Employment First Massachusetts

Developing job opportunities and finding the right job match in an ever-changing economic environment places increasing demands on employment professionals. This three-session online training series focuses on understanding employer needs and developing quality job matches.

Topics include employer networking; marketing to employers and responding to objections; using social media and other tools to market the job seeker, identifying unmet business needs; dealing with disclosure; and job carving and creation. Staff should attend all 3 sessions to get the most out of this training series. Topical areas will carry-over to next session if needed. Letters of completion will be provided upon completion of all 3 training sessions.

Captioning has been requested but will be cancelled if no requests have been received by March 19, 2025

Contact for questions: Jill Eastman

Making Friends in your Community

Join us on Wednesday, April 9 at 12pm for our April LifeCourse in Action webinar. In this webinar, Making Friends in your Community, presenters Maryann Welch (Northeast Family Leadership Program,) Nate Johnson (North Quabbin Citizen Advocacy), and Jonathan Spiller (Self-Advocate and Published Author) will share their three unique perspectives on using the Charting the LifeCourse framework. They will discuss tools that support making meaningful connections and friendships across the lifespan. Rachel Hayward, Director of Pathways to Friendship from The Arc of MA, will moderate this presentation.

Please Note that we offer this in both English and Spanish. Please register for the appropriate version.
Engish

Overview of Social Security Work Incentives

Presented by Work Without Limits, this training asks, “What are the main barriers to employment for people who receive Social Security disability benefits?”

In this training, you will learn about your rights, existing work incentives, reporting requirements, and employment programs that can help you and your family members understand how work is possible for people with disabilities. We will share a variety of community resources about where and how to get support to make informed decisions about employment and benefits.

We will present this webinar in English on Zoom, with live English captions. We will also provide live simultaneous Spanish interpretation and Spanish captions. Please let us know if you have any disability access or language access needs to attend this webinar. We will share this session flyer in both English and Spanish.

Register Today.

Contact Berenise Reyes-Albino with questions.

Descripción general de Incentivos Laborales del Seguro Social

Presentada por Work Without Limits, en esta capacitación se pregunta: «¿Cuáles son los obstáculos principales para trabajar entre personas que reciben prestaciones por discapacidad del seguro social?». En esta capacitación, aprenderás acerca de tus derechos, los incentivos laborales que existen, los requerimientos de informes y los programas de empleo que pueden ayudarte a ti y a tus familiares a comprender cómo pueden trabajar las personas con discapacidades. Compartiremos diversos recursos comunitarios acerca de dónde y de cómo obtener ayuda para tomar decisiones informadas acerca del empleo y las prestaciones.

Presentaremos este webinario en inglés por Zoom, con subtítulos en inglés en vivo. También ofreceremos interpretación simultánea en vivo en español y subtítulos en español. Avísanos si tienes necesidades de acceso por discapacidad o por idioma para asistir a este webinario. Compartiremos el folleto de esta clase en inglés y en español.

Fechas: miércoles 16 de abril

Hora: 12 – 2 p. m.

Lugar: por Zoom

¡Inscríbete hoy!

Comunícate con Berenise Reyes-Albino si tienes preguntas.

Supporting People with Complex Medical Needs Using Charting the LifeCourse

Join us on Wednesday, May 14 at 12pm for our May LifeCourse in Action session about how to use Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) tools to support people who have complex medical needs. Presenter Eileen Lee served as a Family Support Coordinator in the Medically Complex program at Incompass Human Services (previously called LifeLinks) for 28 years. Eileen is a parent, an advocate, and one of the original founders of the Medically Complex program. She will show how CtLC tools—such as the Life Trajectory, Integrated Support Star, Person-Centered Life Domain Vision, and Mapping Relationships— can assist an individual and their family/caregiver team in navigating life while facing multiple medical challenges daily.

Breakout sessions will provide you with an opportunity to learn more about career development and exploration, transportation, person-centered planning, school-to-work transition, and more.

This statewide conference is designed for employment and CBDS providers, DDS staff, educators, individuals with disabilities, family members, and other state agency partners.

8:30 am – 9:30 am Registration, exhibits and networking

9:30 am – 4:00 pm Conference, including keynote, breakout sessions, lunch, and more

Refunds are allowed up to May 1. Beyond that, you can replace an attendee with another staff person.

For questions, contact Berenise Reyes-Albino at berenise.albino@umb.edu

Supporting people to be successful at their jobs is not as easy as it sounds. It requires many skills, including, excellent communication, maintaining relationships with multiple team members (including employers), knowledge about accommodations and assistive technology, and effectively assisting individuals with various disabilities to learn and master new tasks.

Join us for this interactive, virtual 2-session training to learn best practices and strategies needed to support individuals in meeting their employment goals. Topics include:

• the role of the job coach
• natural supports and social inclusion
• systematic instruction
• job maintenance and self-management techniques
• fading and behavioral support strategies

Participants should attend both sessions to get the most out of this training series. Letters of completion will be provided to those who attend both training sessions.

Contact for questions: Jill Eastman

Successful fading and the effective use of natural supports are critical to promoting independence and ensuring the job satisfaction and success of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. This webinar will cover how to:

• Define, identify, and utilize natural supports at the job site
• Create opportunities for employees to interact socially in non-work-related settings, such as team lunches or workplace celebrations
• Use creative strategies for fostering independence, competence, and confidence in the workplace.

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 expansion of opportunities for individuals with disabilities and learn how to collaborate with team stakeholders

Please contact Lara Enein with any questions.