CMS Issues Clarifying Letter on Ticket to Work Outcome and Milestone Payments to Employment Networks

On Thursday, January 28th, CMS issued a letter to State Medicaid Directors clarifying that Ticket Outcome and Milestone payments to Employment Networks (ENs) under the Ticket to Work program do not conflict with regulatory requirements and do not constitute an overpayment of Federal dollars for services provided because EN payments are payment for an outcome, rather than for a Medicaid service rendered. The letter indicates that State agencies and/or providers interested in participating in the Ticket to Work program as ENs are encouraged to do so.

We know that many organizations have been waiting for this policy clarification in order to make the final decision to become an EN or, if already an EN, to accept Ticket assignments and receive payments. To obtain the EN RFP, visit: http://www.ssa.gov/work/enrfp.html. For assistance with completing the application to become an EN, please contact a CESSI Account Manager at 1-877-743-8237 (v/tty) or visit www.cessi.net/ttw. Existing ENs should contact MAXIMUS at 1-866-949-ENVR (3687) or 1-866-833-2967 (tty) with any questions.

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DOL Announces Listening Sessions on Increasing Employment for People with Disabilities

The sessions will take place January through March in the Department of Labor’s six regional offices. These sessions will focus on gathering input from key stakeholder groups, including consumers, service providers and advocacy organizations, and employers regarding issues critical to increasing employment opportunities and labor market participation for people with disabilities. Participants will be asked to provide comments on:

• More effective ways to increase the employment of women, Vets and minorities with disabilities;


• Identification of Federal and state systems that are effectively collaborating to achieve successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities; and ;


• The three top issues that the Federal government should focus on to achieve greater labor force participation for people with disabilities.;

Agencies invited to participate in the Listening Sessions include the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS), and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Women's Bureau (WB); the Social Security Administration (SSA); the Department of Education (ED); the Office of Personal Management (OPM); and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

For more details about the Online Listening Sessions, click here.

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President Obama Issues National Disability Employment Month Proclamation

Today President Obama marked the beginning of National Disability Employment Month with a Proclamation recognizing the strides individuals with disabilities have made in achieving employment, acknowledging the work that remains, and calling Americans to celebrate the contributions of individuals with disabilities in the workplace and communities.

As Americans, we possess a range of vocational opportunities to make the most of our talents and succeed in a chosen career; those with disabilities are entitled to the same opportunities.

I call on all Americans to celebrate the contributions of individuals with disabilities to our workplaces and communities, and to promote the employment of individuals with disabilities to create a better, more inclusive America, one in which every person is rightly recognized for his or her abilities and accomplishments.

This year’s theme for National Disability Employment Month is Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation. This annual October celebration as designated by Congress is an opportunity to highlight the contributions and skills of Americans with disabilities to the workforce. For more information, see last week’s WICs Live article and the Department of Labor’s Office on Disability and Employment Policy web page on NDEM.

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GAO Releases Report on VR Funding Formula

The report, Vocational Rehabilitation Funding Formula: Options for Improving Equity in State Grants and Considerations for Performance Incentives: (1) examines the extent to which the current formula meets generally accepted equity standards, (2) presents options for revising the formula, and (3) identifies issues to consider with incorporating performance incentives into the formula.GAO presents three options for revising the formula to illustrate a range of possibilities: the first distributes funds based on states’ disability populations, the second also accounts for costs of providing services, and the third further accounts for state resources beyond per capita income. Because any formula change would redistribute funds among states, potentially disrupting services to individuals, GAO also presents options for establishing a transition period. Read more!

Remember: October is National Disability Employment Month

This year’s theme for National Disability Employment Month is Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation. This annual October celebration as designated by Congress is an opportunity to highlight the contributions and skills of Americans with disabilities to the workforce.NDEM is a time not only to acknowledge the struggle people with disabilities endure to obtain employment, but also to celebrate the strides made by those who have overcome the many barriers to employment. It is also an opportunity to recognize employers, who have hired people with disabilities and are tapping into new sources of creativity in this existing source of employees. NDEM is an excellent opportunity for ANCOR providers of employment and vocational supports to host events and activities that recognize employment accomplishments and draw attention to the 70 percent of unemployed people with significant disabilities —a huge untapped portion of the labor force.

