Open to: Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
Applications are now closed.
APPLICATIONS DUE: April 5, 2024
Acceptance letters sent by April 17, 2024
LAUNCH MEETING/1st session: April 25, 2024
Facilitators: ABLE SC
Through the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Centers for Independent Living (CIL) play a pivotal role in assisting individuals with disabilities in every aspect of community living including (but not limited to) self-direction of services and equal access to them, peer advocacy, support, and empowerment, to support the full integration of people with disabilities in mainstream society. One of the most crucial elements of supporting individuals with disabilities is assuring that they have employment opportunities in the community at commensurate wages alongside their non-disabled counterparts. Fostering the process of Discovery to enable and empower a person to identify strengths, talents, and conditions for employment is vital to ensuring proper job matches to sustain employment and advance. However, resources are scarce, and programs are limited so capacity is needed in best practices to support persons with disabilities in competitive, integrated employment (CIE). Also important is knowing who to connect with and what partnerships are crucial to advancing CIE for people with disabilities.
When it was signed into federal law in 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) brought major changes to the landscape of publicly funded employment services for people with disabilities. One of the largest changes came from a new mandate requiring state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to allocate 15% of their federal grant allotment to Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to support in-school youth with disabilities who are potentially eligible for VR services. As a result, many state VR agencies have dramatically expanded their target population and supported the development of a wide range of programmatic approaches to providing Pre-ETS. As these approaches have been implemented, relatively little has been written on how students with disabilities are effectively engaged in delivering these services. As a disability-led organization, CILs are a natural partner in implementing and providing Pre-ETS services.
The purpose of this RISE e-Learning Community is to provide CILs supporting the employment outcomes of youth with disabilities with an overview of Pre-ETS, lessons learned from other CILs, and consideration for student engagement in Pre-ETS planning and implementation.
Session Structure
Four, one-hour and fifteen-minute sessions over two months, one every two weeks, to allow for participant-generated content to inform sessions.
Session Links: Zoom Meeting links will be provided once grantees have been accepted into the e-Learning Community. The contact person(s) listed in the application will be notified via email. If you need an accommodation to participate in the cohort, please note in the application or send an email to us at the Gmail provided below. Accommodations for the eLearning Community will be provided based upon request. The links will be sent from the DETACs Gmail Account, AoDEmploymentTA@Gmail.com.
Topics include:
Session 1: Comparing and Contrasting Youth Transition Services Across Publicly Funded Agencies
Date: April 25, 2024 from 2:00-3:15PM/ET
- High-level Pre-ETS overview.
- Youth transition for CILs vs. schools and VR.
- Rationale for CILs serving in-school youth.
- Review of Walters and Plotner’s “Conceptual Framework for CIL and School Transition Service Delivery” (Services/Service Domains and CIL Values).
Session 2: Mapping CIL Services for In-School Youth
Date: May 9, 2024 from 2:00-3:15PM/ET
- Review Pre-ETS and the rationale for CILs serving in-school youth.
- Explore Pre-ETS that CILs are providing around the country.
- Discuss the logistics, impact, and history/evolution of Able SC Pre-ETS.
Session 3: Lessons from the Field for CILs Facilitating Pre-ETS
Date: May 23, 2024 from 2:00-3:15PM/ET
- Review lessons from the field in the DETAC brief.
- Explore participant-provided lessons learned.
- Hear from other CILs in SC implementing Pre-ETS (Walton Options & AccessAbility).
Session 4: Bringing it All Together: The Past, Present, and Future of CILs Facilitating Pre-ETS
Date: June 6, 2024 from 2:00-3:15PM/ET
- Review curated CIL responses about needed information and challenges.
- Facilitate discussion about responses.
- Engage in a goal-setting exercise from starting to growing a Pre-ETS program.
Facilitator Bios:
Sandy Jordan
Vice President & Chief Community Integration Program Officer
Able SC
As Vice President and Chief Community Integration Program Officer, Sandy cultivates the direction and development of innovative education, employment, and transportation programs to support and promote the full integration of people with disabilities. She enjoys building collaborative relationships between program areas and ensuring that the expectations of funders, partners, and other stakeholders are consistently met. Prior to her VP role at Able SC, she was their Director of Employment Programs, building and enhancing Able SC’s employment programs and services to be a national model for CILs. Before working at Able SC, Sandy spent ten years providing career support and guidance to individuals with various disabilities. She is a proud member of the disability community as someone with a speech disability, anxiety, and a thyroid condition.
Sandy received her bachelor’s in psychology from Lander University and holds a Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of South Carolina. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Global Career Development Facilitator. You can find her loving her two cats, spending weekends on the lake, and traveling with her Michelin man (her husband) in her free time.
Troy Hall
Director of Youth Transition Programs
Able SC
As Director of Youth Transition Programs, Troy directs Able SC’s transition programs, advocates for equitable and evidence-based education and transition services and establishes collaborative community relationships to ensure quality outcomes with transition-age consumers. He started employment at Able SC in August 2018 and has built excellent relationships and partners. As a member of the disability community with PTSD, Troy is passionate about providing students with disabilities access to quality services.
He graduated from the University of South Carolina with his Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. He worked with the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department before joining Able SC and believes everyone in the disability community should have equal access to opportunities and resources to exercise their agency and achieve their goals. When Troy isn’t at work, he spends time playing board games, wrestling socks from his four dogs, and searching for the perfect cup of coffee in Greenville.
Lindsay Miller
Pre-Employment Transition Services Coordinator
Able SC
As the Pre-ETS Coordinator, Lindsay works with schools across the state and facilitates courses, where students learn important skills, such as building independent living, self-advocacy, and work readiness skills. Lindsay supervises and guides Able SC’s Pre-ETS staff to provide quality disability-led programs and lessons. She also directs and coordinates SC’s Youth Leadership Forum, where young adult leaders with disabilities gather every summer for an immersive advocacy experience. Lindsay understands the value of peer-led youth programs as she is someone with hereditary osteoarthritis. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in 2018. Before her work with Able South Carolina, Lindsay taught students in Montessori classrooms and has worked with senior citizens in the Columbia area. Lindsay loves to spend her free time at home with her husband Cody, her cats Blueberry and Pumpkin, and her dog Finn.
