Delaware
Delaware’s DDDS Services Marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month with Key Investments – State of Delaware News
DDDS Goals to Broaden Alternatives and Entry for People with Disabilities to Be a part of the Workforce
DOVER (Oct. 31, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Companies (DDDS) introduced at this time efforts to increase providers and helps for people with mental and developmental disabilities (IDD) to hunt and safe employment.
“October is Nationwide Incapacity Employment Consciousness Month, and our division is dedicated to increasing employment alternatives for the individuals we serve,” mentioned Marissa Catalon, Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Companies. “The present workforce surroundings supplies an amazing alternative for the individuals we serve to safe a job the place they will use their particular person expertise, talents and skills to contribute in a significant approach to their neighborhood.”
Catalon mentioned there are lots of alternatives for people with disabilities to enter the workforce, however they want some assist doing so. She mentioned DDDS is committing extra monetary sources to help the growth of those alternatives via a method that expands the variety of employment specialists obtainable within the state, encourages extra supplier companies to have interaction in supported employment, and pilots a brand new program designed to coach these with disabilities to serve others with IDD.
“We’re thrilled to see these investments being made by our colleagues at DDDS,” mentioned Molly Magarik, Cupboard Secretary of the Division of Well being and Social Companies (DHSS). “These are extra than simply service enhancements, they’re investments within the lives of our pals and neighbors and our communities throughout the state. They usually open the chance for people with mental and developmental disabilities to work of their neighborhood alongside individuals with and with out disabilities, at aggressive wages. This provides a direct pathway to higher autonomy, self-sufficiency and well being.”
Catalon mentioned DDDS is committing funds to rent and prepare 25 new employment specialists. This elevated workforce may help as much as 400 people we serve of their pursuit of neighborhood built-in employment.
“The demand for employment providers at this time is way higher than the capability of our current supplier community,” mentioned Jody Roberts, Director of Exterior Relations and Strategic Partnerships for the division. “The general public well being emergency and elevated workforce competitors has impacted the recruitment and retention efforts of our supplier community to rent and retain expert employment specialists. These employment specialists present essential helps for individuals with IDD to acquire, preserve and achieve these jobs.”
To speed up the usage of these new sources, current DDDS Residence and Neighborhood-Based mostly Service suppliers who’re approved to offer Particular person Supported Employment Companies could search approval from DDDS to rent as much as two new employment specialists and be reimbursed for wages, trainings and different employment-related bills for the primary six months of the brand new rent’s employment.
“We all know it takes time earlier than these providers can grow to be financially sustainable for our suppliers, and we don’t need that to grow to be a barrier to implementing these new packages,” Catalon mentioned. “That’s why we’re providing to cowl the prices of the primary six months for these suppliers to encourage them to take the time wanted to make this effort work for everybody concerned.”
Lastly, the Division can be partnering with RCM Coaching and Consulting to implement its program, the DSP Academy. The packages trains people with disabilities to grow to be DSPs – or Direct Help Professionals – serving these with people with IDD.
“The DSP Academy is a really progressive program,” Roberts mentioned. “It concurrently works to handle the impacts of ongoing workforce shortages in our service system and supplies coaching and employment alternatives for people with disabilities in Delaware. It’s a mannequin for the communities we hope to create all throughout Delaware.”
DDDS is certainly one of 10 divisions within the Division of Well being and Social Companies. It serves greater than 5,000 service recipients statewide.
Associated Subjects: DDDS, Delaware Well being and Social Companies, Nationwide Incapacity Employment Consciousness Month, Nationwide Incapacity Employment Month
Hold updated by receiving a each day digest e mail, round midday, of present information launch posts from state companies on information.delaware.gov.
Right here you possibly can subscribe to future information updates.
DDDS Goals to Broaden Alternatives and Entry for People with Disabilities to Be a part of the Workforce
DOVER (Oct. 31, 2022) – The Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Companies (DDDS) introduced at this time efforts to increase providers and helps for people with mental and developmental disabilities (IDD) to hunt and safe employment.
“October is Nationwide Incapacity Employment Consciousness Month, and our division is dedicated to increasing employment alternatives for the individuals we serve,” mentioned Marissa Catalon, Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities Companies. “The present workforce surroundings supplies an amazing alternative for the individuals we serve to safe a job the place they will use their particular person expertise, talents and skills to contribute in a significant approach to their neighborhood.”
Catalon mentioned there are lots of alternatives for people with disabilities to enter the workforce, however they want some assist doing so. She mentioned DDDS is committing extra monetary sources to help the growth of those alternatives via a method that expands the variety of employment specialists obtainable within the state, encourages extra supplier companies to have interaction in supported employment, and pilots a brand new program designed to coach these with disabilities to serve others with IDD.
“We’re thrilled to see these investments being made by our colleagues at DDDS,” mentioned Molly Magarik, Cupboard Secretary of the Division of Well being and Social Companies (DHSS). “These are extra than simply service enhancements, they’re investments within the lives of our pals and neighbors and our communities throughout the state. They usually open the chance for people with mental and developmental disabilities to work of their neighborhood alongside individuals with and with out disabilities, at aggressive wages. This provides a direct pathway to higher autonomy, self-sufficiency and well being.”
Catalon mentioned DDDS is committing funds to rent and prepare 25 new employment specialists. This elevated workforce may help as much as 400 people we serve of their pursuit of neighborhood built-in employment.
“The demand for employment providers at this time is way higher than the capability of our current supplier community,” mentioned Jody Roberts, Director of Exterior Relations and Strategic Partnerships for the division. “The general public well being emergency and elevated workforce competitors has impacted the recruitment and retention efforts of our supplier community to rent and retain expert employment specialists. These employment specialists present essential helps for individuals with IDD to acquire, preserve and achieve these jobs.”
To speed up the usage of these new sources, current DDDS Residence and Neighborhood-Based mostly Service suppliers who’re approved to offer Particular person Supported Employment Companies could search approval from DDDS to rent as much as two new employment specialists and be reimbursed for wages, trainings and different employment-related bills for the primary six months of the brand new rent’s employment.
“We all know it takes time earlier than these providers can grow to be financially sustainable for our suppliers, and we don’t need that to grow to be a barrier to implementing these new packages,” Catalon mentioned. “That’s why we’re providing to cowl the prices of the primary six months for these suppliers to encourage them to take the time wanted to make this effort work for everybody concerned.”
Lastly, the Division can be partnering with RCM Coaching and Consulting to implement its program, the DSP Academy. The packages trains people with disabilities to grow to be DSPs – or Direct Help Professionals – serving these with people with IDD.
“The DSP Academy is a really progressive program,” Roberts mentioned. “It concurrently works to handle the impacts of ongoing workforce shortages in our service system and supplies coaching and employment alternatives for people with disabilities in Delaware. It’s a mannequin for the communities we hope to create all throughout Delaware.”
DDDS is certainly one of 10 divisions within the Division of Well being and Social Companies. It serves greater than 5,000 service recipients statewide.
Associated Subjects: DDDS, Delaware Well being and Social Companies, Nationwide Incapacity Employment Consciousness Month, Nationwide Incapacity Employment Month
Hold updated by receiving a each day digest e mail, round midday, of present information launch posts from state companies on information.delaware.gov.
Right here you possibly can subscribe to future information updates.