, presentation like, learning experience that can be accessed conveniently online. The state of New York uses webinars to explain their programs to consumers and service providers, and made archives of these presentations available online. A link to the archives page of the New York Makes Work Pay site is provided below. These webinars could serve as a template for other MIG states.

Are you looking for ways to improve the quality of person-centered plans? This manual was developed to help improve the facilitation process around PCP. Most of the information uses the foundation of Personal Futures Planning, and the training provides an overview of the fundamental concepts and principles underlying this approach to planning. The manual is intended to be used as a resource in training programs.

How can employers communicate effectively with people who have a disability? North Dakota's MIG program sees communication as an important part of helping facilitate the employment and retention of people with disabilities. They created a manual outlining ten communication tips, disability specific tips, people first language, and workplace strategies. A sample of this manual is attached and could also be useful as a template for other MIG states.

What are states doing to address language barriers in implementing their MIG programs? The state of Michigan created a Supported Self-Employment Training Manual in Spanish that extensively covers the history, details and resources of their program. This manual also includes forms in Spanish. It is available for download and could serve as a helpful template or outline for other MIG states.

Seamless collaboration with and for students with disabilities transitioning to employment, education/training, and adult life is vital to making transition programs successful. Utah created a Transition Action Guide for students with disabilities and agencies to accomplish this. A sample copy, revised in April of 2010, is attached. A link is also provided to a copy posted on Utah’s State Office of Education site, where it is updated periodically.

An alternative to the traditional care delivery system, Arkansas’ IndependentChoices was the first program nationally that offered participant directed care as an option to its’ Medicaid population. Arkansas serves as a model for other states interested in implementing similar programs. This in depth procedures manual outlines the history, philosophy and detailed procedures for the program. Review examples of these enrollment and operating policies.

Rhode Island’s Participant Guide includes general information about the program and details about roles and responsibilities. The guide includes sections on getting started with the program, completing spending plans, addressing personal issues, and managing emergencies.