project search - New York State APSE

THE EMPIRE TIMES
AN EMPIRE STATE APSE PUBLICATION
VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2
In this Edition
WWW.NYSAPSE.ORG
PROJECT SEARCH
Katherine Teasdale-Edwards, School Counselor
Syracuse City School District
* Project Search
* Works for Me
* National APSE
* Turn the “Page”
* OMRDD RFP
* Presidents Letter
FALL 2008
Project Search is a one year high school transition program which
provides on-site training and education for individuals with disabilities
acquiring an I.E.P. Diploma. Project SEARCH serves as an alternative
for students in their last year of high school. The cornerstone of
Project SEARCH is total immersion in a large business. For five days
a week students report to the host business, learn employability
skills in the classroom and job skills while participating in a variety of
internships/experiences. Managers at the internship sites work with
the Project SEARCH staff to support the students during the day. The
current director of Project Search, Erin Riehle, co-founded the model at
Cincinnati’s Children Hospital and it is being replicated in many states
across the country and around the world. Within the Cincinnati area
alone there are 6 programs: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Clinton
Memorial Hospital, Fifth Third Bank, Mercy Hospital, Hamilton County
Park District, and Xavier University. The model for implementation of
Project SEARCH involves a large business, a school district, a non-profit
agency that provides supported employment for people with disabilities,
state vocational rehabilitation services, and state offices for people with
developmental disabilities.
* MTP Update
The Project SEARCH site at SUNY Upstate Medical University is the first
of its kind in New York State. The Syracuse City School District signed
the licensure agreement with Project SEARCH Cincinnati last year and,
* Development Corner
with the collaborative help of community partners, moved ahead.
The Partnership involves the Syracuse City School District, Upstate,
Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, Arc
of Onondaga, and the Central New York Developmental Services Office.
* APSE Mission
The Special Education Teacher and Teaching Assistant are funded by the
School District, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor from VESID meets
with students regularly. Arc of Onondaga provides two job coaches to
assist with supporting the high school students. Upstate has assigned two buisiness liaisons to assist
the teacher with business connections and troubleshooting for the program, and the CNY DSO will
eventually provide the follow along services for those students who are eligible for OMRDD. The
program can support up to twelve students. If you are interested in any further information regarding
this collaboration please contact Project Coordinator Katherine Teasdale-Edwards at #315-435-4462.
1
W
O
R
K
S
F
O
R
More than 200 businesses, employees and agency representatives attended the New
York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities’ (OMRDD) Works for
Me employment awareness event on Tuesday, October 7, 2008, in the Hart Lounge, Center for
Performing Arts, in The Egg, Empire State Plaza.
NewsChannel 13 WNYT anchor and health reporter Benita Zahn served as Master of
Ceremonies, and Governor Paterson’s Acting Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
Joe Baker, and Director for State Operations, Kristin Proud brought the Governor’s support to
the table.
Joan McGovern, vice president at JPMorgan Chase Bank and founder and director of the
Access Ability Resource Center at JP Morgan Chase and Chester Finn, president of the national
Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) advocacy organization also spoke on behalf
of employment of people with developmental disabilities. An employment information fair
featured businesses from across the State that employ people with disabilities and catering
was provided by New Visions Canape Connection, a company that employs people with
developmental disabilities to cater both large and small corporate events and fundraisers.
Four businesses were honored for their investment
in qualified people with developmental disabilities
in their companies. They were:
Small Business: Bach’s Towing, Elma, NY. Despite
the fact that Bach’s only employs 12 people, it
has found a place for two individuals with
developmental disabilities in its car and truck
towing and repair and car detailing business.
Medium Business: Baker, Sanders, Barshay,
Grossman, Fass, Muhlstock and Neuwirth,
M
EVENT
Attorneys at Law, Mineola, N.Y. The company, located on Long Island, specializes
in No Fault Medical Collections and various Personal Injury legal practices. The
company fully integrates individuals with developmental disabilities into its work force culture, as
well as including these individuals in extracurricular activities planned by the firm.
Large Business: CCRx of N.Y. dba MTM Pharmacy, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. MTM Pharmacy provides
customized pharmacy services for long-term care facilities. The business has integrated individuals
with developmental disabilities in all aspects of its business.
