Here is today's Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) Disability News message. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Martha?

*Martha K. Gabehart* | "Executive Director
"Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
*Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
*900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

[email protected] | www.kcdcinfo.ks.gov [ [link removed] ]

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Job Vacancy Announcements

Blue Cross/Blue? Shield posted new job vacancies on their website [ [link removed] ]. Please feel free to share.?

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This message is from Robert Cooper, Executive Director of the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH)

Opportunity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community and advocates to learn more and also possibly input with US Attorneys Office on June 6, 2023. Opening announcement reads as following:

The United States Attorney?s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that it has sent a Dear Colleagues Letter [ [link removed] ]?(and attached below) reminding healthcare providers of the effective communication requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To strengthen awareness and understanding of these requirements, the U.S. Attorney?s Office is inviting the public, including personnel at healthcare providers, to an informational meeting [ [link removed] ]that will be held on June 6, 2023, at 1 p.m.

For full reading, please visit the US Department of Justice website [ [link removed] ].?

Thanks,
KCDHH

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View message in your browser [ [link removed] ].

Community of Practice Webinar Series
Supporting Individuals with Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions in Employment and Beyond
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET
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The National Employment First Community of Practice (CoP) Webinar Series augments the technical assistance areas of Employment First systems change (Capacity Building, Provider Transformation, School-to-Work Transition, Employer Engagement, and Policy/Funding Alignment). CoP participants benefit from national subject matter experts (SMEs) presenting information and resources to support Employment First efforts.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, the May Employment First Community of Practice will focus on strategies to support jobseekers in the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) community who also may have diagnosed or undiagnosed co-occurring mental health conditions. This webinar focuses on how employment services teams can understand jobseekers' immediate and long term needs, provide the correct level of support, and take a person-centered approach to assisting these jobseekers so they are successful in job placement and job retention. Attendees will learn how to help individual jobseekers and build programs that create Competitive Integrated Employment opportunities for people with co-occurring mental health conditions.

Webinar Objectives:
? Understand how to support the needs of IDD jobseekers with co-occurring mental health conditions.
? Learn about person-centered approaches to support people working or searching for work who have diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health conditions.
? Learn how approaches to job development rooted in Individual Placement and Support (IPS) strategies can help employment teams with placing jobseekers with co-occurring mental health conditions in Competitive Integrated Employment.
? Discover resources to assist DSPs and providers working with individuals with IDD and mental health conditions.

***Register for the Webinar Here [ [link removed] ]***

Please email any accommodation requests
to [email protected]
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Facilitated By:

Beth Lohmann, MSW APSW
Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) Administrator
Milwaukee County Behavioral Health

Beth is the CCS Administrator at Milwaukee County Behavioral Health. CSS is a voluntary program that fosters recovery for individuals with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Employment is one of the key interventions offered. Prior to joining the Community Access to Recovery Services team at the county, she spent 20+ years working for Community Rehabilitation Programs developing and growing programs that focus on increasing inclusive programming. Beth graduated with her Bachelors in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997 and went on to obtain a Masters in Social Work from Arizona State University in 1999. After obtaining her Masters, she returned to Wisconsin and has since been developing and growing programs that increase the independence and abilities of individuals with disabilities. Beth was the Co-President of the Wisconsin Association of People for Supporting Employment First for five years and remained a member of the board for the past sixteen years. She received the Living our Values Award in 2012 and the Mission Excellent Award in 2016 from Easterseals for her dedication and passion to the program and individuals served. Beth was born and raised in Wisconsin and continues to live, work and play there.

Stacey Teegardin
MS, CRC, CIPS
Wisconsin Department of Health Services

Stacey is the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) State Trainer lead for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychiatry. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Rehabilitation Psychology and has been working in the behavioral health field for over 15 years. Stacey is passionate about recovery, early intervention, and improving the quality of lives for all people.

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Employment First Webinars are recorded, and the links are distributed to the listserv within two business days following the webinar. If you are not a current subscriber to Office of Disability Employment Policy's (ODEP) Employment First mailing list, you can register here [ [link removed] ].?

Copyright ? 2023 Economic Systems Inc., All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Economic Systems Inc.
3120 Fairview Park Dr
Suite 500
Falls Church, VA 22042

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This message is from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

Business Sense
May 2023
Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact

Regardless of size or industry, all businesses have one thing in common?a desire to be successful in delivering their goods or services. And the key to this is ensuring all workers have the supports and tools they need to be productive. For some employees with disabilities, this may involve providing a reasonable accommodation.

