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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
Two National Campaigns Encourage Hiring Workers with a Disability
Think Beyond the Label
Maine, through the CHOICES CEO project, is part of a collaborative of more than 30 states working to help businesses increase their bottom line by “Thinking Beyond the Label.”
Launched this month, this national advertising campaign is using humor to encourage employers to hire workers with a disability. The goal of the Think Beyond the Label campaign is to change attitudes about hiring people with disabilities, raise awareness of the need for diversity in the workplace, and counter stereotypes about people with disabilities.
Created by the Chicago-based ad agency, Wirestone, LLC, Think Beyond the Label emphasizes that all workplaces accommodate difference—from the “copy-incapable” office worker to the “pattern-deficient” dresser to the man with “volume control syndrome” (i.e., the loud-talker in the cubicle next to you). An article in the business section of The New York Times on January 29 describes the campaign from the media industry perspective.
The campaign is focused on reaching senior executives and corporate decision-makers who influence or determine hiring initiatives. Human resource and hiring managers are the secondary audience. This multi-media campaign will appear on television, in print, and online; it addresses small to medium-size companies that are less likely to employ and recruit people with disabilities.
Health & Disability Advocates, a national policy and advocacy group, is managing the project on behalf of the collaborative.
The campaign acknowledges that workforce diversity is an asset to all companies. Interested businesses are encouraged to visit the campaign hub at www.thinkbeyondthelabel.com for information on hiring people with disabilities in their specific area. All participating states, including Maine, have a resource page that includes a local contact person who can help businesses connect with qualified workers with a disability.
“The Think Beyond the Label campaign emphasizes that disability is just one more element to workplace diversity,” says Larry Glantz, CHOICES CEO Project Director. “The campaign ties into the other activities of the CHOICES CEO Project, especially Maine’s Working Together business-to-business network. And, it ensures that businesses have access to local resources that can help them start hiring people with disabilities today.”
Four fact sheets (Myths and the Real Facts, the Business Case, Tax Incentives Tipsheet, and Best Practices for Qualified Workers) are available on the campaign web site. Gayla Dwyer of the Aroostook Mental Health Center printed these sheets out and is using them in her efforts to engage employers.
What Can YOU Do?
What Can YOU Do?, created by the Campaign for Disability Employment, is another national effort designed to promote positive employment outcomes and increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The What Can YOU Do? effort promotes the hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities and dispels negative stereotypes about disability and employment.
The centerpiece of the this campaign is its advocacy web site, which offers users the chance to learn, express their commitment to disability employment efforts, and share what they ‘can do.’ The site features tools and a library of video public service announcements that challenge assumptions about people with disabilities and employment.
The What Can YOU Do? campaign is a collaborative effort between the American Association of People with Disabilities, the National Business and Disability Council, the Special Olympics, and the U.S. Business Leadership Network. The campaign is supported by the Job Accommodation Network and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.
For more information, visit www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org
"Diversifying the American Workplace" Airs on National Public Radio
In January, National Public Radio ran an excellent series on "Diversifying the American Workplace." Particularly relevant to our work were the episodes: The Promise of Diversity Is Yet to Be Fulfilled and Defining Diversity: Beyond Race and Gender.
The Promise of Diversity episode reports that businesses’ focus on diversity seems to be offering a promising alternative to earlier struggles with affirmative action and legal challenges. Diversity, as a concept, is seen as being about fairness and inclusion rather then legal preferences. Furthermore, it includes every group in the workforce: minorities, women, older workers, workers with disabilities, gays, lesbians—and white males. According to the story: “Diversity largely was not seen as a burden, but rather as an opportunity. Companies began to see how a diverse workforce could help them venture into new markets.” However, the story goes on to say that many challenges still exist. Primary among these is determining whether individual companies’ commitments to diversity are really a core value or are only superficially applied.
State Affairs
Save the Date: Training for Employment Specialists in May
A one-day training session for employment specialists, titled “Advanced Skills in Customization and Job Carving” will be offered at two locations this May.
The training will help employment specialists offer better support to employers and employees who want to customize jobs to better meet the needs of both parties. Both trainings will provide an opportunity for networking.
The trainings are being sponsored by the Maine Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services and the Muskie School of Public Service. The trainings will be held on May 19 at the Freeport Hilton Garden Inn and on May 20 at Spectacular Events in Bangor. Registration information will be posted on the Making Employment Work for ME website when it becomes available.
NoQ4U: Eliminate the Waitlist!
Maine's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation has embarked on a major initiative to eliminate its wait list and to provide the "right service at the right time" to its consumers. Visit the NoQ4U webpage for more information.
One-Stop Internet Information Portal Coming Soon!
