Employment First Implementation Report, Contract #143999 and Amendments 2015 1 Employment First Implementation in Oregon Employment First Training and Technical Assistance Final Report for the period 10/1/2014 through 6/30/2015 June 30, 2015 A. Introduction This report summarizes the strategies and activities performed under Contract #143999 by the Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) and its subcontractors primarily during the period October 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. The work reported here is based on Amendment #2, which adjusted some items in the original Statement of Work and extended work through June 30, 2015, and Amendment #3, which also adjusted work tasks, and extended the period of the contract through June 30, 2016. This report focuses on the amended Contract, addressing the amendments only for those requirements effective between October 1, 2014 1 and June 30, 2015. Thus, this report extends, rather than repeats information provided in the last report provided September 29, 2014. For convenience, the 10/2014 report is available here. Contracted activities during the October 2014 through June 2015 were CSET Communications; Training and Technical Assistance Activities; Community Capacity Building including support to Employment First Teams and Discovery/Career Exploration trainings; On Demand Training Modules; On-line Quizzes; CESP exams; Meet at the Mountain III; Advice to DHS Leadership, and serving as fiscal agent for ODEP funds. This report also includes an evaluation of the overall project impact and recommendations related to the sustainability of the training and technical assistance deliverables. These recommendations are imbedded within the appropriate sections of the report. The report confirms and verifies that all requirements of the contract have been met. Statewide Employment First Implementation Project 10/2014-6/2015 Project Partnerships. The project continued to work with Oregon Technical Assistance Corporation (OTAC) and Griffin-Hammis, as discussed in the previous report. Marc Gold and Associates provided one of the required Discovery training sessions. In addition, WISE has formed a strong partnership with the Oregon Rehabilitation Association, which has worked with 1 September 1, 2014 for Discovery/Career Planning Training
Transcript
Employment First Implementation Report, Contract #143999 and Amendments
2015
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Employment First Implementation in Oregon
Employment First Training and Technical Assistance Final Report
for the period 10/1/2014 through 6/30/2015
June 30, 2015
A. Introduction
This report summarizes the strategies and activities performed under Contract #143999 by the
Washington Initiative for Supported Employment (WISE) and its subcontractors primarily during
the period October 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. The work reported here is based on
Amendment #2, which adjusted some items in the original Statement of Work and extended
work through June 30, 2015, and Amendment #3, which also adjusted work tasks, and
extended the period of the contract through June 30, 2016. This report focuses on the
amended Contract, addressing the amendments only for those requirements effective between
October 1, 20141 and June 30, 2015. Thus, this report extends, rather than repeats information
provided in the last report provided September 29, 2014. For convenience, the 10/2014 report
is available here.
Contracted activities during the October 2014 through June 2015 were CSET Communications;
Training and Technical Assistance Activities; Community Capacity Building including support to
Employment First Teams and Discovery/Career Exploration trainings; On Demand Training
Modules; On-line Quizzes; CESP exams; Meet at the Mountain III; Advice to DHS Leadership,
and serving as fiscal agent for ODEP funds. This report also includes an evaluation of the overall
project impact and recommendations related to the sustainability of the training and technical
assistance deliverables. These recommendations are imbedded within the appropriate sections
of the report. The report confirms and verifies that all requirements of the contract have been
met.
Statewide Employment First Implementation Project 10/2014-6/2015
Project Partnerships. The project continued to work with Oregon Technical Assistance
Corporation (OTAC) and Griffin-Hammis, as discussed in the previous report. Marc Gold and
Associates provided one of the required Discovery training sessions. In addition, WISE has
formed a strong partnership with the Oregon Rehabilitation Association, which has worked with
1 September 1, 2014 for Discovery/Career Planning Training
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who had registered for an event but would be unable to attend to be sure to cancel their
registrations so others on a wait list could fill their spots.
WISE coordinated communications with the EF Communications Specialist to ensure that we had maximum outreach and coordination of the messages sent by WISE.
Deliverables for CSET Communications: Completed
Recommendations:
1. Continue an active presence on websites and social media, whether the communications
are issued by DHS or by WISE.
2. Use the Employment First website to store seminar materials and other resources to make
them accessible to organizations and their staffs.
3. Develop an active blog spot on the website that features both written and video content on
employment tips and tricks, as well as linkages to national events. This BlogSpot will
increase the amount of content available to be shared through social media, as well as
further develop the statewide network of people informed on employment. This addition
to the website would complement the state’s formal communication effort.
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d. Training and Technical Assistance Activities
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed” , Subsection d “Training and Technical Assistance” is hereby amended to add a new Section (6) as follows:
(6) Effective 10-1-14 through 6-30-15, provide eleven (11), two (2) day events or twenty-two (22) days of training for Oregon Employment Leadership Network (OELN). Training topics should include Core Supported Employment Training (CSET) core competencies and include training designed to meet the expectations and outcomes of the Executive Order 13-04. Trainings shall have a minimum of ten registered participants, with the goal of increasing the number of qualified Employment Support Professionals throughout Oregon. At least 50 of which must be new to the training and core competency content.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.d.
All work required in the original contract under Subsection d. “Training and Technical
Assistance Activities” was completed and included in the previous Final Report for the period
ending 9/30/14.
Training Events Provided. Between 10/1/14 and 6/30/15, the project provided a total of 10
two-day events representing 20 days of training in OELN. The specific events provided
addressed the Core Supported Employment Training (CSET) core competencies as well as the
expectations and outcomes of Executive Order 15-01, which superseded Executive Order 13-04
referenced in the contract. Specific events, as well as the trainers, dates, locations, and
registration/attendance information for each, are listed in Table 1 below. One event—the
eleventh—was cancelled as per instructions from the EF Office when fewer than 20 people had
registered for the event, although our contract requires a minimum of 10 participants. This
Social Security Benefits and Work Incentives seminar was replaced with an additional Specialty
two-day Discovery seminar, as approved by DHS representatives.
Table 1. Summary of OELN CSET Sessions October 2014 through June 2015
Teri Johnson, Consultant Brandi Monts, WISE2 Aimee Nelson, Trillium
10/14-10/15/14 McMinnville 12/16-12/17/14 Salem 3/24-3/25/15 Bend
30/29 32/26 37/33
Totals 15 Session Leaders 10 2-day Seminars 384/3033 1 = Not available for 3/3-3/4/15 Introduction workshop 2 = Not available for 3/24-3/25/25 Systematic Instruction workshop. Replaced by Jaimie Laitinen of WISE. 3 = Total sum of registrants/attendees includes duplicated counts if individuals attended more than one seminar.
Registered Participants. Table 1 also includes a listing of the number of participants registered
for, as well as the number actually in attendance at each event. One event, “Social Security and
Work Incentives” to be held in Medford on 4/21-4/22/15 was cancelled when a week prior to
the scheduled event only 15 individuals were registered to attend. For that event, WISE had
used additional recruitment methods to increase the number of registrants, but was unable to
register at least 20 people. Although Contract Amendment #2 indicates a minimum of ten
registered participants, DHS staff required a minimum registration of 20 persons for this event.
Due to that cancellation, with permission from DHS representatives, WISE arranged for and
held an additional (eleventh) Specialty Training on Discovery as a replacement for these training
days. That session was filled within 24 hours.
A total of 303 participants (duplicate count) attended the OELN CSET events that were held
between October 2014 and June 2015. Complete data are available on 267 of these
participants—some participants did not respond to all items in the registration survey. As
shown in Table 2, the total number of unique individuals who attended seminars during this
time period was 193, with three individuals attending all four seminars in the series
(unduplicated counts). Reviewing participants in OELN sessions between October 2013 and
June 2015, OELN has reached 336 unique people who attended one or more seminars. Twenty-
three (23) individuals attended all four seminars in the series, when reviewed across the longer
time period. Nine (9) attended five seminars during this time, with eight (8) of these attending
the seminar on job development twice.
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Table 2. Number of OELN Seminars Attended by Individual Participants 10/2014-6/2015, and
between 10/2013 and 6/2015 (Unduplicated Counts).
Number of Seminars Attended by Individual Participants
Number of Participants 10/2014 through 6/2015
Number of Participants 10/2013 through 6/2015
1 141 198
2 33 63
3 16 43
4 3 23
5 0 9
Total Unduplicated Count 193 336
These participants included a wide range of roles, including both vocational and residential
service providers, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, and a family member. A few
participants indicated multiple roles. These roles—and the number of persons who self-
reported each—are summarized in Table 3, below.
