Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa College of Law
http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/dpn/
and
The Burton Blatt Institute
Syracuse University
http://bbi.syr.edu
One–Stop Toolkit
Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project E–Mail listserv
28 March 2008
Good morning everyone,
Below please find the web site and publication of the week, as well as other resources that we hope will be useful as you work on systems change activities to help improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
To subscribe and / or view past resources of the week archives, access: www.onestoptoolkit.org and click on the link to "Resources of the Week" on the right hand side of the home page.
To view an indexed list of the resources of the week by subject matter, visit the L.P.H.D.C. web site at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/resources/wig/default.asp. It currently includes 20 categories, covering over 300 annotated references. Each category opens to a new window with each Resource of the Week which covered material in that area.
Have a good day and weekend!
Laura Gleneck
Program Associate
Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa College of Law
P: 617–489–0086
F: 617–489–1374
[ E–mail Lgleneck@mail.law.uiowa.edu ]
[ E–mail LFarah8@aol.com ]
[ http://www.onestoptoolkit.org ]
[The full announcement is located under the section heading "Resources of Interest."]
*****REGISTER TODAY*****
Register today….. Registration for this Webinar is limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please access the link to login to Workforce3 One and register.
Description. This webinar will highlight two One-Stop Career Center models for becoming ENs. States will have an opportunity to hear first-hand from Iowa and Florida: how their One-Stop Career Centers/LWIBs became ENs; the challenges; milestones of progress; and potential ROI. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a highly interactive discussion of their individual state situations and benefit from the experiences and perspectives of their colleagues in the workforce investment system.
One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBS should consider becoming ENs because this program is a potential funding source for any entity that provides return-to work services to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. It is likely that you are already providing such services to your customers with disabilities. This makes good business sense and will enable you to leverage funding to maximize services to your customers and better respond to the needs of your business customers. ETA has been working with SSA to promote the Ticket Program to One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs. The Disability Program Navigators (DPNs) are playing a leadership role in this process.
If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have speech disabilities and captioning would facilitate your participation in this Webinar, you can register for captioning service through the Federal Relay Conference Captioning. Please note the Federal Relay Service requires at least 48 hours notice (2 working days) to guarantee coverage. For more information, visit http://www.workforce3one.org/support/view.cfm?id=966.
We are concerned that a number people with disabilities that are not required to file a tax return will not receive their deserved stimulus payments and we want to provide you with the information that you can distribute to your networks. For example, someone on SSI with earned income of $3,000 or more is eligible for a stimulus payment of at least $300 but may not know this because they do not have a requirement to file a tax return. The only way to receive stimulus payments is to have “qualified income” of at least $3,000 and file a 2007 tax return. Similarly, Social Security recipients, certain Railroad retirees, and those who receive veterans’ benefits must file a 2007 return in order to notify the IRS of their qualifying income and receive their stimulus payments.
What if some or all of your income consists of Social Security, veterans' or other benefits? The economic stimulus law allows Social Security recipients and recipients of certain veterans' benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits to count those benefits towards the qualifying income requirement of $3,000. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment. To get the payment, you have to file a 2007 tax return using either Form 1040 or the short Form 1040A. For more information, see:
Warning — Scam Artists Are Calling Taxpayers about the Stimulus Payments. If someone claiming to be from the IRS calls or e-mails you about the payments and asks you for a Social Security, bank account or credit card number, it's a scam. The scammers are trying to get your personal and financial information so they can empty your bank account, run up charges on your credit card and more. Find out more — see IR-2008-11, IRS Warns of New E-Mail and Telephone Scams Using the IRS Name; Advance Payment Scams Starting.
In the February issue of their EQUITY newsletter, the World Institute on Disability has included a timely and helpful summary of tax tips for people with disabilities and their families, available at: http://www.wid.org/programs/access-to-assets/equity/equity-e-newsletter-winter-2008/equity-tip-of-the-month/.
New Freedom Program funds are available for capital and operating expenses that support new public transportation services beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) to assist individuals with disabilities with accessing transportation services, including transportation to and from jobs and employment support services.
Examples of eligible activities include enhancing paratransit beyond the minimum requirements of the ADA, feeder services, making accessibility improvements to transit and intermodal stations not designated as key stations, travel training, purchasing vehicles to support new accessible taxi, ride sharing, and/or vanpooling programs, supporting the administration and expenses related to new voucher programs for transportation services offered by human service providers, supporting new volunteer driver and aide programs, and supporting new mobility management and coordination programs among public transportation providers and other human service agencies providing public transportation.
