Creating Change One Community at a Time October 3 2018 What is Employment First Employment First is a movement working to facilitate the full inclusion of people with the most significant disabilities ID: 720687
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WI Employment First Partners: Creating Change One Community at a Time
October 3, 2018Slide2
What is Employment First? Employment First
is a movement working to facilitate the full inclusion of people with the most significant disabilities in the workplace and community.
Under the Employment First approach, community-based, integrated employment is the first option for employment services for youth and adults with significant disabilities.Slide3
Employment First Across the NationSlide4
Why Support Employment First in WI?
Majority of WI Counties = Around 10% of people of working age in long-term care working in community jobs Dane County = Over 70% of people with significant disabilities in integrated employment People want to work and be part of their communities
Work is possible for anyone who wants to workSlide5
Employment First in Wisconsin
WI BPDD & WI APSE PartnershipCoalition of hundreds pf peopleEF Outreach PartnersAnnual Conference
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October) Better Bottom Line Slide6
WI BPDD’s State Plan (2017-2021)Employment Initiatives include:
Employment First (EF Partners and Conference)Building Full Lives
Take Your Legislator to WorkPartners with BusinessLet’s Get to Work (past initiative)Slide7
2015-16 EF Partner Grant Recipients People First Door County
Deanna YostChippewa Falls Unified School DistrictSOAR Fox CitiesLincoln County CCoT
Luxemburg-Casco High SchoolMedford High SchoolClayton High SchoolWaukesha Independence NetworkHeadwaters, Inc. Black River IndustriesVentures UnlimitedThe Bridge for Community LifeRCS EmpowersCurative ConnectionsLCS Racine
Creative Employment Opportunities
Community Care, Inc.
KIDS - Keeping Individuals with Disabilities ServedSlide8
2016-2017 Grant Recipients
Beloit Memorial High School Black River Industries (BRI) in Medford Brown Deer High School Bridge in HudsonCEO of Milwaukee
Clayton High School Curative Connections in Manitowoc Employment Connections in MononaEverybody Works! of Vernon CountyNicolet College - RhinelanderKenosha Achievement Center (KAC) Lakeland Care DistrictLakeland Union High School in Minocqua Medford High School RCS Empowers in Sheboygan Slide9
2017-2018 Grant Recipients
School District of Beloit – Beloit
DC Everest School District – Weston Wausaukee School District - WausaukeeTwo Rivers School District – Two RiversMedford Area School District - MedfordLakeland Union High School - MinocquaAutism Society of Southeastern WI – Wauwatosa
The ARC of Racine – Racine
Clarity Care – Oshkosh
Lakeland Care District – Fond du Lac
SOAR Fox Cities - AppletonEmployment Connections – MadisonCamp Createability – McFarland Michelle Janz, parent, in partnership with North Country Independent Living – SuperiorSlide10
Current Grant Partners (2018-2019)
SPARK – Middleton
Waterloo School District – Waterloo Opportunity Development Center – Wisconsin RapidsWestlake Industries – LadysmithLaconia High School/Rosendale-Brandon School District – Rosendale
Camp
Createability
– Monona
Franklin Public Schools – FranklinGreen Valley Enterprises – Beaver Dam Waukesha Independence Network - WaukeshaSlide11
Outcomes So FarAround 80 EF Ambassadors established
MANY outreach activities: Amazing Races, Employer Recognition events, Community Conversations, Flipped Job Fair, School Work Experience Program, NDEAM Events, Inclusive Post Secondary Education programs (WITC and Nicolet), Transition nights, School Board presentations, Fostering Success program replication, local media campaigns, Chamber/business group presentations, Tribal Council presentation, video resumes, Legislative events and many Take Your Legislator to Work visits.
People getting jobs as a direct result of activities. Lots of BPDD social media posts from events = lots of awarenessEmployment First Bill passed in March 2018!!Slide12
Employment First Videos
Headwaters Video Medford Video #1Medford Video #2
Medford Video: Summary of EF InitiativesMedford Video: EF Legislation involvement Giving Hope a Place to Work (Waukesha Independence Network) Expect, Employ, Empower (Lakeside Curative) Camp
Createability
PSA
And more…Slide13
Community Conversations
http://www.letsgettoworkwi.org/index.php/lgtw-resource-guide/collaboration/
Slide14
Developing & Supporting EF AmbassadorsSlide15
Who Are Employment First Ambassadors?
People with disabilities WHO:
Have jobs in the communityWant to be leaders-have their voices heard Believe that all people with disabilities deserve
real jobs for real wages!Slide16
Who Are Employment First Ambassadors?
Family members of people with
disabilities WHO: Believe that all people with disabilities deserve real jobs for real wages!
Want to share their experiences
to help other
families and the community understand the value and importance of community-based employment.Slide17
Why did they begin?
