Maine's CHOICES CEO Project

Expanding Opportunities for Workers with Disabilities

Working Together News
A newsletter about Maine's efforts to increase work opportunities for people with disabilities

May 2009

In Focus

What are Job Seekers with Disabilities Experiencing Today?

Since January, CHOICES CEO project staff and Disability Program Navigators have teamed up to find out what challenges job seekers and workers with disabilities are experiencing today. We chose to reach out to youth, job seekers, and workers with disabilities through a disability resource booth at job fairs and Maine Transition Network events. To date, we’ve visited with people in Machias, Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Bangor, and Augusta.

While we’ve spoken with people of all ages (teenagers to 65+), most visitors were aged between 30 and 55. People shared information voluntarily and without prompting. Their disabilities spanned a wide spectrum, from carpel tunnel to blindness to epilepsy to developmental and emotional disabilities and fatigue. Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also visited the booth.

What to do about disclosure?
One of the biggest, most often talked about challenges was whether or not to disclose a disability to a prospective or current employer. People were unsure about how to disclose, whether or not they should disclose, and what resources would be available if they had issues after they disclosed their disability. Most believed that disclosure would result in an employer not being interested in furthering their employment opportunity or in terminating employment.

Nearly half of those with a hidden disability felt disclosure would have negative consequences and have chosen not to disclose. Of these people, all believed employers have discriminated against them as a result of having, or disclosing, a disability, though none had verifiable evidence to support their suspicion

Other observations
In addition to issues surrounding disability disclosure, many workers felt their age was a major barrier to employment. They felt they did not have modern skills, such as computer training, to keep up with younger workers. There was also some barriers to obtaining resources. Some attendees appeared reluctant or even afraid to approach CareerCenter staff because they were reserved and/or out of concern that others would hear their discussion about their disability. The booths were also visited by provider staff and school teachers who stated they were unaware of the resources described by the materials at the booth.

Employment for Youth with Disabilities: A Youth Development Approach

In the next several newsletters, the Youth and Community Engagement Team at the Muskie School of Public Service will be sharing what they’ve learned while reviewing studies that focus on young people with disabilities and employment. The team will offer suggestions about how to best connect youth with disabilities to successful employment and how best to support them in their endeavors.

This month’s focus is on approaches to youth development — an understanding that in order for young people to be happy, healthy and successful, they need to have a network of support from people, schools, and services as well as opportunities for growth and development. Knowledge of youth development is seen as important to practitioners who work with youth with disabilities. The youth development approach emphasizes the importance of self-determination and leadership skills on the part of young people, both generally and in the area of employment. Below are some of the key findings of the studies that were reviewed by the team in the areas of youth self-determination and leadership.

Self-determination

Self-determination and self-advocacy are important for youth with disabilities, who are often not given opportunities to develop these skills.
To be successful in the workplace, youth need to be able to achieve self-defined goals related to employment.
Youth experience self-efficacy, the perception that one can achieve desired goals through one's own actions, through participating in decisions. These decisions could be about the youth’s own involvement in a program or activity, or about the direction and structure of those programs and activities.
Youth’s determination of their own employment preferences is important because this practice: aligns with the best known approaches to integrating youth into the community; empowers individual youth; improves quality of life; is supported by federal legislation; and is linked to improved work outcomes.

Youth Leadership

Youth learn to develop leadership skills by having opportunities to exercise leadership, such as leading team meetings or being part of task forces, committees, or boards.
Mentors and role models are important for youth; mentors should include people both with and without disabilities.
Youth should have opportunities to mentor and be role models for other youth.
Both youth and adults learn and grow from developing working partnerships in a variety of settings.
Opportunities to exercise leadership build young people’s self-esteem.

In high quality programs, youth benefit from structured pursuits that include positive interactions with adults and peers and that encourage them to contribute and take initiative. These activities should be challenging and engaging tasks that help participants develop and apply new skills and personal talents.

Social Networking

It is interesting to see how the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a more traditional employment support that has been reaching out to employers and others since the early 1980s, is using internet tools such as social networking to extend the range of its work. These venues perhaps should be considered for use here in Maine. See story below which has been reprinted from the JAN website.

JAN Enters Social Networking Venues
Beth Loy, Ph.D., JAN Principal Consultant
Social networks are those online communities that work together to share and disseminate information. The goal is to build these networks so that a community of online users can quickly gain access to information in one or more interest areas. These networks highlight current events, videos, blogs, bookmarks, and Website hotspots. JAN has entered the world of social networking and hopes that customers can enjoy a community space to discuss employer success, experiences, and current legislative and accommodation issues surrounding the employment of people with disabilities.

JAN will make these communities as accessible as possible with alternate ways to find information and the inclusion of captions, alternative text, and the ability to mouse over material and head to the JAN site directly. As these communities evolve and grow, find a network that meets your goals and visit JAN on the Web:

Blog: Post to JAN's Blog here!

MySpace: Visit JAN's MySpace page and become a friend!

Facebook: Visit JAN's Facebook page and become a fan!

Twitter: Visit JAN's Twitter page and catch up on JAN's tweets!

