Jennifer Bose
Jennifer Bose is a researcher on the State Systems team at the Institute for Community Inclusion. She earned her B.A. in psychology from Wellesley College in 1992 and an M.A. in education and developmental psychology from Boston College in 1997. Her primary research interests are the study of promising practices in employment at the state, organizational, employment specialist and individual level and the interactions between individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), families and disability service agencies. Her work includes research on effective strategies to find employment, factors affecting the employment choices made by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, diabetes management in the workplace and Employment First policy implementation. Besides continuing to research promising employment practices, much of her current work centers around tools to increase self-determination for transition-age youth with IDD, including Charting the Life Course™ and alternatives to guardianship.
Email: Jennifer.bose@umb.edu * Phone: 617-287-4353
How Families and Employment Professionals can Form Partnerships to Support Youths and Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
Alabama Department of Mental Health: Increasing the Number of Certified Benefits Counselors
In 2016, Alabama’s Department of Mental Health (ADMH)/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) contracted with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) to train Community Partner Work Incentive counselors (CPWICs) to provide benefits counseling to individuals served by ADMH who were moving from facility-based day services into competitive integrated employment. State agency staff were aware that many individuals and their families chose not to pursue integrated employment for fear of losing Medicaid, cash benefits, and other income support programs.
Benefits Counseling Service from the Alabama Department of Mental Health Encourages Community Employment
In 2016, Alabama’s Department of Mental Health (ADMH)/Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) contracted with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) to train Community Partner Work Incentive counselors to provide benefits counseling to individuals served by ADMH who were moving from facilitybased day services into competitive integrated employment. State agency staff were aware that many individuals and their families chose not to pursue integrated employment for fear of losing Medicaid, cash benefits, and other income support programs.
Texas’s Vocational Apprenticeship Program: Moving Adults into Integrated Employment through Training in Transferable, Marketable Skills
BRINGING EMPLOYMENT FIRST TO SCALE: Assisting Job Seekers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Guide for Employment Consultants
The literature about effective support practices for assisting job seekers with disabilities is extensive. However, employment consultants do not always implement these practices consistently. This suggests that there is a need for articulating these practices into a clearer, more easily communicated support guide. To meet this need, this brief provides a checklist of support activities, organized around five key elements:
1. Building trust
2. Getting to know the job seeker
3. Addressing supports planning
4. Finding tasks/jobs
5. Providing support after hire
Moving Forward after COVID-19: Implications for Ongoing Use of Remote and Virtual Supports in Promoting and Supporting Integrated Employment
Supporting Parents of Transition Age Youths with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Findings from a Facebook Group Using Tools from Charting the LifeCourse
Ohio’s Technology First Policy: Enabling Swift Delivery of Remote Supports During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Writing for Families: Tips to Increase the Impact of Training Materials
This brief covers some of the lessons learned in reviewing literature designed to engage with families about employment. It suggests some tips and strategies to use with families to increase effective involvement and collaboration.