ThinkWork Webinars

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Employment consultants are the backbone of direct service. Their efforts can bridge the gap between job seekers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and fulfilling jobs in the community. However, employment consultants' work isn't always given full recognition. And they face daily challenges. They must support job seekers, market agency services to employers, and balance job development tasks with administrative responsibilities.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Have you and the individuals and families you support experienced this "messy" phase as your organization moves away from facility-based services to community employment? This transformation from segregated work settings is happening across the country, and can bring liberation and empowerment. But the process of change is not always easy or comfortable for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. This webinar was so popular, we decided to run it again! Provider agencies across the country are transitioning from segregated “sheltered” workshop options to supporting integrated community careers for people with disabilities. This process of organizational transformation can be both exciting and challenging for provider staff and the people they serve.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Genni Sasnett, a human services consultant with extensive experience in disability employment, and Jill Eastman, an award-winning employment specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, shared their perspectives about how employment support professionals can take a leadership role, and serve as civil rights change agents, while also empowering the people they serve to find fulfilling work and thrive in their careers.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Researchers Judith Gross (University of Kansas) and Grace Francis (George Mason University) work intensively with Hispanic families in rural Kansas. They talked about the importance of engaging culturally and linguistically diverse families in services for their children with IDD. Judith and Grace discussed the barriers these families face, and offered strategies for professionals to help ensure full access to services.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. When looking for a new job, it’s logical to “do the math.” We consider what we need (food, housing, healthcare) and what we want (gym membership, car, vacation). We balance potential income against expenses. Finally, we evaluate whether a particular job will help us achieve our goals. Benefits can be a lifeline, but continuous reliance on them can limit people to a life in poverty.

  Watch the recorded webinar here. This webinar looked at the subject of informed choice. What considerations come into play when someone with IDD “chooses work”? What information and exposure or exploration does someone need to decide to leave a familiar setting, such as a sheltered workshop or day program, to work in their community?

  Watch the recorded webinar here. Provider agencies across the country are transitioning from segregated “sheltered” workshop options to supporting integrated community careers for people with disabilities.