KCDC Disability News Message

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

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This information is from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Business Sense.

April 2024
National Small Business Week: Workplace Inclusion Just Works

The advanced manufacturing company FALA Industries runs a high-tech 50,000-sq.-ft. plant requiring a highly skilled workforce. Even in a county with low unemployment, FALA has continued to recruit new workers and grow its talent pipeline. One critical factor: a pre-apprenticeship program for people with disabilities that offers training, education and a pathway to skilled employment.

Get inspired by FALA: FALA Technologies Case Studies

This National Small Business Week (April 28?May 4, 2024), ODEP celebrates disability inclusive practices such as those adopted by FALA Industries and the many other small businesses across the country that also seek innovative ways to build talent pipelines of skilled workers, strengthen ties within their community and promote access and inclusion in their workplace.

ODEP supports these goals. On May 1, 2024, at 1 PM ET, the ODEP-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) will host a webinar to help inform small businesses about financial supports for disability hiring?such as tax incentives or reimbursements for the cost of accommodations?funded by state and local governments. We encourage small business owners, people who work with small businesses and their employees, and others interested in workforce disability inclusion to attend.

ODEP also relies on the firsthand experiences of small business owners and employees to guide our work. Through May 6, 2024, we invite you to share your thoughts about your own challenges and successes in increasing disability inclusion. Register for ODEP?s national online dialogue ?Advancing Disability Inclusion in Very Small Businesses? and submit your insights on current policies and disability-inclusive practices, share new ideas or comment on ideas submitted by others. Your ideas will inform our development of policies, guidance and other resources.

Join the conversation: Advancing Disability Inclusion in Very Small Businesses

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

View the Business Sense newsletter on our website.

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Job Vacancy Announcements

Blue Cross/Blue Shield has posted new job vacancies on their website.?

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This information is from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) about the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program.

Good Afternoon,

The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Quality Assurance Policy is currently open for public comment until June 1, 2024. This is a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback and contribute to the shaping of our long-term services and supports policies.

Please review the details and submit your comments through the following link: KDADS HCBS Policies.

Thank you for your participation and input.

Best regards,
Long Term Services & Supports
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services
503 S. Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: 785-296-4983
Fax: 785-296-0256

Visit Our Website: www.kdads.ks.gov

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This information is from the Employment First Community of Practice (CoP).?

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Community of Practice Webinar Series
Family Involvement in Provider Transformation
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
3:00-4:00 p.m. ET

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.

As Employment Services Providers embark on the process of transforming their operations to focus on community-based Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) services, securing support and meaningful engagement from families and jobseekers is crucial. Families may be unfamiliar with how changes in Employment Services may affect their routine, and may be initially apprehensive about new approaches to job-placement or meaningful day services. This webinar discusses tools and resources available to help providers and families better understand the transformation process, and will feature the voice of family members who have worked with providers through transformation to CIE.

Webinar Objectives:
? Learn about existing and upcoming resources designed to help providers effectively engage families in the provider transformation process, and help families understand why and how services are changing.
? Hear from a provider about how they have successfully interacted with families about service change, and how they've encouraged families to be active in this process.
? Talk to family members about their apprehensions and questions about how employment services are evolving, and how to best address their concerns.

***Register for the May 15 Webinar Here***

Please email any accommodation requests
to [email protected].
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Speakers:

Karen Lee
Executive Director, SEEC

Karen Lee has worked as Chief Executive Officer of Supporting Employment Equality and Community (SEEC) since 1990. Under Karen?s leadership SEEC has grown from a $100,000 budget to nearly $20 million. Karen has worked with her team to build an infrastructure that supports competitive integrated employment, community engagement and supported living that supports people with disabilities and their direct support workforce. SEEC serves as an example of best practices in the fields of employment supports, career pathways for direct support workforce and community engagement. Karen also does consultation at the department, agency, state and federal levels, working with other professionals to create infrastructures to increase CIE and other opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be full members of their community.

Rachel Pollock
Senior Program Advisor, Job Path Inc.

Rachel Pollock, J.D., is the Senior Program Advisor and formerly Chief Operating Officer, at Job Path Inc, a not-for-profit provider agency in New York City (NYC) that provides a range of individualized employment, day, and residential supports services for people with developmental disabilities, including individuals with autism and dual diagnoses. She has extensive experience, in the implementation of employment and community based day services, with a particular focus on program development and the effective use of funding streams to develop quality programming. Rachel's technical assistance work, over the last seven years, has included provider transformation, capacity building and training, and policy matters including rate reimbursement strategies and State as Model Employer initiatives. She co-facilitated several series of provider transformation boot camps for Pennsylvania VR designed as an interactive overview for leadership teams of transformation best practices followed by technical assistance to several providers, as well as facilitating a regional collaborative with Pennsylvania providers. She facilitated a series of interactive webinars on strategic financial planning and funding strategies for providers in Wisconsin as part of a leadership series sponsored by the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities. Rachel is the parent of a young man with autism who is working in a job in New York City.

Employment First Webinars are recorded, and the links are distributed to the listserv within two business days following the webinar. Please share this announcement with your colleagues! If they are not a current subscriber to ODEP's Employment First mailing list, they can register here.

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


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