As rehabilitation professionals approach business on behalf of consumer "would-be" hires, or as consumers self advocate for employment opportunities, the issue of disability must be addressed. This webcast will approach the topic of Disclosure of Disability from 2 different perspectives. The first will be more of a legalistic focus, i.e. what can and cannot be disclosed or discussed, in light of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The second will address the disclosure issue from a "best technique" perspective, i.e. once the decision to disclose has been made, what's the best way to do so.

Part 1 of this workshop will provide an overview of One Stop Career Centers and the services that they provide to all job seekers, including those with disabilities. Participants will learn about the Workforce Investment Act and Universal Access and how to best use this great resource. Part 2 will focus the features of Customized Employment and how they can be integrated with all One Stop Career Center services.

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health endorses evidence-based supported employment as a way to assist people with serious mental illness lead productive work lives. This presentation will focus on individualized job supports and ways to develop the employer relationship.

This presentation covers the financial planning including budgeting and funding strategies for the budget, that allows a person with a severe disability to live a full, integrated life in the community. In so doing, the person can continue to be eligible for the benefit streams to which he/she is entitled, while working full time with benefits and living independently.

Shifting resources and emphasis from facility-based and non-work services to integrated employment is a complex process that requires changes in values, strategies, policy, and personnel. This webcast will highlight lessons learned from the 15 organizations participating in the T-TAP project about implementing an organizational transformation. Topics to be addressed include developing leadership support, communicating goals and expectations, transforming staff roles and responsibilities, allocating resources, and the importance of implementing change one person at a time.

To maximize resources for the customers with whom we work we need to "Think outside of the box" regarding blending funding, utilizing generic services, and tapping into other community options. It is also beneficial to think about using existing provider funding more creatively. This webcast will discuss specific situations where this has been done.