Training Opportunities & Information Updates

From the Kentucky Supported Employment Training Project
January 3, 2024

Happy New Year!

Information Updates

2024 Social Security Fact Sheets & Additional Resources Updated

View the 2024 Social Security changes, including new numbers for COLA, SGA, TWP, and SSI amounts. Watch for SETP’s additional fact sheets, trainings, videos, and more in early 2024 as these go into effect. You can find SETP's Fact Sheets by looking at the 2024 SSI/SSDI Fact Sheets header and Kentucky Disability Benefits 101 is up to date. Confused by the acronyms? You can always re-take Session 2 of the SE Core Training Series or drop into the KYDB101 Lunch & Learns on the 5th Monday of the month for a refresher.

HDI is Hiring

HDI (University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute) is seeking a Career Development Specialist to work with students in UK’s College and Career Studies program. You can find more information about the Career Development Specialist position by reviewing the posting on the UK Jobs site; the deadline to apply has been extended to January 16^th. The College & Career Studies program supports students with intellectual disabilities who want to attend a college or university to better prepare for employment and independent living.

Employment First

The State of HDI’s podcast, Episode 6, offers a quick (under 10 minutes!) conversation on Employment First in Kentucky. Katie Wolf Whaley is in the studio to discuss Employment First, a policy stating competitive employment should be the first and primary option for people with disabilities.

Supported Employment (SE) Core Training Series

The Supported Employment Core Training Series is required of all new Employment Specialists but is open to anyone wanting a refresher. It continues to be virtual and free of charge.

Training Opportunities

Disability & Employment: The Basics+

A 4-part virtual training series presented the Supported Employment Training Project and KY APSE.

2^nd Thursday of the month from December – March; 10 - 11:30 am ET, with an optional drop-in conversation the following day.

You can still register for parts 2 - 4; contact kyapse@apse.org.

Part 2) Targeted Job Development – Knowing Where to Go & What to Say; January 11^th, 2024.
Part 3) After the Job Start – What Now? How to Support People Well & Look to the Future; February 8^th, 2024.
Part 4) Putting it All Together – How to Manage Your Time, Communication, and Run an Effective Business; March 14^th, 2024.
View session descriptions and register; email kyapse@apse.org to register for the remaining parts of the series

The Role of Person-Centered Planning for Employment Support

Presented by the Disability Employment TA Center
January 9^th, 3 – 4:00 ET
This webinar will focus on strengthening the connection between person-centered planning and advancing competitive, integrated employment. Person-centered planning is an innovative process designed to learn about the choices and interests that make up a person’s idea of a good life. Five competency domains will be highlighted as a guide for human service agency staff tasked with facilitating person-centered planning. The panel will also review these skill areas in the context of real-world examples to support discovery, exploration, and planning for employment support.

APSE Community of Practice on Serving those who are Deaf, Deaf-blind and Hard of Hearing

January 23^rd, 1-2:00 ET
Across the country, Employment Support Professionals, Vocational Rehab Counselors, Employment Managers, and Supervisors have asked for strategies, ideas, resources, etc. to support people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. People from a variety of backgrounds met over the past few months to brainstorm and implement a new Community of Practice that will meet every other month. The topic will rotate each time we meet between the three focus areas supporting people who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing with obtaining and maintaining employment.
This month – The Koi Effect: Role Comparison between an ASL Interpreter and a Job Coach Learn more about the difference between the role of an interpreter and the role of the Employment Support Professional.

Register for the January Community of Practice; this is free for APSE members and $30 for non-members
Find more offerings, including additional Community of Practice events, offered by APSE

KYDB101 Lunch & Learn – 5^th Mondays

January 29^th, April 29^th, July 29^th, September 30^th, 12:30 – 1:00 ET
Join Carolyn Wheeler, of the Supported Employment Training Project, for discussion on benefits, the impact of wages, and using KY DB 101 as a tool with job seekers and families.
No registration is needed; join at: https://uky.zoom.us/j/82562051944?pwd=SEpqTmR1QVZpcTRueEtvT0tlRmVmUT09#success

Let’s Get to Work – Reimagining Disability-Inclusive Employment Policy

A Podcast Series presented by the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University in collaboration with Rutgers and Harvard Universities.
Working-age adults with disabilities too often remain outside the workforce. Federal and State policymakers are working on ways to make the workforce more inclusive and promote the economic stability of youth and adults with disabilities. Creating policies that address the changing nature of work, the work disincentives and complexities in existing programs, and the politics of change can be tricky.
Find more information and podcast downloads (click on each individual podcast for a direct link). Episodes vary in length

Autism Informed Employers

Online, self-paced course; certificate for 3 hours of training issued upon completion.
Innovative Supports for Autistic Workers (ISAW) recently announced a new online course, Autism Informed Employers. This course allows employers, Employment Specialists, and other support persons to access ISAW training at their convenience. This course is offered at no cost to anyone interested in learning to hire, supervise, support, and retain autistic employees.

Learn more about the course content
Access the course through HDI’s Learning Management System (LMS). If you’ve taken the SE Core Training Series in recent years, you can log in to your account and easily access this course. (EMP 235: Autism-Informed Employers)

Introduction to Social Security Disability Benefits, Work Incentives, and Employment Support Programs

Online course, self-paced over 2 weeks
This web course offers an introduction to Social Security disability benefits and associated work incentives, as well as an overview of the field of work incentives planning.
Offered through VCU’s Work Incentives Planning & Assistance National Training Center.

Resources

Kentucky is an Employment First state.

It is the policy of the Commonwealth of Kentucky that competitive integrated employment in the community shall be considered the first and primary option for persons with disabilities of working age who desire to become employed.
Learn more about Employment First Kentucky.

Universal Employment Competencies

In 2019, the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) updated the Universal Employment Competencies. This is a useful tool to understand best practices in our field, to measure how your agency lines up, to use as a tool in employee reviews, and more.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN):

JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit

How to Describe Supported Employment Services:

OVR & Supported Employment in Kentucky:

Plain Language:

Think College and AUCD developed a plain language flyer explaining the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) and Competitive Integrative Employment (CIE). Check out the WIOA flyer in plain language.

Employment Files:

The Employment Files YouTube channel has lots of stories to share! This can be a useful tool in helping job seekers, family members, or other support staff think about employment possibilities.

Employment Files YouTube video series.

Short Videos about OVR, Supported Employment, and Pre-ETS:

Looking for ways to share information about OVR, Supported Employment, and Pre-ETS to those not familiar with the agency or supports? The Human Development Institute (HDI) and OVR have partnered to create 3 short videos:

Transportation:

If you're looking for transportation options, check out HDI’s Transportation Initiative.

ADA:

ADALive! is a free monthly show/podcast broadcast nationally about the Americans with Disabilities Act. Moderated by the Southeast ADA Center.
Check out Episode 43: ADA and Employment: Disclosure and Reasonable Accommodations
Questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act? Call the Southeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232 for expert guidance.

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out! The Supported Employment Training Project is here to offer training and technical assistance to providers across Kentucky. We are available to bring trainings to your agency and for individual conversations. Contact Katie Wolf Whaley at kwolf@uky.edu (or reply to this email.)

Thank you for all you do to move Employment First forward and help people find successful employment.

Katie