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
7 July 2006
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 Farah
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 "Publications of the Week."
]
In May 2006, the Disability Program Navigator (D.P.N.) Leadership Audio Conference focused on Coordination and Collaboration with Programs that Serve People who are Homeless. If you were unable to participate in this training opportunity and want to learn more about how you, as a Navigator, can increase access to One-Stop services for people who are homeless, this informative publication offers ‘best practices in helping homeless people with disabilities contribute positively to society through gainful employment’. The study, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (N.I.D.R.R.) and conducted by Boston University and Community Work Services (C.W.S.), indicates that ending homelessness must focus not only on finding permanent housing, but also on implementing services and programs that provide work and life supports. The long term demonstration program has shown that successful employment for persons who are homeless is possible. The information you gather about and from homeless programs in your region, as well as through national resources that offer best practices (as in this publication), can help you assist your One-Stop Career Centers, Local Workforce Investment Board and other community partners to collaborate effectively to serve people who are homeless.
DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is August 29, 2006. Virtual Prospective Applicant Conferences will be held for this grant competition. The dates and access information for these Prospective Applicant Conferences will be posted on E.T.A.'s Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/business/Community-BasedJobTrainingGrants.cfm.
SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration (E.T.A.), U.S. Department of Labor (D.O.L.), announces the availability of approximately $125 million in grant funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants. Community-Based Job Training Grants will be awarded through a competitive process to support workforce training for high-growth / high-demand industries through the national system of community and technical colleges. The primary purpose of these grants is to build the capacity of community colleges to train workers to develop the skills required to succeed in local or regional: (i) industries and occupations that are expected to experience high-growth and (ii) industries where demand for qualified workers is outstripping the supply. Funds will be awarded to individual community and technical colleges, community college districts, state community college systems, and One-Stop Career Centers to support or engage in a combination of capacity building and training activities for the purpose of building the capacity of community colleges to train for careers in high-growth / high-demand industries in the local and / or regional economies. This Solicitation contains an exception for rural areas and other communities that are educationally under-served due to their lack of access to community or technical colleges.
The Community-Based Job Training Grants (C.B.J.T.Gs) continue the work of the High Growth Initiative by incorporating its focus on high-growth, high-demand industries and its emphasis on the role of strategic partnerships in workforce development. The C.B.J.T.Gs build on the work of the High Growth Initiative by highlighting the critical role community colleges play as partners in a demand-driven workforce investment system, and by supporting community efforts to link training initiatives to the skill demands of local and regional employers. As a result, C.B.J.T.G. activities will lead to an increased number of high-growth / high-demand firms being supported by the local or regional workforce and education systems, and more individuals being trained and employed in high-growth / high-demand sectors.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: In order to be eligible for consideration under this solicitation, the applicant must be either: (1) An individual Community or Technical College, (2) a Community College District, (3) a state Community College System, or (4) an individual One-Stop Career Center in partnership with its Local Workforce Investment Board. For educationally under-served communities without access to community or technical colleges, there are other eligible applicants; please see Section III (C)(5).
AWARD INFORMATION: E.T.A. intends to fund approximately seventy-five (75) grants ranging from $500,000 to $2 million through this competition; however, this does not preclude E.T.A. from funding grants at either a lower or higher amount, or funding a smaller or larger number of projects, based on the type and the number of quality submissions. Applicants are encouraged to submit budgets for quality projects at whatever funding level is appropriate to their project. Nevertheless, applicants should recognize that the funds available through this S.G.A. are intended to complement additional leveraged resources rather than be the sole source of funds for the proposal.
Access the U.R.L. to read the full announcement including application and submission information.
DATES: The deadline date for the submission of applications is July 21, 2006.
ELIGIBILITY: Only states that received an A.o.A. and C.M.S. Aging and Disability Resource Center Grant (A.D.R.C.) in F.Y. 2004 are eligible to apply. The F.Y. 2004 A.D.R.C. grantees states include Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Northern Marianas, and Wisconsin.
SUMMARY: In F.Y. 2003, the Administration on Aging (A.o.A.) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (C.M.S.) formed a historic partnership to launch the Aging and Disability Resource Center (A.D.R.C.) demonstration grant initiative. The goal of the A.D.R.C. program is to empower individuals to make informed choices and to streamline access to long term support services. A.o.A. and C.M.S. share a vision to have Resource Centers in every community serving as highly visible and trusted places where people of all ages can turn for information on the full range of long term support options and a single point of entry to public long term support programs and benefits. A.D.R.Cs. are a resource for both public and private-pay individuals. They serve older adults, younger individuals with disabilities, family caregivers, as well as persons planning for future long term support needs. A.D.R.Cs. are also a resource for health and long term support professionals and others who provide services to older adults and to people with disabilities.