Corporate Partner: Wendy’s, Horseheads, N.Y. Wendy’s consistently employs individuals with
A WEB of Resources:
Continued on page 6
Disability and Business Technical Assistance
Center
http://www.adata.org/
Autism Research Institute
http://www.autism.com/individuals/successful.htm
Career One Stop: http://www.careeronestop.org/
Career Voyages
http://Careervoyages.gov/
Epilepsy Foundation Employment Issues
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/living/
wellness/employment/index.cfm
Career Zone: www.nycareerzone.org
Indeed : www.indeed.com
Continued on page 8
2
National APSE Invades Louisville
In July, Louisville was the host of the National APSE conference “The Winner’s Circle.” The venue at the
hotel was fabulous and the entire experience was made enjoyable by the gracious staff and the seamless
flow of a well organized event.
The three keynote speakers drew on their varied life experiences to provide the audience with challenges
and inspiration. As usual it was difficult to decide which workshops to attend as they were all very
interesting and all focused on employment.
This conference marked a significant event in the transition of the national APSE leadership. Celane
McWhorter stepped down from the Executive Director position to be replaced by Professor Laura Owens
Ph.D. You may recall that Laura gave the closing keynote at the Empire APSE spring conference. She is
also CEO of her company. She cemented her connection with Celane during the recent one year advocacy
internship in Washington. After several years of successful leadership, Celane passed the torch to Laura.
At the conference many state representatives took the time to celebrate Celane’s tenure with gifts and
testimonials. If you are wondering what your New York contingent did, rest assured we sent her out
in fine style. In addition to serenading her with a
powerful rendition of “New York New York,” we also
presented her with roses and tickets to a Broadway
show.
Our own Tom Hughes was very busy executing his
role as President of the APSE Foundation.
Despite his hectic schedule he found time
to enjoy workshops and network with
attendees.
Both Leslie Addison and Jeffrey Tamburo,
our chapter co-presidents, kept up the
pace with their roles as part of the APSE
leadership summit, as well as participating
in numerous committee meetings involving
the marketing initiative and workshops.
Wendy Quarles, former Empire APSE copresident, current national board member,
and training committee co-chair also
presented at the conference.
Left: NYAPSE Delegates at the
National Conference; Right: Harbor
in Lousville Kentucky
SAVE THE DATE:
APRIL 26-28: 2009 Supported Employment Training Institute in
LAKE PLACID.
For more details go to www.nyapse.org
3
Turning the “Page”
Donna Spano loves her job. For the past few months the Mill Neck Services for Deaf Adults (MNS)
client has worked at the Brentwood Public Library as a Page. Working 17 hours a week, Spano stacks
shelves, places books in their correct locations and organizes returns with the help of the MNS
Supported Employment Program. Often filling in wherever she is needed, Spano has proven time and
again to be an excellent candidate for growth opportunities within the library.
MNS Associate Director, Christine Oddo, fondly recalls meeting Spano, a devoted wife and mother of
two, for the first time over 20 years ago. “She was one of my first placements. Back then she worked
in electronic assembly for airports. She moved on after having children and always had jobs that fit
around her kids’ and family’s needs,” said Oddo.
Through the years Spano would return to MNS for assistance when she was looking for a job, as she
did this year when she was placed at the library by MNS Job Coach Jessica Lucas. Although Lucas
made contacts on her behalf, she says Spano’s diligence, friendly nature and great people skills also
helped her obtain the job. “She’s very responsible and this job is great for her. It’s a perfect match,”
said Lucas.
Ideal for Spano’s family-oriented lifestyle, the job
is just ten minutes from her home. Familiar with
the library, Spano visited regularly for years with
her children prior to becoming an employee. “I
would always bring my daughters to this library.
They loved it – they grew up here,” said Spano.
With a history at the library that spanned 10 years,
Spano knew she wanted to work in the place she
loved so much. After meeting Lucas at a MNS Job
Club held at a local OneStop, an organization that
provides a combination of employment supports,
she gave the job lead to her soon-to-be coach.
One of Lucas’ responsibilities as Spano’s new
coach was to prep her for the interview by reviewing the keys to vocational success. The two discussed
the nuances of working with potential employers and how Spano could promote her qualities.
As a job coach, Lucas needs to understand everything about her clients’ occupations before she
can assist them. Once she became familiar with the page position and the library environment, she
created a communication book for Spano to refer to. All MNS job coaches are required to prepare
communication books for their clients, which typically include contact and emergency information and
a daily schedule.
