5-Year Strategic Plan
Overview of the Five-Year Strategic Plan
A significant portion of AoD grantees already focus on improving CIE and economic outcomes for individuals with disabilities using a variety of approaches, including direct assistance, legal advocacy, TA, research, and addressing system barriers to employment. Identifying and highlighting the leaders across the AoD disability networks so their work can be replicated is key to increasing the impact of the AoD disability network across programs and improving performance outcomes related to employment across the nation. Through the Center, AoD’s grantees will have access to tools, skills, connections to subject matter experts (SMEs), and emerging leaders in the AoD network.
Focusing on New Additional Approaches
Traditionally, TA for AoD grantees related to CIE and economic advancement of individuals with disabilities has often been program-specific and, therefore, within silos. While program-specific TA is important to the success of grantees and should continue, the Center will focus on new additional approaches of TA designed to improve the national landscape related to effectuating improved CIE outcomes and optimal self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities.
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The unique offerings of the Center include both program-specific TA alongside the opportunity to collaborate and coordinate efforts with other AoD program grantees around one uniform focus related to CIE and economic advancement. As such, participating AoD grantees will strengthen their power and influence within their states as the leading researchers, legal assistance and policy experts, disseminators of promising practices, and in some cases, direct support providers. The adoption of evidence-based practices, tools, and training will be critical in helping states align resources and collaborate across grants. This document will outline the Center’s generalized and specialized tools, TA, e-Learning, and opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange that will help AoD address the issue of CIE at a national level.
