Partners in Employment First

Through partnership and collaboration, Employment First initiatives are reshaping the landscape of employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Massachusetts. Key partners include:

Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

Massachusetts' Department of Developmental Services provides support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Department's mission is to create, in partnership with others, innovative and genuine opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate fully in their communities and meaningfully engage as valued members.

MassAbility

MassAbility empowers people with disabilities to live life on their own terms. Their programs and services expand possibilities in careers and training, home and community life, and legal rights and benefits. Their career services include job placement, employment counseling, access to regional offices, career training and events, and more.

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB)

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind's mission is to provide individualized training, education, and empowerment to people who are legally blind, and advocate for inclusive policies across the Commonwealth, with the goal of life-long independence and full community participation.

Regional Employment Collaboratives (RECs)

The Regional Employment Collaboratives (RECs) work across Massachusetts to enhance employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The RECs are administered by Riverside Community Care and the ICI and are supported by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and the Department of Mental Health (DMH).

Serving seven regions across the state, the RECs offer a comprehensive network of resources and support for service providers and state agencies to connect job developers with employers, leading to meaningful employment for job seekers. The RECs also support job developers through initiatives like the monthly Job Developers Roundtable (JDR), where service providers share best practices and resources. REC staff play an essential role in connecting candidates to employers, sharing job opportunities, offering training for both job seekers and job developers, and hosting webinars and mock interviews to strengthen job readiness.

For more information about the Regional Employment Collaboratives (RECs) or to get involved, please use the Regional Employment Collaborative Finder to find your REC.

Massachusetts APSE

The Massachusetts chapter of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) works to promote Employment First policies and initiatives. They also promote Universal Competencies in Employment First services, such as supporting people with disabilities to make informed choices about their career paths and developing person-centered plans that align with their overall life goals. These services aim to set high standards and improve the quality and reliability of employment services for people with disabilities.

Work Without Limits

Work Without Limits is a network of employers, educational institutions, employment service providers, state and federal agencies, individuals with disabilities, and their family members. Through collaboration and partnership, their goal is to increase the employment of people with disabilities until it is equal to those without disabilities. Work Without Limits programs and services are geared to meet the needs of employers that actively recruit people with disabilities as employees and in their supply chains, individuals with disabilities who are seeking jobs, and the employment service providers who serve them.

The Arc of Massachusetts

The mission of The Arc of Massachusetts is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism and their families. They fulfill this mission through advocacy for community supports and services. The Arc is also an ongoing partner of Employment First Massachusetts' Charting the LifeCourse in Massachusetts training series.

Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS)

Mass Advocates Standing Strong empowers self-advocates through education to make choices that improve and enrich their lives. MASS operates statewide and has various groups, committees, and task forces, that facilitate members to advocate, develop leadership skills, and foster social connections.