Sue Benolken, Interagency Specialist, MDE Jayne Spain, Secondary Transition Specialist, MDE The Future Workforce: Making Work Part of the Plan for Transition Age Youth

Overview of the Session Why is Competitive Employment Important? How is Interagency Collaboration increasing competitive employment outcomes? What is DB101 ▫ Small Group Activity

3 Planning for Student Outcomes Rooted in Individual Disability Education Act (IDEA)

Why We Are Focusing on Employment?

Why do Multi-Agencies Think About Employment? Why do youth with disabilities need employment? Why is work important? What employers want! Skills Needed in the 21 st Century!

Why Do Youth Need Employment?

By 2020, workforce growth in Minnesota will slow to nearly zero. The trend is fueled by the retirement of the baby boomer generation. By 2035, the number of Minnesotans over age 65 will double.number of Minnesotans over age 65 will double That means fewer workers relative to projected job growth, and a shortage of skills. MN has a Looming Workforce Shortage

All Hand’s on DECK

Why Is Work Important? Work provides: Economic benefit Societal benefit Personal benefit

A highly skilled workforce is at the center of Minnesota's prosperity. Employers grow and innovate because they’ve got skilled employees. Individuals find well-paying jobs and provide for their families. Minnesota leads in economic growth, helping people and businesses prosper.  GWDC, Skills at the Center

ODEP’s Essentials Skills to Getting a Job Fact Sheet Employees with the ability to: get along with others, work in teams, attend to tasks, work independently, and provide excellent customer service What Employers Want

Soft skills refer to the traits, work habits, and attitudes that all workers across all occupations must have in order to obtain, maintain, and progress in employment. What are Soft Skills

Communication Networking Enthusiasm and Attitude Teamwork Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Professionalism Soft Skills

Communication Many forms including verbal, written, and visual. Important to develop skills for both communicating to others, and learning how to receive info from others. Employers routinely list communication skills as top-rated “must have” skill. Focus areas include information transfer and recognition

Networking “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. Essential strategy for career development and exploration. Networking is key to unlocking “hidden job market”. Focus areas include taking initiative and overcoming fear.

Teamwork  Each individual plays a role in team success.  Cooperation, responsibility, communication are key ingredients in an effective team.  Employers value team players.  Focus areas include positive teamwork behavior and understanding roles.

Problem Solving and Critical Thinking  The ability to use knowledge, facts and data to solve problems.  Process is as important as final answer.  Employers value ability to develop solution.  Focus areas include ethical decision-making and problem solving in a team setting.

What is “Skills to Pay the Bills”?  Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success is a curriculum developed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).  Focused on teaching workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities.

What is “Skills to Pay the Bills”? Created for youth development professionals to use when working with youth ages 14 to 21, in both in-school and out-of-school environments. This tool consists of modular, hands-on, engaging activities that focus on six key skill areas.

Everyone Can Work! Building a range of skills is essential to employment outcomes! Message

Goal: Double the employment rate of young people with disabilities by 2015!

How does Minnesota “do” Interagency Collaboration and Coordination? IDEA MnSIC (Collaboration process) Mission Current Projects

Aligning primary transition planning tools (IEP, ITP, IPE, ISP & IIIP) Collaboration is Needed!

Government Programs Health Care Other Education Social Services Other Specialized Services Basic Family Unit Waivers TEFRA SSI Family Subsidy Children’s Health MA MCSHN Early Childhood IEP/IIIP IFSP Transition Admin Trans. Regular Education Special Education OT/PT Speech Financial Worker Case Manager Parent Fee Social Service Agencies ISP/ IFCSP Insurance Hospital Staff Public Health Home Care Doctor 3 Doctor 2 Doctor 1 Trans. Medical Supplies Pharmacy Social/ Civic Work Friends Religious Neighbors Employment Group Living Social Community Integration Recreation Guardianship Conservator Relationship Circles Lynne Frigaard (1991) Families and Their Multiple Systems

IDEA 2004 IDEA 2004 expects that local education agencies, community and state agencies, and families will work together to design educational programs that prepare students with disabilities for life after leaving school. Minnesota is designing mechanisms for information sharing, communication, and coordination of services and supports across agencies.