It was no surprise that the well-prepared Spano aced her interview and soon became employed at the
library. “When I learned that she wanted to work here, I made a presentation to my director who liked
the idea,” said Spano’s boss, Celia Vollmer. Having the valued support of a MNS job coach made the
Continued on Page 5
4
NEW YORK MINUTE
OMRDD has released an RFP to develop innovative supported employment services for people with
developmental disabilities who have not been able to work through traditional supported employment.
OMRDD hopes to combine the individualized planning process with a highly personalized set of supports,
and the creative use of resources to attain positive outcomes for individuals in the realm of employment
For more information please contact your local DDSO. Time to apply for this great opportunity is running
out. The RFP is due 12/19/08.
employment opportunity all the more possible for Spano, who has taken on her responsibilities with
enthusiasm.
Along with fellow pages, some of whom are students who volunteer at the library, Spano’s most important
task is to look for paged items. This particular undertaking is so significant because the library has a vast
collection and can have as many as 300 requests per day. Thrilled with Spano’s capabilities, Vollmer said
her new employee “learns very quickly and needs very little instruction.”
Lucas regularly reviews library functions with Spano, such as alphabetizing, organizational and computer
duties. At first, she spent three straight weeks on the job with Spano, but now, she meets with her client
at least twice a month to review her progress, assess any schedule changes and to interpret meetings.
Lucas is proud to report that Spano has not only learned work skills, but also life skills to help maintain
her independence.
Although she is Deaf and is working in a hearing environment, Spano enjoys teaching coworkers basic
sign language. Library staff members find it refreshing communicating with the affable 52 year-old, as she
has become quite an expert on the Dewey Decimal System. Staffer Christine Goncalves, for instance, says
she has learned a great deal from Donna. “She taught me how to do the numbers!” said Goncalves.
Also an inspiration to library visitors, Spano recently encouraged a Deaf patron to seek similar employment
opportunities. “After seeing her work here, the patron felt motivated to try and work at the library as
well,” added Vollmer. Whether it’s assisting customers, organizing books or helping a coworker, the
well-liked Spano has excelled on the job. “I love it here. At first I found the work confusing. But now I
understand everything perfectly,” said Spano.
Established in 1986, MNS has placed more than 1,000 Deaf, hard of hearing or otherwise disabled
workers in over 400 businesses operating on Long Island. MNS offers a job-related set of services based
on the concept of “supported work.” Working together with consumers and businesses, MNS provides
placement, transitional and supported employment programs, communication skills training, vocational
evaluations services, service coordination and school-to-work transition. MNS is part of the Mill Neck
Family Organizations, which also includes Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf and Mill Neck Foundation
for Deaf Ministry. For more information, please call (516) 922-4100 or visit www.millneck.org.
5
Letter from the Co-Presidents
Everyone is concerned about the economy right now, and about what the economic forecast has in store
for our nation, our state, and our own communities. Of course this fosters fear and concern among all
of us. Concern for our jobs. Concern for our families. Concern for the future of supported employment.
The state of the economy affects each and every segment of society. Are our jobs secure? How does
this affect the security of our funding sources? And maybe most importantly, how will this impact the
employment outcomes of persons with disabilities in New York State?
For all of us at Empire State APSE, this economic crisis underscores the importance of a grassroots
organization such as APSE. APSE serves as a voice of the people: the job seekers, the parents, the job
coaches, the employers, the underserved, those who feel they don’t have a voice in the often complex
arena of supported employment.
Empire APSE has been very busy over the past several months planning for our organization’s future.
Resources are finite, schedules are busy, and time is limited for all of us. In order to build and maintain
a healthy, current and vibrant organization that continues to best serve the needs of our constituents,
the leadership of Empire State APSE is engaging in a strategic planning process this fall. The tremendous
showing at our highly successful state conference, we believe, demonstrates that APSE has its finger
on the pulse of the field of supported employment.. We recognize the need to continue to capture that
excitement, to continue to propel that energy forward. Remember, APSE is an organization of volunteers.
In order to keep this organization alive and forward thinking, we are in recurrent need of new members,
new leaders, new ideas, and new energy. A solid process of strategic planning will enable us to look at
the health and vitality of our organization, to re-focus our priorities, and to plan for the future.
While on the topic of new energy, many of you may recall a visit to Lake Placid and our conference last
April by Dr. Laura Owens. Since that time, we are very pleased to report that Laura has been hired to fill
the very large shoes of National APSE’s Executive Director, Celane McWhorter, who retired this summer.