Table 3. Participant Roles Attending OELN CSET Sessions October 2014 through June 2015
(Duplicated Counts), as Reported by Participants1
Seminar Role
Intro. to SE, Discovery, & Career Plan’g
Job Development &
Marketing
Social Security Benefits &
Work Incentives
Systematic Instruction & Follow-along
TOTALS
Service Provider-Voc 74 57 31 60 222
School Staff 2 2 0 0 4
Service Provider Voc & Residential
3 0 0 1 3
VR Counselor 1 2 0 0 3
Service Provider- Res
0 0 2 0 2
School/Voc 0 2 0 0 2
Family 1 0 0 0 1
Service Coord/ Personal Agent
0 0 0 0 0
Other 2 8 1 2 13
Totals 10/2014-6/2015 (9 mos.)
83 71 34 63 2512
Totals 10/2013-9/2014 (12 mos)
91 79 59 97 3262
Total 10/2013-6/2015
174 150 93 160 5772
1 = If a person attended more than one OELN CSET event, they are counted in these data for each event attended.
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2 = Although 303 attendees participated in CSET events this reporting period, some participants did not complete
all items in the registration survey.
The intent for this series of OELN CSET training was to increase the number of qualified
Employment Support Professionals in Oregon, with at least 50 persons who were new to the
training and core competency content. To determine performance related to this contract item
on persons new to the training, WISE included questions in the registration process. The
responses to these questions are included in Table 4.
Table 4. Experience Level Reported by OELN CSET Attendees
Question #
Respondents1 # Responding
“Yes” “Yes” % of
Respondents
Do you currently serve individuals through vocational rehabilitation (VR) funding?
267 163 61%
Have you ever helped someone with an intellectual or developmental disability obtain and/or maintain individual employment in the community?
267 201 75%
Have you ever received training on this topic? 267 95 36%
Do you plan to take the Association for Supporting Employment First (APSE) Certification for Employment Support Professionals Exam (CESP) when it is offered in the fall of 2014?
2662 77 29%
1 = Data include duplicated counts if one person attended more than one CSET seminar 2 = Data were reported by 266 of the attendees.
Thus, based on self-report, it appears that about 172 or 64% of 267 (duplicated) attendees with
complete survey data met the criterion of being new to the training and core competency
content, far surpassing the goal of 50 participants. Because this is a duplicate count if the same
person attended more than one seminar, Table 5 summarizes unduplicated counts for the
question, “Have you ever received training on this topic?” A total of 128 unduplicated
participants (66%) responded they had not received previous training on at least one of the
seminars they attended (1-4 seminars). Of these, 117 unduplicated respondents (61%)
indicated they had received no previous training on any of the seminars they attended this year
(1-4 seminars), also surpassing the goal of 50 participants new to the content. In addition, two
of the three individuals who attended all four seminars during this period (10/2014-6/2015)
indicated they had not received previous training on any of the topics.
Nearly 90% of the participants in OELN seminars represented sheltered workshops, community
inclusion or other employment providers.
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Table 5. Unduplicated Attendee Counts Related to Previous Training by Number of Seminars
Attended
Number of “No” responses by an individual to the question, “Have you ever received training on this topic?”
1 2 3 4
Unduplicated Total Attendees
No. of seminars that individual attended
141 1 88
33 2 6 17
16 3 3 1 10
3 4 1 0 0 2
Total: 193 98 18 10 2
Feedback on OELN sessions
Table 6 summarizes feedback on individual OELN seminars held during this reporting period, as
well as summarizing and across seminars within a topic.
Table 6. Summary of Satisfaction Scores for OELN CSET Sessions October 2014 through June
2015
Seminar Dates
# A
tte
nd
/#
Re
spo
nse
s
Trai
nin
g
Pre
sen
ter
Mat
eri
als
Val
ue
of
Info
Loca
tio
n
Tim
ing
of
Trai
nin
g
Introduction to Supported Employment, Discovery & Career Planning
10/16-10/17/14 12/9-12/10/14
3/3-3/4/15
44/41 26/25 26/25
4.15 4.48 4.40
4.80 4.72 4.18
4.15 4.48 4.24
4.39 4.58 4.40
3.63 4.21 3.36
3.98 4.36 4.36
Average Across Intro Seminars1 95%2 4.46 4.67 4.29 4.46 3.73 4.23
Social Security Benefits & Work Incentives1
1/21-1/22/15
34/33 97%
4.18 4.33 4.03 4.30 4.06 4.09
Job Development and Marketing
10/28-29/14 12/2-12/3/14 3/10-3/11/15
26/22 38/27 21/403
4.24 4.44 4.30
4.33 4.56 4.48
4.38 4.48 4.30
4.50 4.59 4.50
3.23 3.89 3.28
4.14 4.33 3.85
Average Across Job Development Seminars1 105%/81%2,4
4.33 4.45 4.39 4.53 3.46 4.11
Systematic Instruction & Follow-along
10/14-10/15/14 12/16-12/17/14 3/24-3/25/15
29/05 32/26 37/33
NA 4.50 4.34
NA 4.50 4.56
NA 4.50 4.25
NA 4.72 4.28
NA 3.92 378
NA 4.15 4.13
Average Across Systematic Instr. Seminars1 86%2 4.42 4.53 4.38 4.50 3.85 4.14
Averages across all OELN Seminars1 96%/ 89%
4.35 4.50 4.27 4.45 3.78 4.14
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1 All averages across seminars are calculated using the seminar average scores, rather than calculating across all
individual ratings. This method gives each seminar event equal weight in the calculation. Therefore, a seminar
with 21 responses is weighed as heavily as another seminar with 41 responses. 2 Response rate across seminars 3 For this seminar, session leaders distributed the feedback survey both after day 1 and after day 2. Therefore, the
number of surveys received is approximately twice the number of participants. Because there is no indication on
the surveys of which date it reflects, the data reported include all surveys received. 4 105% is the response rate based on all surveys received divided by all participants, including the extra day of
surveys in the Job Development seminar. 81.2% response rate is based on an estimated 20 respondents in the
Job Development seminar that had participants complete the survey at the end of both days. 5 Due to a problem with Survey Monkey, the on-line platform WISE uses to collect post-seminar feedback, there
are no results available for this seminar.
Deliverables related to Training and Technical Assistance Activities: Completed. One 2-day
seminar was cancelled and replaced by a Discovery 2-day training.
Recommendations:
1. Continue to offer the basic OELN training series in locations around the state at least four
times each year to meet ongoing provider training needs related to new, existing, and
reassigned staff.
2. Increase awareness within the service provider community that training like that provided
by the basic OELN training series is required for all Employment Professionals, including
those providing Employment Path services.
3. Offer training and networking opportunities that build relationships among people from
different organizations who share similar roles. These events would support informal
mentoring relationships in which personnel can gain insights from more experienced staff.
4. Recognize that building capacity to deliver competitive integrated employment services is a
difficult task that can require several years to accomplish. Provide capacity-building support
to service providers throughout this process.
5. There is a need to develop an “advanced” component to OELN focused on leadership
development. The Employment First Office should support leaders from organizations
committing to build their capacity to come together at least once a year to share strategies,
successes and learnings, as well as to gain more advanced content related to leadership of
the effort.
6. Organizations working on building their capacity to deliver competitive integrated
employment services require support from many stakeholder groups—people receiving
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services, family members, service coordinators and personal agents, direct service
personnel, employers, and board members. Training should be available that is specifically
targeted to stakeholder groups that may be hesitant to embrace Employment First.
Registration data indicate that of this list of stakeholders, it is primarily direct service
personnel who regularly attend OELN sessions.
7. Add a Technical Assistance component to the Employment First Implementation contract so
there will be the ability to provide Technical Assistance to individual providers and to
organizations by request as they implement the training received through OELN. Often
policies, procedures and practices in organizations with a sheltered employment history get
in the way of implementing this new way of doing business. Technical Assistance also could
provide another avenue to help these organizations work with any of their stakeholder
groups who are hesitant to embrace Employment First.
8. Help organizations to establish data systems that compile the new kinds of data that are
important to evaluating and improving community integrated employment programs,
rather than what they needed to collect as sheltered workshops and community inclusion
programs.
9. Provide “enhanced” CSET training and support targeted training to organizations that serve
people who are seen as most challenging to place. Many organizations that do not have a
sheltered workshop but serve individuals who are challenging need even more help than
the currently targeted sheltered workshops.
