Results and Innovation in Systems Excellence (RISE) e-Learning Community

 

Open to All AoD Grantees

 

APPLICATIONS DUE: Tuesday, June 23, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

 

Apply here

 

Full Application Hyperlink: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019e0a8257f57695abfd87f27e0cb5f0

 

About This Community

Join DETAC Strategic Advisor and TransCen, Inc. President Dr. Laura Owens for this action-oriented, results-focused RISE community for Administration on Disabilities (AoD) grantees. Participants will put Lean strategies to work to strengthen customized employment and improve employer engagement. Lean strategies are practical process improvements focused on creating value and reducing waste. The goal is to drive scalable, efficient approaches to achieving competitive, integrated employment (CIE) outcomes. Through interactive virtual sessions and action assignments, participants will build capacity to implement person-centered, customized employment strategies that position employment as a business-driven problem-solving approach—not simply job placement.

 

Participants will also center employer-defined value to identify and address unmet business needs to create CIE opportunities aligned with job seeker strengths. Lean strategies will be applied in a continuous learning cycle (learn → apply → bring back → refine) so participants can increase efficiency and scale high-quality practices. As a result, grantees will deepen employer engagement and contribute to measurable improvements in employment outcomes including increased CIE, improved job quality, and greater economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.

 

Who Should Participate

This community is for AoD grantee staff and leaders ready to put Lean strategies into practice in their current roles. Participants may be new to this work or experienced –what matters most is a commitment to apply and refine learnings from each session, and bring results and challenges back to the group each week for shared learning.

The AoD Grantees eligible to participate in this community are listed below:

• Federally-funded Centers for Independent Living (CIL)
• State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (Council)
• State Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&A)
• University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD)
• Traumatic Brain Injury State Partnership Program Grantees (TBI-SPP)
• Projects of National Significance, Community Collaborations for Employment (PNS-CCE)

 

Facilitator

This community will be facilitated by Laura Owens, PhD.

Dr. Laura Owens is a recognized leader in disability employment with over four decades of experience advancing inclusive workforce practices through research, policy, and program development. As President of TransCen, Inc., Professor Emerita at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, and former Executive Director of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), she has led systems change initiatives and strengthened employer engagement to expand CIE for individuals with disabilities. Her academic and professional work bridges research and practice, with a focus on transition planning, supported and customized employment, and community-based career pathways.

 

Schedule:

Four 75-minute sessions on Wednesday afternoons 1-2:15 p.m. ET from July – August 2026.

• Session 1: July 8, 2026
• Session 2: July 22, 2026
• Session 3: August 5, 2026
• Session 4: August 19, 2026

Detailed Session Outline:

 

 

Session	Date	Details
Session 1	7/8/26	Launching the series: welcome, overview, expectations for the series, and facilitator introduction Defining Lean: mindset and tools; continuous improvement Applying real-world examples of Lean in business settings Understanding “waste”: identifying inefficiencies in processes Identifying strategies for getting your foot in the door with employers Action Assignment: Observe your own organization’s processes and identify one workflow process that could be streamlined using Lean principles. Be prepared to share your observations during Session 2. Develop an elevator speech (2 minutes or less) designed to initiate conversation and open doors with business.
Session 2	7/22/26	Group Debrief: What workflow process did you identify in your own organization that could be streamlined using Lean principles? Share your elevator speech (2 minutes or less) and receive feedback from the group. Session Outline: Moving beyond symptoms: identifying root causes vs. surface problems Applying Lean lens to employer engagement Using informational interviews as an active discovery tool (“mini-detective” approach) Identifying unmet business needs: workflow gaps, inefficiencies, and tasks that are not getting done Gathering and analyzing workplace information (who does what, where breakdowns occur) Action Assignment: Conduct or plan an informational interview using Lean-informed questions.
Session 3	8/5/26	Group Debrief: What did you learn or observe through conducting or planning your informational interview? Session Outline: Analyzing information gathered from employers Identifying opportunities for customized employment solutions Developing a structured employer proposal: Key observations Identified inefficiencies or unmet needs Recommended solutions to improve workflow and efficiency Framing value for the employer (business case) Action Assignment: Draft an employer proposal based on a real or simulated scenario.
Session 4	8/19/26	Group Debrief: Employer Proposal Experience How did it go? What worked? What do you need help with? Session Outline: Moving from job development to job support: ensuring a seamless handoff Applying Kaizen (continuous improvement) to employment supports Streamlining onboarding, training, and job coaching roles Ensuring alignment between employer needs and ongoing supports Measuring success and making iterative improvements over time Action Assignment: Participants will share their name and one strategy or practice they learned during the community they plan to implement. One month after the community, DETAC will follow-up with participants to check-in on progress: Here’s what you committed to (provided in communication) How have you made progress? What went well? What challenges did you run into?

 

Additional Details:

• Zoom meeting links will be provided upon acceptance to the contact person(s) listed in the application.
• All communications will come from DETAC@lewin.com.
• CART closed captioning will be provided in every session. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided in Session 1, and by request thereafter.
• If you require ASL or other accommodations to participate, please note in the application or email DETAC@lewin.com at least three (3) business days in advance of each session to request.

Questions?

Contact DETAC@lewin.com with questions about this e-Learning community.

Subscribe to the DETAC National Community of Practice listserv to receive updates when new RISE communities are announced: http://eepurl.com/hq0D2H.