Delicious: Visit JAN on Delicious and check JAN's bookmarks!

Digg: Visit JAN on Digg and locate JAN documents, multimedia, and other networks and if you like them, Digg them!

Return to Work Strategies Target Returning War Veterans with Disabilities

The April 2009 edition of the US Business Leadership Network’s Biz2Biz Newsletter has an excellent article on strategies that returning war veterans with disabilities can use as they reenter the workforce.

As of September 2008, over 30,400 servicemen and women have been wounded in action in either Afghanistan or Iraq. Many of these returning veterans have suffered amputation of one or more limbs or are now paralyzed due to their injuries, while others suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury as a result of their service. There are several organizations dedicated to helping these heroes regain their lives and who can assist in getting them back into the workforce.

The following provides an incomplete list of organizations and government resources (go here for detailed descriptions):

State Affairs

Model Employer Task Group Releases Recommendations

An Executive Order issued by Governor Baldacci in 2006 led to a number of efforts to study and recommend ways that the state government could become a model employer of people with disabilities, in accordance with the State Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan. Earlier this year, the lead group in this effort, called the Model Employer Task Group, released its recommendations which are listed, in part, below.

State government should work with the Bureau of Rehabilitation and the Bureau of Human Resources (BHR) to determine the effectiveness of the current Special Appointment Program process (which helps applicants with a disability receive an invitation for an interview for jobs that they apply to) and include the use of ongoing meetings between the bureaus to assess how the program is functioning. Once formalized, training needs to be provided to appropriate HR and VR staff to ensure the ongoing utilization of the program.
Use the State’s homepage and the BHR webpage to highlight efforts to recruit people with disabilities.
Make career counseling for state jobs available through BHR/service centers for job seekers with disabilities and train Career Center staff to ultimately provide this service.
Conduct exit interviews for employees with disabilities who are leaving their positions for reasons other than promotion. This recommendation will necessitate reissuing an invitation to all state employees to self-identify if they have a physical or mental disability. It is recommended that a list of EEO Officers be distributed with this invitation to assure that employees know who to contact if they have questions, concerns, or need accommodations.
Establish a statewide ADA accommodations database to document and track information about the provision of reasonable accommodations.
Explore the possibility of creating a centralized fund for accommodations and/or a central list of equipment that was initially purchased as an accommodation but is no longer in use (as a means to save on the cost of accommodations).

To assist in the implementation of the recommendations, the Model Employer Task Group recommended that a position within the Bureau of Human Resources be dedicated to the employment of people with disabilities as soon as fiscally possible. The group considers this essential to ensuring a successful long-term employment program.

Read the full recommendations.

Mark Your Calendar

Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE)
Monday, June 22, 2009; 1:00 – 3:30 pm
Bangor, ME
Are you a person with a disability who collects Social Security benefits? Are you thinking about work? Do you want to learn how work will affect your Social Security benefits? If you are interested in learning about the Ticket to Work Program or other Work Incentives, attend this FREE accessible, informal seminar.

Maine Career Development Association Conference
“Career Development in Tough Times”
June 26, 2009
University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME

20th Annual National APSE Conference
“Employment for All: A Celebration in the City of Festivals”
June 30 – July 2, 2009
Milwaukee, WI

Go here for more calendar items

In This Issue …

Visit the Newsletter Archive

Employment Connections in a Collaborative Way

By Rachel Wright-Provencher, Employment Specialist

Job developing is funny. It is not just about meeting an employer and asking if there are any job openings. Rather, it is about connecting within a community, considering the needs of an employer, and understanding the work environment.

In the human service field, the mission is to help people obtain their goals; making connections is essential to achieving this. When I became a member of the Employment Collaborative of Southern Maine (ECOSM)—representing Waban Projects Inc., Lifeworks Program—I was impressed by how many more people can be helped by connecting job developers with each other.

Recently, I met with a receptive employer. After assessing that the available dishwasher position was not an appropriate match for the person I was working with, I spoke to the employer about how ECOSM may be of help. I knew my colleagues who were ECOSM members may be working with someone who would be a good match for the dishwasher position. I could not let this opportunity to go by.

Through ECOSM, I was able to connect with Katie Sortir of Sweester, and provide her with details regarding this position. I spoke with the employer to advise her that Katie would be contacting her and that Katie believed she had a client who was a good match for the job. Shortly thereafter, a work assessment was secured.

This is a great example of the effectiveness of ECOSM. As job developers, we did what we all do best: connecting, collaborating and providing a service with everything we have! In these times especially, we need to gather all the resources available. The connections offered by ECOSM helped us open a door to success.

Go here to find out about more about ECOSM.

Updates

Maine Business Survey Results

CHOICES CEO project partners are continually interested in learning how to reach more Maine businesses about the benefits of employing people with disabilities.

To that end, Working Together, a coalition of Maine businesses seeking to expand the employment of people with disabilities, with support from the CHOICES CEO project, purchased four questions on disability and employment issues as part of the larger Minding Maine's Business Survey. The survey reaches 400 businesses across the state. Some results of interest are described below.