A cross-agency work group is developing a new webpage that will offer one-stop search access for a wide range of information related to the employment of all workers with disabilities in Maine.
Job seekers with disabilities will find: information and services that will help their search for work; links to training opportunities, which will help improve job-related skills; and information about their rights under laws related to employment and disability.
Employers, particularly those in charge of recruiting and hiring, will find information on: finding qualified workers in Maine; making adaptations or adjustments to work stations or processes to help workers with disabilities; and the benefits of hiring, training, and retaining workers with disabilities.
Staff of organizations that provide services to people with disabilities, particularly those providing employment support services, will find information on: services for job seekers and workers with disabilities; how benefits that job seekers receive might be affected by their employment or by working more hours; and benefits to employers for hiring individuals with disabilities.
This page is scheduled to go live in early April, and will be located at www.EmploymentforME.org. This web address was previously used for a related page managed by the Office for Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disabilities/Developmental Disabilities (OACPD/DD). It is now being expanded to address employment resources for all types of disabilities.
Snapshot 2010 Released
The CHOICES CEO project announces the release of Snapshot 2010, an annual publication that provides the latest data on employment among people with disabilities in Maine. It presents information about employment participation, economic well-being, and the use of employment services and supports. Some highlights include:
- In 2008, there were about 101,000 working-age adults with a disability living in Maine; of these, 40,000 (40 percent) were employed. This is compared to an employment rate of 81 percent for people without a disability.
- In general, employment participation is highest among adults with hearing and vision impairments and lowest among those with self-care and independent living challenges.
- In 2008, 29 percent of working-age adults with a disability were living below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). More than half were poor or “near-poor,” meaning they had incomes below 200 percent of the FPL.
- There were 32,474 people receiving Supplemental Security Income in Maine in 2008, and 2,147 (6.6 percent) of these people were working.
The full report is available in several formats. Also, please visit Maine’s newly updated Disability and Employment Dashboard!
Mark Your Calendar
ODEP Listening Tour
March 3, 2010
Boston, MA
AM Session: 9 am – 12:30 pm
PM Session: 2 pm – 5 pm
The event is an opportunity to provide input to senior federal officials on ways to improve employment options for all people with disabilities (and to report on what is currently working well).
Save-the-Date
One-day Training for Maine Employment Specialists
Two locations:
May 19, Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport
May 20, Spectacular Events Center, Bangor
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.
We are adding this new "SHARE THIS" button to help you tell others about this newletter and the helpful resources inside!
Fans, Friends, and Tweets: Getting the word out under a tight budget
A huge opportunity, as well as a challenge, is presented with the roll-out of the national “Think Beyond the Label” media campaign aimed at businesses (see separate article). How can Maine mount a parallel campaign to make sure that Maine businesses hear about and act on the campaign? How can employment specialists use a parallel campaign to better engage businesses that will employ workers with disabilities?
Unlike other states, Maine has not allocated funding for a parallel state and local media campaign. Consequently, we’ve been getting creative with the many free social media tools now available. As reported in the last newsletter, the CHOICES CEO project and Working Together have both started using social networking websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to reach businesses, community rehabilitation provider agencies, and other stakeholders.
We got started with building a social networking media presence - for the CHOICES CEO project and the Expanding Maine’s Workforce business networking effort – using sites such as Facebook and Twitter. These sites are being used now to report activity updates, post articles, and connect with similar efforts both in Maine and the nation. We also sought the help of several social media specialists, who we’ve used as “job coaches,” during these early days of figuring out how these tools work. Some employment services provider agencies are similarly tackling social media to promote their services and connect with businesses and workers. CHOICES CEO will schedule a workshop on these tools and their potential uses sometime this spring.
In the meantime, start following us at:
Facebook: Working Together CHOICES CEO
Twitter: Working Together CHOICES CEO
YouTube: CHOICES CEO
Or, check out the national efforts of Think Beyond the Label on their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages.
To learn more, contact Larry Glantz at larryg@usm.maine.edu
Updates
Federal Funding Ends for Maine Disability Program Navigator Initiative
Sadly, federal funding for Maine’s Disability Navigator Program (DPN) will end on June 30. Since 2007, the program’s staff have worked to improve accessibility to One-Stop services offered through Maine’s CareerCenters.
The program was funded in all states, but implemented in stages. Maine was not funded until the third stage, so there have been only a few years to make improvements to the system.
Notification of the cessation of funding was sent on February 1 by Laura Fortman, Commissioner for the Department of Labor (read the full letter). The cutback is not just happening here in Maine; funding for all DPN projects in 42 states has been eliminated within the federal Department of Labor.
The DPN initiative was in response to barriers to One-Stop services including physical and program accessibility, and meaningful and effective participation of job seekers in the workforce investment system. This newsletter originally reported on the program here.
