|
|
STRATEGIC PLAN
AT A GLANCE
|
|
Arc of New London County Awarded Connect-Ability Grant
On April 1, 2008, the CT Department of Social Services/
Bureau of Rehabilitation Services’ “Connect-Ability”employment initiative awarded
the Arc of New London County one of ten grants to help facilitate the creation of a Strategic Plan for their School-To-Work Initiative in southeastern Connecticut. |
 |
|
 |
|
|
1] CONNECTICUT’S Connect-Ability Initiative
2] Connect-Ability’s School-To-Work Strategic Planning Initiative
3] The School-To-Work Initiative Strategic Planning Process
4] The Evolution of CONNECT-NLC
5] Contact Information
|
| |
|
CONNECTICUT’S Connect-Ability Initiative
Connect-Ability grew out of a 2005 Medicaid “Infrastructure Grant” to the State of Connecticut to identify and remove barriers to employment faced by people with disabilities. This five-year, systems change grant involved a detailed look at the State's employment and disability services infrastructure in order to identify problem areas and implement lasting solutions.
Managed by the CT Department of Social Services, Connect-Ability was created to bring job-seekers who have disabilities and employers together. Connect-Ability works to remove barriers that make it hard for jobseekers with disabilities to find and keep jobs by offering information, tools, and technical assistance to jobseekers and employers.
Connect-Ability encourages employers to make accommodations to work environments, and it also encourages the individual to take personal responsibility to help develop work strategies. With its strong emphasis on “seeing the ability,” Connect-Ability helps the whole community look at what a person can do, rather than what they can't do.
|
| |
|
Connect-Ability’s School-To-Work Strategic Planning Initiative
Students with disabilities have traditionally struggled to find meaningful employment opportunities after leaving high school. Some students leaving high school may not
yet have acquired the kind of work experience, social and self-monitoring skills that employers expect workers to bring to the job and that make employment successful
for other adults. Also, once they leave school, students with disabilities may not be receiving the range of support services that is available from local community resources.
Connect-Ability’s School-To-Work Initiative is looking for creative ways to connect employers with younger job-seekers, and new ways to address these challenges.
(return to top) |
| |
|
The School-To-Work Initiative Strategic Planning Process
The first step in the process, identifying and seeking the participation of partners who have an interest or “stake” in the development of positive employment outcomes for students with disabilities, began in early May.
Groups of stakeholders such as parents, schools and school systems, service providers, advocacy groups, community services organizations, employers and other civic partners were contacted and invited to meet to discuss Transition issues, identify the challenges that both they and students with disabilities face and create goals to help meet those challenges.
The first Strategic Planning session was held on June 19, 2008 with a group of educators and school administrators. A second session with a group of private provider agencies, advocacy groups and state funding sources met on July 24, 2008. A third session was held on August 16, 2008 for civic partners and employers, and a fourth session for self-advocates was held on August 18, 2008.
Taken together, the work of these 130 stakeholders helped identify the nature and scope of the challenges young adults with disabilities face in achieving and sustaining meaningful employment.
(return to top) |
| |
|
The Evolution of CONNECT-NLC
The next step, the process of defining objectives, creating goals and identifying resources and timelines for meeting those challenges, continued beyond the initial Strategic Planning sessions with the creation of CONNECT-NLC (Connect-New London County), an advisory group that met seven times throughout the Fall and became a self-standing collaborative resource and support venue for everyone interested in Transition throughout the region. With the submittal of the Strategic Plan on December 15, 2008 and its subsequent approval on January 13, 2009, CONNECT-NLC has now moved into its Implementation Phase.
When that process is completed, Connect-Ability will have additional information with which to shape its structure and services for young women and men with disabilities throughout the state of Connecticut. (return to top) |
| |
|
Contact Information
For additional information about the
Connect-Ability School-To-Work Strategic Planning Initiative
contact: Paul A. Harvey at 860-705-3387,
or write pharvey@thearcnlc.org
Connect-Ability is managed by the CT Department of Social Services
and funded through the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
www.connect-ability.com
(return to top) |
|
