Provider agencies across the country are transforming to support jobs in the community for people with disabilities. This process of organizational transformation can be both exciting and challenging for provider staff and the people they serve. Jaimie Timmons and Oliver Lyons, ICI, provide joined us to help participants gain insight into the benefits of provider transformation and the work done by members of the ARC network through their membership in the Provider Transformation Network, a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion.
Watch the presentation recording.
Ben Davis: The Fashion Consultant
With mentoring from a job coach on workplace soft skills, Ben Davis learned to succeed and grow in his job as a sales floor associate and dressing room attendant.
Englewood, FL – “The brunette ladies like to wear blue dresses, and the blonde ladies prefer red.” This observation comes from Rialto Goodwill’s fashion consultant-in-training, Ben Davis. Ben, who is a sales floor associate and the dressing room attendant for the store. Ben enjoys talking to the customers and helping them with their clothing choices. He is also eight percent deaf in both ears, is legally blind without his glasses, and has an organic brain injury that occurred when he was born prematurely.
July 2019: Developing a Vision of a Good Life
On July 30, Crystal Bell, a certified trainer of Charting the LifeCourse Framework, spoke about the Framework and the roles everyone can play in supporting employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is a set of tools created by families to help individuals of all ages and their families develop a vision for a good life, think about what they need to know and do, identify how to find or develop supports, and discover what it takes to live the lives they want to live. Self-advocate Ashley Wolfe, shared her thoughts about a quality life in a short video and participated in some Q&A to audience members.
Watch the presentation recording.
Fernando, guest operations host at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Fernando is thrilled with his new job as a guest operations host at the aquarium, but it was a difficult journey getting there. Fernando has vision problems due to a head injury, and he was having trouble finding a job because of it. He came to vocational rehabilitation (VR), a state agency that helps people with disabilities get or keep a job, to see if they could help.
Continuing reading Fernando’s story on the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation website.
Broward Behavioral Health Coalition: Raising the employment rate for people with mental health challenges
Individuals with a mental health or substance abuse diagnosis often struggle to obtain and maintain employment. Florida, like most states, has a high unemployment rate for people with mental illness. State agencies in Florida are working together to address this problem through state and local-level agency partnerships. The Broward Behavioral Health Coalition (BBHC) is working with state and local partners at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) under the Department of Education, and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) office. Continue reading “Broward Behavioral Health Coalition: Raising the employment rate for people with mental health challenges”
Nassau County Schools & the Council on Aging: Supporting Independent Travel to Work
Travel to work is one of the most challenging barriers faced by Floridians with disabilities. To help overcome this obstacle, administrators in the Nassau County public schools are supporting students with significant disabilities to learn the skills they need to travel to their jobs. Collaborative discussions and planning with the local Council on Aging (COA) allowed the administrators to understand the issues, and to put supports in place to help students achieve maximum self-sufficiency in traveling.
Continue reading “Nassau County Schools & the Council on Aging: Supporting Independent Travel to Work”April 2019: How to use Employment First Florida videos
On April 30, John Kramer from the Institute for Community Inclusion presented video clips of self-advocates talking about job creation and negotiation, career advancement, and returning to work after illness or dismissal. John shared tips and suggestions on ways to use the videos to educate and communicate the message of Employment First with individuals, families, support staff, and others.
Watch the presentation recording.
March 2019: Interviews with Florida Self-Advocates
Employment First Florida went to the Florida SANDs conference in Orlando and asked 10 people with disabilities about their experiences, feelings, and ideas about work. They shared that finding a job can be hard work, but all agreed in the end it is worth it. A group joined us on March 28 to hear what else they had to say.
Watch the presentation recording.
Asking Florida House of Representatives for Support
On February 20, 2019, the Florida House of Representatives Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee welcomed a representative from APD, David Darm, to talk about the importance of employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Mr. Darm is responsible for identifying policy and collaborating with stakeholders to support competitive employment and community inclusion for people with IDD. We encourage you to watch the recording at www.myfloridahouse.gov.
RESPECT of Florida: Supporting Self-Employment through Grants
The Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (Florida ARF) is a statewide professional association that serves as a voice for rehabilitation service providers. Florida ARF represents community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) throughout Florida with different levels of engagement with community employment. The association has been a consistent partner in efforts to change public policy and expand community employment.
Continue reading “RESPECT of Florida: Supporting Self-Employment through Grants”