Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Working Together News
A newsletter about Maine's efforts to increase work opportunities for people with disabilities
In Focus
Events Held Across Maine Inspire Participants
Four significant events focused on disability and employment were held this fall. These events — a symposium, two conferences, and a day of mentoring young job seekers with disabilities — were staged by the CHOICES CEO project and its partners with the goal of reaching out to three key groups:
- Job seekers and workers with disabilities;
- Businesses; and
- Agencies and organizations that provide work preparation, job training, and job placement services for workers with disabilities.
Click on photos throughout this newsletter for a description and larger view.
The Power of Work!: Two Conferences Held in Augusta
In September, two one-day “Power of Work!” conferences were held at the Augusta Civic Center. The first conference, called the “The Art of Creating Opportunity” engaged service providers. “Beyond Barriers,” the second conference, was held the following day and reached out to job seekers and workers with disabilities.
Both conferences were very well attended, credited at least in part to Denise Bissonette, who was the keynote speaker both days. Denise is an internationally renowned writer and trainer from Winnipeg, Canada. During the first day, Denise shared her ‘top twelve employment tools,’ which have been proven effective by thousands of employment counselors and job search trainers.
Attendees were very enthusiastic in their evaluations of Denise’s presentation, with comments such as:
- “Great energy!”
- “I truly appreciate her spirit.”
- “The best speaker at any conference I have ever attended!”
During the second conference, focused on job seekers with disabilities, Denise Bissonette encouraged job seekers to look beyond barriers and shift their perspectives by asking different questions. Instead of “What experience do I have to build on?” ask “What do I love/care about?” and “In what contexts do I have the potential for genius?” In doing so, people tap into the power of their passion. With creative thinking, jobs can be developed that utilize an individual’s unique gifts and offer personal fulfillment.
The second conference also included the first of several Work Incentive Seminar Events (WISE) to be held in Maine. These community events are being put on by the Maine Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program—a benefits counseling program of the Social Security Administration that is based at Maine Medical Center. People with disabilities who collect Social Security benefits and their families can attend a WISE seminar to learn more about work incentives. For information on WISE seminars being held elsewhere in Maine, contact David Dubay at (207) 662–4387 or DUBAYD@mmc.org.
View more photographs from the conferences here!
Students in Southern Maine Take Part in Disability Mentoring Day
The third of these four events was Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). DMD is a nationally celebrated event that is part of Disability Awareness Month. In southern Maine, October 15 was proclaimed DMD by the mayor of Portland and events were held at the University of Southern Maine's Glickman Library.
Students were matched with mentors based upon students' interests. Nineteen employers volunteered to mentor 29 students with disabilities between the ages of 17 and 22. The day is dedicated to promoting career development for students with disabilities through job shadowing and career exploration. Participants were able to job shadow with a range of employers that included the Portland Sea Dogs, WMPG radio station, and the United Way.
Shawn Withers, a certified martial arts instructor, was the keynote speaker. Shawn is an inductee into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame and a stroke survivor with extensive experience working with students with disabilities. Following his talk, the students traveled to job sites in the area for career exploration and job shadowing. In the afternoon, students regrouped for an employer panel discussion and a series of workshops on topics such as post-secondary education, assistive technology, resume and job readiness, and public transportation.
All in all, the day was a great success as demonstrated by student comments:
- "The keynote was excellent! Mentoring piece, workshops, panel—all good information."
- “DMD provides students with a great chance to see what choices are out there."
- "The off site job experiences! Many of them were super unique."
- "Students got to pick their interests."
Generous sponsorships and donations of services were provided by Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, CHOICES CEO, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Human Resource Association of Southern Maine, Commission on Disability and Employment, Employment Times, Pro Search, Key Bank, as well as volunteers from state agencies, non-profits and area employers.
Write-ups of other events that took place around Maine will be posted in the near future. Check the DMD web page often for updates.
