In partnership with Kansas Department of Health and Environment/Working Healthy and the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities hosted a very successful Employment First Summit for disability stakeholders. Approximately 360 individuals from across the state attended the 2 day summit. Highlights of the event include: welcome from Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, keynote presentation from David Hoff, Institute on Community Inclusion, interactive closing session with the Employment First Oversight Commission and 20 break-out sessions featuring innovative employment initiatives across the state.

Many of the presentations can be found on a website dedicated to the summit: www.employment-first.info.

Please see attachment for information on one of our Council grant projects with the Disability Rights Center of Kansas and the University of Kansas.

Steve Gieber of Salina Hired as the New Executive Director for the Kansas
Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Topeka, KS – February 28, 2012 -- The Kansas Council on Developmental
Disabilities has hired Steve Gieber to begin work as the Executive Director
starting April 2, 2012. As Executive Director, Mr. Gieber will be
responsible for the overall budgetary, programmatic and day-to-day
administration and implementation of all KCDD activities and programs,
including statewide planning, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, policy
research, education of policymakers and developmental and advocacy
activities.

Mr. Gieber has worked for OCCK, the community service provider in Salina for
over 30 years. His most recent positions were as Director of Employment
Services and Director of Business Development. Mr. Geiber has a Masters in
Organizational Leadership and is a Leadership Kansas Graduate (2009).

“I’m excited to welcome Steve to this new position. His experience and
knowledge will be an asset for the Council and help us make positive changes
for Kansans with developmental disabilities” Kathy Brennon, KCDD Chair.

Mr. Gieber will replace Interim Executive Director, Kerrie Bacon, who
assumed responsibilities in August of 2011 when Jane Rhys, the KCDD Director
for 17 years, retired.

Kansas Project SEARCH: High School Transition Program
Call For Investment

Introduction:
It is the intent of the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD) to increase employment outcomes for youth with developmental disabilities by investing in a sustainable service delivery system based on Project SEARCH, a nationally recognized program operated by the Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Kansas Project SEARCH is a combined education and work experience program for students with developmental disabilities. Students spend their entire school day at a business site that provides space for a classroom as well as job rotation internships at the host business site. Students work on employability skills the first hour and last half-hour of the day. The bulk of their day is spent on an internship for which they have applied, interviewed and were selected. These internships rotate three times during the school year and are designed to teach competitive, marketable skills. Students receive job coaching services in these assignments which are to fade over the course of each rotation.

The goal of Kansas Project SEARCH is for each student intern to be working competitively no later than three months after the end of the school year. Job development placement services are to begin by the start of the second semester of the school year. Students may apply to become permanently employed in an open position with the host business site during the school year. Students not employed or not anticipated to be employed by the host business by the end of the school year will be actively assisted in finding employment with other community businesses.

Investment Requirements:
KCDD is seeking 3-4 collaborative teams to serve as pilot sites to receive technical assistance, training and start-up funds. Collaborative teams must include, but are not limited to, representatives from local School Districts, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Developmental Disabilities Community Service Providers to be considered for funding.
Please address each requirement:

1. Provide letters of commitment from each of the required collaborative team members. Letters need to identify staff committed to the project.

2. Identify who will be the leader from your team for this project. This individual must be an individual with sufficient experience and qualifications that includes, but is not limited to, exceptional education, transition, and supported employment for students with developmental disabilities. Please include name and actual work examples with qualifications and experience.

3. How will your team ensure continuous staff will be made available for support? Please outline your generic plan or process to ensure that service is continued without gaps.

4. How will your team strategize to develop natural supports? Provide specific examples.

5. Provide examples of effective current supported employment and/or transition services partnerships. Include communication strategies, relationships, etc.

6. Provide confirmation of the local school district’s commitment to reallocate staff and student funding to the classroom at the business site (to be identified during the first year.)

7. Provide evidence of the Community Service Providers prior experience providing employment supports and services to people with developmental disabilities, compliance with state licensing requirements, and approved vendor status for Vocational Rehabilitation.

8. Assurances that each team member organization will attend a 2-day technical assistance training

Budget:
KCDD is purchasing technical assistance from Project SEARCH to support each pilot site for the purpose of securing a business partner and providing ongoing technical assistance and training for program implementation. Please see attached document outlining what is included in the High School Transition Program.

Additionally, KCDD is providing $7,500 to each pilot site to cover start up expenses. Funds may be used to cover travel, materials and equipment, Project SEARCH classroom expenses, open house events, etc. Please complete Grant Application Budget Summary form.

It is the intent of this project to create a sustainable service delivery system based on the Project SEARCH model that draws on existing resources. Start-up funds cannot be used to supplant existing educational or employment services, supports or funding.

Deadline for Submission:
Proposals should include a cover letter, response to investment requirements and budget form. Proposals are due to the KCDD office no later than 5:00 PM on April 30,2012.

For more information, please contact:

Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities
Attn: Shelly May, Grants Manager
915 SW Harrison
Docking State Office Building, Room 141
Topeka, KS 66612
(785)296-3272
smaygm@kcdd.org

Save the Date!

Employment First Summit II:
The Kansas Score Card
April 4th & 5th, 2012
Capitol Plaza Hotel
Topeka, KS

Opening Keynote Speaker: David Hoff
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist, Institute for Community Inclusion

Closing Session: Employment First Oversight Commission

Please see registration forms and scholarship applications attached to this blog entry.

Kansas Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer announced KanCare, his plan to consolidate existing agencies that serve the state's 378,000 Medicaid enrollees and recruit managed care organizations to provide comprehensive, coordinated, quality care. The reform will require federal approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but the state hopes to receive it and begin KanCare by January 2013.