Access the URL to link to brief descriptions of specific projects that received New Freedom grants from FTA as of September 30, 2007. Please contact the appropriate FTA regional office or the grant recipient for more details on the project.
National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. Throughout September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will work with a wide variety of organizations to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and promote individual involvement through events and activities across the nation.
The goal of National Preparedness Month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action. Throughout the month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asks all Americans to take some simple steps to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies including getting a family emergency supply kit, making a family emergency plan, being informed about different threats and getting involved in preparing their communities.
Join the Ready Campaign and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partner Citizen Corps this September for the fifth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM). Register now to be a part of the 2008 NPM Coalition — visit http://ready.adcouncil.org.
In 2007, NPM had a record number of more than 1,800 NPM Coalition Members who worked to create a culture of emergency preparedness in the United States. Read the National Preparedness Month 2007 Journal to learn about some of the events and activities that took place across the country last year. In addition, President George W. Bush issued a proclamation declaring September as National Preparedness Month. For more information, contact –mail Ready@dhs.gov.
Moderator: Elizabeth Jennings, National Disability Institute
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) was enacted in 1999 to expand the employment opportunities for Social Security disability beneficiaries receiving Social Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits by providing incentives and options for them to enter or re-enter the world of work. The Ticket Program is the centerpiece of TWWIAA. For additional background information, refer to Training and Employment Notice No. 6-02, January 6, 2003, The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) and the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program Implementation. The Ticket Program is intended to provide SSI and SSDI beneficiaries with greater choices in obtaining employment, vocational rehabilitation, or other support services from public and private providers through the implementation of ENs. This voluntary program will enable the beneficiaries to obtain, regain, or maintain employment and to reduce their dependency on cash assistance. The regulations revise the reimbursement process and provide greater financial incentives and flexibility to make the Ticket Program more attractive for providers, including One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs to become ENs.
One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBS should consider becoming ENs because this program is a potential funding source for any entity that provides return-to work services to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. It is likely that you are already providing such services to your customers with disabilities. This makes good business sense and will enable you to leverage funding to maximize services to your customers and better respond to the needs of your business customers. ETA has been working with SSA to promote the Ticket Program to One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs. The Disability Program Navigators (DPNs) are playing a leadership role in this process.
This webinar will highlight two One-Stop Career Center models for becoming ENs. States will have an opportunity to hear first-hand from Iowa and Florida: how their One-Stop Career Centers/LWIBs became ENs; the challenges; milestones of progress; and potential ROI. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a highly interactive discussion of their individual state situations and benefit from the experiences and perspectives of their colleagues in the workforce investment system.
Registration for this Webinar is limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please access the link to login to Workforce3 One and register today!
If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have speech disabilities and captioning would facilitate your participation in this Webinar, you can register for captioning service through the Federal Relay Conference Captioning. Please note the Federal Relay Service requires at least 48 hours notice (2 working days) to guarantee coverage. For more information, visit http://www.workforce3one.org/support/index.cfm?id=966.
As many of you may know, a significant number of TANF recipients are individuals who have a disability. The DOL National Program Office, which oversees the Disability Program Navigator Initiative, is involved in these types of activities to make connections between TANF programs and resourceful resources and services that can address their barriers. We will share more information as the National Office continues to work on this priority.
The Urban Partnerships Initiative is a project designed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, to improve outcomes for low-income families by facilitating peer exchange among TANF stakeholders in urban centers. The Urban Partnerships Initiative is committed to supporting the work of TANF stakeholders in urban environments by promoting shared learning, enhancing cities' performance management systems, and developing strategies to improve services to families so they may achieve and maintain self-sufficiency.
This Urban Partnerships Initiative Online Toolkit represents the next phase of disseminating information on promising practices to the human services community. The toolkit is a collection of resources, templates, examples, and instruments that will assist TANF administrators in achieving the goal of supporting families on a path to self-sufficiency. The toolkit is a dynamic resource to help cities address some of the unique issues facing low-income populations, including those associated with substance abuse, poor mental health conditions, former incarceration, recent immigration, learning disabilities, and others.
Work activities include community service placements and subsidized employment (full- or part-time), which allows employers to receive a subsidy from TANF or other public funds to offset some or all of the wages and costs associated with employing a TANF recipient. Some programs offer innovative work activities that simulate real work experiences for TANF participants. Participants gain a better understanding of meaningful work, valuable on-the-job training, and the knowledge and skills to perform a job successfully, all of which improve the employability of TANF recipients.
Also, check out the paper on Distance Learning and TANF Policy in “Publications of the Week” AND learn more about Business Access under “Websites of the Week.”
