DEI Community of Practice: Ticket / Workforce EN

Moderators Facilitator: Miranda Kennedy Title: Director of Training for the DEI and TA Liaison, NDI Technical Assistance Team Organization: National Disability Institute Presenter: Kevin Nickerson Title: Subject Matter Expert on Ticket/Workforce EN, NDI Technical Assistance Team Organization: National Disability Institute Laura

Review of DEI Community of Practice: Ticket / Workforce EN

DEI Workforce EN Community of Practice The DEI’s new Workforce Employment Network (CoP) will support DEI project staff who are operating Workforce ENs through the dynamic exchange of ideas, providing access to seasoned DRCs and other DEI project staff from across the country that have achieved success operating Workforce ENs. The DEI Ticket Ambassadors will be sharing insights and best practices. Our Ticket Ambassadors will serve as speakers on upcoming CoP web- meetings, kicking off each discussion with a short presentation on an aspect of Workforce EN operations and practices that has led to meaningful and sustainable employment outcomes for ticket holders accessing their Workforce EN. Utilizing the experiences of this group, our goal is to support and increase open dialogue and exchange of ideas around issues that Workforce ENs face and strategies to improve Workforce EN services. Miranda #

Who are the DEI Ticket Ambassadors? We have 10 individuals in this role across the country available to support you/their peers. Ambassadors include Disability Resource Coordinators and other related DEI project staff at the state or local level, including state-level EN Administrators. The DEI Ticket Ambassadors have been operating Workforce Employment Networks (ENs) across the country and have proven experience in assisting SSA beneficiaries in achieving successful employment outcomes as well as tackling the complex tasks of EN administration. Miranda #

How can the DEI Ticket Ambassadors Help Me? DEI Ticket Ambassadors will be participating on monthly CoP web-meetings to provide topical overviews, as well as to address questions from their DEI peers/YOU! You may also contact a DEI Ticket Ambassador by accessing a listing which will be posted on the Workforce GPS site and provided on Workforce EN CoP calls. This listing identifies the topic expertise and demographics of each of our DEI Ticket Ambassadors Miranda Additionally - How do I Join the DEI Community of Practice The DEI Workforce EN CoP web-meetings will be held monthly. Watch the DEI training calendar and join us to get your questions answered and offer insights of your own. If you have questions about this CoP, please contact Kevin Nickerson, the DEI Ticket Coordinator for more information at: knickerson@ndi-inc.org, or Miranda Kennedy, Director of Training at: mkennedy@ndi-inc.org, or your TA Liaison. #

Alaska DEI = Breaking down the IRT, Partnership Plus and the ACJ’s role as the Workforce EN

DEI Ticket Ambassador Presenters DRC: Windy Swearingin Title: DEI Ticket Ambassador Organization: State of Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development DVR Partner: Vanessa Gabel Title: Vocational Rehab Counselor III Organization: State of Alaska Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Laura

The Issue How to Build an Integrated Resource Team (IRT) Model with Vocational Rehabilitation that Works Defining the difference between Partnership Plus and IRT with DVR Counselors How to engage Ticket Holders sooner Working with the AJC to build upon the success of the IRT Creating a successful Career Pathway Ticket process, Partnership Plus, and IRT was new to DVR Counselors. We approached DVR with a MOA that stated we would partner and engage beneficiaries. The MOA stated DVR counselors would refer beneficiaries to Workforce for services at closure. We found this was not as effective as it could be. One of the main issues was they were not engaging with the DRC and would fall off the map – so to speak. Needed to engage with ticket holders sooner. How to work with DVR counselors to engage clients sooner in the process. How to work with the DRCs at all levels to build successful IRTs – Explain Alaska tiered system and how it works in the AJC flow in relation to IRT. How to continue or create a career pathway for the client to continue to be successful after DVR closure or while working with community partners. # 9

Polling Question Do you have a Partnership Plus Agreement with Vocational Rehabilitation? Yes No I don’t know I’m going to go find out! Engage with partners. Go to their staff meetings and introduce DEI, what you do, and how you can help clients: Sometimes takes more than one time; also requires follow up. Work with clients and partners to come up with employment goal or continue the goal they are working with DVR counselor. Discuss ticket and how the support can continue after VR closure or in conjunction with other partners. currently have two CWICs statewide and plan to train all DRC II’s as CWICs Stay engage. Be at meetings and build relationships not only with the client but also the partners. Sometimes helping clients with the career pathways comes later and they need that support. Sometimes it is after the partner has stepped out of the picture. #

The Strategy Building IRTs How to engage with DVR Counselors Engaging with community partners Build IRT and bring in partners that can help client with employment goal – starting small Helping clients with job center services Being the support after closure Determining career pathways, as and if needed Engage w/VR counselors sooner in the process. DRCs went to regional meetings and met w/ the team to explain how DEI could help meet their goals and follow up with clients. The WIOA changes have not only mandated that VR partner, but also focus on outcome measures. CWIC training – Provide BSA to clients to offer advice and begin making connections Joining meeting prior to VR closure to build relationship and IRT model Engage other partners such as university system if youth, or business services team (DRC)/job coach to make sure everyone is on same page. Started small. Meaning our IRTs have been with one or two partners and then built from there. Let the client help guide who else needs to be at the meetings All job center staff are DRCs this helps with guide them through the job center sevices. Because we have the IRT upfront, we are the support after closure that remains Working as an IRTeam to help find that appropriate career pathway for that client. # 11