10. Continue to invest in using technology to support distance learning, meeting the challenges
of the rural and frontier parts of Oregon. Although there has not been a strong response to
webinars offered in the past, we believe that people need to become accustomed to this
learning platform, including how to use it well.
11. Offer planned and facilitated opportunities to build relationships across service silos,
bringing together job developers, job coaches, Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, service
coordinators, personal agents and schools personnel—as well as employers, individuals
with intellectual/developmental disabilities, and their family members. These events
should help each participant to understand the requirements, needs, and possible benefits
involved with working with the other groups.
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On Demand Modules
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, subsection d Training and Technical Assistance Activities, is amended to add a new items (7) … as follows:
(7) Contractor will design and develop, in collaboration with DHS and authorized Subject Matter Experts, content for an “On Demand” recorded module training series consisting of ten (10) modules targeted to Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC’s). Services Coordinators (SC’s) and Personal Agents (PA’s). The purpose of these modules is to provide training to VRCs, SC’s, and PA’s addressing Core Competencies for Employment Services for Services Coordinators and Personal Agents adopted by DHS. Contractor will attend monthly teleconferences with DHS and Stakeholders and at least one in-person meeting with DHS and Stakeholders. Contractor will provide monthly reports reflecting Contractor’s demonstrated labor, activities and progress.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 3, Item 2.c.
This activity was added to the work scope 3/2/2015. WISE held web-based Advisory Committee
Kick-Off Meeting on February 26. With nine of 11 members attending, the meeting included a
brief overview of the project and discussion of next steps. WISE staff also met with Advisory
Committee members for a day-long meeting in Salem on March 18. During this meeting, the
committee reviewed their role and examples of the end products for this project, as well as
determining the ten module content areas and developing an initial list of Subject Matter
Experts. WISE determined training topics by combining the 15 Service Coordinator and Personal
Agent Core Competencies with feedback from the Advisory Committee, paying particular
attention to a vocational rehabilitation perspective. A List of Advisory Committee members is
available here and information about the 10 modules here.
In May, WISE staff worked with the Employment First Office staff to finalize the Subject Matter
Expert list and determine appropriate contracting parameters. In June, WISE staff held an
Advisory Committee meeting to identify additional Subject Matter Experts to fill positions when
someone is not available to participate in the project. The Advisory Committee also identified
review teams for each module.
WISE has been in contact with the Subject Matter Experts to secure their agreement to
participate in the project. In addition, WISE has worked with the EF Office to approve new
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Subject Matter Experts as needed. At this time, WISE is forming work groups around each on-
demand topic, including three to four Subject Matter Experts for each module’s work group.
The work groups will develop PowerPoint slides and detailed scripts for presentations. In June,
WISE began holding Subject Matter Expert team kick-off meetings to begin content
development. We anticipate that an Advisory Committee will review these draft products by
the end of October, 2015, with several months remaining before the due date, June 30, 2016,
to finalize modules.
By June 30, 2015, WISE will provide a detailed outline of the modules, Subject Matter Experts
and reviewers for each module, as well as a timeline and next steps for work to be done
between 7/1/15 and 12/31/15.
Deliverables for On Demand Modules: In process
Recommendations:
1. Continue to support the On Demand project including Subject Matter Expert training
teams, Advisory Committee meetings and review teams.
2. Become clear on DHS parameters for producing on-line learning modules.
Online Quizzes
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, subsection d Training and Technical Assistance Activities, is amended to add a new items … and (8) as follows:
(8) Contractor will design and develop, in collaboration with DHS and identified Stakeholders, a maximum of 12 online quizzes for Supported Employment Professionals that coincide with DHS’ published Core Competencies and Training Standards for Supported Employment Professionals.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 3, Item 2.c.
Also added to the work scope 3/2/2015, WISE is developing twelve mini-quizzes consisting of
ten questions each, focused on the core competencies and training standards for Supported
Employment Professionals. WISE is sending the Employment First office a draft set of quizzes
for stakeholder feedback.
Deliverables related to Online Quizzes: In process
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Recommendations:
1. Use a stakeholder group to gather feedback and edits for the final version of quiz questions.
2. It is important to have a system to qualify staff members who provide various employment
services. We recommend that the mini-test system include a system to protect the integrity
of the quizzes and to ensure that the person signed into the system is truly the person
taking the test.
3. Establish a system that reviews and updates the mini-tests on a pre-established schedule.
4. Establish a centralized data base that tracks the outcome of the quizzes by individual,
organization and geography. This will ensure that the development of capacity can be
tracked statewide to ensure targeting training resources for underserved areas.
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e. Community Capacity Building
All work required in the original contract under Subsection e “Community Capacity Building”
was completed and included in the previous Final Report for the period ending 9/30/14.
Discovery/Career Exploration Trainings
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, Subsection e “Community Capacity Building” is amended to add a new Sections (3), (4), … as follows: (3) Effective 7-1-14 through 6-30-15, Contractor will increase the number of employment
Support Professionals who are qualified to provide the Discovery/Career Exploration service. Contractor will provide ten (10) Discovery/Career Exploration trainings, at two (2) days each, in various locations across Oregon. Trainings must be designed to meet the expectations and outcomes of the Executive order 13-04. Trainings will be prioritized for provider organizations operating sheltered workshops and their employment specialist.
Trainings shall have a minimum of ten registered participants per training, with the goal of increasing the number of qualified Employment Support Professionals throughout Oregon. The goal is to increase the number of qualified Employment Professionals by at least 50.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.e.
WISE has scheduled and held 11 Discovery/Career Exploration Trainings in seven (7) different
cities around Oregon since September 2014. These seminars are summarized in Table 7, below.
Table 7. Summary of Discovery/Career Exploration Sessions September 2014 through June
1 = This 11th Discovery/Career Planning workshop was added after one OELN Workshop (Social Security Benefits and Work Incentives) was cancelled per instruction from the EF Office due to registration fewer than 20 participants. DHS representatives approved the replacement with the Discovery workshop.
A total of 336 participants attended the seminars. Of these, 168 or 50% represented sheltered
workshops included in the January 2015 Executive Order Data Report (Drawn 3/16/2015 from:
Averages across all Discovery Seminars1 98%2 4.32 4.59 4.13 4.46 4.03 4.21 1 All averages across seminars are calculated using the seminar average scores, rather than calculating across all
individual ratings. This method gives each seminar event equal weight in the calculation. Therefore, a seminar
with 21 responses is weighed as heavily as another seminar with 41 responses. 2 Response rate across seminars 3 Presenter gave participants an opportunity to complete feedback forms each day of the seminar. Occasionally in
other seminars, a few participants turned in feedback forms for both days as well.
Deliverables related to Discovery/Career Exploration Training: Completed. One additional
Discovery seminar was presented in June to replace a cancelled OELN seminar. Therefore, the
number of Discovery seminars delivered was 11, rather than the contracted 10.
Recommendations:
1. Organizations in Oregon will continue to have an ongoing need for this in-depth training in
Discovery, to meet needs of new hires, reassigned staff, and those working in Employment
Path services. Offer at least ten of these specialty trainings each year.
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2. Because there is both an art and a science to Discovery, offer opportunities for staff
members who do Discovery to come together to share tips and techniques, to continue to
improve the quality of Discovery services offered in Oregon.
3. Offer additional topics in specialty trainings, giving an opportunity for more in-depth
learning in areas important to the success of Employment First. These might include
seminars focused on Supporting people who experience more significant barriers to
employment; Recruiting, training, and retaining staff; Self-employment; Using tablets, iPads,
or phones to support individuals; Developing jobs in rural areas; Managing data to support
high performance; Using low-tech visual supports; Leadership for change, and other topics
that cannot be covered fully within the constraints of the OELN seminars.
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Support to Employment First Teams
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, Subsection e “Community Capacity Building” is amended to add a new Sections … (4), … as follows:
(4) Effective 10-1-14 through 6-30-15, Contractor will continue to provide ongoing support
to 12 existing local Employment First teams (prioritizing the EF teams not engaged in ODEP pilot activities) during the term of the contract. Support will consist of:
(a) Monthly support to existing teams; and (b) Two web based community of practices. Contractor will provide DHS regular reports of the support provided to the EF Teams; and
evaluation and monitoring of the overall outcomes of the existing teams
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.e.