Since F.Y. 2003, 43 states have received three year grants from A.o.A. and C.M.S. to design and implement A.D.R.C. demonstrations serving the elderly and at least one other target population of adults with disabilities in at least one community. An A.D.R.C. Program Announcement published in F.Y. 2003 resulted in the funding of twelve states that year with an additional twelve states funded to develop A.D.R.C. programs in F.Y. 2004. Nineteen additional states were funded to develop A.D.R.C. programs based on a Program Announcement published in F.Y. 2005. To view the Program Announcements published in F.Y. 2003 and F.Y. 2005 go to http://www.aoa.gov/prof/aging_dis/background.asp.
AWARD INFORMATION: These additional funds will be issued as part of the 2004 A.D.R.C. existing cooperative agreements. The total amount of Federal funds available for 2004 A.D.R.C. grantees through this funding opportunity is $1 million. A.o.A. anticipates funding 12 projects at $85,000 each for a two-year project period. All supplemental funds will be awarded by September 30, 2006.
APPLICATION PACKAGE: Application materials can be obtained from http://www.grants.gov or http://www.aoa.gov/doingbus/fundopp/fundopp.asp.
Access the U.R.L. to read the full announcement.
[The news release is included below in its entirety.]
On June 30th, the U.S. Department of Labor announced nearly $14.5 million in grants to fund Disability Program Navigators (D.P.N.s) in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The D.P.N. initiative aims to assist individuals with disabilities in accessing employment through workforce system services. "Disability Program Navigators offer hands-on, one-on-one counseling to assist workers with disabilities in accessing the employment opportunities and services available through the public workforce investment system," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "This $14.5 million in grants will help workers with disabilities succeed in the 21st century workforce."
First funded in 2003, the primary objective of the initiative is to increase employment and self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities. Collaboration among the Department of Labor, the Social Security Administration, and state workforce investment boards helps provide access to programs and services that allow individuals with disabilities to enter the workforce. "One-Stop Career Centers offer a wide range of valuable services to workers, including individuals with disabilities," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "The D.P.N. initiative is an effective way of fostering successful engagement between One-Stop Career Centers and individuals with disabilities, thereby providing them the services needed to help overcome barriers to employment."
Thirteen states — Alaska, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia, and the District of Columbia were awarded grants under this initiative. In addition to the new recipients, 17 states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin — will maintain their funding levels to continue their D.P.N. programs.
| Presenters: |
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| Moderator: | Jennifer McNelly, Director, Business Relations Group |
On July 3, 2006, the Employment and Training Administration (E.T.A.), U.S. Department of Labor (D.O.L.), announced in the Federal Register the availability of approximately $125 million in grant funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants. Funds will be awarded to individual Community College, Community College Districts, State Community College Systems, and One-Stop Career Centers to support or engage in a combination of capacity building and training activities for the purpose of building the capacity of community and technical colleges to train for careers in high-growth / high-demand industries in the local and / or regional economies. For more information about the Community Based Job Training Grants and to read a copy of the solicitation, please visit www.doleta.gov/business/Community-BasedJobTrainingGrants.cfm.
Virtual Prospective Applicant Conferences are for community colleges, community college districts, state community college systems, One-Stop Career Centers, and other eligible entities pursuing funding under the Community-Based Job Training Grants (C.B.J.T.G.) Solicitation for Grant Applications (S.G.A. / D.F.A.-P.Y.-05-11).
The Prospective Applicant Conferences, conducted via Webinar, will provide an overview of demand-driven workforce development through strategic partnerships; describe the critical elements of C.B.J.T.Gs; review the eligible applicants, including those in educationally under-served areas with no access to community colleges; and review the grant requirements and evaluation criteria of the Solicitation for Grant Applications. Questions from prospective applicants will be addressed in an interactive / rolling question platform, with questions submitted during the Webinar. Each Webinar will be archived and placed on Workforce3 One to allow conference attendees and other C.B.J.T.G. prospective applicants access to the presentation, as well as questions and answers.
