Quarterly Newsletter, Winter Edition 2023, Volume. 1 | |
Director's Message
Happy 2023! The California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) is excited to launch our new newsletter! Through these quarterly email updates, we hope to share with you all the ways DOR helps Californians with disabilities fulfill their dreams of employment and independence.
As we embrace a new year and our continued work on behalf of individuals with disabilities throughout the state, I want to take a moment to reflect on what we were able to achieve in 2022.
In the 2022-23 State Fiscal Year, DOR launched the Integrating Employment in Recovery pilot program to respond to the opioid crisis. This program will train the emerging Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment workforce on the proven benefits of incorporating employment services early in the recovery plan. This program also embeds VR staff with lived experience in the treatment teams at four diverse California-based SUD treatment centers serving individuals with opioid-related SUD. Using funds from the $4 million Opioid Settlement Fund, the program operates from SFY 22/23-SFY 24/25.
DOR’s new Community Living Fund Program advances the Master Plan for Aging by expanding institutional transition and diversion services for people of all ages and with any type of disability who do not qualify for existing programs and services. DOR plans to award funding to up to 50 nonprofits that will serve 1,360 individuals statewide by June 30, 2025.
DOR worked in partnership with our colleagues at the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) to implement the CalHHS Hiring Playbook, which drives the diversity and inclusion of our state workforce forward by relentlessly focusing on recruiting individuals with disabilities.
DOR increased resources and support for small- and medium-sized businesses that want to hire people with disabilities through the Demand Side Employment Initiative (DSEI). Learn more about DSEI later in this newsletter.
In 2022, DOR staff at 79 field offices statewide served more than 116,000 people with disabilities, and close to 40,000 students received pre-employment services through our relationships with school districts and county offices of education. In addition, more than 35,000 individuals were served through our community living programs, including independent living centers, the Older Individuals who are Blind program, Traumatic Brain Injury program sites, assistive technology, and Aging and Disability Resource Connections. .
I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our employees and the valued relationships with our partners and stakeholders as we continue to improve the lives of all Californians with disabilities. I look forward to what we can achieve in 2023.
In partnership,
Joe Xavier
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In September 2022, DOR released the CalDOR Payment Card (CPC), a new and streamlined payment option for eligible individuals with disabilities participating in vocational rehabilitation (VR) services.
The new CPC card is the first of its kind in the nation and gives consumers the ability to purchase their pre-approved VR goods and services quickly, easily, and with dignity directly from merchants.
The program started with a soft launch in September in the Napa area and has now been launched statewide, with the goal of having 50,000 DOR consumers enrolled and using the card by June 30, 2023.
Visit the CalDOR Payment Card page on the DOR website to learn more.
Click here to watch a video of DOR consumer and nursing student Annie Conley share her experience using the card to purchase school supplies.
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Demand Side Employment Initiative | |
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DOR received $10 million from the State General Fund in Fiscal Year 2021-22 to create the Demand Side Employment Initiative (DSEI).
This new program is designed to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities across the state, while providing employers with incentives to diversify their hiring.
Individuals with disabilities face a long-standing history of disparity in the job market. At the same time, California’s small- and medium-sized businesses are having difficulty finding talent in a tough economy. DSEI bridges this gap by supporting business owners who want to create jobs for individuals with disabilities through:
● EmployABILITY Business Grants
● Earn and Learn Opportunities
● Human Resources Training and Collateral
Small- to medium-sized businesses may apply for EmployABILITY Business Grants, which can be used for equipment, new hire costs, training, consulting services, physical location improvements, or other needs related to hiring and retaining employees with disabilities. Recipients of these $20,000-$200,000 grants will benefit from a targeted multimedia marketing campaign that features their progress with hiring, training, and retaining individuals with disabilities.
The DSEI Earn and Learn program provides resources to establish industry-recognized training programs that lead Californians with disabilities to fulfilling careers. Funds allow individuals to learn new sought after business skills through a combination of coursework and hands-on work-based learning activities, all while earning a paycheck.
DSEI’s contract with Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) also benefits businesses looking to diversify their workforce. SHRM is partnering with the state to develop Human Resources Training and Collateral that supports disability-inclusive hiring and retention practices to help HR professionals build inclusive workspaces.
To learn more about the DSEI, visit the Demand Side Employment website on the DOR Website.
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AN IN-DOR CONVERSATION: JAKE JOHNSON | |
Meet DOR's New CIO!
Jacob (Jake) Johnson was named Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Deputy Director of DOR’s Information Technology Services Division in December 2022. Johnson has more than two decades of State technology experience working for various departments and agencies. He came to DOR in 2012 and has served in multiple technology leadership roles focused on delivering accessible technology and customer service.
“Having been with DOR for over a decade, I’m so fortunate to have that knowledge and background to carry with me to my new position and the established relationships with my colleagues,” Johnson said. “I feel very grateful to have a lot of people to lean on and learn from.”
Legally blind since birth, Johnson is a former DOR consumer who understands the importance of representation and providing people with disabilities equitable employment opportunities.