Although Celane is greatly missed, we could not be more excited to have Laura at the APSE helm, nor
could we think of a person more ideal to serve in this role. She has been in touch with and immediately
responsive to requests and suggestions from our state chapter, and we cannot wait to see what the
future holds.
Leslie R. Addison
Continued from page 2
developmental disabilities, providing an atmosphere that is nurturing, encouraging growth through
positive reinforcement.
Honorable Mentions included:
Small Business: Guercio and Sons, family owned grocery store, Buffalo, N.Y.; Gefen Financial
Corporation,
mortgage loan company, Staten Island, N.Y.;
Medium Business: Exceptional Family Resources (EFR), non-profit agency, Syracuse, N.Y.; In Room Plus,
packager of welcome baskets used nationwide, Buffalo, N.Y..
Large Business: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, federal government agency, Champlain, N.Y.; YMCA of
Norwich.
Corporate Partner: McDonald’s Corporation, Oneonta, N.Y.; Price Chopper, Niskayuna, N.Y.
For more information about the Works For Me event or OMRDD’s ‘Employment First’ initiative, contact
Nicole Weinstein, Acting Director, Office of Public Information, 518.474.6601.
6
The
M o d e l
Tra n s i t i o n
Program
(MTP)
provides funding for
60 projects that include
more than 150 private and
public high schools to develop
school-wide plans, activities and
programs to facilitate the transition of
students with disabilities to post-secondary
placements. These placements include college,
vocational
training
p r o g r a m s
and
competitive
employment with or
without supports. The primary
goal of the MTP is to facilitate
future employment opportunities
for students with disabilities. At the
end of this three-year project successful
transition strategies will be identified and
shared with high schools throughout the State.
M
Over the three-year period of the MTP over 12,000 students with disabilities
will be made eligible for vocational rehabilitation programs and services.
T
Over 2,800 students were referred to VESID by the MTP projects in the
initial year. This constitutes a significant increase in the referral of students
with disabilities.
Efforts were also
made throughout
the
year
to
significantly
improve
the
quality of these
referrals
to
enhance
both
the
eligibility
determination
and to assure
that
students
involved in MTP
projects
had
opportunities
to participate in
employment and
college related
initiatives.
To assist in meeting the objectives of the MTP
projects, SUNY Buffalo will provide training
in key areas in support of these activities.
Using data provided by the projects, Cornell
University is working with VESID’s vocational
rehabilitation administration to identify critical
elements of the data collection, analysis
and reporting processes. This information
will also be incorporated into the training.
P
UPDATE
Through the collaborative efforts of everyone
involved in the Model Transition Project,
new partnerships
are being formed
that will lead to
greater successes
for students with
disabilities as they
make
informed
choices
about
what
types
of
supports will assist By Ralph Szur
them in creating a
successful future.
ASPIRING WRITERS WANTED!
If you have an article that you would like to share please contact either Andy Sink at asink@rehab.
org or Andy Karhan at akarhan@wildwood.edu. Other members of the Empire Times team include
Ralph Szur, Jennifer Coughlin, and Joe Barrick.
7
Institute for Community Inclusion: http://www.communityinclusion.org/index.php
Job Accommodations Network: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/
JOBZONE : www.nyjobzone.org
NYS Department of Labor :www.labor.state.ny.us
Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco
Prove It: www.proveit.com
Partners in Employment
The purpose and mission of APSE is supported
by and dependent upon its members. Membership
http://www.partnersinpolicymaking.
demonstrates support for the organization and the full
com/employment/index.html
inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce. APSE is
a grassroots organization that is reliant upon its membership to
live out the mission. It is made up of individuals who are out in the
Quintessential Careers
field providing services each and every day, supported employees and
www.quintcareers.
their families, university colleagues, and member organizations.
com
Membership is the heart and soul of what APSE represents. And it is easy to join!
For more information, e-mail a member of Empire State APSE’s Membership Committee
Leslie Addison at laddison@northeastcareer.org, Anne Valliere at vallia@livingresources.org
Donna Cupina at dcupina@swsinc.org, Jim Scutt at jsscutt@people-inc.org, or Penny Wedd
at plw@chemungarc.org.
Ralph Szur
APSE Regional rep.
Director Kingsley Life Planning Center
Westchester Arc
121 Westmoreland Ave.
White Plains NY 10606
D
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Non-Profit organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
White Plains, NY 10606
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