Target Audience: Community and Technical Colleges, Community College Districts, State Community College Systems, One-Stop Career Centers, and other entities eligible to apply under the exception, who are prospective applicants for the Community-Based Job Training Grant Solicitation for Grant Applications. Please note, only one seat per institution will be registered. If multiple individuals from an institution wish to participate, we encourage them to convene in one location for the session. All conference sessions will be archived and available on Workforce3 One.
Registration for the Webinars are limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please click the link below 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/webinars.cfm#q5.
Acquire knowledge and skills to accommodate employees with disabilities, comply with the A.D.A., and develop innovative employment practices. Staff from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and other experts will answer questions such as:
For over 22 years, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has provided focused, trusted, and informed answers to these and other questions. This annual conference unites JAN consultants with featured speakers who have expertise in employment law, innovative employment practices, and disability issues. With two full days of training, the JAN Conference offers three concurrent training tracks addressing accommodation issues, innovative employment practices, and A.D.A. / legal issues. Sessions will be highly interactive and include question and answer segments. In addition, JAN consultants will be available throughout the conference to address your specific questions. The Exhibit Area, which includes a High Tech Demonstration Room, provides additional learning opportunities.
Access the U.R.L. for more information, including online registration. Note, participation is limited to 300.
E.E.O.C. issued this guidance because contingent workers placed by staffing firms, including for example, temporary, contract, and leased workers, represent a growing segment of the labor force. Employment through staffing firms is particularly critical for individuals with disabilities who are seeking to move into the workforce. In 1997, the Commission issued an enforcement guidance titled, "Application of E.E.O. Laws to Contingent Workers Placed by Temporary Employment Agencies and Other Staffing Firms" ("Contingent Workers Guidance") that dealt generally with the liability of staffing firms and their clients for violations of federal employment discrimination laws. This guidance addresses unanswered questions in the prior guidance and explains the responsibilities of staffing firms and their clients in complying with requirements unique to the A.D.A., including for example, reasonable accommodation and rules concerning disability-related questions and medical examinations.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Title I of the A.D.A. covers employment by private employers with 15 or more employees as well as state and local government employers. The Rehabilitation Act provides similar protections related to federal employment. In addition, most states have their own laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of disability. Some of these state laws may apply to smaller employers and provide protections in addition to those available under the A.D.A..
The E.E.O.C. enforces the employment provisions of the A.D.A.. This guide explains how the A.D.A. might apply to job applicants and employees with diabetes. In particular, this guide explains: a. when diabetes is a disability under the A.D.A.; b. when an employer may ask an applicant or employee questions about her diabetes; c. what types of reasonable accommodations employees with diabetes may need; and, d. how an employer should handle safety concerns about applicants and employees with diabetes.
What Are the Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination?
The E.E.O.C. enforces all of these laws. E.E.O.C. also provides oversight and coordination of all federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices, and policies.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Title I of the A.D.A. covers employment by private employers with 15 or more employees as well as state and local government employers of the same size. Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act provides the same protections for federal employees and applicants for federal employment. In addition, most states have their own laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of disability. Some of these state laws may apply to smaller employers and provide protections in addition to those available under the A.D.A..
The E.E.O.C. enforces the employment provisions of the A.D.A.. This document explains how the A.D.A. might apply to job applicants and employees with epilepsy.
Employees with cognitive impairments may experience a variety of difficulties when performing job duties in a cubicle environment. These impairments may be temporary or permanent and may affect overall work performance, including quality of work, conduct, and productivity. This article describes potential issues that employees with cognitive impairments may face when working in a cubicle environment, some preventative measures the employer can take to minimize difficulties, and accommodations that can be made for employees who have cognitive impairments.
Goodwill Industries ® International, Inc. (“Goodwill”) was established in 1902 and incorporated in 1910 to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and other disadvantages such as welfare dependency, illiteracy or lack of work experience. Each local Goodwill Industries is a separate 501(c)(3) corporation. The Goodwill network is composed of Goodwill Industries International (G.I.I.) and 207 Goodwill affiliates in the United States, Canada and 22 other countries worldwide. All Goodwills are local, independent, community-based, non-profit corporations that provide career services, job training, placement and employment for people with disabilities and other disadvantages. Through a member agreement with the local agencies, G.I.I. provides leadership for the Goodwill Industries membership and represents the membership before national and international organizations. G.I.I. provides the member Goodwill Industries with various services related to workforce development, retail and commercial operations, financial and management information, education and training, public relations, and legal and legislative information.
