Call for Nominations to the
Minnesota APSE Governing Board
APSE Chapter Bylaws explain the terms of its Governing Board. The MN APSE Board has 8 to 20 members elected by the membership, ideally including:at least one individual with a disability, family member of an individual with a disability, employer and direct service provider. Each elected Board member serves a 3 year term, unless they are appointed to fill a vacated seat. The new Governing Board will elect officers following the announcement of elected Board members. During their term each Board member must remain a member of MN APSE and APSE. Elections are held annually for the Board members whose terms expireand for officers. Term years typically run from June through May of the following year.
Responsibilities of MN APSE Board Members:
1.Uphold the APSE Mission, Values, Goals and Ethical Guidelines.
2.Represent APSE/MN APSE in a positive, professional manner.
3.Provide MN APSE members with support and act as an advisory liaison between members and the Board.
4.Be actively involved in at least one committee and attend functions assigned to Board members including monthly meetings, the Annual Membership Meeting and state conferences.
Roles of MN APSE Board Members:
By accepting a position on the state MN APSE Governing Board, you are accepting a leadership role within the organization. Board members speak with one voice on issues that guide APSE’s mission, values and goals. While dissent and discussion are a valuable part of any organization and its development, members agree to respect APSE policies, procedures, positions or actions once they have been adopted. In the event that there is dissent on an issue or action, state chapter board members agree to use appropriate paths for discussion. Should there be an event where a board member can not or is unwilling to follow the roles and responsibilities, he/she may resign from his/her position.
Requirements
Individuals who are interested in running for the MN APSEGoverning Board must be individual member or a member of an organizational membership of National APSE. An additional requirement is “demonstrated interest or involvement in the activity of supported employment”. All members must subscribe to APSE’s Ethical Guidelines governing both practice and training/education. Board members are expected to uphold supported employment values and principles and demonstrate these in their respective occupations and/or personal/professional values. Additionally, individuals must agree to being nominated and become familiar with theAPSE Chapter Bylaws. Board members are required to attend meetings, including the Annual MembershipMeeting (held at the state conference each May), and participate on at least one committee during the year. Attendance via teleconference or video is acceptable, however all board members are expected to attend a minimum of 2 board meetings in person per term-year (June through May). Two of these meetings need to be the state conference and the strategic planning meeting.
Nomination Procedures
Only current MN APSE members can submit nominations. To nominate someone or to self-nominate send the following information to the address below. In 2011, there are 5 open positions, and we have the capacity to add 7 new positions. Current board members may seek re-election through this nomination process.
All nominees must submit:
- A brief (1/2 page max) biography explaining their history and involvement in supported employment.
- One letter of reference attesting to the nominee’s commitment to and practice of APSE’s Ethical Guidelines governing both practice and training/education.
- A signed copy of the ethical guidelines.
MN APSE Nomination Committee
P.O. Box 23087
Richfield, MN55423-0087
E-mail:
Fax:(763) 535-7589
Phone:(763) 231-3570
Attached are the forms that you will need to complete and return to MN APSE by Feb 18, 2011. As you respond to the questions on the form, please keep in mind that each nominee will have ½ page in the final ballot. In addition, MN APSE requires nominees to submit one letter of reference attesting to your commitment to and practice according to APSE’s Ethical Guidelines for Supported Employment (see attached copy.) Please provide any information that you feel will assist the Nominating Committee in making a decision.
Please remember that you must have a current individual membership or be a member of an organizational membership with APSE to run for a position on the MN APSE Governing Board. The information that you provide on the form will be incorporated into the ballot to be mailed or e-mailed out to the MN APSE membership and voting will close on February 25, 2011. All new MN APSE Governing Board positions will begin effective June 1, 2011 (new board members will be introduced at the MN APSE State Conference on May 16, 2011.)