Working Together Holds Second Symposium, Awards Outstanding Employers
April Clark of Manpower
emcees the Symposium
The fourth and final event of this series was the second annual Working Together Business Symposium, held October 30 in Freeport. Many business representatives attended this meeting along with service providers who work closely with employers.
Katherine McCary, vice president of SunTrust Banks and chair of the US Business Leadership Network, was the keynote speaker. Katherine has an impressive track record in both the business and disability fields. President Bush recently named her to the National Council on Disability.
Katherine is responsible for SunTrust’s Accessing Community Talent, a program that expands the employment of people with disabilities in the bank’s workforce and increases the awareness of marketing opportunities for customers with disabilities. She also manages the Corporate Disability Resource Center, which provides disability information internally to employees and managers.
Major General Libby of
the Maine National Guard
presents award to Maine Oxy
In her remarks, Katherine stressed the need for strong partnerships between businesses and local service providers, including Vocational Rehabilitation, schools, parents, government agencies and disability business organizations. Her full presentation can be viewed online (PowerPoint file).
Three workshops were held at the symposium: 1) The Aging Workforce and Employees with Disabilities; 2) Employing our Returning Veterans: Wounds We Can See, Wounds We Can’t See; and 3) Reaching your Consumers: How to Market your Employment of People with Disabilities.
After the event, participants wrote:
- “[It was] most helpful to be in a room full of people sharing the same interests and passion.”
- “A great opportunity to build new relationships!”
And the Winners are… Working Together Presents Business Leadership Awards
As part of its symposium, Working Together, a business-to-business network, recognized employers that made a difference with this year’s Business Leadership Awards.
Hannaford Brothers received the Large-business Leadership Award because of the company’s many outstanding contributions to the employment of workers with disabilities. Specific recognition was given for Hannaford’s leadership in the First Jobs Academy, a project that provides employment training to youth serviced by the foster care system, many of whom have disabilities. (see photo here)
Al’s Auto of Medway Maine received the Small-business Leadership Award to recognize a long list of successful training and employment efforts completed in partnership with Katahdin Friends, Inc (KFI), a service agency headquartered in Millinocket. (see photo here)
Bates College was recognized with a Workforce Achievement Award for the school’s overall efforts to diversify its workforce with people with disabilities. The several success stories that came out of hiring people with disabilities as part of the college’s nationally recognized Campus Dining Services were particularly of note. (see photo here)
The three employers that were selected were chosen from a list of business that together offer a rich pool of model business practices. These include:
- Aroostook Centre Mall, Presque Isle
- Bangor Mall Cinemas 10, Bangor
- Beacon Analytical Systems, Inc., Portland
- Custom Disability Solutions, South Portland
- Friendly’s Ice Cream, Ellsworth
- Lutheran Social Services, Westbrook
- TD Banknorth, Portland
Maine Veterans Recognized
Finally, two other awards were made by the Working Together network this year. The awards were in acknowledgment of Maine veterans.
Our armed forces are experiencing battlefield and other service-related injuries that result in many long-lasting disabilities. Injuries suffered on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan have differed from past wars, with more amputations and brain traumas. Veterans of these wars are also experiencing Post Traumatic Stress injuries.
The first award went to all Maine Veterans to express deep appreciation of their service and sacrifice. That award was accepted by Sgt. Kirby Touchette on behalf of all veterans and will be housed at Camp Keyes. (see photo here)
The second award was presented to Maine Oxy, a welding and industrial gas company in Auburn, to recognize its exemplary employment and support of veterans and their families. (see photo here)
Mark Your Calendar
Disability Policy Research Forum:
Cash and Counseling: An Innovative Model for Consumer Choice Policies
November 20, 2008
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Webinar
Four-Part "Foundations in Transition" Series
Manchester, NH
1- The Basics of Secondary Transition (12/11/08)
2- Personal Futures Planning (1/15/09)
3- Creative Educational & Employment Options (2/3/09)
4- Resource Development (3/19/09)
Husson University 2009 Job Fair
January 8, 2009
Husson University's South Portland Site
Go here for more calendar items
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.
