Jennifer Sulewski, Ph.D, Senior Research Associate and Project Manager, has been involved as a researcher and evaluator on numerous ICI projects since 2001. Her primary research interest is community life engagement of people with IDD. She was PI of a NIDILRR-funded Field Initiated Project to study how to improve non-work day supports toward increased engagement of people with IDD in community life. Her current projects include working with the SELN and Access to Integrated Employment projects on how to address community life engagement in the Employment First context; conducting case studies on collaboration between vocational rehabilitation and higher education programs to support students with IDD and autism; providing evaluation and other support to the Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment, and evaluating the Future Quest Island project (a website and teacher toolkit designed to engage middle school students in thinking about college and careers). She received her Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University in 2006.
As states focus on expanding integrated employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and phase out sheltered work, they are finding a need to concurrently examine day services and supports that promote Community Life Engagement (CLE, see yellow box to the right for a detailed definition). These supports can be a wrap-around to ensure individuals’ engagement in the community is maintained and they continue to receive sufficient levels of support, despite fluctuations in job status and hours.
The State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) is a membership-based network of state IDD agencies committed to making changes in their service systems to ensure access to competitive integrated employment for people with IDD (www.selnhub.org/home).
Delivered in conjunction with Cross Plains Community Partners, this powerpoint presentation provides an overview of the four guideposts in Community Life Engagement, as well as implementation strategies from a provider perspective.
Delivered in conjunction with The Arc of the United States and Starfire (provider agency), this powerpoint presentation provides an overview of the four guideposts of Community Life Engagement and their relationship to characteristics of transformative providers in general.
Delivered primarily to an audience of self-advocates, this powerpoint offers a user-friendly, plain language explanation of the four guideposts in Community Life Engagement.
There are so many ways to be part of your community! You can volunteer, take college classes, go to the gym, or spend time with friends. This workshop will teach four big tips you need to know to help you be more involved in your community.
We have created a series of four Engage Briefs to examine the guideposts in detail. This brief explores the need to create supports that oriented toward goals and outcomes, and to implement a plan for monitoring progress.
We have created a series of four Engage Briefs to examine the guideposts in detail. This brief explores the need to implement a plan to help individuals participate in and contribute to their communities.
This brief provides an overview of how to best support adults with IDD in their communities and in their pursuit of integrated employment.
Click here to read the full brief