Bryan Had been with DVR for several years He had been on SSDI, but wanted to return to work Bryan had an interest in helping individuals with addiction Had some background barriers to working within the Health and Social Services field Vanessa and I were new to his case at the same time When we did his benefits analysis we found he was through his EPE and would terminate SSDI when SGA was met. He was on SSDI and had several barriers, including self addiction and incarceration #

Bryan IRT for Bryan with VR Counselor, Vanessa Vocational Goal was to work as a Peer Mentor Worked with Bryan on self advocacy Bryan advocated for himself to get a waiver written to work in Health and Social Services Became employed as Peer Mentor Just had his 6 month evaluation Now teaches a Photography class Came together and came up with a goal and how we would support him. He went to Peer Mentoring training. Worked together to determine how each of us would support him through his goal. Bryan wanted to advocate for his self. We worked with him on how to go about self advocacy. Still work with self advocacy. He worked with the employer to write a waver for working in health and social services due to his background and arrest record. He became employed as a peer mentor and closed with DVR. His ticket was assigned with our EN. He just had his 6 month evaluation Talked to his boss about providing the individuals he works with a photography class. This is something he loves to do and is thinking about eventually turning it into a business. He now teaches the class weekly #

Polling Question At what point is your DEI Project engaging VR customers? At Closure During/After Closure During VR Job Development Phase All of the Above Not at All Engage with partners. Go to their staff meetings and introduce DEI, what you do, and how you can help clients: Sometimes takes more than one time; also requires follow up. Work with clients and partners to come up with employment goal or continue the goal they are working with DVR counselor. Discuss ticket and how the support can continue after VR closure or in conjunction with other partners. currently have two CWICs statewide and plan to train all DRC II’s as CWICs Stay engage. Be at meetings and build relationships not only with the client but also the partners. Sometimes helping clients with the career pathways comes later and they need that support. Sometimes it is after the partner has stepped out of the picture. #

A Breakdown of How it Works Engage with DVR, client and other partners When the client is getting close to closure (DVR) Work with client and partners to come up with an employment goal or continue with the goal from DVR Discuss Ticket to Work with client Benefits planning with CWIC Stay engaged through closure and assign Ticket after closure Help client with determining career pathway throughout process Engage with partners. Go to their staff meetings and introduce DEI, what you do, and how you can help clients: Sometimes takes more than one time; also requires follow up. Work with clients and partners to come up with employment goal or continue the goal they are working with DVR counselor. Discuss ticket and how the support can continue after VR closure or in conjunction with other partners. currently have two CWICs statewide and plan to train all DRC II’s as CWICs Stay engage. Be at meetings and build relationships not only with the client but also the partners. Sometimes helping clients with the career pathways comes later and they need that support. Sometimes it is after the partner has stepped out of the picture. #

Career Pathways Through IRT Round VI: Created Internships in 5 job centers Work with community partners to help determine with youth is appropriate for 4-6 week internship Set up IRT to determine goal Work on “After” plan with Employment Counselor and AJC Front Line Staff Created positions in the job centers Individuals with disabilities teaching job center staff about disabilities #

Outcomes Higher retention rate with Ticket Holders Track DVR Partnership Plus since 2013: 7% of Tickets assigned; 6% are still assigned after 4 years Overall retention rate is 2.7% IRT clients go to work sooner, stay working longer, have more support Ticket Assignment and Employment has increased with internships/community partnerships Overall retention rate is 2.7%. In 2017 will starting tracking how many tickets are assigned through IRT # 17

Discussion Items The Alaska DEI Project would like to know how others are doing their Partnership Plus with VR. Are you doing the IRT Approach with VR? How is it working? What is your process for IRT and Partnership Plus? Miranda

Questions & Answers Ask Your Ambassadors Some workforce areas have been practicing concurrent enrollment and service delivery for a long time. If that is you, I’m looking forward to hearing your comments about successes and challenges later in the call. For other workforce areas and WFEN, this has been challenging. Sequential services seem to be part of workforce service delivery, but actually providing service as a team around one candidate takes some doing. # 19

Service area location(s): Phone: Email: EN Stats: EN Name:   Name: Windy Swearingin Title: Project Coordinator, AK Department of Labor and Workforce Development Service area location(s): State of Alaska Phone: 907-465-2964 Email: windy.swearingin@alaska.gov EN Stats: EN Name: State of Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Total # Ticket holders served as of June 2016: 96 Total # Ticket holders working as of June 2016: 53 Milestone to Outcome Ratio: 109:229 (M to O) = 67.8% CWIC or Cornell Certification in SSA Disability benefits: In process Area(s) of Expertise: Blending and braiding funds AJC/EN Activities Partnering with other agencies Integrated Resource Teams Population of the Area Being Served: 735,601 Service Area: Urban, Suburban or Rural or Both: Urban, Suburban, Rural, Villages Major Industries in Your Area: State Government, Fishing, Oil and Gas, Tourism, Mining Number of Job Centers Covered: 18 # of Full-Time Staff located on-site in the Job Centers Covered: 82 Top 3-5 Partners of the Workforce EN: AK Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) WIOA Adult and Youth Grantees Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority Kevin #

Ticket CoP 2017 Plans There won’t be a Ticket CoP in January Ticket Ambassadors will be meeting in January to develop a schedule of topics for 2017 Ticket Ambassadors will be more involved in establishing the CoP format in the year ahead As always, your active participation on CoP calls is necessary for peer to peer learning to take place Your feedback on today’s survey will help us in planning effective CoP calls for 2017 Miranda

Contact Information Miranda Kennedy 720.890.3990 mkennedy@ndi-inc.org Kevin Nickerson 202.798.1691 knickerson@ndi-inc.org Please also reference the DEI Ticket Ambassador Contact Chart