Effective Practices in Building an Inclusive Workforce:

The California Disability Employment Initiative

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Panel Members

• David H. Mayer, DEI State Project Advisor, Employment Development Department

• Maiknue Vang, Program Supervisor, Madera Workforce Investment Corp.

• Kasia DeMauri, Disability Resource Coordinator, Golden Sierra Job Training Agency

• Les Roberson, Disability Resource Coordinator, Managed Career Solutions

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CDEI History

• Built upon previous Disability Program Navigator initiative, which sought to improve services in the AJCCs’ system and improve employment outcomes of persons with disabilities.

• Since 2010, U.S. DOL awarded over $95 million to 26 states through 5 rounds of DEI implementation.

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CDEI Objectives

• Supports extensive partnerships, collaboration and service coordination across multiple systems in each state.

• Designed to implement successful strategies to promote employment of adults/youth with disabilities

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NATIONAL DEI GRANTEESRound 1 – 9 States: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Virginia

Round 2 - 7 States: California, Hawaii, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin

Round 3 – 7 States: Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island

Round 4 - 8 States: Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, New York, Virginia

Round 5 – 6 States: California, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, South Dakota

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DEI PurposeThe DEI is designed to: Improve the education, training, and

employment opportunities and outcomes for adults or youth with disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits.

Help these people with disabilities find a path into the middle class through exemplary and model service delivery by the public workforce system.

(2011 DEI SGA)

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DEI Primary Objectives• Enhance, expand and promote universal access to the public workforce system• Assist in improving physical and program accessibility• Increase job placement opportunities for adults with disabilities through training• Strengthen relationships with employers• Build staff capacity

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DEI: Pilot & Control GroupsPilot groups receive program and administrative

funding to develop local DEI project.

Control groups receive administrative funding for data collection.

The outcomes of individuals across the two groups will be compared to evaluate the effects of the DEI.

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CDEI Key Elements-11. State level DEI Project Lead to guide and support Disability Resource Coordinators (DRC).2. DRC at local WIB to implement DEI strategic approaches.3. Participation in the Ticket to Work Program as an approved Employment Network

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CDEI Key Elements-2

4. Sustainability of DRC position and continuation of promising practices.

5. Evaluation of DEI using quantitative and qualitative data from grantees.

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Strategic Service Delivery Components

• Partnerships and Collaboration

• Integrated Resource Team (IRT)

• Leveraging Resources/ Blending and Braiding Funds

• Asset Development

• Self Employment/Customized Employment

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Partnerships and Collaboration

• Coordination with a variety of partners that provide services which impact people with disabilities

• Partnering across multiple systems/programs to provide employment related supports necessary to address multiple challenges

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Integrated Resource Team (IRT)

• Promising practice identified by the DPN initiative.

• Team comprised of representatives from different agencies and service systems that come together to coordinate services and leverage funding to meet the employment needs of an individual with a disability.

• The job seeker is actively involved in the IRT.

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Leveraging Resources, Blending/Braiding Funds

• Leveraging resources involve 2+ agencies contributing to the individual job seeker’s education, training or employment.

• Blending funds: Funding streams are indistinguishable

• Braiding funds: funding streams remain visible

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Asset Development

Asset development strategies include various approaches to enhance long-term economic self-sufficiency.

• Financial Literacy Trainings• Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)• Social Security Administration (SSA) Work Incentives• Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax provisions• Budgeting• Credit Repair

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Self and Customized EmploymentSelf Employment• Viable alternative to traditional employment• Flexibility to meet career and financial goals• More autonomy-Hours Type of Work and IncomeCustomized Employment• Flexible process meets the needs of job seeker and employer• Based on match between strengths, conditions and interests of job seeker and needs of employer

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Ticket to Work Program (TTW)

• The TtW program is designed to assist SSA beneficiaries return to work through the assistance of Employment Networks (EN).

• SS Beneficiaries receive a “Ticket”, which may be assigned to an EN (of their choice) for assistance in achieving their desired employment goal.

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TTW Program Benefits

Participation Benefits:• Medical reviews will be waived while participating

in the TTW program.

• You can keep your Medicare or Medi-Cal benefits after cash benefits end due to work earnings.

• If cash benefits end and you lose your job because of the same disability, you do not have to reapply for Social Security Benefits.

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Increase Expectations of Serving People with Disabilities

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Service Delivery Flow

Co-Case Management with Partners

Disability “Leads” at Each AJCC

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Relationships with Primary Partners

Vocational Rehabilitation

Mental/Behavioral Health

Independent Living Center

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Building Capacity Through

Training and Education

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Peer Mentoring

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Employer Outreach

and Education

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DEI Best Practices and Models

Ticket to Work

And

Benefits Planning

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Sustainability

What happened after DEI?

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Any Questions or Comments?

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Additional CDEI Resources

DEI project resources:• http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/DEI.htm• http://www.dei-ideas.org• https://disability.workforce3one.org/page/tag/dei_project

Asset development resources: • http://cfed.org• http://www.realeconomicimpact.org

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Additional CDEI ResourcesEN/TTW program resources: • www.choosework.net• http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10061.html• https://www.yourtickettowork.com

Accommodation/accessibility resources: • http://www.askjan.org • http://www.ada.gov/• www.dor.ca.gov/disabilityaccessinfo

Employer assistance resource:http:// www.earnworks.com

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Contact InformationIf you would like more information about the DEI project:Maiknue Vang, Madera Workforce Investment Corp-(559) 662-4503 mvang@maderaworkforce.com

Kasia DeMauri, Golden Sierra Job Training Agency-(530) 823-4635 x236 demauri@goldensierra.com

Les Roberson, Managed Career Solutions- (323) 454-6117 lroberson@mcscareergroup.com

David Mayer, Employment Development Department-

(916) 654-7422 davidhmayer@edd.ca.gov