In addition to completing activities currently outlined in the DPN grant work plan, in its final months the DPN team is identifying best practices to recommend for continued implementation in the CareerCenters.
Maine’s Commission on Disability and Employment is the Steering Committee for the Maine DPN Initiative. It is preparing a statement urging Commissioner Fortman to make a commitment to continuing the initiative at some level, even a minimal one. Continued Navigator involvement is critical to finalizing new resources that have been developed in Maine’s CareerCenters and the Maine Job Bank.
Working Together’s Next Conference: Save the Date!
Working Together will hold its 4th annual conference on September 28, 2010 in Portland. Working Together is business-to-business network focused on the advantages of hiring people with disabilities. This year, the network will once again partner with the Diversity Hiring Coalition for this event. The planning committee is looking for suggestions for speakers and topics; please contact Merritt Carey to share your ideas.
Coming Soon: Review of Workforce Development for Young People with Disabilities
Youth with Disabilities: A Maine Workforce Development Review will be released in early March by the Youth and Community Engagement Team in collaboration with the CHOICES CEO project. The review covers areas of youth development and engagement, caring adults, work-based learning and career exploration, employer engagement, and service provider competencies.
The review draws from disability and workforce development literature and interviews with successful workforce development programs in Maine that focus on connecting youth with disabilities with meaningful work-related training and experiences. Check out the CHOICES CEO website in early March for the full report.
Maine APSE Chapter Being Revitalized!
Advancing Employment, Connecting People (APSE) is the only national organization that focuses exclusively on integrated employment and career advancement opportunities for people with disabilities. Both new APSE members, and also new directors for the chapter’s board are being recruited in Maine. We hope to work—like other chapters across the country—on advancing an Employment First agenda (this agenda supports community-based employment for people with disabilities).
Organization and membership information is available on the APSE website. If you are interested in becoming a member and/or being part of the Maine board, please contact Debbie Gilmer at gilmer@maine.edu. A website for the Maine chapter has been started and will be updated as we move forward.
Listening Event to be Held in Boston
The federal Office of Disability Employment Policy will be holding six “Listening Sessions” on disability and employment. The session for our region will be held in Boston on March 3. The event is an opportunity to provide input to senior federal officials on ways to improve employment options for all people with disabilities (and to report on what is currently working well).
Young people and adults with disabilities, parents and caregivers, public and private employers, service providers, and advocacy organizations are all encouraged to participate. Space is limited to 200. Several Maine groups, including the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and the Commission on Disability and Employment, plan to submit comments and to attend the Boston event.
You can register online or call (703) 684-0029 or TTY (703) 684-0029 for more information. If you cannot attend the Boston session, you may send written comments through March 5, 2010 (you can submit them on the registration website or call for other options).
To view a live webcast of the session, visit www.disabilitylisteningtour.com (no registration required).
Ticket to Work: Update
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 our ticket article archive to view past articles on this topic.
There are a couple of new resource additions to Maine’s Ticket to Work website: MaineTicket.org.
Directory of Employment Networks
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has to approve all service providers that want to operate under the Ticket to Work program. This approval ensures that the service providers, called Employment Networks (ENs), will receive payment for services when a Ticket holder gets a job or increases their working hours. MaineTicket.org now offers a Maine Directory of Employment Networks. This directory lists organizations based in Maine. The idea for the Maine directory resulted from concerns that a similar directory—created by a contractor working for SSA—was not being kept up-to-date and contained many ENs that do not operate in Maine. The full SSA listing of all ENs approved for Maine, including those located out of state, can be found here.
State Medicaid Directors Letter
Also added to MaineTicket.org is a State Medicaid Directors Letter issued on January 28 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services clarifying the ability of Medicaid service providers to accept Ticket to Work outcome payments for services delivered to Medicaid enrollees.
The letter was prompted by concerns about ‘double-dipping,’ that is, seeking reimbursement from two or more funding sources for the same unit of service. Many ticket holders and service providers felt that if services were paid for under a Medicaid program—such as through a Medicaid Buy-In program or a waiver program—that any kind of later payment under the Ticket program might be seen as double-dipping.
The letter is here, but the clarification is summed up in this statement from the second page:
“Ticket Outcome and Milestone payments do not conflict with [Medicaid] regulatory requirements and do not constitute an overpayment of Federal dollars for services provided since EN payments are payment for an outcome, rather than for a Medicaid service rendered.”
Stay Tuned for Upcoming Trainings
More training and technical support for ENs is on the way. Maine is working closely with CESSI, a contractor serving as the Ticket to Work Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach. CESSI is offering a half-day training package called the “Ticket Express,” which we are hoping to schedule before the end of spring. Stay tuned for more information.