Several Employment First (EF) Teams, after taking a break for the summer, began to reorganize
in the fall and develop new goals for the year. Many of the teams faced difficulty maintaining
energy during the fall and early winter, given the many competing priorities and changes in the
service system, including the Executive Order and xPRS. All teams struggled with the systemic
issues, seeking clarity and guidance on how to best navigate the changes.
WISE staff supported teams by phone and in person; before, during, and/or after EF Team
meetings to assist them to hold effective, well-attended meetings and make progress on their
objectives. Staff supported teams to prepare for their role within the first Community of
Practice sessions and the Meet at the Mountain III. A few teams took time to work on a chart
suggested by Transition Network Facilitators that includes common employment terms and
how they are defined by VR and its vendors, ODDS and its providers, or ODE and schools. The
chart assisted teams to better understand communication difficulties across these agencies.
Some of the other things the teams did and WISE staff supported are described briefly below.
Central Oregon: Hosted a very successful third annual Employers’ Award Ceremony,
and agreed to assist WISE with hosting the Meet at the Mountain event in Bend in April.
WISE staff worked intensively with team members in preparation for Meet at the
Mountain Employer Breakfast.
Clackamas: Supported efforts related to public sector job development, their focus for
2015.
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Jackson/Josephine: Although these counties began this contract period as separate
teams, each experienced difficulty keeping their momentum after one or more changes
in team leadership. Therefore in May 2015, the teams chose to begin to meet together
again, in a location convenient to both counties.
Lane: Supported work on their development of marketing materials for team
presentations to community organizations, and assisted in developing a brief proposal
to the state Employment First office to train internal job coach trainers. To improve
attendance, the team changed its meeting time from mid-day to 3:30, and revised its
standardized agenda. The new agenda includes a focus topic, referred to as a
“Facilitated Conversation,” which is led by one or more usually local people who are
knowledgeable about the topic. For example, when the Facilitated Conversation was on
the new Discovery service, a VR Counselor, CDDP service coordinator supervisor, a
Brokerage manager, and service providers each contributed “how Discovery works”
from their place in the overall system. With this new approach to meetings, the
attendance has once again grown.
Lincoln: Although not among the counties supported by this contract for having an EF
Team, Lincoln County residents chose on their own to form a team. The team is strong
enough that it sent members to Meet at the Mountain, where they presented along
with the other EF Teams from around the state.
Marion/Polk: Developed goals related to success stories and celebration, working with
transition students, creating a Quick Reference list of provider and ODDS/VR services,
and developing local training opportunities for skill-building. The team meetings are
generally very well-attended. WISE supported a meeting to determine a single vendor
point of contact for eight planned state supported employment positions.
Mid-Columbia: Supported their focus for 2015, marketing to employers with their “Just
1 Job” campaign.
Multnomah: Provided support to the non-ODEP part of the team to develop a mission
and vision. WISE hosted a reorganizational meeting at the new WISE Portland office in
February, a training session on self-employment in April, and another on video
portfolios in May. A WISE staff person also joined the Multnomah team as a member.
Tillamook: Provided phone support to the team leader. Although small, this team has a
committed core group of members. The team chose to focus on transition and is
working closely with their regional Transition Network Facilitator to get access to county
Special Education Directors to discuss Employment First and Transition.
Umatilla: Connected the team with Cathy Sacco, WISE employee who has been doing
large scale job development in agricultural businesses in Eastern Oregon.
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Washington: WISE worked with the non-ODEP team to look at practices regarding
public sector job development. Although the team was relatively active with trainings,
meetings, and transition job fairs/outreach efforts, they did not require or ask for much
support from WISE.
Union: Based on local interest, Union County formed a new EF Team and held its first
meeting in May.
Yamhill: Assisted the county program manager to reinvigorate the team. The team is
working with their regional Transition Network Facilitator to expand relationships with
schools and Special Education directors.
In addition to direct support to teams, WISE gathered updated email contact information for its
members from every team to submit to the DHS EF Communications Manager.
After the Meet at the Mountain (described below) there was additional energy around EF
teams. WISE staff members were contacted by representatives from other counties who were
interested in forming a team in their local area, based on the energy generated at Meet at the
Mountain III.
Deliverables related to Support to Employment First Teams: Completed
Recommendations:
1. Continue capacity-building at a community level, supporting local teams of stakeholders to
lead their communities to increase employment opportunities for citizens with I/DD.
2. There currently are two types of EF Teams—those that were formed and guided with
support of the EF Implementation Team under contract with DHS, and those that formed on
their own, without support (Marion/Polk, Lincoln, and Union). One of these latter teams
(Marion/Polk) requested and has since received technical support and is now considered
among the “formal” teams. Although some teams may prefer to stay a distance from formal
support mechanisms, we believe that the two “classes” of EF Teams need to be merged,
with all considered as “formal” teams. From the beginning of these efforts, we have viewed
the local teams as an effort largely based on the interests and contributions of local
organizations and their staffs. WISE has recognized that there should not be a cookie cutter
approach to teams, but rather that we should provide support that allows each team to
grow and thrive in a way that best fits the culture and needs of their community. Therefore,
we recommend that all teams be invited to contact the EF Implementation Team if they
need assistance, and that there no longer be a differentiation between teams that were
formed with support and those that formed on their own.
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3. Provide small grants to each local EF Team each year to support their work.
4. ODDS, VR, and ODE have each hired regional staff members. We recommend that these
staffs attend EF Team meetings in their areas when possible, bringing their clarity related to
the perspective of each involved state agency. Many—if not all—of the Transition Network
Coordinators are attending local EF Team meetings and have brought to the teams their
strong connections with schools. VR and ODDS regional staff should continue to try to
attend EF Team meetings in their areas.
4. Perhaps annually, bring together the various persons who support teams to share their
strategies related to Employment First teams.
5. Use the statewide EF Implementation Team as consultants to the agency regional staff, to
assist them with devising strategies to address local barriers.
6. Change the relationship between the statewide EF Implementation Team and local EF
Teams, so that local teams request support from the WISE staff as they need it. WISE staff
may continue to attend and connect with assigned teams as feasible, but with the other
regional agency staff, this will not be needed for all teams.
7. Develop a “Train the Trainer” module—as requested by the Lane County Employment First
Team—so that individuals certified as trainers within organizations, or cooperatives of
organizations, can provide basic job coaching training as new staff are hired. The
Employment First project should fund the Lane County Employment First Team to manage
an initial pilot project in Lane County. After evaluating its success, the design could then be
improved and replicated in other parts of the state. This will build the internal capacity of
organizations to train staff.
8. Ask WISE to develop a Technical Assistance menu of services that EF Teams could access
throughout the year as needed. The menu could include, for example, goal planning,
meeting facilitation, targeted training or technical assistance on specific topics, and
assistance for planning large events.
Web-based Community of Practice. WISE held two web-based Community of Practice sessions
targeted for members of Employment First Teams. Staff assisted teams to prepare for the
February 11 Community of Practice webinar, which included a review of team accomplishments
from the previous year and goals for 2015. The June 23rd Community of Practice focused on
Effective Collaboration and Team Building, offering tools such as Team Charters and Project
Plans as a way to provide a structure to support the work of the team.
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Deliverables related to the Web-based Community of Practice: Completed
Recommendations:
1. Provide for development of a tool kit of resources that EF teams may use for developing
their own team practices and culture unique to their own community. This tool kit could
provide information on team structure, leadership, and meeting agendas that some teams
may need while allowing flexibility and choice. This should be a dynamic web-based
resource that can be expanded over time.
2. Continue the Community of Practice and expand it to a quarterly offering. Use input from EF
teams to build the topical areas of emphasis for the series.
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Meet at the Mountain III
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, Subsection e “Community Capacity Building” is amended to add a new Sections … (5) as follows:
(5) Effective 10-1-14, Contractor will Design and host “Meet at the Mountain” for OELN and Employment First teams. Meet at the Mountain will provide an opportunity for Employment Support Professionals and Employment provider organizations an opportunity to learn, share and exchange best practice methodologies and enhance their core competencies.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.e. Exhibit A, Statement of Work, Section 2 , Work to be Performed, subsection e, Community Capacity Building item (5) is amended to add a new paragraphs (a) … as follows:
(a) Facilitate, support and host “Meet at the Mountain” for OELN and Employment First teams on April 9-10, 2015.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 3, Item 2.e.
