CAREER PATHWAYS NEWSLETTER

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

January 2019

GREETINGS FROM OUR DIRECTOR, ANDREA GUEST

Last month at our Annual Recognition Luncheon, we celebrated businesses that created inclusive workplaces and employees who overcame multiple barriers to work successfully in them. The employers and employees highlighted here in our newsletter represent the more than 600 companies, large and small, throughout Delaware that hired a person with a disability. It also represents the nearly 1,000 adults with disabilities who worked with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor to develop a meaningful career path leading to completive integrated employment. In addition, we also held the Annual Delaware Transition Conference last month. It was another successful year for this popular event with more than 850 participants! We present this event along with our partners from the Department of Education, the Division for the Visually Impaired, and the Developmental Disabilities Services. The cast of the musical “Boundless” opened the day with an outstanding performance followed by participants being able to choose from numerous workshops covering topics such as: “Student led IEP’s,” and “Working & Benefits and Transitioning from High School to College.”   The highlights of the day were the student leaders who opened sessions and in some cases, the students gave presentations. The positive feedback from their participation has been tremendous. Here is part of an email from Dr. Shawn Larrimore, Superintendent of Laurel School District sent to Transition Conference Coordinator, Ellen Coulston, about their student leaders:    “Attendees at this week's Board Meeting were treated to these impressive presenters/presentations as well. I speak for our Board members, copied here, in saying that we were all simply blown away by the charisma and confidence with which Ms. Davis' students addressed the crowd.  Bravo to all of you.  I encourage Ms. Davis, Dr. Smith, and Mrs. Allman to look for opportunities, like those you mentioned, in which we can continue to showcase these students.” At DVR we know that creating opportunities for students will lead to success in employment and the ability to self-advocate. We applaud the Laurel School District leaders and students and look forward to others joining their lead.    Sincerely, An drea

Meet Our Annual Workplace Inclusion Recognition Awards Luncheon Honorees

The Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and the State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) celebrated their Annual Workplace Inclusion Recognition Awards Luncheon on Monday, December 10th at the Dover Downs Hotel in Dover, Delaware.  The event celebrates workplace inclusion by honoring the value and contribution of employees with disabilities and the employers who hire them. Workplace inclusion is about fostering a culture of diversity that includes hiring people with disabilities.  Employers who create a culture of inclusion gain value by increasing creativity and knowledge including building a united strength to solve today’s complicated business challenges to attain success.  Employers and employees from each county are selected to receive awards. A statewide service provider award is presented as well.  2018 Honorees are pictured below.

New Castle County Honorees

Deluxe Company Employer of the Year Pictured above: A ndrea Guest, DVR Director; David Clarke, the Deluxe Company; Stan Greene, the Deluxe Company; Paul Army, the Deluxe Company; and John Ludwig, DVR Business Relations Specialist. Alexandra Joyce Employee of the Year Pictured above: Andrea Guest, DVR Director; Alexandra Joyce; and Stephanie Spadaccini, DVR Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

Etienne Williams Employee of the Year No picture available

Kent County Honorees

Delaware Transit Corporation Employer of the Year Pictured above: Andrea Guest, DVR Director; Kevin Reagan, Delaware Transit Corporation; Todd Webb, DelDot; and Dana Seaberg, DVR Business Relations Specialist. Daz'mir James Employee of the Year  Pictured above: Lisa Enright, Capital School District; Andrea Guest, DVR Director; Daz’mir James; and Dale Matusevich, Department of Education.

Sussex County Honorees

Dogfish Head Brewery Employer of the Year Pictured above: Andrea Guest, DVR Director; Hilary Wright, Dogfish Head Brewery; and Denise Crockett, DVR Business Relations Specialist. Mike West Employee of the Year Pictured above: Andrea Guest, DVR Director; Deb Post, Retired DVR Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; Mike West; and Stacey Bragg, DVR Business Relations Specialist.

Statewide Service Provider Honoree

Mary Jo Verdery Service Provider of the Year  Pictured above:Andrea Guest, DVR Director; Mary Jo Verdery; and Mike Papili, DVR Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

Transition Conference Performance "Shows" Students with Disabilities the importance of Self-determination and Community

Delaware Transitions Conference attendees gather in the ballroom at Dover Downs Hotel for the morning keynote. More than 850 people attended the annual event. Mr. George Tilson, writer of the "Boundless! A Musical Journey," discussing employment and life skills as part his panel discussion.  The cast from "Boundless! A Musical Journey" performs for the audience.

