Training Calendar

Recruit, Cultivate and Retain (RCR) is a leadership series designed for mid-level managers working in employment and community inclusion service provider agencies. By joining RCR, you will have the opportunity to develop immediately usable skills for developing your own career and promoting increased job satisfaction for staff you manage. In community with other program managers, we will re-energize, create solutions to complex problems and share expertise.

Goals:

• Learn strategies for recruiting, developing and retaining staff
• Increase your leadership skills as a manager and leader
• Develop a plan for advancing your career
• Hone systems and processes for developing staff into leadership positions
• Connect with other leaders that are managing employment and day services
• Deepen and develop relationships across organizations in your community

For more information and to register go to https://www.gowise.org/home/training/rcr/

Individuals with autism bring valuable and unique assets to the workplace, yet supporting the specific and often complex needs of clients with autism can be challenging for employers. How can employment professionals and educators support the sensory, communication, social, and mental health needs of autistic job seekers while engaging their strengths in the workplace? How can practitioners ensure that job placements are well-matched to mutually benefit the preferences and needs of job seekers and employers?

This in-depth training will include discussion of common characteristics of autism and their potential impact on employment, strategies to facilitate independence, self-management, and self-advocacy throughout the employment process, examples of practical workplace accommodations, and much more. Questions about this training should be directed to Kelly.Wanzer@umb.edu.

This training is appropriate for employment professionals and educators assisting people with autism on their employment journey and provides three hours of professional development.

Our online course is for case managers and care coordinators supporting adults with disabilities and transition age youth on a path to employment.

Our course offers strategies to:

❖ enhance your career path

❖ increase your capacity to support individuals on an employment journey

This course fits your busy schedule. You can:

❖ Complete the course anywhere with internet access at your desk or on the go with a mobile device.

❖ Finish the whole course at once or in smaller pieces. Save your work and pick up where you left off using the course navigation.

This course is interactive and immersive.

❖ Take your time to reflect and analyze problems before answering the questions.

❖ Explore real-life scenarios, case studies, and stories and check your knowledge with quizzes.

❖ Download additional resources to continue studying over time.

COURSE CONTENT

(approximate time for completion: 5-6 hours)

Our course emphasizes the critical role case managers play in ensuring opportunities to experience competitive integrated employment.

Module 1: Employment Foundations

A positive vision for the future influences our desire to work. Learn about expectations, national perspectives, various types of paid employment, strategies for supporting families, and more.

Module 2: Employment Pathways

Informed choice is key to successful decision making. Learn about dignity of risk, individual voice, guided conversations around integrated employment, job satisfaction, and more.

Module 3: The Employment Process

Get to know the job seeker to help them find a good job match. Learn from self-advocates about advocacy, how to plan for job supports, customized jobs, employee retention, and more.

Module 4: Collaborating with Vocational Rehabilitation

Partnering with VR is mutually beneficial. Learn about defining employment pathways, VR application and eligibility processes, long term supports after job placement, and more.

This training is appropriate for case managers and their supervisors. You will earn a certificate after completing all the required work, which can be submitted for continuing professional development credits.

A strong Career Planner has skills and abilities that support—working with people one to one, ability to talk with businesses and learn and connect people to companies and capture accurate information and develop a detailed written Career Plan while staying organized.

Dates for the full Certificate Series:

• September 5, 10:00am—12:00pm (Webinar #1)
• September 12, 8:30am—3:30pm (Live Day in Augusta at DHHS, OADS office—arrive at 8:15am)
• September 19, 10:00am—12:00pm (Webinar #2)
• September 26, 10:00am—12:00pm (Webinar #3)

To apply:

• You must be fully certified as a Work Support Professional or an ACRE Employment Specialist to attend this training
• You must attend all sessions to receive the certificate, after completing an evaluation
• There will be assigned homework between sessions
• The class will be limited to the first 15 enrollees
• Registration is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

You will receive the Zoom link for the webinars in your confirmation email closer to the event start date.

For questions, contact: Lisa.D.Sturtevant@maine.gov

Reigstration opens on August 1, 2024

Self-determination, informed choice, and dignity of risk are integral components of effective and authentic person-centered employment planning for job seekers with intellectual disabilities. This free online course will include strategies and resources on how to support the development and inclusion of these components in employment services for people with disabilities.

The Self-Determination, Informed Choice, and Dignity of Risk course will be available 24/7 during the month of September so you can log on at your convenience and complete the work. The course has 2 hours’ worth of content. You will receive a letter of completion when you finish the course. You can use this letter for educator professional credits and employment staff professional development hours.

This course is for educators, employment specialists, career planners, and job coaches who assist people with disabilities to find and maintain jobs in the community.

Critical to the success of individuals with disabilities in employment is successful fading and maximizing the use of natural supports. This FREE training will include why fading and natural supports are important for people with disabilities, programs that support them, and businesses that hire them. You will learn how to identify and use natural supports at the jobsite, when and how to implement systematic instruction and task analysis, and how to build the independence and confidence of the individual in the workplace. The training is appropriate for anyone providing support services to individuals and students with disabilities. Earn 5 hours of professional development time.

Location: Zoom. (Zoom link will is sent via email with registration confirmation)

For more information, contact lara.enein@umb.edu

Accommodation request deadline: Must be received by Friday August 30, 2024