The third Meet at the Mountain was held in Bend at the Conference Center at the Riverhouse,
April 9-10, 2015. Working with a “hard” limit of 300 attendees established by the Conference
Center, a total of 298 people formally registered for the event and 280 actually attended. After
registration was closed about two weeks prior to the event, approximately 60 additional
individuals requested to register and were turned down due to space limitations.
After many internal team discussions, WISE planned the Meet at the Mountain with the
assistance of an Advisory Committee and a smaller work group, beginning the formal planning
meetings in December. The purpose of the Advisory Group was to provide general direction
and feedback related to the event. The smaller Work Group carried out the actual tasks
associated with the event, such as making site arrangements, drafting the agenda, and
completing presenter logistics. Work Group activities and drafts were then presented to the
Advisory Committee for further review and input. Thus, the Advisory Committee discussed
registration and roles. Advisory Committee members also provided assistance at the Meet at
the Mountain event itself. Members of these groups are listed in Table 10.
The Central Oregon Employment First Team hosted the Meet at the Mountain, and played
important roles both prior to and during the event. A team member participated on the
Advisory Committee and assisted with the event closing; several team members assisted with
planning and carrying out the Employer Breakfast
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Table 10. Planning Groups Supporting Meet at the Mountain III
Planning Group Member by Organization Member, Advisory
Group
Member, Work Group
Oregon Rehabilitation Association
Danielle Vanderlinden
Chris Burnett
Elizabeth Shrader
Vicki Devlin
State Personnel
Heather Lindsey, ODE
Corissa Neufeldt, DHS
Ann Balzell, VRS
Stephanie Roncal, DHS
Brokerage
Heather Hopkins-Schlecta, Full Access
WISE Staff
Cesilee Coulson
Brandi Monts, Event Coordinator
Jim Corey
Robyn Hoffman
Joyce Dean
Emily Harris
Table 11 summarizes the roles of the meeting’s attendees, as reported during registration.
Employment First Implementation Report, Contract #143999 and Amendments
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Table 11. Participant Roles Attending Meet at the Mountain
Based on this analysis, Meet at the Mountain included a good mix of participants, including
Vocational Rehabilitation, schools, employment agencies and CDDPs, as well as a mixture of
management and direct staff. Only one person self-identified as a family member and five as
self-advocates. The Other category primarily includes staff from technical assistance and
training organizations.
Of the 280 attendees at Meet at the Mountain III, 100 attendees (35.7%) completed and turned
in the post-event survey. This section of this report summarizes the results to the general
survey, which included questions related to the overall conference, the general sessions, and
conference logistics.
Reason for Attending the Meet at the Mountain. Table 12 summarizes the response to the
question, “Why did you attend the Meet at the Mountain III?” Respondents were instructed to
check all that apply and to enter any other reason that was not listed. Of the 100 surveys, 94
respondents (94%) completed this question, representing 33.6% of total attendees.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Other
Family Member
Residential/Foster Care Management
Benefits Planner
CDDP
Self-advocate
Other State Staff
Service Coordinator/Personal Agent
School staff/ESD/YTP/Transition Network Fac.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Employment Agency Management
Employment Specialist
Number of Participants
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Table 12. Responses to post-event survey question: “Why did you attend the Meet at the
Mountain III? (Check all that apply)”
Number of Respondents
% of Respondents
Learn about what other communities are doing related to Employment First
75 80%
Learn new information from the breakout sessions 71 76%
Interact with people from different parts of the state 64 68%
Find out what the state agencies are working on 55 59%
Learn about what other communities are doing related to Transition
52 55%
Interact with people from my own region 48 51%
Learn about what employers are thinking about Employment First 43 43%
Hear from a nationally recognized keynote speaker 25 27%
Complete some local planning 20 21%
Other 15 16%
Figure 1 presents these data graphically. The two top reasons given by participants who
responded to this survey item were: 1) to learn about what other communities are doing
related to Employment First (80% of respondents) and 2) to learn new information from the
breakout sessions (76% of respondents).
Twelve (12) of the 15 persons who responded “Other” wrote in a reason: Two (2) indicated
Networking. Each of the other reasons was listed by only one person:
Learn about the state of Employment First in Oregon
Try to all "get on the same page"
Build EF Team momentum and energy
Talk to others who have or are transitioning from sheltered work to integrated employment
Support Transition Network
To become more knowledgeable in order to be a better EF partner and advocate for all people with disabilities
Hear more about discovery and transition strategies
They made you
The hotel
Do a presentation
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Figure 1. Number of Respondents Selecting Each Reason for Attending the Meet at the Mountain III
Bold Moves
At the closing for Meet at the Mountain III, two Advisory Committee members invited all
participants to turn in a tally sheet to indicate what their next “bold move” would be to expand
or improve Employment First in their areas. A total of 211 participants turned in a response.
Figure 2 depicts the results.
Figure 2. Bold Moves Planned by Meet at the Mountain III Participants.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Other
Complete some local planning
Hear from a nationally recognized keynote speaker
Learn about what employers are thinking about…
Interact with people from my own region
Learn about what other communities are doing…
Find out what the state agencies are working on
Interact with people from different parts of the…
Learn new information from the breakout sessions
Learn about what other communities are doing…
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Other
Storytelling
Person centered exploration/planning
Find one person a job…
Working together to set goals
Local interagency barrier breaking
Prepare yourself and agency
Talking about it…
Get to know local partners
Initiating culture change
Network with the business community
Number of Responses
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The most common responses were plans to network with the business community, and to
initiate culture change (30 responses each). Fifteen people said they would find one person a
job…but one of these added a note saying they would find 25 jobs for people, and another jobs
for 10 transition students. Sixteen participants gave other responses, not included in the list
provided on the tally sheet. These responses were:
Work on forming an EF group in Clatsop Co.
Develop peer mentor group to talk to TLC Educational event on employment and getting a paid job
Be patient with partners
Have fun in the process
Establish a transition consortium
Allow appropriate time for all persons to come to PCP's
Move closer to OED
Do more conferences
More peer mentoring networking
Offer to attend IEP's as an employment provider as a community service
Educate intragency staff, i.e.,- residential, supported living about EF and how everyone can help with job development
Create a team for seamless transition
P C bus
Changing community
Go to county council meeting re: public sector employment
Incorporate peer mentors/advocates in service delivery system in my branch
Participant Feedback
Participants were asked to provide written feedback on the overall event, as well as on the
break-out sessions they attended, on surveys distributed during Meet at the Mountain III. The
next few tables and graphs provide summaries related to aspects of the overall event.
Table 13. Feedback Summary for Overall Event: “Please rate your satisfaction with each of the
following aspects of Meet at the Mountain III”
Aspects of the Event # Responses NOT including "Didn't
Attend or NA"
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
Mostly Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Geographic location of event
98 0 13.3% 24.5% 62.2%
Hotel 76 2.6% 11.8% 30.3% 55.3%
Riverhouse 40 2.5% 10.0% 32.5% 55.0%
Bend INN 14 0 21.4% 35.7% 42.9%
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Aspects of the Event # Responses NOT including "Didn't
Attend or NA"
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied
Mostly Satisfied
Very Satisfied
Conference Center, Meeting Rooms
96 2.1% 3.1% 39.6% 55.2%
Meals provided 96 5.2% 16.7% 44.8% 33.3%
Opening Keynote 90 5.6% 6.7% 28.9% 58.9%
Brief Presentations by Employment First Teams 93 18.3% 26.9% 38.7% 16.1%
Brief Presentations by the Seamless Transition Pilots
89 9.0% 27.0% 40.4% 23.6%
Social Hour 76 7.9% 27.6% 42.1% 22.4%
Dinner presentation 77 10.4% 35.1% 36.4% 18.2%
Employer Breakfast 72 1.4% 8.3% 34.7% 55.6%
Range of choices available for Break-out sessions
94 4.3% 7.4% 46.8% 41.5%
Presentations by State Leaders
85 3.5% 25.9% 49.4% 21.2%
Table conversations on Friday afternoon
75 1.3% 13.3% 52.0% 33.3%
Closing 58 3.4% 15.5% 53.4% 27.6%
Overall, how do you rate your experience at Meet at the Mountain?
