APSE Annual Conference June 22, 2016 Work is Possible How a historical collaboration brought Employment First to individuals and families APSE Annual Conference June 22, 2016

Idea Action Employment Lori and Ryan’s Story Idea Action Employment

A Historic Collaboration! Background of Family Involvement Committee A chance invitation (Sean came to a meeting) A decision for action

What Families Were Experiencing High expectations but little support Low expectations – needed information Craving stability in employment situation Unaware of Employment First

Challenges Facing Families Poor support for employment planning (HS) Services seemingly working at odds Youth may have high support needs Rural resources /lack of options No coordinated parent training on employment for those with significant disabilities

If You Build It…… Started with 3 (MN APSE, ARC MN, and PACER) Invited others, but were purposeful Full collaboration includes MN APSE, ARC MN, PACER, AUSM, Autism Works, ARC GTC, MN-DLC, NAMI MN, OIO MN, Disability Law Center, County services

Challenges We Faced Where would it live? How do we collaborate? How do we reach parents? Who had the capacity for logistics? How do we fund it?

What We Wanted to Accomplish Collaborate around common cause Provide families with accurate information Address myths and misinformation Highlight success and show Work Is Possible

“Work Is Possible” – The Sessions Pilot Evolution Study Guide and Video

The sessions: Structure History of Olmstead Employment First and the implications at the local level Employment First: Myths and Facts Parent/Youth Success Stories (In person) Expert Panel Optional Disability Benefits Estimator Sessions

Ok, Your Turn How aware are families in your area about Employment First? Are there parent outreach efforts around Employment First currently in your state? What partners would you connect with to coordinate your own sessions?

The Sessions: What we Learned County service involvement crucial In person success stories powerful Byproduct- connecting parents immediately Parents afraid EF means taking away options Not everyone buys into Employment First Donated time gets difficult for partners Families immensely grateful for the information

Strategies for Family Engagement Ideas an APSE board could consider Find a champion Create standing committee Consider statewide survey to support need Partner with your state’s Parent Training and Information center (www.parentcenterhub.org) Start with pilot and move on from there

Questions?

Chris Davies cdavies@kaposia.com Sean Roy sroy@pacer.org Contact Info Chris Davies cdavies@kaposia.com Sean Roy sroy@pacer.org