Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Working Together News
A newsletter about Maine's efforts to increase work opportunities for people with disabilities
In Focus
Upcoming Conference: The Power of Work!
Denise Bissonette
Come to this fall’s conference on disability and employment being held at the Augusta Civic Center on September 23 and 24. Denise Bissonette, a national speaker on job and career development, will deliver the keynote speech on both days.
The first day of the conference focuses on the “The Art of Creating Opportunity” and is designed for those who work in employment services. The day will provide tools that attendees can use to help people with disabilities find and keep good jobs.
The second day looks at “The Power of Work: Beyond Barriers” and is designed for job seekers and workers with disabilities. Attendees will receive information on where to find good jobs, what employers are looking for, and what career development services are available.
The conference is being organized by the CHOICES CEO project in partnership with Maine’s Commission on Disability and Employment. For more information and to register (registration closes Sept 19th!), visit the Power of Work! webpage. If you prefer to register by phone, you may call (207) 780-5960 or TTY (207) 780-5646.
Marketing Campaign to Take Message about Workers with Disabilities to Employers Nationwide
Maine’s CHOICES CEO project and other Medicaid Infrastructure Grantees (MIGs) across the country are developing a marketing campaign about disability and employment targeted at employers.
Marketing materials that effectively convey a positive message about working people with disabilities will be developed for video, print, and web distribution. Through customization, these materials will be appropriate for both national and local use.
Over the past couple of years, advocates in Maine have been pursuing the means to conduct such a marketing campaign. In 2007, the Maine Legislature passed Chapter 101 Resolve, which called for the Maine Jobs Council to organize a task force to develop a marketing plan to reach employers and people with disabilities. This year, the Jobs Council reported that, given federal and state funding cutbacks and the economic slowdown, it was not possible to launch the marketing campaign.
CHOICES CEO will support this new national effort, along with other participating MIGs, federal agencies, and national organizations—all of which will pool funds to hire a consulting firm to design the campaign. The National Coalition of Health Systems Development, a technical assistance network, is helping to facilitate the effort.
Currently, the group is developing a process to solicit and evaluate proposals from major marketing campaign agencies with the intention of awarding a contract to the agency with the best proposal by the end of 2008.
Do you know of a Maine business that should be honored for its track record and commitment to employing workers with disabilities?
Each year, Working Together gives out three awards to businesses that have shown outstanding commitment to employing people with disabilities. Visit the Working Together website to nominate an outstanding business for one of these three awards (you may nominate your own business):
- The Large-Business Leadership Award is given to businesses that have demonstrated a company-wide commitment to furthering employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
- The Small-Business Leadership Award is given to smaller Maine businesses (fewer than 50 employees) that have shown innovation and commitment in employing people with disabilities.
- The Workforce Achievement Award, also known as the "Just Do It" award, credits an employer that eagerly and enthusiastically begins diversifying its workforce by employing people with disabilities.
The awards will be given out at Working Together’s Second Annual Symposium on October 30, 2008, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport.
The Symposium will include discussion about the aging workforce, employing
veterans, and marketing. Expert speakers will
share first-hand experiences and suggestions for best practices.
Registration
is $25 per person, including lunch. For
more information on the symposium visit www.ExpandingMainesWorkforce.com.
New Resources for Job Seekers!
Give us your feedback on these resources for job seekers. Are these websites helpful? Are they easy to access and navigate? Do you know of other websites or resources that would benefit job seekers? If so, please send us the links so that others looking for work may benefit.
Online Resume Builders
Input your information into these websites and get a formatted
resume.
Dushkin
Online Resume Builder
e-Resumes
for Jobseekers
Disclosing a Disability to a Potential Employer
Advice on how to approach disability disclosure at all
stages of the job-seeking process.
Should
You Disclose a Disability on Your Resume?
Disability
Disclosure: To Tell or Not to Tell
Talking
About Your Disability in Job Interviews
“Unwritten Rules” of Employment
Information and advice on topics including what to wear,
how to get along, and the top skills sought by employers.
Workplace
Survival and Success
Skills
and Competencies Needed to Succeed in Today's Workplace
Your Own Business
A five-minute assessment tool to help you determine if
a small business would work for you.
Are
You Ready to Start a Business?
Send your feedback to Leslie Pohl at lpohl@usm.maine.edu.
Mark Your Calendar
The
Power of Work! Disability and Employment Conferences
September 23 & 24, 2008
Augusta Civic Center
Augusta, ME
FALL
August Area Job Expo
September 30, 2008, 9 am – 2 pm
Augusta, ME
Working
Together 2nd Annual Symposium
October 30, 2008, 7:30 am- 1 pm
Hilton Garden Inn
Freeport, ME
Social
Security: How Work Impacts Benefits
On-line Training
October 1 - 31, 2008
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.