Minnesota APSE - The Network on Employment
Governing Board Nomination Form
NOMINEE INFORMATION
Name:
APSE Membership # : Expiration Date:
Organization (if applicable):
Address:
City: State: Zip Code:
Telephone: Fax:
E-mail address:
Nominated by: or Self-Nomination ( )
Number of Years involved in supported employment (SE):
History/ Nature of Involvement/Interest in SE. (Please be brief):
Biographical Sketch:
Briefly discuss how you feel you may be able to contribute to the growth and improvement of MN APSE:
Submit Nomination Form and Letter of Recommendation to the MN APSE Nomination Committee by February 18, 2011:
MN APSE Nomination Committee
P.O. Box 23087
Richfield, MN55423-0087
E-mail:
Fax: (763) 535-7539
Phone:(763) 231-3570
Minnesota APSE - The Network on Employment
Letter of Recommendation for Governing Board Nomination
To: MN APSE Nominating Committee
From:
(Name of Person Making Recommendation)
Date:
(Date of Recommendation)
Re:
(Nominee’s Name)
Please describe your relationship to the nominee and briefly describe how the nominee named above has demonstrated his/her commitment to and practice of APSE’s Ethical Guidelines governing both practice and training/education:
APSE
Ethical Guidelines for Professionals in
Supported Employment
Developed for APSE by: Dale DiLeo, Training Resource Network, Rebecca McDonald, UAP of NJ-UMDNJ and Susan Killam, AcME, Inc.
Contribution in the community as a valued, interdependent member occurs when human dignity is respected and
opportunities are provided for each individual to pursue their unique path of development and fulfillment. While paid human service professionals cannot create inclusive communities,
they can positively impact their
emergence and growth. For trainers of staff in supported employment, these basic human principles should be considered:
Individuality
People receive assistance as unique individuals with varying interests, preferences, and aptitudes. They should not be grouped together on the basis of label, functioning level, or
convenience of support.
Choice
There are sufficient options related to each individual’s interests and desires in life in order to exercise control and
autonomy over their life’s direction. The choices made by an individual are the result of being fully informed through direct personal experience
and/or considering information on potential alternatives.
Respect
Services are always dignified, age appropriate, and enhancing.
Participation
People have the opportunity to actively participate in all their chosen pursuits of life.
Competence
Individuals are provided opportunities to develop skills of interest and use in their lives by discovering and expressing gifts and capacities.
Social Inclusion
People have access to diverse
individuals in social contexts in order to build friendships, working relationships, and networks of individuals who go to shared places, have similar interests, or experience other commonalties.
Community Settings with
Minimal Intrusion
Services are designed to support persons in their pursuit of a quality life in natural settings in ways which minimize artificiality or restrictiveness.
Employment
At all times, the individual receiving supports is the central driving force in the development of options and
decisions. In the design of training specific to integrated employment, professionals have an obligation to reflect the following principles and
accomplishments in an effort to
promote services consistent with human dignity.
Career Planning
Employment should be an option for any person interested in working, regardless of label, support need, or perceived functioning level. Job seekers, or at their invitation, family, friends, or co-workers, are the
best source to personally convey information of their personal interests, preferences, skills, aptitudes, and life goals. These considerations are the
basis for choices in employment
opportunity, rather than program or agency considerations. In accessing information, maximum use of personal networks and situational experiences provides
information to help guide career
support, rather than focusing on
limitations which exclude people from possibilities.
Individual rights to confidentiality are observed.
Job Development
Approaches for developing employer relations and linking individuals with private and public sector labor needs are respectful and image enhancing.
Jobs developed are reflective of
personal interests, preferences, and abilities, as well as employer needs. Materials and interactions are professional and businesslike. People are not portrayed in ways which contribute to stereotypes or
other misperceptions of individuals with disabilities.
At no time is hiring pursued based on charity.
Job Acquisition
Job placement decisions are made by the individual based on reliable information of job quality, work culture, and employee/employer benefit.