An accommodation is considered any modification to the work environment, or the way a job is done, that enables someone with a disability to apply for or perform a job. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), covered employers must provide accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities, when requested, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship.

An ongoing research study [ [link removed] ] updated annually by the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) indicates that the benefits of providing accommodations for workers with disabilities greatly outweigh the costs?if any are incurred at all. In fact, among employers who provided information about the cost of accommodations made:

? 49.4% said the accommodation they made cost nothing; and
? 43.3% said the accommodation incurred a one-time cost, with the median being $300.

In addition to revealing that the majority of employers report no cost or low cost for accommodating employees with disabilities, JAN?s survey sheds light on why accommodations are provided as well as their effectiveness. For instance, more than half (55%) of employers surveyed were seeking to retain a current employee. Also, 68.4% of employers said the accommodation was either very effective or extremely effective, and another 18.3% said it was somewhat effective. Moreover, after making accommodations, employers reported multiple direct and indirect benefits, chief among them retaining a valued employee.

Funded by ODEP, JAN is the leading source of free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and other disability employment issues, and it can help businesses both big and small determine effective accommodations for the full range of conditions. As part of this, it offers guidance on supporting workers with Long COVID. Learn more at AskJAN.org [ [link removed] ].

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy
DRIVING CHANGE ? CREATING OPPORTUNITY

View the Business Sense newsletter on our website [ [link removed] ]

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This message is from Joe Scarlett

View this email in your browser [ [link removed] ]

Colorado Office of Employment first

Monday, May 15th: Youth and Adult Disability in Social Security Administration Programs

The Colorado Office of Employment First, in partnership with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, is excited to announce Mondays in May, a three part learning opportunity on Benefits and Employment Basics. This training will provide the attendee with basic information to move forward in employment exploration when there are basic questions around employment and benefits. Walk away with information and tools to support the pursuit of fully informed choice on the career path.

Each training will be lead by Melanie Honsbruch, CPWIC. Melanie is a certified benefits counselor and subject matter expert with 20 years of experience providing benefits and employment information in Colorado.

Please sign up for one or both of the two remaining training topics! Register for each training separately.

Youth and Adult Disability in Social Security Administration Programs
Monday, May 15th, 5:30-6:30pm

This training will cover what it means to be disabled in Social Security programs as a youth and as an adult. We will talk about important considerations for youth that turn age 18, basic SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) program eligibility, and application process considerations.

Click here [ [link removed] ] to register for Youth and Adult Disability in Social Security Administration Programs on May 15th

SSI and SSDI Basics and How Work Effects These Benefits
Monday, May 22nd, 5:30-6:30pm

This training will start by deciphering what is SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and what is SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance), and how these programs are connected to Medicaid and Medicare.It will then answer the question, ?How does work effect my SSI, SSDI, Medicare, and SSI Medicaid benefits?? This training will discuss important resources and tools available in Colorado to support understanding these programs and interactions.

Click here [ [link removed] ] to register for SSI and SSDI Basics and How Work Effects These Benefits on May 22nd

For questions or alternative registration options, please contact Melanie Honsbruch at [email protected]. Training accommodation requests can be submitted through each registration.

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This message is from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Save the Date: September 20?22, 2023

Join us for a three-day, in-person event for transportation professionals, advocates, and community members from across the state. You will deepen your understanding of the Kansas Active Transportation Plan and build valuable partnerships as you learn how to improve walking, biking, and rolling in your community through workshops, presentations, and other activities.

Walk Bike Roll Kansas Active Transportation Summit
September 20?22, 2023
McPherson Community Building
McPherson, KS

We will share more details and a registration link soon. We look forward to connecting in person in September!

In the meantime, start getting to know the Active Transportation Plan by attending the Walk Bike Roll Kansas Virtual Series. Sign up now for the May 24th online session: Meet KATE: Supporting Active Transportation at the State and Local Level.

Sincerely,
Kansas Active Transportation Enhancement (KATE) Program
[email protected]

Kansas Department of Transportation | Dwight D. Eisenhower State Office Building 700 S.W. Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66603

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