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Supported Employment Summit Workgroup Recommendation to Implement an “Employment & Supports Planning” (ESP) Model
(WRC Handout – April 2006)
Players
DVR, DPI, DHFS, County Human Services, High School IEP Participants, including students, parents, and community service providers.
Premise
Counties are backing a way from long term support funding because of county budget issues, the perception that work centers cost less, and the experience of indefinite long term support requirements for most referrals. Changing the paradigm to view supported employment as a tool to achieve competitive employment could renew county support. Vendors should view indefinite long term support as the exception, not the rule. Better job matching and developing natural supports would reduce the need for county funding for indefinite supports.
Concept
Use and coordinate existing systems to introduce and teach the “employment supports planning” model. DPI has implemented Transition Advisory Councils (TAC) at the county level to improve transition planning for students with disabilities. Ideally, it should include schools, DVR, county human services representatives and service providers. The TACs offer a mechanism to implement Employment & Supports Planning for individuals with the most significant disabilities.
Schools: have the authority to invite community partners who can assist students with the significant disabilities to IEP meetings.
DVR: classifies individuals who require supported employment services in Category 1, which has no wait or a limited wait time.
County: participates in IEP meetings when long term supports are likely.
Service Providers: can be invited to IEP meetings when job development services are a likely item in the IEP.
Using the IEP meeting to do supported employment planning that determines the responsibilities for supports would provide a formal meeting where such decisions must be reached.
Having county personnel participate in IEP meetings to resolve employment planning and support responsibilities would teach them what can be accomplished for adult consumers. It offers a statewide mechanism to change how employment supports planning are implemented in each county. It does not require new funding, but could justify future funding based on outcomes that reduce dependence on indefinite long term support funding.