Employment Team at Community Involvement Programs

A few more shots of the presentation that Josh Dean participated in today at the National APSE Conference in Cincinnati.
‪#‎NationalAPSE2016‬

One of our Employment Managers, Josh Dean, presenting with Kelly Nye-Lengerman(ICI-Research & Training Center, U of MN), Oliver Lyons (ICI-UMass), and Eric McVay (SABE): Effective Employment Supports: Findings from Interviews with Support Professionals
National APSE Conference ‪#‎rtccl‬
‪#‎NationalAPSE2016‬

"The big concern that remains [is] what happens when you’re done ... and you’re finished with school? Are you sitting at home on the couch?” said Margaret (“Muncie”) Kardos, a Connecticut-based educational consultant who helps students with disabilities plan for the transition.

"In late May, Howery won $5,000 from a pitch competition conducted by Chicago-based Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired...With the contest win, Howery said she hopes to hire part-time staff – especially other blind people – to help with administrative and editing duties."

“It’s about education and advocacy,” she said of the solution. “It’s not about fixing disability. It’s about accepting disability and creating a more inclusive society.”-- Dr. Debra Hernandez-Jozefowicz co-ordinates the disabilities studies program at the University of Windsor.

"A portion of the funds will help pay for training that is set to begin Monday at Glendale Community College, where 20 adults with autism will learn how to operate CNC machines over 10 weeks, said Judith Velasco, executive director of the development board." ‪#‎EmploymentFirst‬

"Community-based mental health services are particularly vital at a time when the number of beds in state psychiatric hospitals has shrunk sharply, said Sita Diehl, director of state policy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness." ‪#‎MentalHealth‬

"There is heightened awareness that people with autism have desirable talents, said Brenda Weitzberg, executive director of Aspiritech, a Highland Park, Ill.-based nonprofit that employs 35 people on the autism spectrum as software testers for corporate clients."

"On Monday, the NDP government confirmed it would be scrapping the contentious evaluation system known as the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) and replacing it with an “Alberta-made” solution."
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"Project Search is a program that teaches young people with disabilities the skills they'll need to become part of the workforce after high school. The program at the zoo, which is in its first year, is one of 14 throughout Wisconsin."

"The United Nations estimates 80 percent of autistic people in the world are unemployed, even though a survey by the National Autistic Society found that 79 percent of unemployed autistic adults want to find a job."

Part 3 of the Star Tribune series focusing on the interactions between police and those with mental illness.

“The biggest thing that’s going to help police and law enforcement throughout the nation is resources for people with mental illness,” said commander Nash. “Until society says we’re going to do something better than this … this is going to happen.”

"At least 45 percent of the people who have died in forceful encounters with law enforcement in Minnesota since 2000 had a history of mental illness or were in the throes of a mental health crisis, according to a Star Tribune analysis of death certificate data, court and law enforcement records and interviews with family members. That’s double the estimated rate of mental illness among U.S. adults."

“About 1-in-68 children in the United States are living with autism, and at some point it will be 1-in-68 adults,” Santabarbara said. “We need to turn awareness into action, and Autism Action Day is an opportunity to do that.”

"Researchers at the University of Kent found that children with autism could recognize more facial expressions after they participated in a drama program. Children who participated in the Social Competence Intervention Program, another drama-based intervention, improved their ability to play cooperatively, share, speak with respect, communicate while smiling, and say appropriate pleasantries, like please and thank you."

"For so many individuals with autism spectrum disorder, getting and keeping a job is a challenge. Often companies lack understanding of the unique characteristics associated with autism, which can be challenging, and unfortunately this can lead o a perception of a poor fit for the individual and coworkers. I applaud Ford for taking these critical steps to understanding autism, and for giving those who have struggled to find competitive employment real career opportunities that could be life-changing for them." --Coleen Allen, CEO of Autism Alliance of Michigan

“We have more people focused on this issue than ever before,” said Sue Abderholden, executive director of NAMI Minnesota. “Other states are cutting, and we continue to invest. People at all levels understand the importance of improving access to mental health.” ‪#‎MentalHealth‬

“They weren’t really given an opportunity to prepare for jobs and careers, and we didn’t make an effort to make sure they were included in the work force.” ‪#‎IWantToWork‬ ‪#‎EmploymentFirst‬