People with disabilities need to be leaders
in the Employment First Movement!Businesses, legislators, policy makers need to hear directly from people with disabilitiesPeople with disabilities need
opportunities to develop leadership skills
Families trust and learn from other familiesSlide18
What Do Employment First Ambassadors Do?
Spread the word
about the importance of community employment for people with disabilities! Talk to:
businesses, legislators, policy makers, people with disabilities and family members
Host/support
local EF events/Speak at Conferences
Provide leadership at the EF conferenceSlide19
Employment First Ambassador Curriculum
Step by Step Guide Information Sheets – Roles and Responsibilities, Talking Points, Summary
Worksheets Sample Presentations All can be found at: www.wiemploymentfirst.com/ef-ambassador-curriculum Slide20
Engaging Families
New this year: having a family member serve as an EF AmbassadorBut why?
Family/Parent expectations are strong predictors of a child’s outcomes Efforts to support families, to draw on their expertise, and to address their concerns are important and essential Families’ voices are strong and influential to decision-makers and to each other
Peer to Peer model holds promiseSlide21
Engaging Families…from all backgrounds
Unless we are intentional about trying to reach out to people from diverse backgrounds (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, urban/rural, disability, etc.), it’s possible we won’t connect with them.
Support EF Ambassadors to reach out to others, including families, to invite their participation. Recognize barriers that may impact people’s participation. Use varied forms of communication: postcards, phone, texting. A day before an event, call and text with a reminder. Be responsive to questions, calls, and emails. If don’t know the answer, follow up to let person know you are looking into the answer and will get back in touch.
Try holding events on different days/times to figure out what works for people.
At events, provide a meal.Slide22Slide23
What is Take Your Legislator to Work?
A campaign to
raise awareness that every adult with a disability can participate in gainful employment and have a meaningful job in the community.Slide24
The Take Your Legislator to Work Campaign is about jobs that:
pay market wages, and
are in the local community.Slide25
Who benefits from the campaign?
Legislators
Employers
General public
ParticipantsSlide26
Meet & greet your legislator
1
Introduce your boss & co-workers
2
Give a tour of the workplace
3
Show what you do everyday4Talk about how you got your job5Talk about how important your job is
6Slide27
How the worksSlide28
Get approval from employer
1
Apply
2
Schedule your visit
3
Notify employer & co-workers4Have your visit!5Thank your legislator6Slide29
Participant Quotes
“I really felt that my representative listened to what I had to say…It was a great experience for me.”
“The visit went very well and it was nice to…inform her about the importance of community employment.”“I got to talk to my legislator about the issues that affect my group and myself.”Slide30
Legislator Quotes
“It was great to see the examples of workplace supports in person.”
“…I am very impressed with the business relationships between people with disabilities and business.”“It made a great impact on me. My support for programs like DVR has grown tremendously.”Slide31
https://wi-bpdd.org/index.php/take-your-legislator-to-work/
Get Started Kit
&ApplicationContact: Molly CooneySlide32
Engaging Policy Makers
Involve your EF Ambassadors (supports the development of self-advocacy and civic responsibility!) Legislative Breakfast/Luncheon or Town Hall Meeting
Create A Proclamation Archived Webinar on Legislative Activities http://eri.adobeconnect.com/p3f27yrc3rg/ Slide33
Process:
Contact one or more of the legislators/policy-makers that represent your area to extend the invitation
Set a date, time, and location based on the availability of the legislator(s)Create/send invitations to a range of stakeholders
Make personal contacts by dropping off invitations face-to-face and make follow up calls/emails
Plan an agenda – include introductory presentation by EF Ambassador(s) and an introduction and thank you for legislator/policy-maker(s)Slide34
Process, continued:
Develop and practice (with your EF Ambassador) a brief formal presentation to introduce the topic of employment for people with disabilities (include data points, personal stories, and/or video).
Send the legislator/policy-maker(s) information to help them prepare (Use briefs from WI EF website) Invite local media, including newspaper, television, and radio to cover the event – let legislator/policy maker know you plan to invite media.
Plan for the food that will be needed
Have one or more topic experts at the event to guide discussion and support policy maker(s) as neededSlide35
Important Resources/Links
EF website: www.wiemploymentfirst.com
EF resources and documents to use: http://www.wiemploymentfirst.com/resources/wi-employment-first-documents/ EF Ambassador information: www.wiemploymentfirst.com/ef-ambassador-curriculum
Take Your Legislator to Work:
https://wi-bpdd.org/index.php/take-your-legislator-to-work/
Let’s Get to Work – materials for Community Conversations: www.letsgettoworkwi.org EF Swag/Materials: Window clings? Other ideas?Slide36
Thank You!!
Shannon Webb
shannon@incontrolwisconsin.org Molly Cooney
molly.cooney@wisconsin.gov
608-266-0266