Batting One Thousand: A Kid, Sports, Dreams and a Mentor
Matt Shaw (left) with Travis Lee from WMTW(right)
In 2007 Matt Shaw was like many 17 year olds. He attended high school,
which he didn’t care for very much, hung out with friends, played
video games and mostly tried to stay out of trouble. And, he loved sports.
Baseball and football were his passions. He didn’t miss a game.
He knew every player. He knew who was on top and who was not. He
even thought about becoming a sports broadcaster. But when it came to
academics, well, his brain was in a steady slump. Then he met Travis
Lee.
In October 2007 Matt volunteered for Disability Mentoring Day, (DMD) which the organization’s web site www.dmd-aapd.org describes as, “a national program that promotes career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration.” Matt’s DMD mentor was popular sports broadcaster Travis Lee from WMTW, Channel 8 in Portland. On Disability Mentoring Day, Matt spent time with Travis at the Channel 8 station and was given a grand tour of the secret life behind sports news. According to Matt, “It was awesome.” And that one day’s “awesome” experience with Travis was enough to send Matt swinging -- at his academics.
Reflecting on the time spent with his mentor, Matt said, “Before, I didn’t even really think about setting a goal let alone reaching for one. When I met Travis, he told me that I had to work hard, that a goal can become a reality. It’s not just something you think about but something you work toward. He made me want to work hard.”
Matt worked hard all right. At end of the school year he received the “Most Improved Student” award from his high school. And he made the honor roll. In fact, you might say that thanks to his DMD mentor, he’s now batting one thousand.
Disability Mentoring Day activities for Portland area high school students will be held on October 15, 2008 at the University of Southern Maine. Students who would like to attend are encouraged to check with their high schools for upcoming details. Employers are welcome to volunteer as mentors. For more information contact the Maine Department of Labor Disability Program Navigator at (800) 315-1192 x409 or by TTY: (888) 817-7113.
Disability Mentoring Day is October 15, 2008!
Get involved in this year’s Disability Mentoring Day! This exciting day of events promotes career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration.
Events are scheduled across the state. Because of the great level of interest in Disability Mentoring Day, events will be occurring not just on October 15, but on days throughout the month.
Go here to see the DMD events schedule for Maine.
Updates
Senate Passes Bill to Strengthen Americans with Disabilities Act; Goes to President Bush Soon
The Senate on Sept. 11 approved S. 3406, its version of the law that
would make it easier to hire and accommodate employees with disabilities
by clarifying parts of the current Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). This bill was introduced in July by Senator Tom Harkin.
The measure passed on a voice vote without dissent, and is similar to legislation approved by the House in June by a vote of 402 to 17 (see our July newsletter). Minor differences between the bills will be addressed and are expected to be resolved quickly, allowing a final version to be sent to President Bush.
For more information, visit ADAWatch.org, The Road to Freedom, or you can track the Senate bill’s progress here.
New Online “Toolkit” Helps Clarify Changes to the Ticket to Work Program
The Ticket to Work program is a national program by the Social Security Administration that increases access to employment services for Social Security beneficiaries, to help increase employment outcomes and allow some people go off of Social Security benefits entirely. The program offers employment resources to beneficiaries through service providers called “Employment Networks.”
Ticket to Work, originally launched in 2002, was updated by new regulations, which became effective in July. Some of the new regulations change available payment options for Employment Networks so they can be reimbursed for services provided to Ticket holders. Opportunities to coordinate provision of services between several agencies have also been expanded. (For details, see our May newsletter)
To help states understand these new regulations, the National Consortium for Health Systems Development has developed a Ticket to Work toolkit. The toolkit is intended to help Medicaid Infrastructure Grantees (the CHOICES CEO project in Maine) contribute to state’s efforts to look at and to assess their existing Ticket to Work system.
The toolkit provides details on the new regulations and on the work that states can and should be doing to take full advantage of new opportunities. Chapters include the following:
- “Considerations for State Vocational Rehabilitation on Developing Policies and Procedures for the new Ticket Program– Is Your State Ticket Ready?” (PDF Download)
- “Considerations for One-Stop Career Centers in Developing Policies and Procedures for the new Ticket Program.” (PDF Download)
For more information about the Ticket to Work changes or the toolkit, please contact Larry Glantz at glantz@usm.maine.edu. Additional information about implementing the new Ticket to Work program will be provided as available in this newsletter.
