CT APSE Meeting Minutes: Sept. 16, 2010

Open Discussion

I.  National Disability Employment Awareness Month:

  1. Open Discussion:
  2. Kennedy Center: Celebrating Work Event for employers families, consumers, etc to celebrate work and assist individuals, video montage, video testimonials, resume review, Walgreens will present, newsletter with information on successes, BRS services will be there to discuss their services
  3. Ability Beyond Disability: Disability Mentoring Day: national effort to promote career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through hands on career exploration. 3 day event- starts at WCSU with an opening ceremony event. Work with all local employers and schools.
  4. Harbor Health: Lunch with employers, success stories, date to be determined
  5. Business after hour function with Chamber of Commerce
  6. ODEP posters: Free on website. Way to communicate event all year round.
  7. Hoops for Hope Event: Wheelchair Basketball game to build awareness around disabilities

II.  New DDS Officer

  1. How to encourage your own employers Internships, Interview Process, packets of information that are available through Connect-ability.

III.  Employer Perspectives:

  1. Good job matching
  2. Specific individualized feedback
  3. Idea to go out to employers and give a letter/contract/proposal to the employer and say, “you have 24 hours to make a decision because there are 2 other employers who want to hire me.”
  4. Some with economy want cross training and multitasking
  5. 3 Cups of Tea Training: idea about offering it through APSE in the spring.
  6. Focusing on each awareness month and building an activity for that month:
  7. May: Mental Health Awareness Month
  8. April: Autism Awareness Month

IV.  DDS Outcome Based Initiatives, funded by Connect-ability

  1. Job Development Training- 8 sessions
  2. Six agency’s receiving assistance with moving people from GSE to Supported Employment
  3. 14 individuals from each agency will receive assistance from ICI to go over 20 hours of employment (move to full-time)
  4. Job lead network for connect-ability for cross disability.
  5. Idea to offer a smaller-scale training to School Systems who couldn’t participate in the DDS conference this past summer: Some of budget still in place to offer the mini conferences for school systems. Can different agencies participate in trainings? If so, what trainings/presenters?

Robin will give us more information as the idea progresses. Will pick date with input from CSDE/Transition. Topics discussed:

  1. Disclosure
  2. Three Cups of Tea
  3. Transition
  4. Disability Mentoring Day
  5. Universal Design Group Homes
  6. Peer Mentorship
  7. Every Special Education Director across the state will be receiving the DDS Employment Idol Video
  8. Discussed further involvement of DMHAS and their funding and initiatives. Robin to forward contact info to invite to next months training.

MEETING:

I.  Current Membership: 30 active members as of the beginning of the fiscal year.

a.  Greg McMahon: Call for nominations for the board of APSE. When you receive please complete it and send it back to Greg.

b.  Been an official state chapter for the past three years

II.  Treasure’s Report:

a.  Balance is currently $2,400.22

III.  Updates from National

a.  Keep a look out for offered webinars: www.apse.org

  1. Transition Planning for Individuals with Autism
  2. Workplace Supports for Employees with Autism
  3. Cooperate Development Foundation and Philosophy
  4. Business Partnership in a Down Economy

b.  Success stories for Advance: Updates on partnerships, trainings, etc,

  1. Ideas? Any ideas please email Karin by October 1st.
  2. Robin suggested that we look to honor someone at the Loews project
  3. Looking for Region Delegate: Charlie M’s term has expired
  4. Annual Conference next year is in June 14-16 in Seattle

c.  Training Forums / Next Meetings:

  1. 10/21: Supported Employment for Individuals with Mental Health Needs at CVH, (DDS will provide food, and Karin will bring paper goods/change/brochures, Val registration sheet, flyer)
  2. 11/18: Ticket to Work Consultation and Strategic Planning at ABD, (Carrie will provide food/paper goods, Karin change/brochures, Val registration, flyer)

d.  DDS Employment Sub Committee Update: (see above discussion) Robin will be updating us about how APSE can collaborate/partner to put on conference. This will be in spring 2011 and serve as annual membership meeting. Future planning dates are: Jan 11, Feb. 3, March 3 all Th, all 9 to 11. Meeting places to be determined.

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