Disability Program Update

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Disability Program Update

• Region 1 Health and Wellness Conference
• May 14, 2004
• San Juan, Puerto Rico

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• Why a Job Corps disability program?
• Disability Legislation
• Workforce Investment Act
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• PRH Change Notice 03-06 (April 2004)
• The right thing to do

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• PRH Change Notice 03-06
• Revisions to chapters 2, 5, and 6
• Formalizes disability processes and activities
  established over the past 5 years by including
  them in the PRH

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• PRH Change Notice 03-06/
• Chapters 2 and 5
• Chapter 2, Section 2.2, R1 (b10)Introduction to
  center life must include information about
  disability program
• Chapter 5, Exhibit 5-4Yearly disability training
  is a requirement for all center staff

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• PRH Change Notice 03-06/Chapter 6
• Section 6.11, R7Disability Program is now listed
  as a related health program
• Requires centers to implement a disability
  program to provide individualized and coordinated
  services to all students with disabilities

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• PRH Change Notice 03-06/Chapter 6
• At a minimum a center disability program must
  include
• Disability coordinator to oversee the program
•  Written policies and procedures related to
• Center review of applicant folders
• Reasonable accommodation
• Formation of an interdisciplinary team
• Method to accurately collect and submit all
  required disability data

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• PRH Change Notice 03-06/Chapter 6
• Written plan to develop and maintain partnerships
  with outside agencies and programs that will
  assist the center in serving students with
  disabilities
• Written self-assessment describing the current
  programmatic and architectural accessibility of
  the center with priorities and next steps

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• Orientation
• Introduce disability coordinator
• Discuss or provide information about disability
  program
• Provide reasonable accommodation request form

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• Training
• Include staff and students
• Individualize to needs of center
• Use training materials section of website for
  ideas and packaged training
• Use community resources to provide training

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• Disability Coordinator
• Coordinates all aspects of centers disability
  program
• Demonstrate commitment to the disability
  initiative (leadership)
• Delegate responsibilities
• Encourage all staff to take ownership of the
  program

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• Policies/Procedures
• Review of applicant foldersFolders of students
  with disabilities are reviewed in a timely manner
• Interdisciplinary team (IDT)Center staff from
  various areas (wellness, academic, food service,
  vocational, CDSS, safety, etc.) work together to
  determine the individual needs of each student
  with a disability and ensure these needs are
  being addressed in the PCDP
• Reasonable accommodationApplicant/student with a
  disability can request are changes/modifications
  that will allow a him/her to participate in the
  program to an equivalent degree as a student
  without disabilities

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• Data Collection
• Disability data collection system is web-based
• Go to www.jobcorpsdisability.com, click on
  disability data collection icon
• Form, instructions
• Data submission
• Technical assistance information

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• Data Collection/Who to Count
• Students who indicate disability/ accommodation
  on 6-53
• Students who self-identify as a person with a
  disability, but do not require accommodation
• All students with disabilities who
  request/receive accommodation
• Just because a student has a medical issues
  does not automatically mean he/she considers
  himself or herself a person with a disability.
  In other words, do not count all students whose
  folder indicates a medical issue as disabled.

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• Data Collection Troubleshooting
• Do not count
• All students in TEAP or with drug/alcohol issues
  as having drug/alcohol disability, only those who
  have documentation of alcoholism or chemical
  dependency as a disability and are enrolled in or
  have completed supervised rehabilitation program
  (or been otherwise successfully rehabilitated)
  should be counted
• Bad teeth/dental
• Obesity
• Pregnancy
• Temporary conditions (e.g., broken arm)

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• Networking
• Develop a relationship with your local
  vocational rehabilitation agency
• Learn about the services the Job Accommodation
  Network (JAN) provides to Job Corps centers
• Network with local disability organizations
  (e.g., center for independent living, one stop,
  school system, colleges/universities, etc.)

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• Networking
• Develop relationship with outreach and admissions
  contractor
• Involve the regional office in the development of
  the centers disability program
• Present information about Job Corps to local
  disability organizations

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• Networking
• Invite local disability organizations to visit
  center and to participate on center boards
• Educate local employers about hiring people with
  disabilities

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• Accessibility
• Determine accessibility of physical plant
• Buildings/facilities (transportation/parking)
• Equipment
• Determine programmatic accessibility
• File review policy
• Alternative formats (tape, disk, Braille, large
  print)
• Sign language interpreters
• Instructional modifications/learning style

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• Accessibility
• Modify center safety plan to include general
  provisions that consider the needs of persons
  with disabilities and ensure the safety needs of
  each student with a disability are considered
  during the reasonable accommodation process

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• Center Assessments
• Humanitas will e-mail prearrival disability
  assessment questions to disability coordinator
  and/or HWM one month before trip is scheduled
  when possible
• Responses will be forwarded to health consultants
  conducting review
• Health consultants will review responses and
  check for compliance during center visit

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• Resources
• Job Corps Disability Website
• Center Disability Program Model
• Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit
  Hyperactive Disorder Technical Assistance Guide
  (LD and AD/HD TAG)
• Mental Health Disabilities Technical Assistance
  Guide

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• Resources
• Regional Health Consultants
• Humanitas, Michelle Day
• michelle.day_at_humanitas.com or 301-608-3290 ext
  205
• National Office, Barbara Grove
• grove.barbara_at_dol.gov or 202-693-3116

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• Questions