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Employment First Webinar: December 9, 3:00-4:00 ET

Employment First Community of Practice Webinar December 9, 2020, 3:00-4:00 ET **Register here** The Employment First Community of Practice (CoP) Webinar Series is structured to augment the technical assistance areas of primary focus in Employment First systems change (Capacity Building, Provider Transformation, School-to-Work Transition, Employer Engagement, and Policy/Funding Alignment). CoP participants will benefit from national subject matter experts (SMEs) presenting information and resources to support Employment First efforts.

Topic: Competitive Integrated Employment in 2020 - Consumer and Provider Perspectives

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are experiencing employment changes similar to people without disabilities. Some have experienced lasting furloughs or lay-offs; some are considered front line workers and have continued to work in their positions; while others have moved to virtual or distance work. During this webinar you will hear stories about how people with significant disabilities have adapted so that they can continue to work. You will also hear real examples about how employment staff have changed their job developing and job coaching strategies. The guest speaker, Karen Lee, is a National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) Subject Matter Expert (SME) and the Executive Director of Seeking Employment Equality and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities (SEEC) in Silver Spring, Maryland. She will share some of the shifts in strategies that she has taken as an Executive Director and as a provider of employment services for people with disabilities. She will be joined by an individual with a disability whose job has been affected by changes during 2020. Webinar Objectives: The webinar will:

  • Discuss strategies and practices that employment staff are using for job placements, and

  • Provide an overview of how people with disabilities are adapting in the current workforce climate.

Guest Speaker: Karen Lee Since 1990, Karen Lee has worked as the Executive Director of SEEC. Their mission is “to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to direct their lives with dignity, choice, authority, and responsibility." In this role, Karen has grown the organization from a $100,000 budget to nearly $14 million, while concurrently building an infrastructure that supports competitive integrated employment, supported living, and meaningful relationships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health needs and other significant or long-term medical conditions. As a Public Policy Fellow for the state of Maryland, Karen worked with stakeholders including self-advocates, families, state personnel, providers and legislators to create an Employment First strategic plan and supporting policies and practices. She worked as an SME in Kentucky and Arkansas with other professionals to create infrastructures to increase employment outcomes and other opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be full members of their community. Among her many accolades, Karen received the APSE Public Policy Advocate of the Year Award in 2016 and was named as one of Maryland’s Most Admired CEOs for 2016 by the Daily Record. In that same year, SEEC received the Moving Mountains Award from the National Alliance of Direct Support Professionals for the agency’s work on recruitment, training and retaining highly performing direct support staff. Most recently, Karen received the 2019 Marc Gold Award for Employment at the annual TASH conference for her nationally recognized contributions toward increasing access to community and integrated employment for persons with significant disabilities. Registration Process

  1. **Register here**

  2. If you are unfamiliar with Adobe Connect, please review thesetips and the Step-By-Step Instructions before participating.

Meeting Materials

  • Meeting materials will be shared closer to the event.

Employment First Webinars are recorded and the link will be distributed to the list serve within two business days following the webinar. Please share this announcement with your colleagues! If they are not a current subscriber to ODEP's Employment First mailing list, they can register here.

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