From: Mike Maley, ODDS
"Work is more than a paycheck. It's Dignity. It's Respect."
--Joe Biden
"(People with disabilities are) a tremendous pool of people who will bring to jobs diversity, loyalty, proven low turnover rate, and only one request - the chance to prove themselves."
--George H.W. Bush
Dear Molly,
Welcome to the new year! I wanted to send a big thank you to all of you who participated in the Employment First Outreach events in 2010. Your participation, stories, enthusiasm, and ideas have created a great platform for continued implementation of SPD's Employment First Policy. Thanks especially to our co-sponsors: the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities.
535 individuals participated in the 14 statewide stakeholder forums and case management orientations, generating momentum for improving employment outcomes for Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Our "Keys for Case Managers" section on the Employment Support web page is complete - ISP teams and others can find tools there to assist planning Pathways to Employment.
Despite a delay in the formal approval of Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funds for this project, the Project team began work January 11. We will continue to work with OVRS to identify available resources for desired project activities such as provider capacity building and consumer and family training.
Moving Forward in 2011
We are excited to continue the momentum begun in 2010. There is much in process. Here are two highlights:
Employment First Messages - Beginning this month, interested individuals will receive regular (twice a month) Employment First messages, stories, ideas and suggestions, etc. Please help us to identify those who might also want to receive these messages by forwarding this email to them and encouraging them to register: Click Here to Register for the Oregon Employment First Email List
Su Support For Local Leaders Moving Forward on Employment First in Targeted Communities During the September 2010 Summit, we identified and worked with the beginnings of six Regional Leadership teams. We will continue to work with these community teams, expand the number of teams, and provide regular staff support to assist them in organizing local employment first efforts, implementation, and leadership. There will also be a series of Topical forums to build skills supporting Employment First.
Obviously we face many challenges in our effort to effectively implement the Employment First Policy. But the commitment you have all displayed and the creativity you have shown will certainly help sustain this very important movement. We are looking forward to the next phase of this journey.
"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there." Yogi Berra
Sincerely,
Mike