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Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Working Together News
A newsletter about Maine's efforts to increase work opportunities for people with disabilities
In Focus
Working Together Strategic Plan Takes Off
Working Together: Maine's Strategic Plan to Maximize Employment for People with Disabilities has been well received since its January release. Governor Baldacci presented the plan to the public at a February 24th press conference.
Plan implementation began immediately. During this press conference, the governor signed an executive order to ensure that Maine state government is a model employer of people with disabilities — an important goal under Priority 2 of the strategic plan.
Working Together is offered in three formats. A full version contains extensive information that was collected from various stakeholders throughout 2005. A short version (15 pages) provides a more focused view. In July, a third presentation, "The Basics," will outline key elements of the plan in plain language in order to involve more people, employers, and organizations.
Carey Appold, head of the team at the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) that funds CHOICES CEO and similar projects, praised Working Together. She said it is an excellent model of presenting complex information to a wide audience in an engaging manner.
New Resources from CMS and CHOICES CEO
In May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a report on participation in the "Medicaid Buy-In Program."
In Maine this program is called the MaineCare Workers with Disabilities Option. This and other buy-in programs encourage people with disabilities to work or to work more. They do so by allowing workers to pay premiums in exchange for Medicaid coverage even if their higher earnings would otherwise make them ineligible for Medicaid.
Following the release of this extensive report, the CHOICE CEO project has produced a "Reader's Guide to Key Findings for the MaineCare Workers with Disabilities Option." This guide pulls information of interest to Maine, such as:
- Maine was among 19 states whose buy-in enrollees increased their earnings in the first year of enrollment.
- In 2004, the average annual earnings of first-time enrollees in the MaineCare Workers with Disabilities Option increased by 30%.
The CMS report, "Participation in the Medicaid Buy-In Program: A Statistical Profile from Integrated Data" and the CHOICES CEO "Reader's Guide" are both available on the CHOICES CEO Resources page.
Legislative Report
Work Begins Following Executive and Legislative Gains
This past legislative session resulted in two important gains related to the employment of people with disabilities in Maine — an executive order and a public law. Now that the ink has dried, the day-to-day work of making the gains a reality for people with disabilities begins. In late May, a task force began meeting to implement the new requirements.
The Executive Order, signed by the governor in February, promotes Maine's state government as a model employer of workers with disabilities. It calls for the state to:
- implement an outreach campaign to people with disabilities. The campaign will emphasize the benefits of working for Maine state government, and will result in a statewide job fair for workers with disabilities;
- identify state jobs that are difficult to fill today and that are projected to be difficult to fill in future years; and
- conduct a survey of current state employees to determine the prevalence of workers with disabilities in the state government workforce.
The new law, "An Act to Create Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities," (LD 1910) requires that the state government will:
- review its hiring and promotional practices for workers with disabilities; expand outreach efforts; increase efforts to accommodate workers with disabilities; and
- write a report about how to increase the number of workers with disabilities in the state government by January 1, 2007.
The task group includes representatives from the Commission on Disability and Employment, the Bureau of Human Resources (Department of Administration and Finance), the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (Department of Labor), and the Muskie School of Public Service.
Ideas for Stories
Please help us… we are seeking stories! Do you know of a worker or employer that we can feature in our newsletter? Please contact Leslie Pohl.
Updates
Mainers Go West
In July, Mel Clarrage, chair of Maine's Commission on Disability and Employment, and Carolyn Gray, research analyst for the CHOICES CEO project, are flying west to represent Maine at two major conferences in California.
First, they will attend the annual meeting of the National Association of Governors' Committee on People with Disabilities. Maine's Commission on Disability and Employment serves the same functions as do Governor's Committees in other states.
Immediately following the NAGC meeting, Carolyn will attend a second meeting, this one for the California Health Incentives Improvement Project. This is California's equivalent of the Maine CHOICES CEO project. As in Maine, the CHIIP project works closely with California's Governor's Committee in implementing a strategic plan aimed at maximizing the employment of people with disabilities. Carolyn hopes to pick up ideas for new strategies that we can use here in Maine.
New Funding Announced for Benefits Counseling
Earlier this year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced new funding for benefits counseling services in Maine and other states. The new funding, which emphasizes work incentives, support for return-to-work, and jobs for beneficiaries, is called the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program.
Following the announcement, Maine's Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS) and the CHOICES CEO project held a public meeting on May 22nd. The meeting was attended by approximately 30 individuals in three separate locations. Information gathered at this meeting will guide the development of Maine's benefits counseling system.
WIPA replaces previous SSA funding, called the Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) which SSA awarded to Maine Medical Center from 2001 to 2005. Benefits Specialists under the new WIPA Program will now be referred to as Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWICs).
In Maine, $122,634 is available to provide services for the 63,709 eligible beneficiaries of Social Security. The only known applicant for this funding is the Maine Medical Center.
Comprehensive Needs Assessment in Progress
In June, Maine's Division of Rehabilitation Services completed a statewide needs assessment for the General Vocational Rehabilitation (GVR) program. A draft report is currently available on the Bureau of Rehabilitation web site. The final report will be released in the coming weeks.
Stay Tuned!
There have been proposed changes to the Ticket to Work regulations. Public comment is now closed and final regulations are expected this year (2006). A summary of the proposed changes are available.
Coming Soon
Medicare Prescription Drug coverage survey results.
Mark Your Calendar
The Future of Maine's Economy
September 21 - 22, 2006
Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
The Future of Maine's Economy II will focus on aligning workforce development with education and economic development in Maine.
Job Accommodation Network Conference 2006
September 18 - 19, 2006
Hilton Boston Logan Airport, Boston, MA
The theme of the conference is "Empowering Employers to Build an Inclusive Workforce." Visit the conference web site.
