COVID-19 Publications & Resources
Resources For Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Employment First COVID-19 Resource List
- Community-Based Day Supports During the Pandemic
ICI Resources
The Institute for Community Inclusion (IC) has an ongoing series of publications and resources to help professionals, individuals, and families maintain an Employment First focus through this challenging time. Go to ICI’s special COVID-19 web page.
We Believe
- Everyone can work.
- Everyone has the right to earn a living wage in a job of their choosing, based on their unique talents, gifts, skills, and interests.
- Employment is a way for people to achieve their personal dreams of success, respect, control, and choice.
- Having a job can be an important part of one’s self-identity and value in society today.
- Everyone should be paid at least minimum wage.
Raising Expectations for Better Futures
New resources to engage families in employment planning.
Interested in knowing more about interagency transition teams in Massachusetts? check out the Massachusetts Interagency Transition Teams database, compiled by the MPTE Cross-Systems Collaboration team
MPTE
The Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment (MPTE) is a five-year project to improve labor market participation for youth and young adults served by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
Learn more>>
Current Trainings
February 21, 2023
March 14, 2023
April 18, 2023
May 23, 2023
9am-10:30am EST
TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE EMPLOYMENT PROCESS: A WEBINAR SERIES
Integrating technology into the employment process can feel daunting and overwhelming. From technology-based accommodations to social media for professional networking, staying up-todate with technology is crucial for employment professionals and job seekers alike. This webinar series aims to provide up-to-date, practical, and relevant information to facilitate the use of technology across the many aspects of the employment process. Register for one, a few, or all four of the following webinars at no cost.
Technology Tools On-the-Job
February 21, 2023 | 9-10:30am ET
Supporting individuals with disabilities on -the- job requires creativity. Employment professionals are often looking for new and effective ways to facilitate independence, decrease reliance on support staff, and increase the use of environmental supports. What role can technology play in this process? This session includes information on technology as accommodations, which strategies best support common issues facing job seekers, exploration of online resources, and when to pursue a technology referral for a job seeker
Best Practices in Social Media
March 14, 2023 | 9-10:30am ET
Social media impacts almost every aspect of life, including developing professional networks and establishing career goals. How job seekers represent themselves online matters. What can employment professionals do to support the online presence of the individuals they work with? This session covers social media dos and don’ts, professional practices for job seekers and employment consultants on social media, digital safety precautions, ethical considerations, and more.
Technology Strategies for Communication and Behavior Support
April 18, 2023 | 9-10:30am ET
Communication challenges can be a significant barrier in obtaining and maintaining employment for individuals with disabilities. Similarly, unwanted behaviors in the workplace can interfere with an individual’s at-work success. However, identifying strategies to increase effective communication can facilitate both communicative and behavioral growth. But where should employment professionals start, and how can technology help? This session includes information on the relationship between communication and behavior, tech-based strategies to increase communication and behavioral success at work, tips for identifying replacement behaviors, and maintaining a person-centered approach while working with unwanted behaviors.
Register for Technology Strategies for Communication and Behavior Support webinar
Technology Tools for Employment Professionals
May 23, 2023 | 9-10:30am ET
Supporting job seekers in finding a job match has become increasingly digitized in the last several years. From online applications to virtual interviews to remotely engaging employers, technology plays a large role across the different stages of the employment process. Technology often comes with a learning curve, making it challenging for employment professionals to keep up to date. This webinar covers technology tools for employment professionals, such as pertinent applications, use of video modeling, creation of visual resumes, and considerations for engaging stakeholders virtually.
Register for the Technology Tools for Employment Professionals webinar
Format: All four webinars in this series will be conducted via Zoom and will last for 90 minutes. The first hour of each session will be dedicated to sharing content related to the webinar topic. The last 30 minutes of each session will be a question-and -answer session, allowing participants to ask content-related or technical questions to the facilitators and other participants.
Cost: This webinar series is provided for free. There is no cost to attend.
Letters of attendance will be provided for each individual webinar. Participants must be present for the first hour of the webinar to get the link to their letter of attendance. Participants do not need to remain on the call for the question-and-answer portion of the webinar to get a letter of attendance.
Accommodation requests should be submitted at the time of registration. All accommodation requests must be received at least two weeks before the webinar date.
May 4
9am-11am
Disability Benefits and Transition Age Youth
This training provides information related to the significant benefit changes that young adults with disabilities need to understand as they approach adulthood including the mandatory Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Age 18 redetermination process, how adult benefits differ from childhood-related benefits under both Social Security programs, SSI and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and how changes to public health insurance can occur. There is a special emphasis on young adult-related programs and work incentives such as Section 301 (Continued Payment under a Vocational Rehabilitation Program or Similar Program), the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) for individuals 21 and younger on SSI, and how a PASS Plan can help young adults leverage financial resources to fund education that may give them a head start on their career goals.
Trainer: Winnie Siano, CWIC
Project Coordinator, Benefits Counseling
Register now as space is limited!
Cost: FREE
Foundations of Community Employment
This course is a great starting point for new staff to gain a solid foundation for their work in the field and for current staff to build on the skills and knowledge they already have. Staff will get an overview of the past and present community employment, understand the social, political, and economic changes leading to the ex- pansion of opportunities for individuals with disabilities and learn how to collaborate with team stakeholders
Please contact Lara Enein at lara.enein@umb.edu with any questions.
Cost: FREE