Goodwill Served 846,730 Different People in 2005 (5/1/06)
The Goodwill movement increased its revenues, served more people, and expanded its workforce in 2005, compared with the previous year, according to the 2005 Annual Statistical Report (A.S.R.) results released in May 2006. With all 171 Goodwills reporting their operating revenues, the movement's 2005 projected revenues totaled $2.65 billion, up 11 percent from the previous year. Retail program revenue climbed 11.2 percent in 2005, to $1.63 billion. Contract services revenue rose 16.3 percent last year, to $490.8 million. And employment and training revenue increased to $366.4 million, a 2.7 percent bump over the previous year.
The total number of different people served by Goodwill in 2005 was 846,730, a 17 percent increase over the year before. The percentage of placements made during the year also increased, to 147,653 - a 23.7 percent increase over 2004 placements.
Goodwill employees also saw their own worldwide workforce expand. The number of Goodwill employees rose to 82,185, a 2.5 percent increase over 2004.
Access the U.R.L. and enter your zip code to find your local Goodwill.
Boston University and Community Work Services (C.W.S.) announce the release of new study findings that demonstrate savings in Social Services cost of over $25,000 per person each for each homeless persons transitioned to permanent employment. The study has just been released by a team of researchers from Boston University's (B.U.) Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and Community Work Services (C.W.S.), a leading Boston-based vocational rehabilitation agency.
In announcing the release of the study results, Serena Powell, Executive Director of Community Work Services said, "C.W.S. is pleased to been able to actively participate in this ground breaking project that begins to quantify the 'best practices' of effective case management in helping homeless people with disabilities contribute positively to society through gainful employment."
"Current social service programs often focus on one or two life issues that keep the homeless from productive employment," said Dr. William McCarriston, a co-principal investigator of the study, consultant and past Executive Director to Community Work Services. "At C.W.S. we have spent years evolving techniques to acquire more effective and enduring employment for our clients. The study provides an empirical basis for techniques what many case managers have felt were effective for quite some time."
"We knew that individuals who were homeless could get jobs, but we also knew that they had significant difficulty sustaining employment and advancing in their jobs," explained Norman Hursh, associate professor of rehabilitation counseling at B.U. Sargent College and program committee member at C.W.S. proposed the study to empirically determine methods of improving job acquisition and retention rates for chronically homeless individuals with significant disabilities. "We also studied effective employment models that could be put in place to improve the lives of homeless individuals within current programs. Our findings indicate that to ending homelessness must focus not only on finding permanent housing, but also on implementing services and programs that provide work and life supports."
The long term demonstration program has shown that successful employment for persons who are homeless is possible. Working with 30 experts in the field of homelessness and employment services, the study approach identified a significant number of potential job retention factors, studied these factors with a group of 40 homeless persons, and then expanded the study scope to over 140 homeless individuals.
Building on prior research performed at C.W.S., the joint study found that 'non-traditional' case management practices played a central role delivering positive long term impact to the employment of homeless persons with significant physical, mental and social disabilities. Coordination of training and skills development combined with support to resolve housing, legal, health care, benefits challenges within the framework of a meaningful, trusting and open relationship with a case manager was identified by participants as crucial to allowing individuals to establish work and life support structures that would sustain long term employment.
The study, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (N.I.D.R.R.), identifies employment services that have positive impact on the long term employment prospects of homeless people with significant disabilities. The researchers expect to release additional results as analysis in this comprehensive study proceeds.
Boston University (B.U.) Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is an institution of higher education, research and clinical centers whose premier academic programs prepare dynamic health professionals and whose research and leadership in the health and rehabilitation sciences is actively shaping health care. B.U. Sargent College is the only private institution in the country offering five nationally ranked graduate programs in health and rehabilitation sciences. For more information and to learn about degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech, language and hearing sciences, health science, athletic training, nutrition, and rehabilitation counseling, visit http://www.bu.edu/sargent.
Community Work Services (C.W.S.), makes it possible for the hardest-to-serve homeless and disabled populations to achieve self-sufficiency. Established in 1877, C.W.S. is the oldest vocational rehabilitation organization in the United States, hailed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as "a program that works," the organization provides job training and support services. For more information about C.W.S. and to view Research Briefs resulting from this study, visit http://www.cwsbos.com