Jobs are individually arranged to match a person's interests, preferences, skills, aptitudes, and life goals. While some work experiences can be productive for building an employment
history and developing skills, these experiences are thought of as initial career steps and not as career fulfillment. Compensation should reflect the
norms of the employment market for similar positions and performance. When sub-minimum wages are provided, they are viewed as temporary
until more creative job matching, training, or other supports can be developed to enhance productivity. Job placements are not made on the
basis of service convenience or
availability.
Work Support
Existing supports natural to the work environment are maximized for training and ongoing support. Artificial training or programs to change behavior considered highly unusual by the work culture of the job setting are minimized. Teaching techniques which may convey poor images, stigma, or devalued status are not used.
Best training practices and
technology appropriate to the setting and culture are utilized.
Appropriate evaluations and outcome measures are provided.
Specialized jargon from the disability field is minimized.
At all times, the business culture is respected and integrated into the support network for the individual to
succeed. Use of accommodations, technology,
or other job modifications needed are explored and developed in consideration of their potential for success, non-intrusiveness, and generalization to other life domains.
Life Support
Efforts to provide a holistic and integrated life service support are made. Individuals have consistent service and community opportunities
which connect to the fabric of work, home, social, and recreational needs. Measures are taken to ensure that the individual's family members
and friends are involved in planning efforts.
Career Advancement
Persons have the opportunity and support to advance to other
employment opportunities which may provide new and/or greater responsibilities, compensation, and challenge.
Advancement is based upon the
perspective of personal future goals but is not contingent upon restrictive program guidelines concerning employment duration. Feedback on the success of positions within a career is dependent on the
individual employee, employers, and the input of others important to and
chosen by the person.
Staff Training
Training, both in topic and format, is generated by the needs of service recipients and their trainers and promotes skills and values development
which will enhance the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. To this end, the following training principles are
endorsed:
• Training results in better learning outcomes when it is offered proactively rather than as a reaction to crisis situations.
• The best training is an empowerment of individuals or agencies to become competent to provide their own ongoing training.
• Training is an interactive process which needs to be ongoing to respond to dynamic needs and to ensure state-of-the-art practices are being conveyed.
• There is respect and encouragement for what can be learned from each other from all training participants.
• There is an effort to build local training capacity, leverage existing local resources, knowledge, and expertise, and design training sensitive to and effective within local culture.
• No one trainer, technique, or
approach has the one right answer. A trainer has an
obligation to bring in the diversity of approaches from the field and to state when she/he does not have an answer.
• Trainers keep current on state-of-the-art in the field and do not
present dated information.
• There is an avoidance of
presenting “quick-fix” solutions
which go beyond the data presented.
• Good adult learning principles are used in training design.
• Trainees are active participants in identifying training outcomes and options based on what's needed to enhance the quality of life of
individuals with disabilities.
• An effort is made to assess the
audience's needs and level of
understanding before any training is offered.
• Whenever possible, follow-ups to training are done to see how the information presented is being implemented.
Trainers need to stay involved in direct services and with the individuals served so their training remains grounded in reality.
• Confidentiality of individual's
personal life experiences are
respected and maintained.
• There is a commitment to respond to feedback from the training audience and to consider the evaluative information for future training.
• Training is presented only in the areas in which the trainer is
qualified.
• Skill and value development
require application and
reinforcement. Trainees are
encouraged to participate,
reinforced for implementation of new skills, and supported to train others in their organizations and
communities.
• Training is structured so that the trainees can apply skills easily and can share the informational
content in a meaningful way with others.
• The evaluation of training
effectiveness is a complex but
necessary process that is
conducted regularly with trainees.
© APSE, 1992, updated 1998
APSE
Supported Employment Professional’s Statement of Adoption
As a supported employment professional, I, ______, hereby adopt these Ethical Guidelines and agree to honor the stated principles herein.
Signature______Date______
APSE is a national membership organization committed to expanding and improving integrated employment opportunities and outcomes for persons with disabilities.
For more information:
APSE, 451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 700, Rockville, MD 20850
301.279.0600