Recommendations
III Development of Partnerships and Collaborations
IV Experiences with Integrating Service Delivery Strategies Within the Workforce Development System
V Experiences with Leveraging Resources for Common Goals
VI Policy and Systemic Influence
VII Sustainability of Grant Activities
Section I provides information and background on the demonstration projects and grant initiatives embarked by ODEP starting in 2001.
Section II outlines the recommendations from local, state, and federal levels stemming from this demonstration initiative, aimed at addressing policy issues to enhance accessibility and success for individuals with disabilities in One-Stop Career Centers The initiative focuses on implementing Customized Employment strategies to promote positive employment outcomes Subsequent sections delve into the challenges faced and strategies employed by participating sites, offering a comprehensive understanding of the recommendations developed.
In sections III to VII, information gathered from grantees’ experiences is presented in a consistent outline.
• Key findings and successful strategies—bulleted examples of grantee activities that have contributed to projects' understanding of each issue
• Overcoming obstacles—some of the challenges grantees experienced and the strategies they have used to address them
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD)
• Discussion—the integration of findings across all of the grantees
The report identifies individual grantees by their respective city and state, except for Alabama, Montana, and Alaska, which are represented as statewide initiatives Illustrative examples from these grantees are included to enhance understanding.
Executive Summary Office of Disability Employment Policy
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practice affecting the employment of people with disabilities
Between 2001 and 2003, a series of demonstration projects were launched to identify key policy issues and effective practices, resulting in 20 Customized Employment grants and six Workforce Action grants Additionally, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, ODEP awarded five demonstration projects aimed at assisting individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
The initiative factored in the following assumptions:
• What we have learned from the best of disability employment practices over the last 20 years will benefit people with other complex barriers to employment.
• Demonstrating the effectiveness of customized strategies through the generic workforce system will increase employment for all people with complex needs.
• Building capacity within the generic workforce system to customize employment for people with complex barriers will require multiple changes across traditional and nontraditional systems.
The Customized Employment process offers a flexible approach that combines various strategies and supports to enhance job opportunities for individuals with complex needs Central to this process is the job seeker, who provides essential information and actively guides the journey It starts with an exploration phase that establishes a foundation for effective employment planning, ultimately creating a tailored blueprint for the job search This planning culminates in a negotiated employment relationship that addresses the needs of both the job seeker and the employer.
Engaging with job seekers to understand their unique needs, abilities, and interests is crucial for successful employment Customized Employment differs from traditional assessments by empowering job seekers to lead the exploration process, allowing for a deeper understanding of their preferences and community connections By involving friends, family, and colleagues in this phase, job seekers gain valuable insights and support, enhancing their chances of finding suitable employment opportunities At the end of this exploration phase, job seekers are better equipped to navigate their career paths.
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD) makes decisions about their employment goals and potential employers to approach
The exploration and discovery process provides essential information that forms the basis for Customized Employment planning This planning process culminates in a strategic blueprint for effective job searching Various tools, such as profiles and portfolios, are available to help capture, organize, and present the information gathered during exploration and planning.
Customized Employment involves negotiating job duties and expectations to align a job seeker's skills and interests with an employer's needs This negotiation leads to a tailored job description that establishes a unique agreement between the employer and employee Customization options include job carving, creating new job descriptions, job creation, and job sharing Additionally, negotiations can cover aspects such as job supports, work hours, location, and supervision specifics.
• Customized Employment produces high-quality employment with increased wages, benefits, and integration into the community for people with disabilities who were previously considered unemployable by some systems.
• Customized Employment can reduce reliance on public benefits.
• Using Customized Employment strategies can result in employment for other groups of people considered “hard to serve” by the workforce system.
• The integrated Customized Employment model increases efficiency through new partnerships and funding sources.
Implementing universal strategies applicable to all job seekers, alongside specialized services for individuals with disabilities, can transform the organization and operation of employment systems This approach benefits not only customers with disabilities but also those facing other employment barriers, leading to enhanced service effectiveness and improved outcomes.
• Leadership personnel, at all levels, are critical change agents for increasing employment for people with disabilities.
• Using Customized Employment strategies can assist employers to retain valuable staff.
• Customized Employment offers a targeted approach to matching skill sets with a business need.
• The use of Customized Employment strategies can assist employers to address specific conditions within their businesses that require attention.
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD)
The ODEP-funded initiative supported 26 grantees in Customized Employment and Workforce Action over three to five years, focusing on delivering services to individuals with disabilities These projects aimed to integrate into the workforce system and drive systemic change in services, particularly within One Stop Career Centers under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Key lessons learned from this demonstration effort highlight the importance of tailored employment strategies and the need for collaboration within the workforce system.
