CDD Orientation

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CDD Orientation

• National Health and Wellness Conference
• May 6, 2003
• Phoenix, Arizona

2
Exercise

• Burning questions

3
Job Corps Disability Initiative

• Program Instruction 98-20 (March 1999) announced
  the disability initiative and instructed each
  Center Director to designate a point person for
  disability issues (CDD)
• Program Instruction 99-03 (September 1999)
  reaffirmed and expanded the existing cooperative
  agreement between Job Corps and vocational
  rehabilitation (VR) programs

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Job Corps Disability Initiative

• PRH Change Notice 99-08 (May 2000)
• Discontinued the use of designated centers and
  revised admissions procedures so that all centers
  will serve students with disabilities
• Discontinued the use of A or B foldersInformation
  on the ETA 6-53 can no longer be used as a basis
  for classifying applicant folders for review

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Job Corps Disability Initiative

• PRH Change Notice 00-03 (January 2001) requires
  admissions counselors (ACs) to collect
  information relating to an applicants reasonable
  accommodation needs
• Program Instruction 00-08 (January 2001) requires
  all centers and admissions contractors to develop
  policies and procedures to ensure that applicants
  and students are provided reasonable accommodation

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Job Corps Disability Initiative

• Program Instruction 01-18 (February 2002)
  requires centers to submit disability data
  biannually (January 15 and July 15)
• Program Instruction 01-19 (February 2002)
  requires each center/contractor to develop
  accessible format policies and procedures to
  ensure that communications with persons with
  disabilities are as effective as communications
  with others

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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Components
• Team approach
• Training
• Accessibility
• Networking/
• partnerships
• Innovative programs

• Role of Center Director's Disability Designee
  (CDD)
• Coordinates all aspects of centers disability
  program
• Demonstrate commitment to the disability
  initiative (leadership)
• Encourage all staff to take ownership of the
  program

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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Team ApproachBased on CDSS, student education
  and training needs identified in an
  individualized training plan, the personal career
  development plan (PCDP)
• Create 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

9
Creating a Center Disability Program

• Team Approach (continued)
• Ensure all staff are aware of the disability
  initiative and their role, the reasonable
  accommodation process, and the interdisciplinary
  approach to serving students with disabilities
• Ensure vocational instructors are aware of their
  role in the reasonable accommodation process

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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Team Approach (continued)
• Ensure career development staff are aware of the
  accommodation process and how to incorporate the
  accommodation needs of the student with a
  disability into the PCDP
• Ensure career transition staff are aware of
  transition issues of particular importance to
  students with disabilities

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Creating a Center Disability Program

• TrainingOngoing and comprehensive
• Conduct disability awareness training for staff
  and students on a regular basis
• (Awareness Attitudes Confidence)
• Include disability-related training in the
  centers annual training plan
• Provide general and advanced student training on
  a regular basis

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Creating a Center Disability Program

• AccessibilityInclusive environment that serves
  all students
• 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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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Accessibility (continued)
• 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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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Networking/partnershipsInformation, services,
  and referrals
• 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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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Networking/partnerships (continued)
• 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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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Networking/partnerships (continued)
• 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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Creating a Center Disability Program

• Innovative ProgramsDevelop and combine
  previously proven successful components into one
  program
• Examples from centers
• All students taking psychotropic medications
  attend a three-visit educational group led by an
  intern that provides information on side
  effects, compliance, and maintenance
• The center mental health consultant developed
  learning disability ("Do I Have a Learning
  Disability") and ADD brochures that provide
  information on the disability and how to get
  accommodations on center

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Center Assessments Disability-Related Questions

• Are folders for students with disabilities being
  processed in a reasonable amount of time?
• Review folders
• Interview staff
• Does the center have a CDD for disability issues?
• Interview Center Director/staff

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Center Assessments Disability-Related Questions

• Are other center staff aware of and involved in
  efforts to make the center more inclusive of
  people with disabilities?
• Interview staff (particularly safety officer and
  EEO staff)
• Do students receive information about disability
  and reasonable accommodation during orientation?
• Interview CDD, orientation staff, students
• Review orientation materials

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Center Assessments Disability-Related Questions

• Has the center established linkages with
  vocational rehabilitation (VR) and other
  disability service providers?
• Interview CDD
• Interview VR liaison and disability service
  providers
• Review evidence of linkages
• Have students and staff received any
  disability-related training/education?
• Interview CDD, students
• Review training log

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Center Assessments Disability-Related Questions

• What action has the center taken to become more
  accessible/inclusive of people with disabilities?
• Interview CDD, Center Director
• Does the center have a reasonable accommodation
  process in place?
• Interview CDD
• Interview students receiving accommodation and
  staff involved in providing accommodation
• Review reasonable accommodation request forms and
  related paperwork (evidence of interactive
  process, follow up, etc.)

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Center Assessments Disability-Related Questions

• Is the center storing records that contain
  disability-related information properly?
• Review records (medical records stored
  separately, only those with a need to know have
  access to disability-related information, all
  information maintained in central folder after
  student leaves the program)

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Job Corps Disability Resources

• Disability website
• Disability Resource Manual
• Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit
  Hyperactive Disorder Technical Assistance Guide
  (LD and AD/HD TAG)
• Mental Health Disabilities Technical Assistance
  Guide
• Job Corps Career Development Resource Center
  (JCCDRC) website

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Job Corps Disability Website

• Use website for resource
• information, sample forms,
• existing practices, to ask
• questions
• Contains information on how Job Corps staff can
  meet the needs of students with disabilities
• Contains general disability information and
  specific information on Job Corps
  disability-related issues
• http//www.jobcorpshealth.com/disability

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Disability Resource Manual

• Organized into eight modules (Legislation, Common
  Disabilities, Inclusion and Awareness/Etiquette,
  Outreach and Admissions, Reasonable
  Accommodation, Career Development, Accessibility,
  and Emergency Procedures)
• Who Can Help? sections provide the names of
  organizations/agencies that can provide technical
  assistance (materials, information, referral,
  volunteers) on the topic being discussed
• Downloadable from disability website

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LD and AD/HD TAG

• Designed to help center staff more effectively
  serve students with LD and AD/HD
• Provides information and strategies for
  education, training, assisting student with a
  particular issue
• Availability
• Downloadable version, Summer 2003
• Web TAG, Fall 2003

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Mental Health Disabilities TAG

• Developed to promote consistent and proactive
  management of students with mental health
  disabilities (schizophrenia and psychotic
  disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and
  personality disorders)
• Provides information, case examples, flow charts,
  suggested activities and resources
• Availability
• Downloadable version, Fall 2003
• Web TAG, Winter 2003

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JCCDRC Website