Competitive employment provides the individual with a disability a real job, the potential for benefits, and the dignity that arises from gainful employment. Both the employer and the individual with a disability benefit since the employer gets a good worker, and the individual earns a competitive wage. Family, coworkers, and the general public are able to see the worker with a disability in a fully competent role in the workplace and community.
According to a March 19th ODEP news release (http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20080389.htm, the U.S. Department of Labor will make available to employers nationwide a free database of 1,769 new job candidates with disabilities seeking work in a wide variety of fields. Federal employers can tap into this ongoing recruitment resource online, and private sector, other government and nonprofit employers can request unlimited searches by calling a toll-free telephone number.
The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities, co-sponsored by the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense, compiled the database by sending recruiters to nearly 200 college campuses across the country to interview eligible undergraduate and post-graduate students. Many of the students are seeking summer job opportunities, while others have graduated and are looking for permanent employment.
In using the database, an employer sets the criteria for each candidate search by specifying location, college/university, degree program, position type and length of appointment. Job seekers represent many high-demand fields of study, including accounting, administration, business, communications, computers, criminal justice, education, engineering, human resources/equal employment opportunity, health care, law, the social sciences and the sciences.
Hiring officials at federal agencies can access the Workforce Recruitment Program database and conduct independent searches on the Internet by obtaining a password at https://wrp.gov. Employers in the private sector, state and local government agencies, and nonprofit organizations should contact the Labor Department's Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network at 866-327-6669 to access the database.
The Workforce Recruitment Program has assisted employers in identifying job candidates with disabilities who meet their recruitment needs since 1995.
Business Access is an industry leader in home-based distance learning for workforce development. Since 2000, the award winning In-Home Learning System has been used as the technical platform for 91 different programs placing computers in homes reaching over 18,733 people throughout the country.
Populations served include welfare recipients, at-risk youth, rural areas, offenders, military spouses, incumbent workers, people in emergency situations (Katrina) and others. Funding sources used to purchase the In-Home Learning System include Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Adult, Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Welfare to Work and Food Stamps Employment and Training.
The In-Home Learning System is a technical platform for the delivery of home-based government programs. Business Access' online communities are designed to serve clientele with high dropout, unemployment, and poverty rates. Program goals are focused on employment, retention, vocational training and/or remedial education depending on the needs of participants. The program is available in English and Spanish.
The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) (http://www.clasp.org/) released this paper on Distance Learning and TANF policy to increase participation rates. The following is excerpted from the beginning of the paper.
As the number of people with access to computers and the Internet grows, distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular way to attend school. Distance learning programs are particularly attractive to many nontraditional students, including low-income parents, who often must fit their classes around work and family responsibilities.
However, in the wake of the interim rules implementing the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), several states expressed concerns about whether it was possible for distance learning programs to meet the work verification requirements established by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. On February 5, 2008, in the final rule implementing the DRA changes, HHS explicitly said that states can count distance learning coursework as a work activity under the vocational educational training classification.1 Indeed, states have always had the ability to count distance learning hours. Prior to issuing the final rule, HHS had already approved many work verification plans that include distance learning as a countable work activity. Because states must follow the definitions of work activities included in their work verification plans, some states may be denying TANF recipients access to distance learning programs. Other states may be imposing unnecessary obstacles to participation, such as requiring students to use computer labs where their physical presence can be monitored. This paper identifies language from HHS-approved work verification plans that other states can adopt in order to maximize access to distance learning and raise work participation rates. It also highlights some restrictive and burdensome language that should be dropped from work verification plans.
The aging and retirement of the baby boom generation will have impacts on many aspects of our society, and has many implications for the U.S. labor market, including possible labor and skill shortages. In recognition of the challenges that lie ahead, in May 2006, the Department of Labor convened an interagency taskforce to focus on the aging of the American workforce and the impact of this demographic change. The Taskforce on the Aging of the American Workforce is identifying strategies to enhance the ability of older Americans to remain in or re-enter the labor market and pursue self-employment opportunities and enable businesses to take full advantage of this skilled labor pool.
The report identifies the following opportunities and barriers to employment of older workers.
The report begins with a discussion of the issues related to the aging of the American workforce. In general, older workers are less likely than younger workers to be unemployed, but those who are unemployed take longer to find work. Many encouraging signs point to the prospects of increasing the labor force participation of older individuals. For example, surveys have found that most Americans wish to continue their ties to the work world even after they reach retirement age for a variety of reasons, including the need to build and maintain financial security and the desire to stay productive and socially engaged.
These barriers and the issues they raise are discussed in detail in the report.
Also, access the website to link to current strategies to employ and retain older workers as well as other useful resources.