Spotlight on Employers
Dore’s Café & Market
In a prior life, before opening up her own business, Dore Campbell patronized a bakery in Virginia Beach and was impressed by their hiring practices. “They always had individuals with a disability working the counter and baking,” said Campbell. “It was a great atmosphere for employees and customers; it’s great to have a diverse workforce.”
Now that she has her own business — Dore’s Café & Market in Auburn — Campbell is fully committed to having a diverse workforce that includes employees with a disability.
To help her find an employee that would be a good fit for her business, Campbell contacted a career resources specialist from Work Opportunities , a provider of employment services for adults and youth in Maine. The specialist connected Campbell with a new employee who has an on-site job coach (someone who provides assistance to the employee in the workplace when needed). Campbell says the job coach is not in the way or “stepping on our toes.”
The recent hire has been a great success. “Initially, he was clearing tables, making pastry boxes and stocking beverages,” said Campbell. “Within three months he is doing most everything that the other employees do, such as making focaccia, cookies and rolling out dough. He is a big help and his positive attitude is infectious!”
Dore’s Café & Market at 20 Union Street in Auburn serves breakfast and lunch, offers catering services, and hosts private functions. For more information call (207) 777-7001 or visit dorescafe.com.
First Jobs: Maine Staffing Initiative Provides Employment Opportunities for Youth in Foster Care
In 2004, Rob Franciose launched First Jobs, a program designed to create a successful first work experience for young people who face extra challenges in life.
The program, which focuses on assisting young people in the child welfare system, affects many youth that have one or more disabilities. Two years after the program’s founding, the Muskie School of Public Service reported on First Jobs participants as part of its report, Supported Employment in Maine: Youth in Foster Care (PDF Download). Of the 35 young people that were part of the review, 67 percent had at least one documented disability and 44 percent had more than one disability.
With continued commitment from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Maine Division of Casey Family Services, and the Charles Stuart Mott Foundation, First Jobs has been able to increase its support of young people in the workplace and its outreach work to employers about the issues facing youth in foster care and youth with disabilities.
Click here to read more about First Jobs (MS Word download) and the First Jobs Academy at Hannaford®. For additional information contact Rob Franciose at Rfranciose@aol.com.
Updates
Presidential Election Will Impact Workers with Disabilities
Both President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden have excellent positions and track records on employment issues for people with disabilities.
The Obama-Biden campaign developed a comprehensive Plan to Empower People with Disabilities (PDF download). The plan proposes to:
- Provide educational opportunities for people with disabilities;
- Fight discrimination and promote equal opportunity;
- Increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities; and
- Support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities.
As Senators, both Barack Obama and Joe Biden co-sponsored the ADA Amendments Act and last July, Mr. Obama participated in the National Forum on Disability Issues. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama promised to sign the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.
President-elect Obama credits some of his awareness of living with a disability to his father-in-law, Frasier Robinson, who was diagnosed at the age of 30 with Multiple Sclerosis and lived with that condition for 25 years. This story is told in a video available on the Obama-Biden web site.
ADA Amendments Act of 2008 signed into law!
On Thursday, September 25, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law S.3406, the "ADA Amendments Act of 2008," which is intended to make it easier to hire, accommodate, and protect employees with disabilities by clarifying some elements of the current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (Click here to read the text of the law.)
"We have restored the promise of the ADA, which was signed into law 18 years ago," said Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa), another key author of the original ADA. "The protections afforded under this historic law have been eroded and the result is that people with serious conditions like epilepsy or diabetes could be forced to choose between treating their conditions and forfeiting their protections under the law. That is not what Congress intended when we passed the law, and this bill is the right fix."
It will be up to the new president to enforce and execute the new law come January 2009.
A Continuing Discussion about the New Ticket to Work Act
The CHOICES CEO project is continuing its work with the newest rollout of the national Ticket to Work Act. We will be examining this program through articles in this newsletter that address both the law’s complexity and its promise. This article builds on articles that appeared in our September and May newsletters.
