New Members /Introductions and Inquiry about Middle Skills and Work-Readiness

January 31, 2014

Good Afternoon.

My name is Kerry Wiley. I am a Program Reseearch Specialist for the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

I am new to the group and hope to learn from your knowledge and expertise.

For those who do not know, the DDPC is a grant-making and policy-making body that is federally funded. DDPC is funded under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, Public Law 106-402. DDPC provides time-limited grant funding for innovative projects and programs that address service delivery and systems capacity issues including employment, transportation, health, inclusion and community participation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in New York State.

DDPC is currently investigating the concept of Middle Skills and Employment for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DD/ID). As you likely are aware, Middle Skills jobs refer to occupations that require less than a four-year degree, but more than a high school diploma. Middle Skills training and education may refer to specialized internships, etc.

DDPC is exploring what currently exists and /or what is currently happening in New York State and other States related to Middle Skills and Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

We are exploring best practices, promising strategies, and models. I hope to become an active member of this group and learn from your insights as well as provide useful information. I would appreciate any feedback on the topic of Middle Skills and Work-Readiness.

Thank you.

Kerry A. Wiley

Program Research Specialist

NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC)

99 Washington Avenue,

12th Floor, Suite 1230

Albany, NY 12210

Phone: 518-486-7505

Fax: 518-402-3505

Comments

I am new to the group as well. I am the Regional Director the Mid-Missouri Pathways to Prosperity Network. I have been in the position for about 2 weeks, and focusing on establising partnerhships between schools and businesses. Several schools in the area already have done this. A goal is to strengthen those partnerships by developing student internships and teacher externships in order for students and teachers to have a sense of the modern workplace. One of the goals we have is to help parents and students understand the multiple post-secondary pathways that can lead to economic success and personal fulfillment. It does not have to be a 4-year college degree.

I too look forward to participating with this group.

Bragg Stanley, EdDRegional DirectorMid-Missouri Pathways to Prosperity Network

Hi Bragg,

I'm interested in your experiences with "teacher externships." Are some of these already functioning? Is there pay for the teachers involved to take part? Who pays? I can easily see how this experience would be enriching for the teachers, especially those whose work experiences are limited to teaching. Please share the details of how this is working and the benefits you are seeing. Are any of the rest of you Career Pathways members using teacher externships? Please share!

Donna Brian

SME Career Pathways

Welcome, Kerry,

This sounds like a much-needed program, and one that would be personally fulfilling. I assume from what you say that there would be a "DDPC" in each state? I wonder if there are any other members of this group working under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, Public Law 106-402 in other states. As a "program research specialist," are you looking for contact with programs in other states?

February 3, 2014

Good Morning. I wanted to share a link to other existing Developmental Disabilities Councils.

Each Council is made up of people from every region of the state who are appointed by the governor to develop and implement a five year plan to address the needs of persons with disabilities. Membership includes persons with developmental disabilities, parents, advocates, professionals, and representatives from public and private agencies.

Developmental Disabilities Councils were founded in 1970 as a result of the passage of the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. Councils were created to promote capacity building and systemic change through advocacy, planning, initiating demonstration grants through a competiitve process, and evaluating and sharing best practices.

DDPCs do not provide direct services.

Councils are dedicated to supporting an individual and family-centered, system and a coordinated array of culturally competent supports and services designed to promote independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion into the community for individuals with developmental disabilities. A link and information about the Councils follows.

http://www.nacdd.org/about-nacdd/councils-on-developmental-disabilities.aspx

As a Program Research Specialist, I work for the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council in Research and Development, Grant Development, and Initiation. Currently the Council is looking at direct service programs that may support people with disabilities in the development of middle skills.

So, I am seeking connections with people in other States that may have operating programs that support the development of middle skills for youth.

One example model our Council has funded is replication of Project Search; see:

http://nytransition.org/Project-SEARCH

We are looking at alternate models and strategies to support development of middle skills for youth with developmental and other disabilities. I would appreciate any feedback from the group.