Resources

COVID-19 Resources

The WINTAC has created a list of resources to help VR programs that are operating by distance and providing services remotely during the COVID-19 crisis.  We will be building on these resources daily, so please check back frequently.  Click to access the COVID-19 Resources. Click to access the Resources on Distance Service Delivery.

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Click each topic below to view the related resources:

• Customized Employment
• Supported Employment
• Competitive Integrated Employment
• Business Engagement

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Customized Employment

• Customized Employment Roadmap:
  This documents outlines a suggested protocol to be used when considering implementing or piloting Customized Employment.
• Essential Elements of Customized Employment for Universal Application:
  This is a document that outlines elements that subject matter experts determined are essential to the practice of Customized Employment (CE). Funders such as VR agencies can use this information to inform Requests for Proposals for training in CE, the development of contracts with providers of CE services and evaluating the effectiveness of CE practices.
• Customized Employment (CE) Delivery Checklist:
  This is the companion document to the Essential Elements of CE document above. It provides a checklist based on the that document to help ensure quality control for VR staff paying for CE services
• Customized Employment (CE) Webinar Orientation: This 50 minute webinar provides an overview of Customized Employment (CE) based on “The Essential Elements of Customized Employment for Universal Application” which is listed immediately above as “Essential Elements”. This webinar is intended to provide a very basic introduction to the CE process and includes a brief summary of the differences and similarities between Customized and Supported Employment. It is not intended to be used as CE training which requires considerably more time and much more comprehensive coverage of CE material.
  • CE Orientation Recording
  • CE Orientation Presentation
  • CE Orientation Transcript

NOTE: For CRC Vertification, log into the website, and complete the training on the TMS

• CE Capstone Forum on 9/23/20 RSA: This is a recorded ZOOM call with RSA which provides an overview of current CE pilot models from three state agency partners; Minnesota, Michigan and Colorado.  This video also includes an overview of CE progress based on the 13 CE pilot sites that WINTAC is supporting.
• Customized Employment (CE) Sustainability Video Presentations: Colorado and Michigan VR agencies, along with partners, provide an overview on their CE pilots and sustainability plans developed to ensure CE services continue to be available and expand in each state.   These videos provide excellent first-hand insights from each state agency on how they successfully developed, implemented, expanded and are sustaining CE in each state.  Each video is approximately 25 minutes in length.
  • Colorado CE video
  • Michigan CE video
• Customized Employment (CE) Guidance on Making Referrals: This provides guidance to assist VR agencies to make good CE referrals.
• Customized Employment (CE) Guidance on Mentoring: This provides guidance to states regarding critical aspects of the Customized Employment (CE) mentoring process necessary to learn and implement CE services.
• Recommendations for Customized Employment Practices:
• This document outlines practices that subject matter experts recommend for effectively practicing CE. This document focuses on practices related to Customized Job Development. This document can also inform training on and evaluation of CE.
• The WINTAC did a survey of customized employment rates paid by VR programs across the nation. If you would like to see what other VR agencies are paying for customized employment, you can view the spreadsheet by clicking here.
• The Office of Disability and Employment Policy (ODEP), LEAD Center, provides Customized Employment (CE) resources and webinars on their website:  LEAD Center - Customized Employment
  That website includes information on:
  • CE Overview of the Principles, Processes and Practices
  • Discovery
  • Employer Engagement
  • Funding
  • Self-Employment
• This document is a brief description and presentation of the Customized Employment Competency Model. Produced under the U.S Department of Labor.
• Thought Sauce! Hot Ideas for Cool Employment! Foundational Readings in Customized Employment from Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC & the Center for Social Capital, Inc.
• The Office of Disability and Employment Policy (ODEP) provides additional Customized Employment resources
• A summary report on Customized Employment Grants and Workforce Action Grants funded by U. S. Dept. of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy and prepared by the National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult, April 2007.

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Supported Employment

• Supported Employment Quality Features
  WINTAC, along with a wide variety of stakeholders with extensive supported employment experience developed the attached “Supported Employment Quality Features” document to identify and describe high quality features of supported employment as a guide for the universal application of these features across service delivery and training providers.  The intent of this document is to provide a consistent framework and detailed description of all the elements necessary to provide high quality supported employment services.
• Supported Employment Core Features Checklist
  This document is intended to provide a checklist based on the above “Supported Employment Quality Features” to assist VR agencies in evaluating SE services that are being provided by VR staff and/or contracted service providers. Audience: service providers and VR staff that oversee SE services.
• Essential Questions for Supported Employment Design
  This document is intended to help VR agencies set up the framework for and effectively support quality supported employment (SE) services. It’s a companion document to the two referenced above. Audience: VR SE program managers-leadership.
• Supported Employment Critical Policy and Definition Elements 
  is compiled from multiple resources such as WIOA Law, regulations, and RSA guidance to provide a comprehensive view of Supported Employment.

