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Jean Winsor

Jean E. Winsor is a Senior Research Associate and Project Manager at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). Her research focuses on state systems and integrated employment, with an emphasis on bridging research to practice through technical assistance to employment system stakeholders. She is the coordinator for the StateData.info project, is a policy specialist for the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN),, and is Project Director for the Florida EmployMe1st Project.

During her tenure at ICI she has investigated the policies and practices of states with high rates of integrated employment, states that have engaged in multi-agency systems change to support youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to obtain community employment, and states that are using Employment First agendas as a catalyst for systems change. Dr. Winsor has also engaged in research to better understand the methods states use to collect data on employment outcomes, the strategies states use to fund employment services, and the factors that impact the choices individuals with intellectual and development disabilities make about employment.

Prior to joining ICI in 2002, Jean provided school and community-based supports to adolescents and adults with IDD for ten years.  Dr. Winsor received her B.A. in Psychology from Binghamton University-SUNY and her M.S. in Educational Psychology and Methodology from the University at Albany-SUNY. She is a graduate of the Ph.D. in Public Policy Program with a Concentration in Special Education and Disability Policy at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Click here to follow Dr. Winsor's work on SelectedWorks.

What People with IDD Want You to Know about HCBS Waiver Employment Services

This Research to Practice brief examines the perspectives of people with IDD and their families on Medicaid HCBS waiver employment services through focus groups and interviews. The study explores experiences with employment supports, service delivery systems, and funding structures, identifying key barriers and opportunities to improve access to meaningful integrated employment. Findings highlight the importance of high-quality, person-centered services, improved coordination across systems, stable and skilled employment support staff, and increased access to transportation and technology supports.

Using Self-Directed Transportation Services to Support Competitive Integrated Employment

Self-directed transportation services can help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) overcome one of the biggest barriers to competitive integrated employment: getting to work. Drawing on interviews with individuals with IDD, family members, and support brokers, this research to practice brief highlights how flexible transportation options can increase independence, expand career opportunities, and strengthen community participation, while offering practical strategies for choosing and planning transportation that meets individual needs.

Working in the Community—Update 4, The Status and Outcomes of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Integrated Employment

This Special Issue Data Brief examines the employment experiences and outcomes of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who receive services through state IDD systems. Using data from nearly 17,000 adults across 30 states and Washington, DC, the brief explores rates of community employment, the types of jobs and industries people work in, and how individuals spend their time throughout the week.

Washington: Centering the Value of Community in Employment Trainings

Washington State has built a strong culture of competitive integrated employment by embedding community participation values into employment trainings for professionals supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through a longstanding partnership between DDCS, DVR, and the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE), the state delivers consistent, values-driven training statewide. Self-advocates and families play a central role in shaping and delivering trainings, helping create person-centered services grounded in connection, relationships, and respect.

Planning and Budgeting for Life on Their Terms: Managing Self-Directed Services

Managing self-directed services takes planning, budgeting, and support—but it also creates opportunities for greater choice and independence. This brief highlights how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families manage services to build personalized supports that help them pursue employment and community life.

Using Self-Directed Services to Achieve Competitive Integrated Employment and Enhance Community Life Engagement

Self-directed services give people with intellectual and developmental disabilities greater choice and control over the supports they use to pursue employment and community life. This research brief highlights real stories and practical strategies showing how self-direction can improve independence, build strong support networks, and expand opportunities for competitive integrated employment.

Kansas Employment First Policy Analysis and Recommendations: Final Report

The Kansas Employment First Policy Analysis and Recommendations report reviews implementation of the 2011 Kansas Employment First Initiative Act, which prioritizes competitive integrated employment (CIE) for people with disabilities. It finds limited progress and identifies gaps in leadership, funding, coordination, training, data systems, and equitable access. Stakeholders prioritized three actions: establish a strong operational leadership group, embed employment across service systems, and implement a sustainable funding strategy to expand high-quality CIE outcomes statewide.

Indiana: Using Funding to Improve Integrated Employment Services

Indiana is strengthening integrated employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by aligning Medicaid HCBS waiver funding, provider transformation, and technology to support community-based employment. Through phased elimination of facility-based services, investments in provider capacity, and exploration of value-based payment models, the state is building a more sustainable system focused on quality and individual employment outcomes.
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