Activities to Recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month:

• Employer recognition events
• Share successes with the media
• Identify employers who hire people with disabilities to the media
• Host events highlighting employers and individuals
• Meet with and form partnerships with local workforce investment boards and one stop centers
• Work with your governor’s office to issue a proclamation


The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has made available the NDEM 2009 Poster. The posters are available in one size, 20” x 15,” at no cost to you. Please enter your online order here. The maximum order is 100 posters. You may also download PDF versions of the posters.

ANCOR joins with providers of employment and vocational supports in celebrating NDEM and appreciates all of your efforts to expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. Please share any NDEM activities or ideas your agency or state association is sponsoring with Jessica Sadowsky at jsadowsky@ancor.org.
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DOL Annouces Disability Employment Month Theme: Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation

The U.S. Department of Labor today announced “Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation” as the official theme for October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is intended to urge employers, as they seek to fill positions, to embrace the richness of America’s diversity by considering the talents of all workers, including workers with disabilities.

This year’s theme emphasizes the vision of the Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): a world in which people with disabilities have unlimited employment opportunities. Early selection of an annual theme for upcoming National Disability Employment Awareness Month helps the private sector; federal, state and local governments; and advocacy organizations plan events and programs that showcase the abilities and skills of job seekers and working Americans who have disabilities.

ODEP is the nation’s first assistant secretary-led office that addresses policies that impact upon the employment of people with disabilities. The office provides national leadership on disability employment policy by developing and influencing the use of evidence-based disability employment policies and practices, building collaborative partnerships, and delivering authoritative and credible data on the employment of people with disabilities.

As background for National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Public Law 176, enacted by Congress in 1945, designated the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” President Harry S. Truman designated the (now former) President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities to carry out the law. Congress changed the name to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month” in 1988. The responsibility for leading the nationwide recognition was transferred to the newly created ODEP in 2001. Read more!

ANCOR Submits Written Testimony on Ticket to Work and Social Security Work Incentives

ANCOR submitted this week testimony on 2009 ANCOR Government Relations Priorities on the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA). 2009 ANCOR Government Relations Priorities ANCOR strongly supported the passage of TWWIIA) because of the program’s possibility to remove work disincentives that prevent individuals with disabilities from working. Special thanks to Tommy Cox of RHA/Howell Care Centers, Inc. in North Carolina for his assistance in drafting the testimony.
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TRN Job Coaching Web Course May 7, 2009

Training Resource Network, Inc. (TRN) still has openings for its 2-week, 20-hour Job Coaching web training covering key principles and hands-on tools for effective job design, instructional and behavioral support strategies, and the development of natural and co-worker supports for workers with disabilities.

Registration is $149 US. Participants can start or log on at any time during the course period and participate in the training.

The course is taught by Tammara Geary. Tammara served as Executive Director of APSE: The Network on Employment for 10 years. She has trained and consulted extensively on supported employment, and as a job coach, received an award for Excellence in Direct Service. She is a lead associate for Griffin-Hammis Associates.

Registration is limited, and previous courses have filled to capacity.

Topics include:

• Principles of Job Design: Steps to take after getting the job, including analysis and task design.
• Job Training and Instructional Support: Setting up learning strategies using task analysis, systematic instruction, natural learning and reinforcement, and data collection.
• Natural Supports: Learn to develop supports using natural features of the work site, including co-workers.
• Social-Behavioral Support: Develop strategies to support workers to interact in socially expected ways to enhance job success.
  

Learn more about the training
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ANCOR Sponsors Free Alliance for Full Participation Employment Webinar—ANCOR Members Encouraged to Register

ANCOR is proud to sponsor the first in a series of Alliance for Full Participation webinars on employment of individuals with disabilities. The first of these webinars will be held May 7 at 4:00 pm ET. ANCOR members are encouraged to register and participate. Participation is free, however, participants must register beforehand. Dial in information will be emailed to all registered participants.

