Training Opportunities & Information Updates
From the Kentucky Supported Employment Training Project
October 8, 2025
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Information Updates
Updated SETP Website
The SETP has updated our website, making it easier for you to find what you need. We have revised the Materials and Resources pages. We have created a new page for Job Seekers, Families, and Supporters. Please check out the information and share!
Kentucky OVR CSNA Survey
The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute is conducting the 2026 OVR Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment (CSNA) Survey and wants to hear from those familiar with OVR, including: People with disabilities who use OVR services, Family members and caregivers, OVR staff & counselors, and People who work with OVR (service providers, employers, or advocates). Your feedback will help us find out what is working and what is not. It will be used to understand what people with disabilities need to reach their employment goals. The information will then be shared with Kentucky OVR.
Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Virtual Job Fair
Please share! The Commonwealth of Kentucky is hosting a monthly virtual job fair on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. It targets veterans but is open to all Kentuckians.
Next offering: October 15 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm ET (10–11 for Veterans and Military Families and 11–1 open to all job candidates). This event is completely free for both employers and job seekers, providing an excellent opportunity to connect and explore career opportunities. This is a great opportunity to share information with job seekers and/or help them register. Encourage job seekers to upload their information ahead of time. The October event will be open for 25 hours after the start time, so they can communicate with employers outside the 3-hour window.
Order of Selection and Kentucky OVR
Kentucky OVR has begun an Order of Selection, effective May 14, 2025. You can find more information at OVR’s Order of Selection webpage, including the Letter of Implementation and Understanding Order of Selection.
Kentucky APSE has put out information on OOS in plain language that aligns with what you will find on the OVR webpage, including points around impact.
- If a consumer has a signed IPE (Individual Plan for Employment), services will continue as normal.
- If you have questions about a specific consumer, please contact the OVR Counselor.
- If you know people interested in services, OVR is encouraging people to continue to apply.
- Order of Selection impacts OVR services only. If your agency or a consumer has access to other funding (private dollars, Medicaid waiver, etc.), then employment services may continue in that system.
Medicaid waiver funds may be used to begin supported employment at this time, for those consumers with an active Medicaid Waiver that covers this service. A Coordination of Funding for Supported Employment form should be sent to DDID.SupportedEmployment@ky.gov to begin the process.
Training Opportunities
2025 Conference of Kentucky APSE: Engage. Include. Amplify.
Date/Time: December 8 from 12:30 - 4:45 pm ET and December 9 from 9:00 - 4:30 pm ET
Location: Hardin County Extension Office Conference Center in Elizabethtown, KY
Presented by: Kentucky APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First)
Description: This is an in-person state-wide conference focusing on employment for people with disabilities. It will offer 9.5 hours of continuing education, including 4 hours that will count toward the OVR requirement for training on supporting people who are Deaf/DeafBlind/Low Vision. The days will feature a mix of plenary sessions (where everyone is in one room) and concurrent sessions, allowing you to select your preferred topic. On December 8, there will be an optional Meet & Greet location available for anyone who wants additional networking time.
Call for 2025 Kentucky APSE Awards! Please consider nominating people doing good work. View award descriptions and find the nomination forms.
Finding the Right Fit: Choosing Assistive Technology for Vision and Hearing Needs in the Workplace
Date: October 9 or select 'Recording Only' registration option
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 ET
Presented by: JAN (Job Accommodation Network)
Description: This Job Accommodation Network (JAN) training will offer practical guidance on selecting assistive technology (AT) to accommodate employees with vision and hearing needs. Designed for HR professionals, managers, and workplace accommodation specialists, the session will walk participants through a step-by-step accommodation process, highlighting key considerations when evaluating and choosing AT solutions that align with individual needs and job tasks. This training will highlight how thoughtful accommodations recognize and celebrate the value, talents, and contributions of employees with disabilities.
Work, Waivers & WIPA
Date: October 14, 2025
Time: 12:30 pm ET
Presented by: SETP
Description: Did you know a waiver participant could gross $1,600/month and still have an SSI or SSDI payment? And maintain waiver Medicaid eligibility if they opened a STABLE account, so they kept their personal bank account below $2,000? Let's learn about what is fact, and not fiction, about work and waivers to support a person to live their best life. Facilitated by Carolyn Wheeler.
