June 24, 2016

by: OakLeaf Services Contributor

The Employment First Initiative

This month’s expert article was written by our Activities and Training Manager Amy Vedova. Amy has been an activity professional for over 15 years specializing in adult day programs and long term care.

Employment First is a national movement to assist job seekers with developmental disabilities (DD) to work in competitive, integrated employment.  In March 2012, Ohio Governor John Kasich signed an Executive Order making community employment a priority for people with DD.  The order established statewide collaboration and coordination by creating the Employment First Taskforce and Advisory Committee, and made community employment the preferred outcome for individuals with DD.

In order to make this a reality, the Ohio DD system is required to align policies, procedures, eligibility, enrollment and planning for services across state agencies that offer similar services to individuals like the ones we serve at UCP of Greater Cleveland.  The taskforce and advisory committee are developing universal tools for documentation, eligibility, selection, assessment and planning of services.  They are also looking at identification of best practices, partnerships, funding sources and opportunities for shared services among County Boards of DD and other providers. 

UCP of Greater Cleveland was one of eight Ohio agencies to be chosen to be a part of Project Transformation 2.0.  This program allows UCP to receive support through the Employment First State Leadership Mentor Program that is coordinated by the Office of Disability Employment Policy.  As a part of this program, UCP has been receiving technical assistance to help build capacity for best practices regarding community based services and integrated, competitive employment.

Transformation 2.0 has allowed UCP the opportunity to work closely with consultants from TransCen, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that has been successfully developing creative and innovative projects since 1986 in areas such as school-to-work transition, education systems change and employment for people with disabilities.  With their help, UCP has been able to identify areas we need to improve on in a strategic transformation plan.  The plan included training and technical sessions that focused on things such as mapping out the state of agency services, both current and future.  We have learned about things such as triggers, data, deliverables and braiding services to create wrap around support that will ultimately help us guide the individuals we serve on their path to community success.

Employment First does not necessarily mean “Employment Only.”  State and local leaders are aware employment might not be for everyone, but community inclusion and integration is a goal we can all work towards to ensure everyone has meaningful days.  That’s another bright spot about the initiative, it is very person centered, and there is no cookie-cutter version.  It is our job at UCP of Greater Cleveland to help individuals and their families find the right community fit.

Please visit www.ohioemploymentfirst.org to stay informed.

Every Person.Every Talent. Every Opportunity.

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