Kansas Employment First Training and Technical Assistance Center
Project Description:
The Kansas University Center on Disabilities (KUCD) at the University of Kansas, in partnership with Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) and the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts at Boston (ICI Boston) propose this Training and Technical Assistance Center to establish Kansas as a leader in high-quality services and supports to enhance competitive integrated employment and community living outcomes for people with disabilities. To achieve this purpose, this project will leverage the infrastructure developed by KUCD and their partners in the Kansas Employment First project and (1) deliver high-quality supported employment and person-centered community engagement training and technical assistance and (2) continue statewide partnerships to inform the project and educate families, people with disabilities, providers, and others about advancements in policy.
In this project, we will engage state and national experts in Employment First capacity building by leveraging technical assistance expertise from WISE and ICI Boston. We will leverage this national expertise along with expertise and knowledge from employment service providers in Kansas to build capacity within Kansas to (1) mentor provider organizations to provide high quality, community-based employment and community engagement services, (2) training and technical assistance for supported employment professionals and supported employment providers, and (3) technical assistance for state-level policy development and enactment. Outcomes from this project will include an ACRE accredited training in Kansas that will build a cohort of highly trained professionals delivering high quality employment and community engagement services, a provider mentorship program to support expansion of the provider network and evolve the service offerings of existing providers, and establishment of an employment first community of practice to provide ongoing networking and capacity building opportunities.
Keyword(s):
Developmental Disabilities, Life Course Approach, Social Determinants of Health
Core Function(s):
Other Direct/Model Services
Area of Emphasis
Employment-Related Activities, Other - Leadership
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