Effective partnership development necessitates significant investment, whether in forging new connections or enhancing existing ones Successful projects emphasize the importance of dedicating time to comprehend each partner's systems, terminology, and operational parameters Establishing ground rules within teams fosters a supportive atmosphere, allowing challenges to be perceived as collective issues rather than individual shortcomings Through collaboration, partners can articulate shared visions and objectives, ultimately cultivating trust and cohesion within the team.
To enhance mutual understanding and streamline service delivery, various formal and informal collaborative agreements were created, including Letters of Understanding, Memoranda of Understanding, and Purchase of Service Agreements These agreements, established with entities such as mental health organizations, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), community rehabilitation providers (CRPs), and school systems, recognized shared goals and interdependent roles, facilitating braided funding and effective partnership arrangements.
Collaborative service delivery effectively showcases innovative business practices and drives systems change, but multilevel partnerships are essential for scaling efforts By garnering support from local, state, and federal entities, the workforce system significantly improves its capacity to serve customers with disabilities.
Having a "champion" at both the Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) and state agency levels during the initial stages of project planning significantly influenced the overall success of the projects This success was frequently achieved by leveraging existing local and state relationships and initiatives.
The successful ongoing investment and engagement of partners relied on their effective utilization, with projects that clearly defined roles and tasks achieving sustained commitment Long-term strategies, such as sustainability planning teams, customized support teams, and disability advisory councils, proved effective in leveraging expertise.
Investment Board (WIB) subcommittees; and business advisory committees Teams and subcommittees maintained a clearly articulated vision and objectives that were very outcome-oriented
Addressing the diverse needs of job seekers facing complex barriers to employment requires a collaborative approach, as no single partner or funding source can provide adequate support The limited resources of partners highlight the necessity for joint service delivery, which demands additional upfront exploration, planning, and job development time to ensure the effectiveness of Customized Employment solutions.
Integration of Service Delivery Strategies Within the
As service delivery strategies were developed, grantee staff worked to integrate those strategies into overall One-Stop operations and promote their universal application to a range of customers.
As these strategies evolved within the One-Stops, they typically occurred either within generic services, which were adapted to serve a wider range of customers, or as new services
Key Findings and Successful Strategies
Customizing Practices Within Core Services
WIA core services offer high-volume, self-directed resources tailored for job seekers Although these services cater to a diverse group, individuals facing complex employment barriers may find them challenging Here are some effective strategies employed by various sites to ensure all job seekers can access these valuable resources.
In Boston, Chattanooga, TN, and Knoxville, TN, initiatives successfully trained customers with disabilities, promoting independence, self-directedness, and self-determination Following these positive outcomes, grantees broadened their strategy to encompass a wider range of services.
• Detroit modified case management reporting software to capture information on disability This helped the project craft services and understand customer needs.
In Benton-Franklin, WA, One-Stop managers implemented fixed staffing for greeter and resource roles, which enhanced center cohesion by encouraging all staff to rotate through these positions This consistent staff rotation fostered a greater sense of quality and accountability, while also allowing project staff to effectively introduce customized service principles through targeted training and mentoring.
Grant sites in Richmond and Fairfax, VA, have both benefited from and contributed funding to Navigator-style positions, which have facilitated access to standard services and a wider array of generic resources Experimental projects at various locations indicate that the navigator model could effectively serve a diverse range of customers facing significant barriers to employment, extending beyond just individuals with disabilities.
Alaska and Richmond, VA have streamlined their intake processes by creating standardized forms for all major workforce partners With customer consent, information entered into one system can be seamlessly transferred to another, significantly reducing the administrative workload associated with resource sharing and case management This approach also minimizes the chances of individuals being referred out of the system, enhancing overall efficiency in service delivery.
6 Navigators are disability point-person positions funded by a joint initiative of U.S Department of Labor’s
Established in 2003, the Employment and Training Administration, in collaboration with the Social Security Administration (SSA), created a program aimed at providing essential information about work support options for SSA beneficiaries and individuals with disabilities through the One-Stop system This initiative not only funded staff to assist individual job seekers but also focused on driving systems change and enhancing capacity-building related to disability issues.
Intensive services, similar to core services, are typically tailored for high-volume settings, which can create accessibility challenges for certain customers To enhance the nature and effectiveness of these services, various grantees have implemented innovative strategies and initiatives.
