Explore guides, trainings and other resources to help people engage, plan, find and keep employment.
Work Toolkit:
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Professional resources
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- Waiver employment services quick reference guide (PDF)
This guide for waiver case managers provides an at-a-glance details on authorization of employment services. - Guide to work-based learning experiences (PDF)
This resource from the Hub provides 10 steps for creating effective work-based learning experiences. - Guidance for conversations: Identifying and designing pathways toward rewarding employment (PDF)
This guide from the State Employment Leadership Network describes a series of pathways to help case managers facilitate conversations about employment. - Employment and employment supports: A guide to ensuring informed choice for individuals with disabilities (PDF)
Developed by the Institute on Community Inclusion, this guide reviews the importance of informed choice concerning employment and provides tools and strategies for support professionals to help ensure informed choice. - Definitions of pre-employment transition services (PDF)
This infographic from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Vocational Rehabilitation Services categorizes and describes the supports included in pre-employment transition services. - Work FAQ: Preparing for common questions (PDF)
This guide from Disability Benefits 101 provides answers to frequently asked questions about work and benefits. - Considerations for Working with Individuals with Brain Injury: A Guide for Employment Service Providers (PDF) This brief offers providers guidance and strategies for working with individuals with brain injury.
- Waiver employment services quick reference guide (PDF)
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- E1MN Training
This training is a free, self-paced online training to help you understand your role in supporting people on their employment journey. - The Hub's benefits planning toolkit
This toolkit gives you the information, resources and tools you need to understand how benefits support work and how to help the people you support make informed choices about benefits and work. - College of Employment Services
The College of Employment Services (CES) provides online competency-based training modules for employment service providers. CES trainings align with the employment specialist competencies required for direct support professionals delivering HCBS waiver employment services as well as the certification requirements for Certified Employment Support Professionals (CESP) and Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE). See also a list of suggested training plans for CES coursework to support Minnesota DHS employment services. - APSE: Certified Employment Support Professional Credential
The Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) offers resources for those seeking a Certified Employment Support Professional credential. The credential recognizes a demonstrated level of knowledge and skill in providing integrated employment services to a variety of populations. - Griffin-Hammis Associates: Creating communities of economic cooperation
This site offers a 12-week online certificate training program from the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE) in community employment with a concentration in customized employment. - Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)
The Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) is the national voice on workplace inclusion. APSE is the only national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to Employment First. Resources include live and recorded webinars, a leadership development program and employment-related workshops.
- E1MN Training
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National
- LEAD Center
The LEAD Center is a collaborative of disability, workforce and economic empowerment organizations dedicated to improving employment and economic advancement outcomes for all people with disabilities. - Job Accommodation Network
The Job Accommodation Network provides free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations to employers as well as employees, job seekers, family members and service providers. - Ticket to Work
This Social Security Administration site offers resources, success stories and tools to help Social Security disability beneficiaries who want to work. - National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth is a go-to resource for information about employment and youth with disabilities. - Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center
The Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center works with state Vocational Rehabilitation programs and their partners to effectively implement the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. - National Disability Institute
The National Disability Institute works to empower people with disabilities and their families to build a better financial future. The site offers financial wellness resources and guided group discovery resources for customized employment. - Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
ODEP offers strategies, practices, technical assistance to help improve opportunities and workplace success for people with disabilities. - Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL)
IEL provides coaching, resources, and professional development to help eliminate systemic barriers in education and workforce development.
State
- Minnesota Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE)
The Minnesota Association of People Supporting Employment First is the state chapter of the national Association of People Supporting Employment First, the national voice on workplace inclusion. The site offers training and employment resources plus information on state chapter activities. - Minnesota STAR Program
STAR stands for a System of Technology to Achieve Results. STAR's mission is to help all Minnesotans with disabilities gain access to and acquire the assistive technology they need to live, learn, work and play. - MN Transformation Initiative (MTI)
The MN Transformation Initiative is part of a statewide effort to support more people with disabilities to find competitive jobs. It's funded by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to support the transition of people with disabilities receiving subminimum wages into competitive, integrated employment.
- LEAD Center
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- Employment First dashboards
These dashboards from the Minnesota Department of Human Services show local and statewide progress toward fulfilling Minnesota's Employment First policy. - National Core Indicators
National Core Indicators (NCI) is a program that gathers a standard set of performance and outcome measures that can be used to track performance over time and across states, as well as establish national benchmarks for state developmental disabilities services agencies. Minnesota's NCI data includes a work domain that provides data about finding and maintaining community integrated employment. - DEED data tools
This collection of resources from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development provides a comprehensive, nuts-and-bolts look at Minnesota's economy and workforce. Data tools dig deep into employment, unemployment, wages and occupations, regional and state comparisons, and more. - DEED research and reports
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development offers recent annual reports and special reports from the State Rehabilitation Council. - Employment and economic outcomes by race, ethnicity, and gender for individuals with and without disabilities, 2017 (PDF)
This report by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston provides state-specific employment outcomes across race and disability status. Minnesota's data (page 31) presents stark disparities when looking at the intersection between race and disability.
- Employment First dashboards
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- Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) can help people with disabilities prepare for, find and maintain employment, and live as independently as possible. Find local VRS contacts with this VRS field staff directory (PDF).
- County human service agencies can help people get the programs, services and supports they need.
- Employment service providers can help people with disabilities prepare for, find and keep competitive integrated employment. Find local waiver employment service providers through this licensing information lookup tool.
- Schools help youth with disabilities explore work, get work experiences, and work with VRS to find and keep jobs. Use this interactive map to find your student's school district.
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