90 1.1% 5.6% 61.1% 32.2%
Figure 3 depicts the percent of respondents within each item that were mostly or very satisfied
with that aspect of Meet at the Mountain. For three items, 90% or more of the respondents
indicated they were mostly or very satisfied: The Conference Center/Meeting Rooms (95%),
their Overall Experience at the event (93%), and the Employer Breakfast (90%). A total of 81%-
88% of respondents indicated they were mostly or very satisfied with the Range of Choices in
Break-out Sessions, Opening Keynote, the Riverhouse Hotel (all 88%); the Geographic Location
of the Event (87%), the Hotel (any hotel-86%), Friday Afternoon Table Discussions (85%), and
the Closing (81%). Only two items fell below 60% of participants being satisfied: the Brief
Presentations by Employment First Teams and the Dinner Presentation (both 55%). Overall, it
is clear that the Meet at the Mountain participants who responded to the post-event survey
were satisfied with the event.
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Figure 3. Percent of Respondents to Items Who Indicated They were “Mostly” or “Very”
Satisfied with that Aspect of Meet at the Mountain III
Analysis of Open-ended Questions
The end-of-conference feedback form also included five open-ended questions:
What was the most important thing you did at the Meet at the Mountain III?
What was the most important thing you learned at Meet at the Mountain III?
What could have been done to improve Meet at the Mountain III?
What topics or activities would you like to have included in the next Meet at the Mountain?
Other Comments
Responses to each of these questions were analyzed for themes, which are summarized below.
Question: What was the most important thing you did at the Meet at the Mountain III? Of the 100 survey respondents, 76 responded to this question. Because several of the
participants gave more than one concept in their response, 100 individual comments were
analyzed. Figure 4 summarizes these comments, with a depiction of the number of respondents
who made comments about that theme.
55%
55%
64%
64%
71%
78%
79%
81%
85%
86%
87%
88%
88%
88%
90%
93%
95%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Dinner presentation
Brief Presentations by Employment First Teams
Brief Presentations by the Seamless Transition Pilots
Social Hour
Presentations by State Leaders
Meals provided
Bend INN
Closing
Table conversations on Friday afternoon
Hotel
Geographic location of event
Riverhouse
Opening Keynote
Range of choices available for Break-out sessions
Employer Breakfast
Overall, how do you rate your experience at Meet…
Conference Center, Meeting Rooms
Percent of MTMIII Respondents
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Figure 4. Number of participants providing a comment related to each identified theme
The most frequent response (57% of question respondents) was “Network”. Of these
respondents, seven (7) were specifically focused on networking with local partners, three (3)
specifically mentioned networking with people from around the state. The next two categories
“Learn” and “Breakouts” reflected 18% and 14% of question respondents. The “Other”
category comments, reflecting the thought of one person each, were:
Bounce ideas off others
Brought my whole team
Go beyond basics
Honest discussion
Inspiration
It happened - so amazing to see it grow
Made commitments
Peer mentor/advocacy sessions
Planning
Role conversation
Self-employment session
Question: What was the most important thing you learned at Meet at the Mountain III?
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
OtherAttend/participate
CollaborateMeet/talk with state employees
Not alone in this workProgress ard stateMeet new people
Seamless transition pilotCondelucci presentations
Get new ideasBreakouts
LearnNetwork
Number of Responses
What was the most important thing you did at the Meet at the Mountain III?
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Of the 100 survey respondents, 71 included a response to this question. Because several of the
participants gave more than one concept in their response, 81 individual comments were
analyzed. Figure 5 summarizes these comments.
Figure 5. Number of participants providing a comment related to each identified theme
The most frequent response (31% of question respondents) related to “Social Capital.” This
category included responses such as: Networking and relationships are important; Gate
keepers; LinkedIn; New contacts; I need to continue to network as part of my duties as a VRC;
Social capital = it's all about who you know; We don't change the world thru laws, we change
the world thru relationships; I learned a lot about networking and skills to start the
conversation with strangers.
“Transition Planning” reflected 18% of question respondents and included responses such as:
How to implement a transition plan and what role my organization will play; and Strategies to
keep youth transitioning into the workforce.
The “Other” category comments, reflecting the thought of one person each, included:
If you don't think everyone can work you are in the wrong field.
Although you may feel related you really are not.
Continuing to be intentional and meaning for in our work.
Better coordination and outreach needed
Change the culture
How to engage our CDDP service coordinators with getting them to show up and do some of the heavy lifting.
To have tough conversations.
Ideas to explore
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Other
Refresher
Self employment
Sheltered workshops
Job development strategies
EF Teams
Public sector
Negative response
Technology
Transition Planning
Social Capital
What was the most important thing you learned at Meet at the Mountain III?
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Latest developments
The state of communication and engagement among different agencies, organizations.
People are passionate and forward thinking.
We are all struggling with the same issues.
We are all struggling together to get this.
There is movement.
Who to contact for specific Q/A.
WIOA
Lots of work ahead.
State of the state.
Talk to people who are grounding services and how that is working for them. Or not working for them.
Other agency providers are experiencing the same communication barriers and brainstorming ways to improve this.
Question: What could have been done to improve Meet at the Mountain III? Of the 100 survey respondents, 62 included a response to this question. Because a few of the
participants gave more than one concept in their response, 66 individual comments were
analyzed. Six of these comments were positive, rather than suggesting improvements.
Figure 6. Number of participants providing a comment related to each identified theme
related to improving Meet at the Mountain
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Other
Hotel
More self-advocates
Improve Pre-event info
Setting
Couldn't hear
More Social hour bartenders
Improve EF & Transition presentations
Positive comments
Timing
More Breakout sessions
Content suggestions
What could have been done to improve Meet at the Mountain III?
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The most frequent responses (21% of question respondents) were specific “Content
Suggestions”. This category included responses such as: Do a system flowchart, Present data,
Share example Discovery documents, EF Teams, Job-a-like sharing session, More about job
coaching, More intermediate and advanced courses, More stories of success and strategies,
More trainings hadn't already had, Sessions that blend residential and employment, Present
scenarios, School-focused, and Have a self-advocate open the conference.
Comments on “Breakout sessions” reflected 15% of question respondents and included nine (9)
requests for more breakout sessions to attend, and one response asking for better breakout
speakers.
Comments on “Timing” included requests to start and end day 1 earlier, start day 2 later,
extend the length of the conference, and keep the State Leader session from running over.
The “Other” category comments, reflecting the thought of one person each, included:
Chairs uncomfortable
First day content
Hold the conference more often
Increase size of event
Sound system
Starting activity
Use tables
Question: What topics or activities would you like to have included in the next Meet at the Mountain?
Of the 100 survey respondents, 49 included a suggestion in response to this question. No topic
was mentioned by more than three respondents. The full list of comments is available here.
Question: Other Comments
Of the 100 survey respondents, 35 included a response to this item. Because several of the
participants gave more than one concept in their response, 48 individual comments were
analyzed. Of these, 29 were positive comments, 15 were negative, and 4 offered suggestions.
Positive comments included 13 comments about content [i.e., well-planned (4), keynote (2),
great break-outs, speakers, variety, had focus on efforts not complaints, learned, motivating,
professional/progressive]; 12 that were general [e.g., thank you (2). great conference (2), plan
to attend again (2), inspiring, enjoyed it); two (2) on site/logistics (e.g., lovely setting), and two
(2) on format (e.g., good information sharing & discussion). Negative comments included 10
comments about content [e.g., state leaders session (3), lack focus (2), more specific
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information, guided community building, better table facilitators]; and five (5) about logistics
(i.e., names on nametags too small, couldn’t hear at dinner, insufficient number of bartenders
at social hour, hotel signage, and table flowers too tall). The complete comments are available
here.
Meet at the Mountain III: Break-out Sessions
Meet at the Mountain III included 12 one and one-half hour break-out sessions organized into
six tracks with two sessions each. The planning group developed the tracks and sessions to
address the broad set of stakeholders attending and a wide set of interests. The tracks were:
Leading the Transformation, Self-Advocate Roles in Expanding Employment, Transition to a Full
Life, Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!, Skills to Climb the Hills, and Community Collaboration.
Feedback on Break-out Sessions. Participants returned a total of 309 surveys across all
sessions, with an overall session rating average of 4.4 on a 5-point scale. Table 14 presents
each session, its presenter(s), and feedback scores for each of the three feedback questions
with scaled responses (1=unsatisfactory, 5=excellent). Overall, participants appeared to be
pleased with the range of choices and the information provided in these sessions.