In Richmond, VA, grant funds enhanced a high-volume youth project, enabling the implementation of tailored practices such as mentoring, job shadowing, and internships This collaborative approach not only led to a more successful initiative but also secured ongoing funding from VR to sustain these efforts.
The Montgomery County, MD One-Stop has formed a partnership with the WIA-funded Intensive Service Unit to better assist customers who struggle with standard services This collaboration offers both service and policy guidance, while also working closely with grant project staff to ensure coordinated support for individuals with significant disabilities.
In locations such as Benton-Franklin, WA, and Cambridge, MA, it has become evident that customers requiring customized grants necessitate intensive case management This challenge poses a significant hurdle for sites striving for sustainability, highlighting the importance of forging robust partnerships to enhance both funding and staffing resources.
The Vancouver project team partnered with the One-Stop’s Business Service Unit, which is structured by industry and emphasizes a demand-driven approach within the Washington WorkSource system To effectively tailor services for job seekers, the grant included a dedicated business service representative specializing in disability and customization challenges This representative collaborated with companies and supported other unit representatives in enhancing their skills to better serve individuals with disabilities.
One-Stop Administration and Quality Assurance
Sites worked with One-Stop leadership to make their guiding policies and practices generally more welcoming to a broad range of job seekers
• Cambridge, MA and other sites issued multiple surveys during the grant to determine how welcoming customers felt services were Staff and customer surveys showed that
"welcomeness" of services was related to the extent to which One-Stop staff and management felt that serving people with disabilities was a critical element of the One-
In Detroit, the selection of One-Stop operators integrated quality assurance as a key component, with grant-determined standards strictly enforced during the contracting process The continuation of these operators' contracts relied on their ability to meet the established standards.
• Fairfax, VA and other sites established mystery shopper programs to help ensure that
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD) services addressed the needs of customers with disabilities.
Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) serve as crucial local leadership entities within the workforce investment system, driving impactful change Their proactive engagement plays a vital role in supporting grantee initiatives and achieving overarching goals.
In San Diego and Vancouver, the LWIB administrative bodies and their members demonstrated a significant commitment to the success of customized grants, highlighting their active involvement and genuine interest in achieving positive outcomes.
"champion" the efforts of the grant This was backed up with formal policy changes and revised performance guidelines that provided incentives to serve people with disabilities.
• In Illinois, the state WIB created a strategic plan that set a path of leadership towards greater systemic integration and better service The keystone elements of the plan were:
• Need for seamless service delivery
• Improvement of staff knowledge and skills
• Awareness of needs of the disability community
• Need for collaboration with non-partner disability agencies
• Need for accessible support services
• Need for a culturally appropriate marketing plan for people with disabilities
• Establishment of employer-to-employer outreach
Institutionalizing Practices Through Customized Support Teams
Customized Support Teams collaborated effectively to plan and assist individual job seekers Certain locations have established the practice of utilizing these teams to address the unique needs of job seekers facing barriers to employment.
Sustainability of Grant Activities
Section I provides information and background on the demonstration projects and grant initiatives embarked by ODEP starting in 2001.
Section II outlines the recommendations from local, state, and federal levels that emerged from this demonstration initiative, aimed at identifying policy issues and strategies to enhance accessibility and success for individuals with disabilities in One-Stop Career Centers The initiative focuses on promoting positive employment outcomes through Customized Employment strategies Subsequent sections delve into the challenges and strategies encountered by participating sites, offering detailed insights that informed these recommendations.
In sections III to VII, information gathered from grantees’ experiences is presented in a consistent outline.
• Key findings and successful strategies—bulleted examples of grantee activities that have contributed to projects' understanding of each issue
• Overcoming obstacles—some of the challenges grantees experienced and the strategies they have used to address them
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD)
• Discussion—the integration of findings across all of the grantees
The report identifies individual grantees by their respective city and state, except for Alabama, Montana, and Alaska, which are represented as statewide initiatives Illustrative examples from these grantees are included to enhance understanding.
Executive Summary Office of Disability Employment Policy
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practice affecting the employment of people with disabilities
Between 2001 and 2003, a series of demonstration projects were funded to identify policy issues and effective practices, leading to 20 Customized Employment grants and six Workforce Action grants Additionally, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, ODEP awarded five demonstration projects aimed at supporting individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
The initiative factored in the following assumptions:
• What we have learned from the best of disability employment practices over the last 20 years will benefit people with other complex barriers to employment.
• Demonstrating the effectiveness of customized strategies through the generic workforce system will increase employment for all people with complex needs.
• Building capacity within the generic workforce system to customize employment for people with complex barriers will require multiple changes across traditional and nontraditional systems.
