APSEMay 5, 2014

Pathway to EmploymentPresented by:

Lynne ThibdeauAssistant Director Employment and Meaningful Community Activities

Sarah GallagherEmployment and Meaningful Community Activities Specialist

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Why is Pathway to Employment Needed?

What is Pathway to Employment?

Who can deliver the Service?

When can it be delivered?

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Why is Pathway to Employment Needed?

Improve Job Retention

Increase Employment Opportunities

Achieve Full Integration

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What is Pathway to Employment?

A New Waiver Service

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Pathway to Employment is a person-centered, comprehensive employment

planning and support service that engages individuals in identifying a

career direction, provides instruction and training in pre- employment skills,

and develops a plan for achieving competitive, integrated employment at

or above minimum wage.

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What is Pathway to Employment?

• Time limited service – up to 12 months• 278 Hours of service• Designed to assist people in identifying a career goal• Services will focus on:

– Pre-employment Skills– Integrated Community Vocational Experiences– Development of a Vocational or Career Plan– Achieving the Greatest Level of Independence Possible– Self employment is included

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Who can deliver the Service?

Provider Agencies with a Waiver Agreement that includes SEMP

Provider Agencies that have attended the Pathway to Employment Training

The Process for Amending Waiver Agreements to Include Pathway to Employment Will be Forthcoming

Who Can Receive Pathway to Employment Services?

Anyone currently receiving the following services:• Day Habilitation• Sheltered Workshop• Pre-Vocational• Supported Employment • As well as students leaving high school

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When can it be delivered?

• After Waiver Agreement is Amended • After Attendance at Training

• Billing Codes are Established

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Pathway to Employment Specific Services

Direct service provision consists of activities involving interaction with the individual.

• job readiness training, including individualized and appropriate work related behaviors;

 • instruction and teaching of tasks necessary to obtain

employment; • individualized and ongoing job coaching;  • travel training;

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• stress management, social skill development and interpersonal skill building.

 • vocational observation and assessment;  • situational observation and assessment;

• job-related discovery;

• experiential learning in career exploration and vocational discovery;

• experiential learning to achieve a specific career/vocational outcome;

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• assessment for use of assistive technology to increase independence in the workplace;

 • community experiences through volunteer opportunities,

paid or unpaid internships, mentorships, apprenticeships, job clubs, work site visits, job placement, or other job exploration modalities (Note: individuals participating in paid internships must be paid at least the minimum wage);

  • education and counseling around benefits management

and employment; • career/vocational planning; 

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• customized job development;  • planning for self-employment, including identifying skills

that could be used to start a business, and identifying business training and technical assistance that could be utilized in achieving self-employment goals.

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Pathway to Employment Indirect Services

• Observation and assessment of an individual’s interactions and routines at home, in the community and within other services or programs that could translate into employable skills;

• Development of community experiences through volunteer opportunities, paid or unpaid internships, mentorships, apprenticeships, job clubs, work site visits, job placement or other job exploration modalities;

• Preparing a pathway to employment service delivery plan; • Preparing a Pathway to Employment career/vocational plan

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There Will be a Deliverable for Pathway to Employment

• OPWDD will design a Reporting Form

• The Report will Categorize the Hours of Service

• The Report will Summarize Services

• The Report will Require a Vocational Career Plan

• The Report will be Introduced at the Training

The Proposed Regulations for

Pathway to Employment

OPWDD Web Site

Pathway to Employment and OPWDD Transformation

Making the system more person-centered

Restructuring to provide better integrated, holistic support

Establishing transparent and sustainable funding

Measuring the quality of the system based on the outcomes

Serving people in the most integrated settings possible

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Pathway to Employment and OPWDD Employment Targets

Agreement between CMS and OPWDD

• Increase the number of persons engaged in competitive (integrated at minimum wage or above) by 700.

• Increase training and supports for persons to gain work skills and work-related experiences (Pathway to Employment).

• Measure and report on NYS OPWDD employment outcomes.

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Thank You!

Lynne.Thibdeau@opwdd.ny.govSarah.Gallagher@opwdd.ny.gov