Federal Statutes IDEA 2004 IDEA 2004 Sections 611(e) (1) (c) and 612 (a) (12) (A)  Requires states to have interagency agreements or other arrangements in place for establishing responsibilities for services to eligible children and youth with disabilities.  Applies to the state educational agency and other state agencies responsible for educational programs for children with disabilities. 26

MNSIC Minnesota System of Interagency Coordination Legislative directive - develop and implement a coordinated, multidisciplinary service system for children ages birth through 21 with disabilities. ▫ MnSIC is used when referring to the system ▫ SIC refers to the State Interagency Committee

Minnesota System of Interagency Coordination (MnSIC) Minnesota Statutes 125A.023 (State Responsibilities) Minnesota Statutes 125A.027 (Local Responsibilities) ▫ Requires: For each child who has a disability: An interagency intervention service system that coordinates services and programs required in state and federal law. A standardized written plan defined as an individual interagency intervention plan (IIIP). 28

Interagency Coordination Minnesota System of Interagency Coordination Purpose: It is the policy of the state to develop and implement a coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency intervention service system for children ages three to 21 with disabilities. 29

Minnesota State Interagency Council 2013 Mission ▫ Mission (why do we exist)  SIC exists so that multiple agencies/programs work together to improve services and outcomes for families and their children and youth with disabilities and mental health concerns. ▫ Vision (our hopes for the future)  All children get the necessary support for healthy development and lifelong learning ▫ Guiding Principle:  SIC supports strategic coordinated planning efforts across home, school and community. SIC is the primary place for information on statewide efforts to resolve issues of disability, youth and coordination.

SIC Activities Evaluation and Quality Improvement: ▫ Developing self improvement strategies for local areas regarding interagency coordination. ▫ Improve use of MARSS code #6. Improved transition planning that results in more appropriate year old services ▫ Crosswalk key outcomes across agencies that are impacted by improved coordination. ▫ Improve grade 9-21 secondary transition planning-earlier and more comprehensive. ▫ Training on interagency case plan facilitation and other tools to improve coordination.

SIC Activities (continue) Incentives to assure that service coordination and coordination of services occurs statewide ▫ Explore an array of incentives ranging from recognition to fiscal incentives. ▫ Roll out a “key messages” strategy to re-energize and re-commit to coordinated services. Joint agency projects ▫ DB101 ▫ Pathways to employment transition ▫ Other

Minnesota System of Interagency Coordination (MnSIC) 2007 shift in thinking ▫ Focus now on use of this interagency strategy as a way to improve outcomes for children, youth and their families ▫ Strategic coordinated planning efforts across home, school and community have a big impact on the success of children and youth with disabilities and their families. 33

RelationshipsCommitment Leadership Three Core Supports What Supports Interagency Strategies?

A Result of Collaboration and Coordination DB101

“Educators and social workers are the gatekeepers and unless they are taught and apply employment first principles, individuals are too often steered towards segregated programs.” - Minnesota Employment First Coalition Report “Most consumers are motivated to work, provided they perceive that the professionals helping them also embrace the belief in the importance of work and genuinely believe they can work.” - Rogers, Walsch, Masotta & Danley, 1991 “All people with disabilities are encouraged and supported in exploring work as a viable option to build wealth and social well being.” - National Consortium for Health Systems Development Competitive work IS an option, and professionals are KEY to supporting work.

Guidepost 2 CAREER PREP Youth need to…“understand the relationships between benefits planning and career choices” Guidepost 4 CONNECTING ACTIVITIES “Benefits-planning counseling - including information regarding the myriad of benefits available and their interrelationships so that they may maximize those benefits in transitioning from public assistance to self-sufficiency.” Incorporating Benefits Planning is KEY for all professionals, and becoming an expectation.

Education Benefits Work incentives Work When you help young people weave concepts together, they develop the effective, well- rounded life-planning skills that are crucial to success! You can help show the critical connections

Get A Smart Start & Take Charge – A Learning Toolkit for Youth & those who support them DB101.org A New System & Set of Resources to Help You

DB101 for Young People Content - designed for youth and their parents School and Work Estimator - to show how benefits might be impacted by working

Goals of using Get a Smart Start Put “Benefits” on the radar. Introduce benefits as bridge to support independence. Help break down the myths and barriers about work and benefits. Build self-advocacy skills and give resources to refer to when faced with benefits and work questions.

Video Discussion question: Who in your school or agency would be the best person to introduce benefits planning to students?