"Disability employment is an important aspect of my life," Johnson said.
"When I encountered an opportunity to work for DOR, I jumped at the chance. I remembered how grateful I was to my DOR counselor and to the organization for helping me become employed in state service."
Johnson is a member of the Association of California State Employees with Disabilities and the Asian Pacific State Employees Association. Johnson says diversity and equity issues are a focal point of his work. In his new role, he wants to increase awareness regarding accessibility and access.
“As a person with a visual disability, access to accessible technology is essential for me to do my job,” Johnson said. “Being a state leader in the information technology space, I want to make sure that accessibility is always included in conversations regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Accessibility must be designed into every technology project and product from the start, to ensure that everyone who needs to access and use it will have the opportunity to do so.”
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DOR CONSUMER SPOTLIGHT: Isabel Bueso
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Isabel Bueso is a former DOR consumer and disability rights activist who is not only fighting for the rights of others, but also fighting to save her own life.
Bueso was diagnosed with Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome, a life-threatening illness, when she was less than 2 years old. In 2003, at the age of 7, Isabel and her family left their native Guatemala City and came to the United States at the invitation of doctors who were conducting a clinical trial to treat her condition. That treatment successfully obtained FDA approval, and based on the deferred status program, Isabel was able to stay in the country and continued to participate in follow-up studies and receive the medical attention she needed.
In 2014, Bueso became a DOR consumer with the Greater East Bay District Concord office and worked with counselor Miguel Castaneda, who was immediately impressed by her drive and determination.
"She was very focused on what she wanted to do and what she needed to do to get there," Castaneda said. "We developed a pathway and followed that plan. I am very proud of her and all the hard work she put into achieving her goals."
In 2018, Bueso graduated summa cum laude from California State University, East Bay with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Recreation. In addition to the support of her family, Bueso is very appreciative of the services and support she received through DOR.
"My DOR counselor was always a good listener, very respectful, and he was a great supporter of my dreams and aspirations,” Bueso said. “DOR made it possible for me to achieve a college education that opened doors for me in the workplace.”
Bueso is currently working as a Patient Advocacy Specialist for a pharmaceutical company. She is also very active in disability advocacy and works to increase awareness for individuals with rare diseases.
"Through my patient advocacy career, I have focused on making sure that the voice of people living with rare diseases and disabilities is being heard," Bueso said. "By sharing my own story with legislators, I continue to fight for patient-centered policies."
In 2019, when the Trump administration moved to terminate the deferred action program, Bueso faced immediate deportation and would no longer be able to receive the medical treatments needed to keep her alive. She was thrust into the national spotlight and testified before Congress about her plight and others like her. In December 2022, Bueso and her family were granted the right to become permanent U.S. citizens.
In addition to her current work and advocacy, Bueso eventually wants to create and run her own non-profit. Bueso says that believing that she can do anything she sets her mind to is how she leads her life, and she wants to encourage other DOR consumers to do the same.
"You need to make a commitment with yourself to put your energy and dedication towards your goal,” Bueso said. “Adding passion and value to the services that DOR offers are part of the formula for success."
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CELEBRATIONS/RECOGNITIONS | |
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2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability.
The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).These organizations and employers include many hospitals, nursing homes, mental health centers and human service programs.
The Southeast ADA Center has launched a virtual interview series: Section 504 at 50. The series consists of conversations with leaders of the disability rights movements thorough the country. The 14-episode series and resources are currently available on the Center's Section 504 at 50 webpage.
Throughout the year, DOR will highlight national and local events commemorating the historic legislation and the activists who were at the forefront of the disability rights movement and fought so their rights as individuals with disabilities would be recognized and the rights of generations that followed would also be protected.
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YLF Application Deadline
The Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF) is back in person and online in 2023! The program, which is for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have a disability and exhibit leadership potential, is tentatively scheduled for July 13-19.
The YLF virtual dates will be July 13-15 using the Zoom platform. Student delegates will then have one day off to travel to Sacramento on July 17.
The YLF will then continue in-person July 17-19, 2023. YLF will be held at California State University, Sacramento, where delegates stay in the dormitory for a college experience.
Delegates will learn advocacy and leadership skills from alumni and professionals with disabilities and create a Personal & Career Leadership Plan to help reach their future education, independent living, and career goals. Delegates interact with state and national leaders with disabilities, make lifelong friendships with other statewide delegates, and have mentorship opportunities with alumni. Deadline to submit an application for this free event is March 17.
For more information and to access the application, visit the YLF page on the DOR website.
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Assistive Technology Webinar
DOR's Disability Access Services office, in partnership with the California Department of Developmental Services, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, and Community Resources for Independent Living, is hosting a free virtual event to highlight how assistive technology (AT) can be used to hire people with disabilities.
Attendees will hear from AT experts, individuals who use AT at work, and workforce industry specialists on how to leverage resources to hire and retain employees. Webinar attendees will also receive a free resource guide.
The webinar takes place on Thursday, March 30 from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. ASL and live captioning will be provided. Click on the Assistive Technology Webinar link to register.
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