Imagine the excitement of a ballroom filled with hundreds of high school students! It’s incredible! Lots of fun and energy! We experience it every year as part of the Delaware Transition Conference – it’s our most popular event! The unique all-day event focuses only on transition services for students with disabilities. This year, more than 850 people attended the 18 th Annual Delaware Transition Conference which was held on December 12 at Dover Downs in Dover, Delaware. The purpose of the conference is to help students and their support system (parents, teachers, vocational rehabilitation staff, and community partners) gain access to resources and information so students can make informed choices and plan for their lives after high school. Self-determination and learning the importance of networking and community participation in the transition planning process are key themes of the event. Self-determination is the process of taking control and making decisions that affect one’s life.   This year, the conference themes were taken to a new level in the presentation offered in this year’s keynote performance. We were joined by the writer and cast from “Boundless! A Musical Journey,” a stage performance featuring Delawareans with disabilities based on a famous “Free Our People” March that took place in 2003.  The writer of the show, George Tilson, facilitated a panel discussion where cast members shared personal experiences regarding how participation in the musical had enhanced their skills for self-determination, employment and careers, working on a stage performance, and independent living. Mr. Tilson also involved the audience.  The cast sang several songs from the musical. Audience members were clearly engaged in the presentation, answering questions and swaying to the music when the cast performed.

Staff Generosity Benefits Local Children and Families

Some of the Wilmington staff and Kind to Kids representatives with donations from the collected for the holiday drive. Some of the donations collected for the  Wilmington DVR Kind to Kids Foundation holiday collection drive. Some of the donations collected for the Wilmington DVR "Adopt a Family" at West End Neighborhood House Community Center holiday collection drive. THE GREATEST GOOD IS WHAT WE DO FOR ONE ANOTHER -- Mother Teresa

The Wilmington DVR office and the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office took time this past holiday season to hold collection drives which benefited three local organizations that serve children and families. The Wilmington DVR office held their second annual drive for Kind to Kids Foundation , a nonprofit dedicated to serving abused, neglected, and impoverished children living in foster care. The staff collected a large assortment of toys and games, arts and crafts supplies as well as baby items.  In addition, the Wilmington office also “adopted a family” from the West End Neighborhood House Community Center in Wilmington. The office collected clothes, personal items, toys, and small appliances for a single mom and two children. Brenda Rodriguez, District Administrator for the Wilmington office, says both organizations were happy and appreciative for the donations, and her staff is already looking forward to helping other organizations next holiday season. The DDS office participated in the Delaware Association of Disability Examiners (DADE) Annual Holiday of Giving and held a collection drive for the Governor Terry Children’s Center . Currently operated by Child Inc., the mission of shelter is to “reduce the possibility, incidence, or reoccurrence of child abuse or neglect by providing an emergency home, food, clothing and age-appropriate counseling to children, ages six through seventeen years.”  The DDS staff collected a large assortment of personal items, clothes, toys, hair products, luggage, along with snacks and food.  With such a generous donation, the shelter’s director reported that she would be able to provide wrapped gifts for each child in the shelter on Christmas morning.   Kate Fuller, Medical Relations Officer at DDS and drive coordinator, says “I am so proud to share that the employees here at DDS showed much love and generosity to support not only the children within the shelter but to another state agency in need this Holiday season!” Some of the DDS Staff with the donations collected for the Governor Terry Children's Center holiday collection drive. Donations collected for the DDS  Governor Terry Children's Center holiday collection drive.

Delaware Wins Three National Transition Awards

Delaware came home with three national transition awards during the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) International Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 24-26. Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) was presented with DCDT’s Employer of the Year Award; Hunter Matusevich, Delaware Department of Labor’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, was presented with the Andrew Halpern Early Career Practitioner Award; and Dale Matusevich, Delaware Department of Education’s Exceptional Children Resources, was presented with DCDT’s Donn Brolin Award for State/Province Leadership and Services Award.  DCDT is a division under the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The mission of DCDT is to promote national and international efforts to improve the quality of and access to, career/vocational and transition services, increase the participation of education in career development and transition goals and to influence policies affecting career development and transition services for persons with disabilities.  Read More

About Us

The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Linking Ability & Business   OUR MISSION We provide individualized services to employers and people with disabilities, developing career pathways that link qualified employees to jobs, resulting in greater independence and a more inclusive workplace.

The Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation A Division of the Delaware Department of Labor DVR Administrative Office Location: 4425 N. Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802

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