Workforce Professionals Resources

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced 2010 allotments to states and outlying areas under the Workforce Investment Act and Wagner-Peyser Act. The nearly $4 billion in funds will be used to help Americans get back to work through high quality employment and training services, which are delivered mainly through the department's national network of One-Stop Career Centers.

Guide for homeless assistance and workforce development providers and planners to help them promote self-sufficiency among their clients by connecting them to mainstream employment and income support programs. This link opens a PDF document.

Describes formal and informal assessments, standardized testing and the process of collecting information that can be used in decision-making, career-planning and service plan development for a young person. This link opens a PDF document.

This publication is for those working in One-Stop Centers as well as youth and adult service providers who interact with individuals with disabilities. It is designed to help clarify what you may and may not ask about someone's disability. This information can also be downloaded in PDF format in Spanish.

PDF document describes employment supports to help people with severe mental illness find and keep competitive employment--a key component of recovery.

Provides information about what states, localities and workforce development services can do to address employers' needs relating to hiring and retaining employees with disabilities. This guide can also be downloaded in PDF format in Spanish.

Provides information on experiences, supports and services to improve transition outcomes for youth with and without disabilities involved or at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. This guide can be downloaded in PDF or Word format.

Letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that provides clarification regarding the receipt of federal funds under the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Ticket to Work & Self-Sufficiency program, and encourages the use of the flexible funding the program offers. Using and coordinating these resources is critical to support States' progress in building a comprehensive health and employment services system for individuals with disabilities to achieve their employment goals. This guidance also provides policy clarifications on State Medicaid providers' acceptance and the treatment of SSA ticket payments. This link opens a PDF document.

The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a report entitled Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities: Matching Human Resources to Service Needs, calling for policymakers at all levels of government to proactively address current shortages and examine how labor market changes are driving both current and future supply. The report presents recommendations that call for partnerships among federal departments and agencies, their state counterparts, and the private sector, including organizations involved with education and training, health care and employment services. The complete report can be downloaded in Word or PDF formats.

ODEP held a series of six Listening Sessions in January - March 2010 to engage stakeholders across the nation. These sessions collected information and comments about best practices and key issues to be addressed by federal workforce systems regarding the employability, employment, workforce participation, retention and promotion of people with disabilities. Read ODEP's summary report, including specific recommendations for the Disability Program Navigator (DPN), Medicaid Buy-In and other initiatives. Webcasts of the Listening Sessions are also available online.

DOL has released an evaluation study of the Disability Program Navigator Initiative titled Use of One-Stops by Social Security Disability Beneficiaries in Four States Implementing Disability Program Navigator Initiative. This study showed that the One-Stop Career Centers are serving a large share of individuals receiving Social Security disability benefits. The study was conducted in Colorado, Iowa, Maryland and Oregon. The report is available for download after registering online.

This guide and appendices from the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration provide state VR agencies and State Rehabilitation Councils with basic tools needed to meet the requirements of a fully developed comprehensive statewide needs assessment (CSNA). Frequently Asked Questions about the CSNA and a presentation on the materials are available.

This PowerPoint presentation from the U. S. Department of Labor's Civil Rights Center describes the key changes that resulted from the ADAAA and what Equal Opportunity Officers in the One-Stop System and Job Corps should know about the impact of these amendments. For more information about the ADAAA visit the Web site of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Fact sheet that answers questions about workplace supports that individuals with disabilities may need to obtain and keep a job. This information can be downloaded in Word format.