Table 14. Satisfaction Scores for Breakout Sessions at Meet at the Mountain III
Session Title Presenter(s)
No. Surveys
Overall Rating1
Information useful 1,,2
Presenter(s)1,3
Track: Leading the Transformation
Cracker barrel: Closing Down the Shop… Transforming the Now-Some Strategies to Get from Where you are to Where You Want to Be Chris Brandt, Chris Christian, Roger Hassenpflug
27 4.6 4.5 4.7
How to Use Data to Support the Transformation Chris Brandt, Chris Christian, Roger Hassenpflug
28 4.5 4.4 4.7
Track: Advocacy in Employment
Raising Expectations: The Value of Peer Mentors
Kaaren Londahl, Jordan Ohlde, Ross Ryan 11 4.3 4.4 4.4
Increasing Parent Engagement in Transition Jenny Cavarno
12 4.6 4.5 4.7
Track: Transition to a Full Life
Collaborating through Change: Multnomah County EF Seamless Transition Pilot
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Session Title Presenter(s)
No. Surveys
Overall Rating1
Information useful 1,,2
Presenter(s)1,3
Julia Covert, Heidi Dirkes-Graw, Peter Fitzgerald, Sarah Statham, Skyler Whitley
Planning My Way to Work Jaime Daignault, Heather Lindsey, Acacia McGuire-Anderson, Keith Ozols , Ross Ryan
26 4.8 4.5 4.9
Track: Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!
Using Community Involvement as a Strategy for Developing Jobs
Paula Johnson 70 4.4 4.5 4.7
Breaking into the Public Sector for Job Opportunities
Ray Jensen, Stuart Torgerson 30 3.5 3.5 4.0
Track: Skills to Climb the Hills
iPads and Handheld Technology Marsha Threlkeld
18 4.8 4.9 4.9
Self-Employment for People with Significant Disabilities
Jim Corey 17 4.8 4.7 4.8
Track: Community Collaboration
Developing a Strong Employment First Team Heather Hopkins-Slechta , Bob Stevens
19 4.1 4.2 4.6
Creating Symbiotic Relationships with OVRS Erica Brown, Sabrina Cunliffe
29 4.2 4.4 4.3
Overall Averages 3094 4.4 4.6 4.6 1 Rating Scale: 1=Unsatisfactory, 5=Excellent 2 The information that I learned will be something that I use in the future 3 Presenter (s) (e.g., knowledge of material, presentation style) 4 Two responses included in this total could not be associated with a specific session
Deliverables for Meet at the Mountain III: Completed
Recommendations:
1. Continue to offer Meet at the Mountain, at least every 18 months to two years, if not
annually, to bring together people who are invested in Employment First from all over the
state, and take advantage of the boost in energy that comes with such a gathering.
2. Given the importance of learning to participants, it may be time to attach an additional day
of training to the event, so that training content is not limited to the 1.5 hour breakout
session format that has been used in previous Meet at the Mountain events.
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3. In addition to expanding training sessions, because Meet at the Mountain has included a
wide range of stakeholders, we recommend including small group discussions that bring
different roles together—with the purpose of better understanding each other’s
perspectives and needs.
4. Pay attention to the timing of Meet at the Mountain. Participants leave the event with high
energy, so training and technical assistance is critical to help them take advantage of that.
Holding an event in the fall, after participants have returned from summer breaks and
Employment First training and technical assistance contracts are in place, may be a better
time than late spring.
CESP Exam
Exhibit A, Statement of Work, Section 2, Work to be Performed, subsection e, Community Capacity Building item (5) is amended to add a new paragraphs .... (b) as follows:
(b) Contractor will host, provide monitor(s), and coordinate registration for 4 testing
locations across the state for Community Employment Support Professionals (CESP) exam, including exam materials for a maximum of 125 participants. Contractor will target testing locations in each Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Portland Metro area and either Central or Mid-Valley geographic areas.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 3, Item 2.c.
A WISE staff member worked with the National APSE CESP Program Manager to obtain current exam requirements and to become certified as a proctor for the exam. APSE has very specific requirements for the room used for the test, including size; the handling of exam materials; the testing environment; and day of exam procedures. WISE also worked with the EF Office to clarify reimbursement procedures for APSE’s exam fees and has established a process for reimbursing successful test-takers.
With support of local providers or Employment First Team members, WISE staff members have
planned the four required exams, including identifying appropriate locations, proctors, and
logistics for each. In an effort to increase the availability of CESP exams and certified
employment specialists in Oregon, WISE is currently working to schedule a fifth exam, to be
held in October 2014 in coordination with ORA’s Northwest Conference. Completed and
planned dates and locations for exams, as of the time of this report, are summarized in Table
15.
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Table 15. 2015 CESP Exam Dates, Locations and Number of Participants
Date Location No. of Participants
May 26 Ashland, Southern Oregon University 8
June 11 Hermiston, Chamber of Commerce 13
August 4 Bend, The Riverhouse Hotel and Conference Center TBD
September 30 Hood River, tentatively scheduled for the Best Western Inn (To be held in cooperation with the Oregon APSE Conference)
TBD
TBD, October Eugene, in cooperation with ORA’s Northwest Conference TBD
The APSE website includes a listing of individuals who have been issued a CESP certificate by
APSE after meeting APSE’s standards, which include both experience and passing the CESP
exam. Their list of certificants (current as of 4/15/2015) includes 47 individuals from Oregon.
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f. Advice to DHS Leadership
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, Subsection f “Advice to DHS Leadership” is hereby amended to add a new Sections (4), and (5) as follows: (4) Effective 10-1-14 through 6-30-15 Contractor will participate in weekly conference calls
with DHS to discuss contract activities and strategies. Dates and times of the calls shall be mutually agreed upon by the parties. Calls during any particular week may be cancelled by mutual consent of the parties.
(5) Effective 10-1-14 through 6-30-15 Contractor will meet with DHS representatives for at
least three (3) sessions in Salem to work with and advise ODDS, OVRS, and other DHS leadership on strategic planning and implementation strategies. The dates for the meetings with DHS will be set based on a mutually agreed schedule. The specific agenda for sessions will be developed jointly by the Contractor and designated staff at least one (1) week prior to the meeting or work day.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.f.
All required conference call and on-site meetings with DHS, ODDS, and OVRS were held during
this contract period unless cancelled based on mutual agreement or necessity of DHS staff.
During this project period, conversations between WISE and the DHS Employment First staff
have included a wide range of topics, including:
Developing base logistics for Meet at the Mountain, the Save the Date announcement,
partnerships for content design, and progress in event planning.
Discussing questions arising during OELN training sessions, such as whether ODDS would
recognize VR-qualified individual vendors as qualified to deliver employment services
through ODDS; the new payment system.
Reviewing attendance at Discovery and OELN training sessions.
Strategizing about the launch of the EF Team Community of Practice sessions.
Clarifying training requirements for Discovery services.
Finalizing the expectations for the On Demand trainings and reviewing progress.
Planning strategies to reduce “no shows” at events.
Reviewing Employment First Teams.
Discussing the Lane EF Team request for support for a “Train the Trainer” series on job
coaching.
Providing updates on the School-to-work and the ODEP grant activities.
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Serving as a broker for the Summer Youth employment component during the summer
of 2015.
Cancelling an OELN event in Medford due to low enrollment and replacing it with a
Discovery session in Portland.
Identifying the relationship between this project and the Transformation projects,
including how they can best support each other.
Discussing the continued need for supporting implementation of the training that is
being delivered, including a need for greater emphasis on the management of services
within organizations following training.
Planning for CESP exams.
Deliverables related to Advice to State Leadership: Completed
Recommendations
1. Continue to support open dialog among state leaders from DHS EF Office, ODDS, VR and
ODE with WISE. As the training and Technical Assistance group for the Statewide EF
Implementation Project, project staff and trainers are in close contact with various types of
organizations and their employees across the state. This on-the-ground knowledge on the
impact of policy decisions, the questions and confusions in the field, and other issues are
valuable intelligence for improving state leadership decisions.
2. Continue to provide clarification on state policy and practice related to Employment First so
that the Statewide EF Implementation Team can assist the field to understand and follow
changes.
3. Strategize together related to future priorities for continuing to expand Employment First,
and to meet the directives of Executive Order 15-01.
4. Work together to eliminate any schedule conflicts for EF planned events related to state
agency-sponsored activities.
