Prioritizing People & Their Abilities: One Agency’s Journey Toward Increased Employment The Ways, The Woes, The Wows Sally Hofland

Our Mission To enhance opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate fully in their community as valued neighbors, productive workers and respected citizens. Service provider since 1965.

Portal, Inc. We Serve more than 210 Youth and Adults with Disabilities  95% of individuals we serve have a developmental or intellectual disability  Majority have multiple disabilities  5% include individuals with mental health or physical disabilities –Age Demographics: 10% 16 – 21, 48% 22 – 40, 27% 41 – 54, 15% 55+ *85% are working-age adults

Core Services Employment Services Pre-Vocational & BEACON Services Adult Day Services Community Recreation Portal, inc. is a contracted provider with DVR and Community Care, Inc. (Family Care county)

Our Transition Story (Strategic Planning)  Driving Factors for Change  Mission  New referrals/students demand for employment  Workforce needs  Aging Population  Limited production work available  A desire for outcomes of services that make a difference in people’s lives (Ordinary Way— Adult Expectations)  Right Thing To

Our Transition Story (Our Vision)  To be recognized as a dynamic service provider, offering innovative opportunities and responsive supports which enable individuals with disabilities to succeed in living and working while enjoying a meaningful quality of life.

Our Transition Story (Our Vision)  To build capacity within communities and businesses to help create employment and expand life- enriching opportunities in which individual uniqueness and abilities are embraced and challenged in contributing ways.

Rebalancing  CRP Rebalancing Grant  Stepping Up, Stepping Out … Work’s For Me!  Real Jobs, Regular Wages In Ordinary Places, One Person at a Time  Informed Choice  A Shift in Focus and Process (Policy)  Education (Employees, Individuals with Disabilities, Board, Family, Community)  3,100 hours of training (Michael Callahan, Hammis and Griffin, Marc Gold & Associates)  Mentoring and Sharing of Best Practices  Revision of Roles and Job Descriptions  School to Work Transition

Changes Made  Policy Change  Internal/External Teams – Champions  Staff Training Investment  Guiding Principles  MAP – My Action Plan (Service Plan)  Job Descriptions  Position Paper  Stakeholder Events and Activities

Stay Focused “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” Henry Ford “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Sir Winston Churchill

Stakeholder Events and Activities Stepping Up, Stepping Out, Work’s For Me! First Steps Towards Real Jobs, Regular Wages in Ordinary Places

Community Events First Information Session Ozaukee County People First Charter/Birthday Celebration SSA Benefit/Work Incentive Session Community Business Forum Family Appreciation Breakfast

Community Events Portal Staff, Parents & Educators Ozaukee County Economic Development Outreach Event People First Conference Person-Centered Planning

Stakeholder Events and Activities Summer Session

BEACON Building Employment And Community Opportunity Networks Tour area businesses Career Presentations Learning sessions –“Let’s Get To Work” Community Journal & Personal Discovery –Advocacy –Positive Work Habits and Attributes –Financial Literacy –Networking & People Skills Volunteering Mock Interviews Job Shadowing/Work Experiences

P.E.P. Peer Employment Panel Clients learn about employment and community opportunities from their peers, who present information on their personal experiences.

Real Jobs, Regular Wages In Ordinary Places – One Person At A Time  Sharing Successes

New Hire Recognition Board

Packers 2012 Tailgate Tour

Woes & Whoas Job Changes and Losses Scheduling Transportation Staffing (Passion and Service Redefined) Hiring Community and Networking Funding Shifts Developing Natural Supports and the Regular Way Safety Net and Wrap Around Supports & Options

Real Jobs, Regular Wages In Ordinary Places – One Person At A Time “Everyone who belongs to a community has the right to live, work and play there.”

What’s Next? Community Employment … It’s the right thing to do and now is the right time to do it! It’s worth the effort.