FIELD NOTES
DECEMBER 2017
ISSUE 38
COMPLIANCE CORNER
PPR and State Plan Update submission information

What you need to know:
  • The PPR is not due 1/1/2018.
  • The State plan update is not due 1/1/2018.
  • New due dates for both reports have not been released by AIDD as of today.

TA Guidance:
  • Gather data and draft progress report narratives in the PPR Template Word document (available on the itacchelp.org website). 
  • Use the FY 2017 analysis of progress achieved to inform changes to the FY 2018 Annual Work plan (if applicable).
  • Based on the updates to the FY 18 Annual Work plan (if applicable), develop the FY 2019 and FY 2020 Annual Work plans.

Annual Report/Executive Summary
The DD Act requires Councils to “widely disseminate the annual report to affected constituencies and the general public” and “assure that the report is available in accessible formats” (Section 125 (c)(7)(I)). Many Councils develop an executive summary of their work during the year and share in a variety of formats. Click on the link below for some tips to assist in the development of an annual report/summary. 

Federal Financial Forms
SF-425 forms are due by December 30, 2017
Each year, 3 separate reports are to be submitted. This means the reports that are due 12/30 of this year are annual reports for the FY 15, FY 16, and FY 17 grant awards.

If you have a grant award year that has been spent, remember to indicate “Final” on the grant award report. Also, for the grant award to be closed, the information on the SF-425 must match what is reported in the Payment Management System.
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC COMPETENCE (DICLC)
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DICLC
Wanting more information on organizational self-assessment?
Check out the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Assessment for Disability Organizations (CLCADO)
The CLCADO is intended to support organizations to (1) plan for and incorporate culturally and linguistically competent values, policies, structures, and practices in all aspects of their work; (2) enhance the quality of services, supports, and advocacy provided to diverse and underserved communities; (3) effect change in education, training, technical assistance, research, and public policy; and (4) advance cultural and linguistic competence as an essential approach to address racial and ethnic disparities and promote equity for people who experience disabilities and their families.

RESOURCE ~ Inclusive Employment
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Inclusion@Work: A Framework for Building a Disability-Inclusive Organization
This NEW resource from the E mployer A ssistance and R esource N etwork on Disability Inclusion (EARN) outlines seven core components of a disability-inclusive workplace along with a menu of strategies for achieving them. Learn more about EARN and check out their collaborative Partners !
DD NETWORK NEWS & UPDATES
DD Network

As we all know, finding good employment opportunities is challenging for everyone, but especially so for individuals with developmental disabilities. For decades we have been toiling away looking for that magic bullet that would make the difference, but to little avail. The truth is that there is no magic bullet or one-size-fits all approach that works. Finding the right employment options for any individual is hard work that takes personal one-on-one efforts. That said, we do know that certain models have proven successes like Project Search and similar models that have been developed to help individuals with I/DD learn good work skills that make them highly employable. Through the AIDD-funded PIE grants (Partnerships in Employment) and Employment First efforts we are discovering more valuable information and building more partnerships in states that are leading to new ideas that put the concept of work high on the “must solve” list.

I had the privilege recently to attend an all-day discussion on the State of the Science in research on the employment research agenda conducted by the Institute for Community Inclusion’s (ICI Boston) ThinkWork! project. I know that many of you are familiar with ThinkWork! and some have been attending their recent webinars. One set of data that was shared during the meeting struck a chord with me. The data was a graph that showed that since 1990 14c work has been steadily declining, integrated employment is basically flat lined, and non-work is growing steadily. While I am pleased to know that 14c is steadily declining, it is certainly not good that integrated employment is flat and more people are not working at all. Clearly the ThinkWork! project is working to examine this issue and to conduct research that will hopefully lead to more and better work opportunities. The all-day meeting brought together many thought leaders in disability employment, education transition, some of our AoD/AIDD leaders, self-advocates and other professionals working the field. One concept that was much discussed by self-advocates present was that people with I/DD want careers and not just jobs. While individuals are proud to do many types of work, they want to work with employment specialists who will help them build a true career path and not just hop from job to job with little growth or building of skill sets. Real meaningful work takes into account my wants and hopes for myself was theme heard throughout the day.

As you all know, passage of the Workforce Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the HCBS Settings Rule are demanding that more work opportunities be developed and quickly. As sheltered workshops and 14c become a thing of the past, where will people find real, meaningful, integrated employment? If you have not yet seen the materials for ThinkWork! please take a look at the website at www.ThinkWork.org/rrtc and consider joining in on webinars or other discussions. Feel free to share your best ideas/best practices with me as together we continue to solve this problem.

I wish you all a joyful and meaningful holiday season.
Donna    
SAVE the DATE
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Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month is right around the corner!
NACDD is once again partnering with AUCD and NDRN for our 2018 Side-by-Side Campaign. This is a national campaign and we encourage everyone, especially all state and territorial DD Councils to participate.

SAVE the DATE of January 23, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time for an informational webinar.
To reach NACDD/ITACC staff, please feel free to contact:
Sheryl MatneyDirector of Technical Assistance 
202-506-5813 ext. 148, smatney@nacdd.org

Angela Castillo-Epps Technical Assistance Specialist 
202-506-5813 ext. 100, acastillo-epps@nacdd.org