January 2009 Newsletter
Volume 8, Number 3
Encouraging Positive Attitudes and Outcomes for Youth
through Employment
By Ranita Wilks, YEP Coordinator, Independence,
Inc., Lawrence
The Youth Employment Program (YEP) is a partnership between
Independence, Inc. and Lawrence Public Schools (USD 497) to
promote and improve employment outcomes for youth ages 15-21
with significant disabilities. The program is funded through
a grant from Kansas Working Healthy. Independence, Inc., a
Center for Independent Living in Lawrence,serves as a “temporary
employment agent” for the students. Student participants work 2 hours
per day in competitive employment and are paid federal minimum
wage. Local employers are recruited to be a two month training
site for each student.
During this two month work trial, the program hopes the employer
offers ongoing employment to the student. If no employment
is offered, the student is then moved to another employer for
another two month job trial. Lawrence Public Schools provides
transportation to and from the job site during school hours.
Job Coaches are also provided
to help facilitate training for the students and to assist
with meeting the needs of the contracted business partner.
One goal of the program is to encourage a positive view of
employment versus a lifetime dependency on disability income.
YEP began employing students in September 2008. Currently,
eight students are participating in the program. One student
is presently working two jobs through YEP and is close to being
offered permanent employment by one of her job trial sites.
The feedback received
from school officials, students, and employers is positive.
A positive example involves a 15 year old female who is in
foster care. According to school staff, the student had exhibited
a lack of focus and low self-esteem.
After participating in YEP, it was noted by both school officials
and the YEP employer that the student’s overall self confidence
began to improve. The student was more outgoing and took more
interest in her appearance. Another student expressed how proud
she feels to earn a paycheck. Before YEP, the student had never
received a paycheck.
The student works weekly with school staff on developing her
skills with money management so she can move and live on her
own. Through YEP, we have the opportunity to not only increase
job skills for students, but
the program also helps students to start developing self-esteem
and other soft skills needed for successful transition to adult
living.
Benefits Specialist Corner
This issue features Working Healthy Benefits Specialist Dan Hallacy from the
Pittsburg SRS office. Dan covers the southeast part of the state, including
Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Crawford, Franklin, Labette, Linn,
Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Wilson and Woodson counties. Dan can be contacted
by calling (620) 231-5300 or by emailing Dan.Hallacy@srs.ks.gov.
Working Healthy...is it working?
Enrollment is still climbing. Medicaid costs seem to be dropping for individuals
who are enrolled in Working Healthy.
So what’s next? Have we enrolled everyone in Kansas who can benefit from Working Healthy? Not even close. So, how do we contact these people to let them know about this great program that could possibly turn their lives around?
Maybe you, reading this newsletter, are the answer. Do you
know anyone who might benefit from this program? Maybe you
know someone with a teenager who has a disability that could
benefit from Working Healthy. Maybe someone you work with
might benefit from enrolling in Working Healthy. How about
giving one of them your copy of this newsletter so he or she can learn
more
about Working Healthy?
There are a number of folks with disabilities who do not utilize Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) or any of the many other agencies across the state. Information about Working Healthy is sometimes difficult to find, so if you could tell at least one friend, family member, or acquaintance about Working Healthy, we’re all spreading the word. You don’t have to relay every detail about the program. Encourage them to contact a Benefit Specialist, SRS worker, or ILC counselor. Try giving them the web address for Working Healthy (www.workinghealthy.org) or the toll free number for Working Healthy (1-800-449-1439).
Don’t discourage anyone who wants to work. Everyone should have the
opportunity to work and feel they can make a contribution to the world
by working. Don’t let them believe
misinformation. It is not true that if someone goes to work it will make
him or her ineligible for a Social Security check and he or
she will lose Medicaid coverage. Encourage people to find the
correct information about employment and earnings and how they can impact
their Social Security income, medical coverage
and other benefits.
In this time of economic downturn Working Healthy can be an asset for many
folks.
-Dan Hallacy, Benefits Specialist
Greater Kansas City Business Leadership Network
Hires Executive Director, Names Board of Directors
By Daniel Lassley, Working Healthy
Employment Specialist
Lori Maher has been contracted to serve as the Executive Director
of the Greater Kansas City Business Leadership Network (GKCBLN).
Ms. Maher operates an association management
business which serves several prominent Kansas City area associations, most notably the KC chapter of the Human Resources Management Association. “ Ms. Maher is an accomplished professional who has strong relationships with Human Resources executives throughout Kansas City,” said GKCBLN Board Member Keith Wiedenkeller, senior vice president at AMC Entertainment. “Her experience and connections will enable the BLN to run smoothly and gain new members quickly.”
Joining Wiedenkeller on the GKCBLN Board of Directors is Tim
Menne, Human Resources Manager at Pioneer Services; Alice Rogers,
AMC Entertainment; Linda Baker, Missouri Governor’s Council on
Disabilities; and Kerrie Bacon, Employment Liaison with the
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns.
The GKCBLN was formed to bring business leaders together to share best practices for recruiting, hiring and managing people with disabilities. Its goal is to recruit a large number of employers in the Kansas City area to join the BLN and increase employment opportunities by promoting the business advantages of hiring people with disabilities in competitive, integrated positions. Activities GKCBLN plans to implement include career fairs, disability mentoring and internship programs, and training in such areas as business etiquette, accommodation, and disclosure.
All Things Data...
In December 2008, Working Healthy evaluation staff at the University of
Kansas published the “Working Healthy Data Chartbook: Evaluation
of the Kansas Medicaid Buy-In 20022007.” The Chartbook summarizes
data collected through surveys with Working Healthy enrollees
as well as supplemental data from administrative databases
during this time period. The Chartbook is available
for download on the Working Healthy website (http://www.workinghealthy.org/downloads/WorkingHealthyDataChartbook_Dec2008.pdf).
Also in December, a webinar on the use of disability and health-related data in Kansas was co-hosted by Working Healthy and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. In an on-going effort to increase cross agency data sharing and stream-line the process for doing so, staff from both agencies have been working to bring stakeholders and researchers together to talk about strategies for sharing and data availability. After Working Healthy staff completed a comprehensive inventory of data relevant to disability, health and employment in Kansas (“Data Inventory on the Employment and Health of Kansans with Disabilities,” September 2008), the webinar served to reacquaint stakeholders with efforts being undertaken and identify ways in which to move our efforts further. A video recording of the webinar is available for viewing on the Working Healthy website (http://www.workinghealthy.org/downloads/webinar/index.html).
This newsletter and other Working Healthy information can be found online
at: http://www.workinghealthy.org
Working Healthy is published quarterly by the University of Kansas CRL, Division
of Adult Studies and the Kansas Health Policy Authority. Additional copies and
copies in alternate formats are available upon request by writing the University
of Kansas Division of Adult Studies, Attn: Noelle, 1122 West Campus Rd.. JRP
Hall Rm. 517, Lawrence, KS 66045, by phone (785) 864-7085, by emailing: pixie@ku.edu
KU Research Team:
Jean P. Hall, Principal Investigator
Michael Fox, Co-Principal Investigator
Noelle K. Kurth, Project Coordinator
Shawna Carroll & Emily Fall, Graduate Research Assistants
Emily Tonsfeldt, Student Assistant
Kansas Health Policy Authority:
Mary Ellen O'Brien Wright, Senior Manager
Nancy Scott, Program Manager
Daniel Lassley, Employment Consultant