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g. ODEP
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 2 “Work to be Performed”, subsection g only to read as follows: language deleted or replaced is struck through; new language is underlined and bold. (1) Contractor will track, report and invoice the ODEP activities (those funded by ODEP)
separately from the training and Technical Assistance activities. (2) Contractor will serve as fiscal agent for the ODEP funds only. Contractor will be allowed
to charge an administrative service fee for fiscal agent services up to 10% of the monthly ODEP fund balance expenditure amount.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 1, Item g. (1) and (2)
All work required in the original contract under Subsection g. “ODEP” was completed and
included in the previous Final Report for the period ending 9/30/14.
Tracking, Reporting and Invoicing ODEP Activities
WISE has tracked, reported and invoiced the ODEP activities (those funded by ODEP) separately
from the training and Technical Assistance activities throughout the period of this contract and
its amendments to date. ODEP activities were invoiced separately from invoices for work
performed under Contract #143999.
Fiscal Agent and Administrative Fee
WISE served as the fiscal agent for the ODEP funds. An administrative fee for fiscal agent
services of 10% was assessed on the monthly brokered ODEP expenditure amount.
Deliverables related to ODEP Activities: Completed
Recommendations: None at this time.
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3. Delivery Schedule
a. Monthly Project Reports
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 3 “Delivery Schedule”, Subsection a.(1) “Monthly Training and Technical Assistance Reports” is hereby amended to add a new Sections (e) and (f) as follows:
All work required in the original contract under Section 3 “Delivery Schedule” Subsection a.(1)
“Monthly Training and Technical Assistance Reports” was completed and included in the
previous Final Report for the period ending 9/30/14.
WISE provided Monthly Activities reports each month during this project period, beginning with
September 2014. The June 2015 report, summarizing work performed through June 30, will be
provided by July 15. Each report has included all required elements.
Deliverables related to Monthly Training and Technical Assistance Reports: Completed
b. Training Needs and Resources Inventory
Included in the original contract, this activity was completed.
c. Development and Management of Supported Employment Training
All work required in the original contract under Section 3 “Delivery Schedule” Subsection c
“Development and Management of Supported Employment Training” was completed and
included in the previous Final Report for the period ending 9/30/14.
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d. Training and Technical Assistance Activities
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 3 “Delivery Schedule”, Subsection d “Training and Technical Assistance Activities” is hereby amended to add a new Sections (6) through (12) as follows:
(6) By July 31, 2014. Contractor will develop and deliver to DHS the OELN training
plan and schedule through June 30, 2015; (7) By July 31, 2014, Contractor will develop and deliver to DHS a schedule and draft
of the Discovery/Career Development training plan for review by ODDS and interagency partners;
(8) By August 15, 2014, Contractor will provide a final overall training and Technical
Assistance plan through June 30, 2015, to DHS for review and approval; and (9) By October 31, 2014, Contractor will develop and deliver to DHS a schedule and
draft of the Employment First Teams Technical Assistance plan through June 30, 2015, for review by DHS and interagency partners;
(10) By May 30, 2015, Contractor will provide eleven (11) two (2) day events or twenty-
two (22) days of training for Oregon Employment Leadership Network (OELN).
(a) The goal is to increase the number of qualified Employment Professionals by at least 50. At least fifty (50) must be new to the training and core competency content.
(b) Provide a summary of each training activity with participant evaluations and attendance records.
(11) By May 30, 2015, Contractor will provide ten (10) Discovery/Career Exploration
trainings, at two (2) days each, in various locations across Oregon. Trainings must be designed to meet the expectations and outcomes of the Executive Order 13-04. Trainings will be prioritized for provider organizations operating sheltered workshops and their employment specialist.
(12) By June 30, 2015, Contractor will evaluate the effectiveness of the training and
Technical Assistance activities completed to date in section 2(d)(1) through (5), and provide a report to DHS which shall include but is not limited to data reflecting numbers of participants, geographic locations, agency affiliation, and numbers of participants who have subsequently applied for and passed national certification.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item h.
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All items required by these parts of the contract were delivered as required. Specifically, the
project completed or maintained:
1. The draft OELN training plan and schedule through June 30, 2015.
2. A schedule and draft of the Discovery/Career Development training plan for review by
ODDS and interagency partners.
3. A final overall training and Technical Assistance plan through June 30, 2015.
4. A schedule and draft of the Employment First Teams Technical Assistance plan through June
30, 2015 for review by DHS and interagency partners.
5. Ten (10) two (2) day events providing twenty (20) days of training for the Oregon
Employment Leadership Network. A scheduled eleventh OELN seminar in Medford was
cancelled by direction of DHS staff in April 2015 due to insufficient registrations (15).
Information on the participants who were new to the training and core competency
content, as well of a summary of participant evaluations and attendance records, was
presented in a previous section.
6. Eleven (11) Discovery/Career Exploration trainings, at two (2) days each, in various locations
across Oregon, and designed to meet the expectations and outcomes of the Executive
Order 13-04, superseded by Executive Order 15-01. Ten Discovery seminars were required
by contract. With the approval of DHS representatives, WISE provided an eleventh
Discovery training to replace the cancelled OELN event.
7. A report evaluating the effectiveness of the training and Technical Assistance activities
completed to date in section 2(d) (1) through (5), that included data reflecting numbers of
participants, geographic locations, agency affiliation, and numbers of participants who have
subsequently applied for and passed national certification.
Deliverables related to Training and Technical Assistance Activities: Completed
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On Demand Modules
Exhibit A, Statement of Work”, Section 3, Delivery Schedule, Subsection d “Training and Technical Assistance Activities” is amended to add a new item (13) as follows:
(13) By June 30, 2015, Contractor will provide DHS with detailed outline of proposed design and content for the “On Demand” recorded module training series consisting of ten (10) modules targeted to VRC’s, SC’s and PA’s that aligns with the Core Competencies for Employment Services for Services Coordinators and Personal Agents.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 3, Item d.
Deliverables related to On Demand modules: Completed
e. Advice to State Leadership
All items required by this part of the contract were delivered as required, and reported in this
and the previous final report (6/29/2014).
Deliverables related to Advice to State Leadership: Completed
f. CSET Communications
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 3 “Delivery Schedule”, Subsection f “CSET Communications” is hereby amended to add a new Section as follows:
Effective October 1, 2014, and monthly thereafter until the end of the contract, provide Stakeholder survey/feedback opportunities on effectiveness of Employment First Initiative website and newsletter. Contractor will provide monthly reports to DHS reflecting Contractor’s responses to survey/feedback.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.i.
Deliverables related to CSET Communications: Completed
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g. ODEP
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 3 “Delivery Schedule”, subsection g, only to read as follows: language to be deleted or replaces is struck through; new language is underlined and bold. g. Contractor will continue to serve as fiscal agent for the ODEP funds only. Contractor will
be allowed to charge an administrative fee for fiscal agent services up to 10% of the monthly ODEP fund balance expenditure amount.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 1, Item d.
Deliverables related to ODEP Activities: Completed
h. Final Report
Exhibit A, Part 1 “Statement of Work”, Section 3 “Delivery Schedule”, Subsection h “Final Report” is hereby amended to add a new Section as follows:
By June 30, 2015, Contractor will provide a final report summarizing Contractor activity, evaluating overall impact, and making recommendations for the sustainability of training and technical assistance capacity through contract period.
Contract #143999, Amendment Number 2, Item 2.j.
Summary of Contractor Activity and Overall Impact. This report has included a summary of
activity performed under this contract and impact. A total of 920 individuals attended Meet at
the Mountain, OELN or Discovery events delivered through this nine-month reporting period,
including staff from sheltered workshops and other adult service programs funded through the
Office of Developmental Disability Services, schools personnel, county developmental disability
programs, brokerages and Vocational Rehabilitation offices. In addition, the number of
counties with active local Employment First Teams expanded during the contract period. The
momentum for Employment First continues to grow in communities all around Oregon.
Recommendations for Next Steps and Sustainability of Training and Technical Assistance.
Over the next several years and beyond, it will be important to continue to address the
fundamentals of Employment First—both to address staff turnover in employment support
organization and to address the growing number of provider organizations offering services to
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support getting and keeping jobs in the community grows. In addition, as community
integrated employment grows and matures, it is important to provide more advanced and
targeted training to support improving the quality of employment supports and outcomes.
Specific recommendations related to the next few years of Employment First training and
technical assistance were provided in previous sections of this report.
Deliverables related to the Final Report: Completed
Conclusion
Together, the range of activities completed by the WISE EF Statewide Implementation Team
has addressed portions of Executive Order 15-01, particularly related to expanding awareness
of the benefits of employment and expanding provider capacity to achieve the desired
