Beth Swedeen, Lisa Pugh and Russell McCullough gave this presentation on May 30, 2012 at the National Transition Conference in Washington, DC.

1. Wisconsin’s Let’s Get to Work:
A Policy and Practice Approach for Launching
Youth into the Work Force
Beth Swedeen & Lisa Pugh
May 30, 2012

2. Learning Objectives
• Use evidence-based and promising practices at the
local and systemic level to measure employment
outcomes
• Identify policy and practice barriers
• Identify practical strategies for engaging policymakers

3. Project framework includes all stakeholders:
Combines what research/data shows are:
• Most significant barriers;
• Strategies and practices that work;
• policies that act as both facilitators and barriers to
employment.

4. Project framework includes all stakeholders:
• School staff
• Service agencies: Voc
Rehab; Long-term care
system
• Students
• Families
• Broader community
(including employers)

5. Four project components
• Statewide consortium
• Pilot schools
• On-site coaches
• Policy team

6. Consortium’s Role
• Large: includes representation from all
stakeholders, 60-70 people
• Provides input on what is and isn’t working, what
directions to pursue; what policies need to change or
improve
• Includes progress updates from schools and three
state agencies on progress: practice and policy
changes

7. Pilot Schools
• Did a statewide competitive application reviewed by
all six major partners (3 state agencies; 3 ADD
partners)
• Looked for interest/ability to develop a broader
stakeholder group in their school and community
• Had to commit to implement evidence-based or
promising practices…

8. Practices:
• Person-centered planning
• School/community mapping of opportunities
• Connection general education and co-curricular activities
• Summer paid/volunteer community-based jobs
• Early connection to DVR
• Engaging broader community through a Community
Conversation
• School learning circle/community of practice to learn from
each other

9. Russell’s Story
• Person-centered planning
• School/community mapping of opportunities
• Connection general education and co-curricular
activities
• Summer paid/volunteer community-based jobs

10. How I got my jobs

11. As a young student, I really liked riding the bus

12. In high school I really enjoyed hanging out with friends

13. My current position at BPDD

14. Always wanted to be a driver

15. Coaches
• On-site supporters/cheerleaders/practitioners who
show school staff how to try new practices
• Provide resources and direct instruction training
• Connect them to other professional
development, training and resources

16. Policy Team
• Members
• What it does

17. Policy Barriers: DVR
• Too many facility-based
assessments for youth
• Lack experience and
comfort in supporting
individuals with
significant
disabilities, both among
counselors and
provider networks

18. DVR Policy Solutions
• Guidance to staff and the public from DVR leadership
on community-based assessments
• Youth Transition On the Job Training (OJT)
• Strengthening statewide training to new/existing DVR
staff on how to support individuals with the most
complex disabilities (assumption that all are
employable)

19. DPI Policy Barriers
• No clear guidance on
LRE for youth in
transition (ages 18-21)
• Inadequate pre-
service preparation in
transition

20. Long-Term Care Policy Barriers
• Lack of competitive
employment focus in long-term
care system
• Lack of understanding about
the impact of employment on
public benefits

21. Long-Term Care Policy Solutions
• Changes to provider rates to
create incentives for
employment outcomes (pay
for performance)
• Increased focus on
employment in managed care
contract language

22. Long-Term Care Policy Solutions
• Creating mentoring opportunities
among providers
• Pursuing a pre-voc policy that
would prohibit/limit new entries
to facility-based pre-voc
• Embed benefits counseling training
into statewide long-term care
system parent training and have
benefits counseling expertise
available at ADRCs

23. Practical Strategies for Engaging Policymakers
• Making a solid case for change: using data, research
to create targeted asks
• Focus on policymakers’ own interests
• (play the players against each other)
• Don’t take no for an answer: go to the next level
• Look at what is happening in the general population
of youth regarding employment in your state
• Help policymakers make connections
• Work in coalitions: create a “buzz”

24. Beth Swedeen, WI-BPDD
beth.swedeen@wisconsin.gov
Lisa Pugh, ADD Public Policy Coordinator
lisa.pugh@drwi.org