The Ticket to Work (TTW) program is a program of the Social Security Administration that is designed to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities who go off of Social Security benefits entirely. TTW, originally launched in 2002, was updated by new regulations that became effective in July 2008.
So what is happening in Maine regarding the roll-out of the newly configured TTW program? Little is apparent. Throughout the summer and fall, Karen Fraser, TTW coordinator for Maine’s Bureau of Rehabilitation (VR) Services, met with VR counselors and other staff to train them on the new regulations. However, no new outreach materials explaining the Ticket program have been developed or are in use in Maine, at least so far.
One area where this lack of outreach may have a harmful effect is in relation to Employment Networks (ENs). These are the service agencies to which a person with a disability who is a “Ticket holder” can assign his/her Ticket voucher, thus receiving employment services and allowing payment to the EN when certain outcomes are achieved.
The experience of many ENs during the earlier operation of the TTW program was not a good one. Most ENs are small businesses and found the payment system inadequate and all found it tough to compete with state VR agencies.
The new Ticket rules address these problems. They are expected to increase revenue to ENs in several ways:
- Part-time work is supported. Phase One Milestones can be paid when consumer earnings reach $670 per month (the Trial Work Period threshold in 2008).
- ENs are paid sooner. The first payment point (“Milestone One”) can be paid after the Ticket-holder earns $335 in a month or less.
- Parity for SSI and SSDI consumers – rules for both allow $1177 in payments for each Phase One Milestone in 2008.
- All four Phase One Milestone payments are easier to earn. ENs thus have longer to meet an easier standard (nine months of employment earnings that reach Trial Work Period levels within an 18 month period).
- Higher total EN payments under new rules.
- Partnership between state VR agencies and ENs is supported. This will open new business opportunities for ENs and create a larger market for services.
The ENs that are registered and approved to take Tickets in Maine are listed online. However, while there are 33 ENs listed, only 11 of those agencies are actually in Maine. Many of these agencies will take a person’s Ticket, provide only the most basic of information as their “service,” and hope that the Ticket holder finds a job on their own so that they will receive payment. Ticket holders have fewer real options than might be apparent at first glance.
It is clear that more efforts should be staged to reach out to quality service agencies in Maine so they can register as ENs, especially those that lost interest in the Ticket program long ago. Any entity can apply to become an EN including the following:
- One-Stop CareerCenters
- Independent Living Centers
- mental health organizations
- colleges and universities
- high school and youth transition organizations
- employment agencies
- employers
- other local service providers.
More ENs will allow greater choice for Ticket holders, cover more areas of Maine, and make for a more effective Ticket program overall.
There is supposed to be federal help in recruiting new ENs by CESSI (an outside vendor), but again there is little to no evidence of actual outreach efforts here in Maine. In 2002, the earlier Maine CHOICES program held several meetings with service providers to orient them to the new Ticket program, but to date no similar meetings with providers are planned.
Of course, many advocates are calling for a renewed outreach to SSI and SSDI beneficiaries in Maine to let them know about the revamped TTW Program. Though, some argue that the number of ENs should be expanded first before proceeding to conduct beneficiary outreach so as to provide beneficiaries the best employment options that will have a real chance of improving their quality of life.
Links related to ENs
Social Security Administration information about ENs
Maximus Ticket to Work provides information for current and prospective ENs
GettingHired.com Launches Fully Accessible Online Career Center & Social Networking Community for People With Disabilities
On November 13, 2008, GettingHired.com announced its launch as the first employer subscription-based online career center and social networking community for people with disabilities. Incorporating advanced, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and 508 compliant technology, GettingHired.com is the first job portal and social network that enables the nation's 22.3 million working age people with disabilities to connect -- without limitation -- to peers, mentors, employers, advocacy groups and a national registry of product and service providers dedicated to the career advancement of those living with disabilities. Read more here.