Kentucky Disability Benefits 101 Lunch & Learn
Date: Ongoing on a 5th Friday - next one is October 31
Time: 12:30 - 1:00 pm ET / Q&A to follow from 1:00 - 1:30 pm ET
Presented by: Carolyn Wheeler and Jeff White
Description: An ongoing chance to learn how to use the Kentucky DB101 website to show the positive financial impact of employment while still maintaining a person’s eligibility for Medicaid or Medicare.
SETP 101: Traditional Supported Employment Overview Refresher Online Course
Location: SETP 101: Traditional Supported Employment Overview Refresher in HDI’s learning management system
Presented by: SETP
Description: This is the same online SETP 101 course taken during the Core Training Series, but as a refresher for those interested. It guides you through the basics of supported employment, including the phases of service and documentation required for OVR.
Supported Employment Documentation & Descriptive Writing Online Course (SETP 204)
Location: SETP 204: Documentation & Descriptive Writing for supported employment in HDI’s Learning Management System
Presented by: SETP
Description: This training is designed to help you sharpen an essential skill in our work: documentation. Strong writing doesn’t just check a compliance box — it helps us tell the real story of the people we serve, communicate clearly with our partners at OVR, and ensure the delivery of quality services across the state. Throughout this course, you’ll gain strategies to make your writing more accurate, objective, and impactful. You’ll review real-life examples, rewrite vague or subjective notes, and practice using descriptive language to reflect the skills and growth of those you support. Certificate for proof of training hours provided upon completion.
Supported Employment: The Nuts & Bolts of the Work Online Course SETP 202
Location: SETP 202: SE: The Nuts & Bolts of the Work in HDI’s Learning Management System
Presented by: SETP
Description: Katie Wolf Whaley and Zac Sappenfield presented a 5-part webinar series digging into practical tips for offering quality supported employment services. Topics include Logistics & Tools, Discovery, Job Development, On-the-Job Supports, and Values and Disability Rights as Part of our Work.
Employment and Retention (E&R) Online Course SETP 105
Location: SETP 105: Employment and Retention in HDI's Learning Management System
Audience: Those who provide or supervise the OVR service of Employment & Retention
Presented by: SETP
Description: This course is designed specifically to equip employment specialists with the knowledge and skills needed to support individuals in obtaining and maintaining competitive, integrated employment. As a Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) provider, this course will guide you through the aspects of the E&R process, including the roles and responsibilities of CRPs, with an emphasis on collaboration, documentation, and compliance with E&R requirements.
APSE Virtual Mini Conference
Date: November 7 - Employment 101 Track; November 10 - Thought Leadership Track
Presented by: APSE (National Association of People Supporting Employment First)
Description: This 2-day national virtual mini-conference offers a range of topics for providers and managers of disability employment supports. Live sessions are free for APSE members, with a reduced rate for recordings. Everyone is welcome to register.
Looking for Additional Training Topics?
Scroll to the bottom of our Training page to find recorded options for training hours.
Visit the Job Accommodation Networks calendar of webcasts. Click on the arrow for those previously held to find recordings and materials of the live event.
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 and find resources to share:
How to Get Help Finding a Job
Share this How to Get Help Finding a Job flyer with people looking to go to work and not sure where to start.
Universal Employment Competencies
In 2019, the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) updated the Universal Employment Competencies. This is a useful tool for understanding best practices in our field, measuring how your agency lines up, using it as a tool in employee reviews, and more.
Impact of Wages on Benefits
- Disability Benefits 101 – Kentucky
- SETP’s Benefits Fact Sheets and Additional Resources (scroll to the bottom two headings)
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
How to Describe Supported Employment Services
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.
Short Videos about OVR, Supported Employment, and Pre-ETS
Are you looking for ways to share information about OVR, Supported Employment, and Pre-ETS with those not familiar with the agency or supports? The Human Development Institute (HDI) and OVR have partnered to create 3 short videos:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Disability Webinars shares upcoming and archived events held by the Southeast ADA Center, covering a wide range of ADA-related topics
ADALive! is a free monthly show/podcast broadcast nationally about the Americans with Disabilities Act. Moderated by the Southeast ADA Center.
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