KanCare intends to integrate the state's Medicaid fee-for-service, managed care, home- and community-based services, and long-term and institutional care systems in an attempt to deliver care seamlessly. The state also will require MCOs to provide medical homes to people with complex health needs, beginning with a focus on individuals with mental illness, diabetes or both. Medicaid enrollees will also be offered health savings accounts that can be used to pay for private health insurance as a way to help them transition to private coverage, if they desire to do so.

KanCare also proposes to encourage managed care organizations to partner with existing health professionals and facilities, requires MCOs to attempt to improve Medicaid enrollees' health literacy so patients can share responsibility for their health, and limits enrollees' health plan changes to one period each year, just as most employee-sponsored health insurance plans do.

Links to the articles listed on the Governor’s website for people to get information can be found here: https://governor.ks.gov/home.

Please click on documents below for additional information.

Find out what's happening with Project SEARCH at the Salina Regional Health Center here: http://www.salina.com/MailStory/search2011-10-20T01-03-40.

To learn more about Kansas Project SEARCH, please contact Shelly May at the KCDD office at (785)296-3272 or smaygm@kcdd.org.

KANSAS SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & OUTREACH CENTER

An Immersion into Self-Employment for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

November 2-4, 2011
SRS Learning Center
2600 SW East Circle Drive S.
Topeka, Kansas

November 30 – December 2
Wichita State University Metroplex
5015 E. 29th St. N
Wichita, KS 67220-2110

Join us for this 3-day intensive training that teaches how to make self-employment a reality for interested individuals with developmental disabilities.

The Training Covers:

Discovery/Assessment & Business Feasibility

Essentials of Business Plans, Business Financials, Start-Up Funding

Marketing & Sales, Business Support strategies, SSA Benefits and Work Incentives, Open discussion of business ideas & issues

Those attending will be eligible to apply for on-going technical assistance and support through the Kansas Small Business Development Centers and Griffin-Hammis Associates to assist with implementation.

Who Should Attend?
Individuals with disabilities, family members, Community Rehabilitation Providers, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, Educators, Advocates, and Small Business Development Center personnel.

Sponsored by:

Kansas Developmental
Disabilities Council

In collaboration with:
Kansas Small Business Development Center &
Griffin-Hammis Associates

Presenter:
Janet Steveley, Senior Consultant
Griffin-Hammis Associates
www.griffinhammis.com

The training is provided free of charge to the first 30 participants in each location. Come learn about on-line and on-site training you may qualify for!

To Register for Topeka follow this link:
http://ksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/ConferenceDetail.action?ID=17278

To Register for Wichita follow this link:
http://ksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/ConferenceDetail.action?ID=17278

About the Trainer: Janet Steveley is Senior Consultant at GHA. Her extensive background includes working with the Helen Keller national technical assistance project, she trains on evidence-based employment practices for individuals with psychiatric disabilities, works with transition age youth, and is a member of the faculty of the national Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans sponsored by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. She is also a certified Social Security benefits analyst.

For more information on the training sessions, please contact Janet Steveley (jsteveley@griffinhammis.com) or Cary Griffin (cgriffin@griffinhammis.com)

For more information on the Kansas Small Business Technical Assistance & Outreach Center, please visit the blog at: http://griffinhammis.typepad.com/blog/

The Council is pleased to announce the following awards for FFY 2012:

Griffin-Hammis Associates has been awarded $150,000 for three years to create a sustainable small business technical assistance and outreach center. They will collaborate with the Kansas Small Business Development Center to build capacity within the existing structure to support entrepreneurs with developmental disabilities and provide training and technical assistance to individuals, families and community service provider.

The Disability Rights Center in partnership with the University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living has been awarded $60,000 for a period of one year to host a series of town hall meetings across the state to address preventative medical and dental care issues.

Self-Advocate Coalition of Kansas for $25,000 for a period of one year to provide education and training to individuals with developmental disabilities and their support networks regarding alternatives to the HCBS waiting list.

Creative Community Living has been awarded $15,000 for a period of one year to develop a video for primarily parents and guardians of individuals residing in our state institutions. The video will follow three individuals and their support networks on their transition from the institution to community.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please contact Shelly May at (785)296-3272.

Would you like to be part of an international movement that is changing the face of employment for youth with developmental disabilities? If yes, please join the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities in welcoming Erin Riehle, Founder and Co-Director of Project SEARCH, back for Year Two Expansion of Project SEARCH in Kansas. Spend a day with Erin learning about the program and how to start one in your community.

This training is appropriate for educators, policymakers, advocates, parents, Vocational Rehabilitation, CDDO’s, case managers, community service providers, and anyone who is interested in the education and employment of youth with developmental disabilities.

Grant opportunities will be available through the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities for technical assistance from Erin and her national team of experts for local programs. We hope to invest in at least three additional pilot sites this year.

Please contact Shelly May at smaygm@kcdd.org or (785)296-3272 for more information.

Project SEARCH
August 2nd, 2011
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Capitol Plaza Hotel & Convention Center
Shawnee Room
Topeka, Kansas

About Erin Riehle: Erin is a recognized authority and national leader in promoting employment opportunities for youth with significant disabilities. She is the founder and co-director of Project SEARCH, an employment and transition program that has received national recognition for innovative practices. Erin is regularly invited to present at national and regional conferences and has co-authored numerous publications and book chapters. She is a board member for the United States Business Leadership Network.

For more information call (785)296-2608 or email kcdd@kcdd.org