The Employment Learning Community (ELC) assists states in improving systems and services to increase inclusive, competitive employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The ELC has three key components:
The Delphi panel has identified emerging and promising practices that inform the work of the ELC. Browse ELC products and webinars below. You can find ELC webinars here. You can browse the Delphi Panel Briefs here.
You can also download specific briefs by clicking on the following links:
Brief 1: Introduction, Values and Major Themes
Brief 2: Transition from School to Work
Brief 3: Collaboration Across Agencies
Brief 4: Education and Training for Job Seekers
Brief 5: Processes Within State Agencies
Brief 6: Generation and Use of Data and Evidence
Brief 7: Paths Toward Fair Wages
Two to three communities of practice are convened annually. Participants engage in time-limited but intensive work on issues that support their state-level systems-change efforts, and lead to the development of products that can be used by other states.
Communities of practice are open to any state that has an active consortium or coalition working to improve employment opportunities for individuals with IDD. These groups focus on topics such as employer engagement, funding and rate structures, and transition from high school to life in the community.
Five to ten states receive technical assistance to develop and support a state-level consortium that will assist in local employment systems change. Each state has an ELC liaison who will provide technical assistance to the consortium and facilitate peer learning across the project.
New states can join the ELC at any time. Current states are:
The ELC is led by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, with funding from the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Our project partners include the National Association of State Directors of Development Disabilities Services and Debra Luecking.
Karen Flippo, Program Director
karen.flippo@umb.edu
617-287-4344
Jennifer Sulewski, Research Associate
jennifer.sulewski@umb.edu
617-287-4356
Cindy Thomas, Project Director
cindy.thomas@umb.edu
617-287-4312
Communities of Practice Webinars
The Employment Learning Community is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The small group discussion addressed approaches that states are using to devise a rate structure for funding employment services for individuals with IDD.
Watch the recorded webinar here...
The discussion of this CoP concentrated on actions that positively influence the path from high to school to employment using Wisconsin and Tennessee as examples. Debra Luecking facilitated the conversation with guest commentators Nancy Molfenter, Wisconsin Department of Education, Janet Shouse, Tennessee Works and Blake Shearer, Tennessee Department of Public Instruction. The conversation included raising the expectations of families, partnering with schools and the importance of early work experiences for youth with IDD.
In view of the CMS settings rule, Employment First Policies and other federal and state initiatives, organizational transformation is once again receiving considerable attention. Join us to share your perspectives about how your state and the DD provider organizations within them are addressing this highly important aspect of systems change and service delivery.
Watch the recorded webinar here...
This is the seventh and final brief in our series on the findings from a Delphi process conducted by the Employment Learning Community in 2013–2014. More information on the Employment Learning Community and the Delphi process can be found in Brief #1 (Introduction, Values, and Overall Themes). This brief focuses on the final priority area for policy and practice change: creating paths toward fairer wages for individuals with IDD.
This is the sixth in a series of briefs on the findings from a Delphi process conducted by the Employment Learning Community in 2013–2014. More information on the Employment Learning Community and the Delphi process can be found in Brief #1 (Introduction, Values, and Overall Themes). This brief focuses on how data and evidence can support integrated employment outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This was the fifth overarching theme among the Delphi panel’s recommendations.
This is the fifth in a series of briefs on the findings from a Delphi process conducted by the Employment Learning Community in 2013–2014. More information on the Employment Learning Community and the Delphi process can be found in Brief #1 (Introduction, Values, and Overall Themes). This brief focuses on the fourth priority area identified by the Delphi panel: improving policies and processes within state agencies related to employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