The Customized Employment process is a flexible approach that combines various strategies and supports to enhance job opportunities for individuals with complex needs by fostering a collaborative negotiation with employers Central to this process is the job seeker, who provides essential insights and leads the initiative It starts with an exploration phase that establishes the groundwork for employment planning, ultimately creating a tailored blueprint for the job search This blueprint facilitates the negotiation of an employment relationship that satisfies both the job seeker and the employer's requirements.
Engaging with job seekers to understand their unique needs, abilities, and interests is crucial for successful employment outcomes Customized Employment empowers job seekers by allowing them to lead the exploration process, gathering insights about their preferences and community connections By involving friends, family, and colleagues, job seekers can gain valuable perspectives and identify potential job opportunities Ultimately, this collaborative exploration phase enhances the job seeker's chances of finding meaningful employment.
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD) makes decisions about their employment goals and potential employers to approach
The exploration and discovery process provides essential information for Customized Employment planning, serving as the foundation for an effective job search blueprint Utilizing various tools, such as profiles and portfolios, helps to capture, organize, and represent the insights gathered during this exploration and planning phase.
Customized Employment involves negotiating job duties and expectations to match a job seeker's skills and interests with an employer's needs This negotiation leads to a tailored job description that establishes a unique agreement between the employer and employee Customization options include job carving, creating new job descriptions, job creation, and job sharing Additional negotiation points may cover job supports, work hours, job location, and supervision specifics.
• Customized Employment produces high-quality employment with increased wages, benefits, and integration into the community for people with disabilities who were previously considered unemployable by some systems.
• Customized Employment can reduce reliance on public benefits.
• Using Customized Employment strategies can result in employment for other groups of people considered “hard to serve” by the workforce system.
• The integrated Customized Employment model increases efficiency through new partnerships and funding sources.
Implementing universal strategies applicable to all job seekers, alongside specialized services for individuals with disabilities, can transform the organization and operation of employment systems This approach benefits not only customers with disabilities but also those facing other employment barriers, leading to more effective services and improved outcomes.
• Leadership personnel, at all levels, are critical change agents for increasing employment for people with disabilities.
• Using Customized Employment strategies can assist employers to retain valuable staff.
• Customized Employment offers a targeted approach to matching skill sets with a business need.
• The use of Customized Employment strategies can assist employers to address specific conditions within their businesses that require attention.
National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult (NCWD)
The ODEP-funded initiative supported 26 grantees in Customized Employment and Workforce Action for three to five years, focusing on providing services to individuals with disabilities These projects aimed to integrate into the workforce system and drive systemic change in services for individuals with disabilities, particularly within One Stop Career Centers under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Key lessons learned from this demonstration effort highlight the importance of effective service provision and collaboration within the workforce framework.
Developing effective partnerships necessitates a significant investment of time and effort Successful collaborations hinge on understanding each partner's systems, terminology, and operational parameters Establishing ground rules within teams fosters a supportive environment, allowing challenges to be perceived as collective issues rather than individual shortcomings By working together, partners can articulate shared visions and goals, ultimately cultivating trust and cohesiveness within the team.
To enhance mutual understanding and streamline service delivery, various collaborative agreements, both formal and informal, were developed to acknowledge shared objectives and interdependent roles These included Letters of Understanding, Memoranda of Understanding, and Purchase of Service Agreements established with entities such as mental health organizations, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), community rehabilitation providers (CRPs), and school systems, serving as effective mechanisms to formalize partnerships.
Collaborative service delivery effectively showcases innovative business practices and drives systems change; however, multilevel partnerships are essential for expanding these efforts Engaging local, state, and federal support significantly strengthens the workforce system's capacity to assist customers with disabilities.
Having a "champion" at both the Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) and state agency levels at the beginning of project planning significantly influenced the success of projects This was frequently accomplished by leveraging existing local and state relationships and initiatives.
Effective partner utilization is crucial for sustained investment and engagement, with successful projects clearly defining partner roles and tasks as activities progress Long-term strategies that effectively leverage expertise include sustainability planning teams, customized support teams, and disability advisory councils, which collectively enhance workforce development and commitment.
Investment Board (WIB) subcommittees; and business advisory committees Teams and subcommittees maintained a clearly articulated vision and objectives that were very outcome-oriented
To effectively address the diverse needs of job seekers facing complex barriers to employment, it is essential to recognize that no single partner or funding source can provide a comprehensive solution The limitations of partner resources highlight the importance of collaborative service delivery Additionally, investing extra time in upfront exploration, planning, and job development is crucial for delivering high-quality Customized Employment services.