Building Capacity: Support System for the Disability Program Navigators Michael Morris, Director, Washington, D.C. Office  Law, Health Policy and Disability Center University of Iowa College of Law

Technical Assistance and Support Program The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has contracted with the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center (LHPDC) at the University of Iowa College of Law to provide: information, training, evaluation, and technical assistance to the Disability Program Navigator Initiative and the Work Incentive Grant Projects.

LHPDC LHPDC was established in 1993 and has focused on research and training activities to advance the social and economic independence of persons with disabilities.

LHPDC The LHPDC has 20 staff with expertise in multiple disciplines including law, education, public policy, rehabilitation counseling, economics, social work, psychology, occupational health and computer science.

LHPDC During the past six years, the LHPDC has been awarded grants and contracts with the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and the Social Security Administration.

Law, Health Policy & Disability Center TRAINING Audio Conference Series Working Groups National Training Conferences INFORMATION EXCHANGE Website Information Clearinghouse Links and Resources Resources of The Week TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Process Evaluation Site Visits Consultant Pool LHPDC Technical Assistance

Audio Conference Series  Sponsored by SSA and DOL, in cooperation with the LHPDC.  The series shares best practice strategies, research findings, and policy developments and analysis from leading experts.  The ten month calendar of events, which began in February, covers a range of employment policy and practice challenges that impact Americans with disabilities nationwide.  The series is open to all grantees. Closed captioning is available. To view a conference brochure and to access the registration form, go to: dex.html

Audio Conference Series Upcoming schedule:  July 15 (3:00 PM EDT): Streetwise Employment Tools that Work  August 19 (3:00 PM EDT): Self-Employment and Customized Employment Strategies  September 23 (3:00 PM EDT): Employer Relationships  October 21 (3:00 PM EDT): Asset Development and Tax Policy  November 18 (3:00 PM EDT): Systems Coordination— The Navigator Experiences: Challenges and Opportunities  All audio conferences are audio taped and presentation and supporting materials are posted to the LHPDC website at: x.html

Working Groups  Open to DPN and WIG grantees.  Meet both monthly via scheduled conference calls and also make use of the Discussion Board via the grantee section of the One-Stop Toolkit website to keep the dialogue fluid.  Conference calls are limited to up to 30 participants and grantees will need to sign up in advance to participate.  The purpose of these working groups is to begin sharing information among projects on topics of interest, including creative problem solving.  In June, completed two working group on Partnership Relationship Building within One-Stops and Relationship Building with Employers. (Summaries and supporting materials are posted to the Toolkit Discussion Board and Library.)  Two new working groups will begin in September, and grantees will choose the topics for discussion.

One-Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week  The One-Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week is a weekly listserv of the LHPDC.  The resources include websites and publications, as well as other information and tools.  To view an indexed list of the resources of the week by subject matter, visit the LHPDC website at wig/default.asp wig/default.asp It currently includes 20 categories, covering over 300 annotated references. Each category opens to a new window with each Resource of the Week which covered material in that area.

LHPDC c/projects/doltech.html One-Stop Toolkit c/projects/doltech.html

Lessons Learned

 Training and Education  Marketing and Outreach  Innovative Program Designs  Interagency Coordination

Outcomes  Creation of Local Working Groups to improve services and supports.  Increase of traffic flow of customers with disabilities within One-Stops.  Improved service coordination.  Active involvement in evaluation of One-Stop access and customer satisfaction resulting in policy and procedural changes.

Outcomes  Established permanent links with the Benefits Planning, Assistance and Outreach program and Vocational Rehabilitation.  Increased employer involvement.  Modified core training for all frontline One-Stop staff to include disability awareness.

Challenges  Bringing together different philosophies and organizational beliefs.  Establishing and sustaining effective collaborators.  Blending financial support to customize solutions.  Ending disincentives implicit in current performance standards.  Establishing and maintaining employer interest and investment.

Creating A Seamless System: From a Customer’s Perspective

Creating a Seamless System The list that follows could be used to discuss with staff and the Local Workforce Investment Board whether the current services and approach at the One-Stop are customer responsive.  What would need to change for improvements to be made in evaluating recommendations a---z?  How can these changes be made and supported by the Board and staff?

Creating a Seamless System a.physically and programmatically accessible; b.reasonable accommodations available and effective; c.knowledgeable staff – aware of resources available across systems; d.staff looks like me - diverse backgrounds; e.potential partners are co-located; f.flexible approach to meeting needs; g.comprehensive options;

Creating a Seamless System h.no wrong door; i.holistic; j.no gaps in support; k.timely service and supports; l.multiple partners have worked out relationships to support individual needs and they are easy to access; m.spirit/attitude of can do;

Creating a Seamless System n.strong employer relationships that link to jobs; o.strong effective partnerships at the top and local level; p.team approach to problem solving; q.don’t have to continue to provide same information to different staff – information shared across systems; r.fill out forms once’ s.systems willing to take risks; t.customers with disabilities feel welcomed;

Creating a Seamless System u.coordinated job search across agencies; v.customer treated with respect – opinions and preference are listened to; w.soft skill and job-related skill training available; x.respond to off-the-job needs (transportation, child care, housing); y.don’t have to fight for assistance or guess at what options are available; and z.alternative ways offered to process information, gain assistance, skill, and preferred outcomes – individualized plan developed.