Alliance for Full Participation

Employment First Advisory Group (large multi-stakeholder group to provide recommendations to Administration on expanding and improving Employment and integrated Day Services)

• 10 Year Vision and Benchmarks
• 5 Year Strategic Employment Plan
• Alliance for Full Participation (report card, State updates on website)

Infrastructure Workgroup (policy, regulations, rates/funding, quality, and data collection)

Policy

• Establishing definitions (Employment and Day Services and Outcomes)
• Creating process to allow people to simultaneously access DDA Waiver services and the Employed Individuals with Disabilities Program (a.k.a., Medicaid Buy-in)
• Creating a business process between the Division of Rehabilitation Services and DDA Services
• Developing transitioning youth policy to emphasize "employment first" and services provided in the most integrated setting

Data

• TY Data Research Project – Monica Simonsen – doctoral candidate from the University of Maryland
• Unemployment Insurance Data Project to collect data on employment outcomes for people receiving services – partnership with Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, University of Baltimore and Maryland Department of Disabilities

Rates/Funding - beginning to explore rates/funding for employment and day services through participation in the State Employment Leadership Network Study

Capacity Workgroup (training, technical assistance, marketing and collaborations with other partners)

Training

• Employment training series (customized employment, SSA benefits awareness, assistive technology and workplace accommodations, self employment)
  Employment First "kick-off" event (targeted for Fall 2010)
  Employment First "Awareness" trainings for providers, resource coordinators, families, individuals, Division of Rehabilitation Services staff, local school system staff, etc...

Technical Assistance

• Up to 10 grants awarded through MD Developmental Disabilities Council and Medicaid Infrastructure Grant for provider organizational change to increase and improve employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.
• Organizational Change Peer Network (8 providers that received organizational change grants for the purpose of linking these agencies together to share stories, resources, and to brainstorm solutions to agency, system and other barriers to employment
• Vermont Conversion Institute (Maryland team consisting of 8 representatives from 2 provider agencies and Statewide Coordinator for Employment Services participated in this event)
• Individual meetings with 10 provider agencies to begin strategizing organizational change

Community Learning Services Workgroup (new workgroup to help implement and build capacity for this integrated day service option)