The Alliance for Full Participation has recently launched a major initiative to improve the employment infrastructure, services and outcomes for people with developmental disabilities. The primary focus of this initiative is on achieving demonstrable results on a state level. The Alliance is building and will guide state teams that include people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, advocates, service providers, business organizations, state government officials, and members of the general community to explore and transform the environment for employment in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. To support our state teams, and to bring awareness to the cause of increasing employment for people with developmental disabilities, the Alliance is hosting a series of quarterly webinars. For more information on AFP, visit www.allianceforfullparticipation.org, or call 301-706-6252. Join the Facebook group: Alliance For Full Participation.


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Wisconsin Disability Agencies Receive Federal Grants to Increase Community Employment

These new dollars are part of Wisconsin’s state allotment of the $1 billion Community Development Block Grant released by HHS from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Read more!

HHS Announces $1 Billion in Community Development Block Grants for States to Distribute from Recovery Act

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced plans to make $1 billion available for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the new resources will be allocated to states across the country. States will distribute the new funding to community groups. Eligible organizations must use funds to provide services and activities addressing employment, education, housing, nutrition, and emergency services. (see related article on Wisconsin disability providers)

Services currently provided by community organizations that receive CSBG funds include:

• Job training and placement assistance.
• Financial literacy programs such as credit counseling.
• Housing assistance programs that help keep Americans in their homes.
• Nutrition programs that provide meals for vulnerable families.
• Community agencies that bring public and private resources together to assist families in need.
  

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Massachusetts Governor Pledges $21 Million in Enhanced Medicaid FMAP to Partially Restore Cuts to Disability Services

Disability advocates remain concerned about an $8 million cut to employment programs for people with significant disabilities and will continue to push for full or increased restoration of disability services funding. Thanks to Gary Blumenthal of ADDP for this update.
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Department of Education Releases 50 Percent of ARRA VR State Grant Funds to States

The remaining funds will be awarded by September 30th and are allocated to state VR agencies under the program's allotment formula. These funds are in addition to the funds received under the regular FY 2009 appropriation for the VR State Grants program. This month, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is planning on conducting a number of webinars on the ARRA VR funding. The guidance, released this week, states that funds should be used for short-term investments that have the potential for long-term benefits, rather than for commitments that the State may not be able to sustain once ARRA funds are expended. State VR agencies are encouraged to: consider serving individuals on waiting lists in agencies currently using an order of selection; increase services to eligible consumers; and expande services to traditionally underserved and unserved populations in the state, including students with disabilities transitioning from school to the workplace. The DoEo also issued a Guidance and Fact Sheet to accompany the release of funds. Read more!

AFP Launches Employment Initiative

The Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) has announced a national effort to increase employment in the U.S. for people with developmental disabilities. The Alliance's initiative includes: networking among state teams; nationally webcast education and town-hall events; national and state-level policy change advocacy; and local efforts to increase and enhance employment for people with developmental disabilities. Also anticipated is an October 2011 national summit to share leading practices, process recommendations and establish national outcomes. This effort stems from goals voiced and agreed upon by self-advocates and advocates participating in the 2005 Alliance for Full Participation national summit in Washington, DC. The AFP is comprised of 13 national nonprofit organizations in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Read more!

Individuals with Disabilities in Washington Increasingly Struggle to Find Employment During Recession

As unemployment rates rise, the competition for jobs is having an increasingly negative effect on individuals with disabilities seeking employment in Washington state. The state's policy shifted recently to focus more on integrating people with disabilities into the community through individual job placement but the troubled economy has made it difficult to implement this policy. Read more!

ETA Releases Guidance on WIA and Wagner-Peyser Recovery Act Funding

Today, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), which is part of the Department of Labor, issued guidance on implementation of the Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Act funding in the ARRA. The guidance also includes state planning requirements for program year FY 2009. This funding provides $3.9 billion to the workforce investment system to increase employment and training services. The guidance pertaining to the Wagner-Peyser Act notes that “states have flexibility to use Wagner-Peyser funds to support targeted services to individuals with disabilities, such as the disability navigator program similar to those currently operated in many one-stop centers” and to “purchase assistive technology and other devices to support providing services to individuals with disabilities.”
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