1. Employment First: Aligning Policy, Funding and Practice
Cesilee Coulson
Executive Director
Wise
Employment First: Aligning Policy, Funding and Practice   

2. National Policy Trends
Services should occur in non-congregated settings with people who do not have disabilities; and employment is the first and expected service option.
National Policy Trends

3. Competitive Integrated Employment Defined
CIE is full or part-time work at minimum wage or higher, with wages and benefits similar to those without disabilities performing the same work, and fully integrated with coworkers without disabilities. This is considered the optimal outcome under Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014.

4. WA State – Policy and Definition
Supported employment means paid, competitive employment for people who have severe disabilities and a demonstrated inability to gain and maintain traditional employment.
Supported employment occurs in a variety of normal, integrated business environments and includes:
Minimum wage or better;
Support to obtain and maintain jobs; and
Promotion of career development and workplace diversity.
POLICY
Supports to pursue and maintain gainful employment in integrated settings in the community shall be the first service option for working age adults
WA State – Policy and Definition

5. 10 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO IMPLEMENT COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT
Strong Leadership and Stakeholder Involvement
Clear Mission and
Values
Funding
10 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO IMPLEMENT COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT
Preserve Ongoing Training and Technical Assistance
Data Collection
Telling the Story
Promoting Public and Private Employment
Expand Training and Technical Assistance
Partnerships
Youth in Transition

6. Washington State is #1 for participation in and #41in funding for integrated employment services
Data from SELN and ICI – statedata.info

7. Data, Data, Data! Incremental change over time Public data
Targeted investment in capacity building based on data analysis
Statewide and local goals for employment outcomes

8. Goal- Double # of people in employment at minimum wage or higher
People Earning Minimum Wage or Better 61% increase since 2010

9. Implementation Strategy
Ensure People with High Acuity Have Access to Employment Services
People with High Acuity, Earning Minimum Wage or Better in an Integrated Setting

10. Start early to build a network of services to ensure that all students with developmental disabilities have access to employment
Share on STW
Youth in Transition

11. TA and Training Strategies1
Systems Change Technical Assistance
Technical assistance and annual planning to support states with shifting policies and practices that support the vision that employment as the expected service outcome for working age adults. 2
Supported Employment Agency Capacity Building
Engage annually with employment organizations who wish to increase capacity to deliver competitive integrated employment services. 3
Training and TA for Case Workers
Provide training and tools that support the referral and provision of employment services. 4
Employment Learning Communities
Provide support to increase knowledge within national, state and local communities in support of expanding employment opportunities.
Training and TA for people with disabilities & families
Provide training on employment to parents of people who are currently served, those who do not currently have services and young people who are transitioning from school to work.
Training and TA for Employers
Provide training on best practices in recruiting, training and retaining staff with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
TA and Training Strategies

12. Leadership Declaration on Employment
By choosing to invest in our training and technical assistance effort, we demonstrate that our state’s goal is to be among the best in the country in supporting people with IDD to be employed in regular community jobs.
Paraphrased- Charles Hopkins State of Georgia
Leadership Declaration on Employment