Project Description:
The Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD), in partnership with the Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies (IHDPS) at the University of Kansas propose this project to develop policy recommendations and create infrastructure to support full implementation of Kansas Employment First law and ensure competitive integrated employment is the first and preferred option for Kansans with a disability. As described below, our aim is to (1) convene statewide stakeholder partnerships to plan for Employment First, (2) develop actionable policy recommendations based on studies done in Kansas and across the country, (3) provide technical assistance to KDADS, KDHE, KRS, KSDE, Kansas Governors Cabinet, legislators, and others essential to the implementation and sustainability of Employment First, (4) develop infrastructure in the form of trainings and pilot programs to enhance provider capacity for Employment First, and (5) develop robust data collection and analysis systems to monitor outcomes of Employment First implementation.
In this project, we will engage national experts in Employment First policy analysis and technical assistance expertise from the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts at Boston (ICI Boston), and competitive integrated employment capacity building expertise from the Washington Initiative on Supported Employment (Wise). We will leverage this national expertise along with expertise and knowledge from Kansas. This national expertise, combined with policy, service provision, and advocacy expertise in Kansas, will be used to create an actionable plan with dedicated infrastructure to realize the goal and intent of Employment First in Kansas.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