Twenty percent of businesses surveyed said they employed someone with a physical or mental disability. However, response rates varied significantly according to the size of the business. For example, only 10 percent of small businesses (five or less employees) reported employing someone with a disability, while more than 75 percent of the largest companies (more than 100 employees) stated that they employed someone with a disability. All of these finding are consistent with national rates.
Seventy-four percent of companies that employ a person with a disability report they do so because the employee was the best available person for the job. Other common reasons cited include: social responsibility, having family or friends with disabilities, and bettering public image.
Thirty-five percent of respondents said it would be helpful to be part of a business network that would share information regarding the employment of people with disabilities. Among large companies, however, 70 percent said that such a network would be helpful.

These results confirm that project partners need to intensify their efforts to reach small businesses and make the case for employing people with disabilities.

Disability Mentoring Day: Calling All Employers!

Disability Mentoring Day (DMD)—a national event held every October—provides an opportunity for agencies and businesses to promote the career development of students and job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration and on-site job shadowing.

DMD is a unique collaborative effort between businesses, agencies, schools, colleges, and media outlets to highlight the many benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Last year, there were many successful DMD events held statewide.

Work is gearing up on DMD 2009, and organizers welcome employer involvement and participation across Maine. Employers are invited to participate on a DMD Planning Committee, host a student, conduct a workshop, or provide financial or in-kind donations; the options are varied and the needs are many.

To get involved, go here to contact the coordinator in your county.

Working Together Participates in two Maine Events

In May, Working Together, a business network of employers that support employing people with disabilities, operated a booth and distributed materials at two events: the Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility Conference and the 14th Annual Maine Human Resources Convention & Expo. Both were excellent venues for Working Together to recruit new business partners and to reinforce the message that “employing people with disabilities makes good business sense.”

Several businesses responded by signing the ‘Pledge’ —a promise to support the employment of people with disabilities, which is the only requirement to joining the group.

Additionally, a Save the Date card for Working Together’s 3rd Annual Conference: Capitalizing on Maine’s Changing Demographics was distributed to attendees. The Conference will be held in Partnership with the Diversity Hiring Coalition of Maine on November 4, 2009 in Portland. To view the agenda, become a sponsor, or register go to: www.ExpandingMainesWorkforce.com.

Updated Guide for Youth Now Available

The Institute for Community Inclusion has recently updated its online Going to Work: A Guide to Social Security Benefits and Employment for Young People with Disabilities. The guide is for young people with disabilities, their family members, and the professionals working with them. It provides basic information about Social Security disability and health benefit programs, describes what happens to these benefits when a young person goes to work, and explains how to maximize a young person’s options when he or she goes to work. The guide is meant to give families and professionals working with young people some practical, hands-on information about work incentives.

Ticket to Work: Phone Interviews with Maine Providers Provide Insights into ImprovementProgram

The CHOICES CEO project is continuing its work with the newest rollout of the Ticket to Work program—a national program that helps people who receive disability benefits from Social Security find a job. We are examining this complex program, including its potential to bring new federal funding to Maine’s service system. Visit out newsletter archive to view past articles on this topic.

In the last issue of this newsletter, we discussed the legislative changes to the Ticket to Work program. As a result of these changes, it is expected that current and potential Employment Networks (EN)—service providers approved by the Ticket program— will find the program more effective in serving clients. Some of the key changes include increased payments to ENs for serving clients, and the potential for productive and cooperative partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation.

There are nine ENs in Maine, and three more will be added soon (see below). They range from large multi-location provider organizations such as Maine’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Maine Bureau of Employment Services (which operates the Career Centers) to small non-profit organizations that may work out of a single office location. However, most Tickets are currently assigned to only one of those ENs, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

In an effort to learn more about EN’s experiences in Maine, all ENs were contacted by phone and asked about accepting tickets, receiving payment, suggestions for working with other agencies in Maine, and if there was interest in further training.

Of the nine ENs, seven participated in the survey. One could not be contacted and the other was no longer an EN. There were mixed feelings about whether or not the Ticket program was successful. Some felt it was successful because they successfully received payments for helping Ticket holders find and keep a job. Others felt it was too soon to tell if the new payment system and the Ticket program itself was worthwhile to participate in.

When ENs were asked if there were ways to improve the program through the help of state agencies and training, most said both could help. While ENs currently participate in trainings about the Ticket program, trainings on topics such as collaboration would be welcomed. Collaboration and building partnerships between ENs and Vocational Rehabilitation were mentioned by most as important.

While there are some issues with the Ticket to Work program on the federal level, there are local issues, such as collaboration, that can be addressed by local stakeholders. The CHOICES CEO project is working closely with the Department of Labor to identify the best ways to provide additional information and training to ENs and service providers who are interested in, and are likely to be successful as ENs. Strengthening EN participation will be an important part of making the Ticket to Work program successful in Maine.

On a related note, Maine’s Bureau of Employment Services (within the Department of Labor) is currently preparing to launch new Ticket to Work ENs in three Career Centers (Bangor, Machias, and Presque Isle) starting July 1st. In serving as ENs these CareerCenters will be able to provide services and receive payments for ticket holders.

Ideas for Stories

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