People with Developmental Disabilities,
Employment, Supported Employment,
A Legislative Report in Progress
(Please Note; Your participation is important! there is information about a public forum at the bottom of this fact sheet. If you can not participate by attending that forum, please use the contact information regarding input into the report or contact any of the organizations listed. Steve Hoad, Editor)
Public Law 570, PART B Fact Sheet
What is required?
A report, submitted jointly by the Department of Labor with the Department of Health and Human Services, by no later than January 1, 2007, to the Legislature’s Labor Committee
Who must be involved in producing the report?
Maine Jobs Council’s Commission on Disability and Employment;
Speaking Up For Us of Maine;
The Maine Developmental Disabilities Council;
The Disability Rights Center of Maine;
The Maine Association of Community Service Providers;
The Brain Injury Association of Maine; and
Other interested parties.
What issues must be addressed in the report?
1.Ways to enhance access to employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities.
2.A strategy to make supportive employment services the primary form of support services available to adults with developmental disabilities, especially when they graduate from high school.
3.Data on the number of individuals who receive freestanding day habilitation funding versus supportive employment funding and the amount of funding involved, including state grant funds, state seed funds and federal funds, including:
a.The number of newly graduating high school students who received services through the freestanding day habilitation entitlement in each of the past 2 years;
b.The cost associated with this entitlement;
c.The projected cost of this entitlement in fiscal year 2006-07 and fiscal year 2007-08; and
d.The location within the budget where funds for this entitlement are located.
4.The possibility of using currently earmarked freestanding day habilitation funds for supportive employment, including the possibility of converting the state match for the current day habilitation services to a new jobs program under a new Medicaid waiver.
5.The relative merits of administering state supportive employment services to individuals with developmental disabilities through the Department of Labor as opposed to the Department of Health and Human Services.
6.The extent to which individuals who receive supportive employment services have a plan for achieving self-support approved by the Social Security Administration.
7.A review of other states’ policies regarding supportive employment, including the State of Washington.
8.The reasons for and against implementing a new state policy modeled after the State of Washington policy that mandates supportive employment services for the class of 2007 high school graduates.
The resources that need to be available to existing providers of supportive employment and day habilitation services in order to successfully shift their emphasis to job development for adults with developmental disabilities.
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Invitation to
Stakeholders Forum on Public Law 570 Part B
October 25th, 2006
The Cohen Community Center
Town Farm Rd
Hallowell, ME 04347
(207) 622-9212
2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Please join us for a stakeholder’s forum on Public Law 570 Part B. We will be gathering your input on several areas for the joint DOL/DHHS report due to the Legislature on January 1, 2007 regarding employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities.
For directions and more information:
Elaine Ecker at 626-5297 or George Newell at 626-5243
102306
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