Raiseup

1
Raiseup

• Work Incentive Grant
• Managed by Goodwill Industries on Behalf of a
  consortium of 5 WIBs

2
Our Mission

• To increase the capacity within the One-Stop
  system to better serve persons with disabilities.

3
Service Areas

• PA Workfore Investment Areas
• Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh
• 2 comprehensive
• 8 mini
• Westmoreland / Fayette Counties
• 2 comprehensive
• Southwest Corner Washington, Greene and Beaver
  Counties
• 3 comprehensive
• 2 comprehensive
• Tri-County Butler, Armstrong and Indiana
  Counties
• 1 comprehensive
• 2 under construction
• Cross Regional Sites
• 3 comprehensive

4
Service Areas

• Northern West Virginia Workforce Investment Area
• Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler
  Counties
• 3 comprehensive

5
Strategies

• Focus groups
• Outreach to job seekers with disabilities
• Enhance linkages between disability service
  providers and the One-Stop system.
• Website
• Development of One-Stop Staff expertise / staff
  development
• Enhancement of physical accessibility
• Outreach to employers
• Linkages with benefits counseling

6
Focus Groups

• Conducted by a national market research firm.
• 6 total groups urban and rural.
• Persons with disabilities who were looking for
  work.
• Findings were basic
• One person had heard of a CareerLink or a One
  Stop.
• Everyone reported feeling that the services they
  had received in job assistance to date were not
  productive or effective.
• The concept of Universal access/ One-Stop
  services was well received.

7
Outreach to job seekers with disabilities

• Community Informational Presentations
• Organizations / Events of and for persons with
  disabilities examples TCCs, Consumer
  Advisory Counsels, NAMI, Career Fairs, Consumer
  Open Houses (at One-Stops)
• Targeted Advertising Television,Radio and
  Newspaper
• Consumer Feedback loop
• Invitation to One-Stop
• One-Stop job seeker satisfaction survey
• Consumer Panel presentation on strategies for
  effective service delivery which addresses issues
  specific to persons with disabilities.
• Consumer Advisory groups

8
Enhance linkages between disability service
providers and the One-Stop system

• Representing the universal concept of the
  One-Stop within the community.
• Facilitating development of new and enhanced
  partnerships between service providers and the
  One-Stop.
• Outcomes
• CIL/DBTAC grant
• Alternate formats handbook

9
www.raise-up.com

• Development of an informational website which
  serves as a springboard for job seekers and
  employers to access localized resources related
  to the employment of persons with disabilities.

10
One-Stop Staff Development

• Topics to date
• Assuring Access in the One-Stop with DBTAC
• Alternate Formats
• Disability Fact and Myth
• Disability Awareness
• ADA Intro
• WIA and Universal Access
• Employers and the ADA

11
One-Stop Staff Development

• State Assistive Technology Project (Lending
  Library)
• Interfacing with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  Deaf Culture
• Disability Employment and Customer Service Issues
• Special considerations for persons with Mental
  Health disabilities
• Training sessions to date 35
• Projected training activities 1 per month per
  site through Dec. 2002

12
Staff Development Process

• Informal One-Stop Staff Surveys
• Individual mtgs with One Stop Directors and VR
  District administrators
• Written plan developed for each area and
  submitted to the individual One Stop Operators
  for approval
• Evaluation
• New Surveys
• Partners
• VR DBTAC CILs
• Wheeling Jesuit University

13
Enhancement of physical accessibility

• 2000 per comprehensive site.
• 12 sites budgeted.
• 2 sites have used the money both for accessible
  doors.
• Most sites are in the process of determining best
  use for money and submitting for review.

14
Outreach to Employers

• Workplace Inclusion Network.
• BLN Chambers Rotary etc.
• Coordinating outreach efforts with the individual
  WIBs strategic plan.
• Employer packet re incentives and informational
  accommodations.
• EARN
• Presentations for employers

15
The Critical Linkage with benefits counseling

• Our goal was to clarify with the multiple
  One-Stop sites the who, what, where, when and why
  of benefits counseling and to ensure that the
  staff at the One-Stop are able to refer
  appropriately.
• Outcome letters of agreement with each site to
  define amongst the partners the 5 Ws.

16
 
 
RESOURCE ROOM ACCESS  
   
17
VIS Visual Interpreting Services

• Research Project to determine the feasibility,
  reliability, and acceptability of remote
  interpreting services for individuals who are
  deaf or hard of hearing.
• Pilot study in 2 sites Westmoreland County and
  Wilkes Barre PA will be adding two more sites
  this year.

18
VIS Partners

• CERMUSA The Center for Excellence for Remote
  and Medically Under Served Areas
• St Francis University
• Hiram G. Andrews Center
• National Telerehabilitation Service System
• Team PA CareerLink

19
Physical Accessibility

• An ADA self assessment is provided to all sites-
  site self assesses and returns.
• Upon receipt, rep from the state department of
  labor will review.
• A formal site visit by an ADA compliance review
  team (cart) will occur to verify self assessment
  and/or to establish a site compliance action plan.

20
CART

• Parking and Passenger loading zones
• Entrances
• Signs
• Communication
• Public Areas
• Restrooms
• Public Telephones and Drinking Fountains
• Public Elevators
• Resource Room
• Alarms and Emergency Exits