RSA's technical assistance regarding key aspects of SE implementation under WIOA

• On May 23, 2018, RSA released two general requirements documents relative to supported employment. These documents clarify and provide detail relative to allotment A and B supported employment expenditures.
  • STATE SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT SERVICES – A GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
  • STATE SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT SERVICES – B GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• "RSA FAQs" released September of 2016 regarding Supported Employment grant funding: U.S. Department of Education - Frequently-Asked Questions
• RSA’s guidance pertaining to Supported Employment under WIOA from their Nov 7-9 2016 CSAVR conference in PDF format: Overview and Discussion of Federal Regulations on Supported Employment
• Employment Outcomes, Competitive Integrated Employment, and Limitations on Use of Subminimum Wage (PDF, 279KB)
• State Supported Employment Services Program – Title VI of the Rehabilitation Act, as Amended by WIOA (PDF,173KB)
• Transition of Students and Youth With Disabilities from School to Postsecondary Education and Employment (PDF, 234KB)
• Fiscal Overview – Pre-Employment Transition Services and State Supported Employment Services Program (PDF, 178KB)
• Technical Assistance Resources (PDF, 443KB)
• FFY 2018 Grant Award Update
  (A letter from David Steele, Chief Fiscal Unit, Rehabilitation Services Administration).
• RSAs FAQ's on SE Expenditure Guidance, 2016 Sept
• RSA’s summary of WIOA regulations relating to Supported Employment Program changes
• A Copy of the Act

NOTE: Consider signing up for RSA's email subscription page for email updates on a variety of topics relevant to the VR program.

Supported Employment Resources from VR agencies:

• Oregon VR's presentation on changes to Supported Employment due to WIOA
• Utah's SE Policy, Chapter 30
  Utahs Client Service Manual, Chapter 30 on (SE) Supported Employment including policy, Definitions, and instructions on Individual Placement and Support, Community Rehabilitation Programs, and Job Coaching.
• Utah SOR Chapter 30 Supported Employment Nov. 2016 Addendum
• The Hawaii VR agency developed a series of documents listed below to provide staff guidance regarding the implementation of Supported Employment under WIOA.
  • Hawaii’s internal staff procedures for Supported Employment Part 1, SE Eligibility and Planning
  • Hawaii’s internal staff procedures for Supported Employment" Part 2,SE Intensive Skills Training and Support
  • Hawaii’s internal staff procedures for Supported Employment” Part 3, SE Extensive Services and Case Closures
  • Hawaii's internal staff procedures for Supported Employment, SE Checklist and Case Study
  • Hawaii's internal staff procedures for Supported Employment, SE Employment definitions and practice under WIOA

Supported Employment Resources related to ‘Natural Supports’

• Inge, K., & Tilson, G. (1997). Ensuring natural support systems that work: Getting beyond the natural supports versus job coach controversy. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 9, 133–142.
• Cimera, R. E. (2007c). Utilizing natural supports to lower the cost of supported employment. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 32(3), 184–189.
  Study to determine whether using natural supports can decrease overall cost of providing supported employment in Wisconsin based on three cost analyses: looking at data collected before and after the Natural Supports Initiative (NSI) was passed, comparing per capita costs of supported employment from NSI agencies to costs generated by every other agency in Wisconsin and determining whether NSI agencies incurred greater costs than non NSI agencies. NSI agencies were more cost efficient than non-NSI agencies. Proposes reasons as to why NSI agencies were more cost efficient.
• Marrone, Joe, 1995, the Nature of Employment Supports for People with Mental Illness, Psychiatric Services, Institution for Community Inclusion, 46 (7), 707-711.
  The intent of this paper is to present some practical guidelines for providing comprehensive support, a crucial element of any supported employment approach. Five areas of support, particularly important to people with psychiatric disabilities, will be discussed: "Natural" Co- worker Supports, Personal network supports -- Peer and Family, Training supports, Self-management supports, and Organizational supports.
• Employers' Views of Workplace Supports: VCU Charter Business Roundtable's National Study of Employers' Experiences with Workers with Disabilities Monograph, by Darlene Unger.
  Chapter 5 Workplace Supports, A View From Employers Who Have Hired Supported Employees

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Competitive Integrated Employment

• Presentations and trainings on individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions

  Understanding Individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions within VR services (Recorded training)

  • PowerPoint Presentation of Understanding Individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions within VR services
  • Transcript of Understanding Individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions within VR services
    NOTE: For CRC Vertification, log into the website, and complete the training on the TMS
     
• Michigan Rehabilitation Services CIE Checklist
• RSA's FAQ's regarding Competitive Integrated Employment location criteria
  The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is pleased to publish Frequently Asked Questions: Integrated Location Criteria of the Definition of “Competitive Integrated Employment.” This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document addresses the criteria for an integrated employment location within the definition of “competitive integrated employment” in section 7(5) (B) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended by title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and its implementing VR program regulations in 34 CFR §361.5(c) (9) (ii) (see 81 FR 55629 (August 19, 2016)). The information in these FAQs provides guidance and technical assistance to VR agencies and community rehabilitation programs so that they may assist individuals with disabilities to achieve high-quality employment.
  Integrated Location Criteria of the Definition of "Competitive Integrated Employment" FAQ
• Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Interim Report
• Work Accommodations & Natural Supports for Maintaining Employment
• AICIED Final Report
• You can view RSA’s guidance pertaining to the implementation of Competitive Integrated Employment under WIOA from their Nov 7-9 2016 CSAVR conference in PDF format by clicking Overview and Discussion of Federal Regulations on Employment Outcomes and Competitive Integrated Employment
• Fact Sheet - Advisory Co Advisory Committee on Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities - Final Report
• Employment First

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Business Engagement

• You can view RSA’s guidance pertaining to Business Engagement under WIOA from their Nov 7-9 2016 CSAVR conference in PDF format by clicking Overview and Discussion of Federal Regulations on Services to Business

 

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