7/11/12
Welcome to APSE’s Day on the Hill
2012 APSE Conference Arlington, VA
The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men. • George Eliot
The Case For Employment First
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Employment First: What Is It? • General theme: Employment in the community is the first/primary service opAon for individuals with disabiliAes
APSE Statement on Employment First
Employment in the general workforce is the first and preferred outcome in the provision of publicly funded services for all working age ciAzens with disabiliAes, regardless of level of disability.
Employment First 2012 • 30+ states have some type of Employment First” movement About 3/4 of efforts are directed by state policy units or are legislaAvely based About 1/4 of efforts are grassroots based – i.e., outsiders working to influence state policy and pracAce • At least 19 states have official Employment First legislaAon and/or polices
Making the Case • Lack of workforce parAcipaAon for people with disabiliAes is a serious issue • 13 million people in the United States on SSI and SSDI • Need for innovaAve approaches • The ADA, RehabilitaAon Act, Olmstead speak of maximum integraAon and inclusion • Being reinforced by US Department of Jus;ce in terms of employment • We have proven that with the right type of assistance and support people with disabiliAes can work without regard to disability
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Making the Case • Employment is a road of out of poverty and reduced reliance on public benefits • Community employment services have been shown to be less costly than facility-‐based services • People with disabiliAes want to work in the community – they have richer, fuller lives, are healthier • Wide variaAon in outcomes from state to state • It’s about jobs – who can argue against that?
The care of human life and happiness, and not destrucAon, is the first and only legiAmate object of good government.
-‐ Thomas Jefferson
WIPA and PABSS • Congressional authorizaAon for benefits counseling and assistance from Work IncenAve ProtecAon and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Programs has expired • WIPA programs are shu]ng down
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APSE is asking Congress to take one or more of the following acEons: • Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue has publicly stated that he needs to know that Congress supports these programs before he will release funding for them to conAnue. Please contact Commissioner Astrue and tell him that Congress supports these programs and they must conAnue. • Support the introducAon and passage of the Social Work IncenAve Amendments of 2012, that would reauthorize the WIPA and PABSS program for five-‐years. • Support the passage of a 2-‐year extension of the WIPA and PABSS programs through September 2013, maintaining the exisAng infrastructure while Congress considers a longer-‐term reauthorizaAon that makes changes to increase the programs’ effecAveness.
USDOL OfLice For Federal Contract Compliance • Support OFCCP Efforts to Strengthen Hiring by Federal Contractors – The Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) at the US Department of Labor has issued strong drab regulaAons to strengthen the long-‐standing requirements in SecAon 503 of the RehabilitaAon Act for federal contractors regarding hiring and employment of people with disabiliAes. APSE is asking Congress to support these drab regulaAons, and oppose any efforts to stop their implementaAon.
Workforce Investment Act & Rehabilitation Act • APSE in favor of proposed language in WIA reauthorizaAon efforts that enhances supports role of the public VocaAonal RehabilitaAon system in supporAng transiAon from school to employment for students with disabiliAes. • APSE is opposed to any effort in WIA reauthorizaAon that will consolidate the public VocaAonal RehabilitaAon system with the general workforce system. • APSE opposes efforts to eliminate the supported employment provisions of the RehabilitaAon Act (Title VI), as Title VI is criAcal in ensuring that public VocaAonal RehabilitaAon meets the needs of individuals needing long-‐term supports.
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Meeting with Legislators – The Basics
2012 APSE Conference Arlington, VA
Before the Meeting • Decide who will be lead – but let everyone should talk • Decide on what issues to focus on – and what issues not to focus on • Review fact sheets
During the Meeting Relax! Ask how much Ame you have at the start Be clear about your views – and explain in common language Use stories to illustrate points Try to Ae into legislator’s interest Keep your remarks short and to the point Give responses to arguments from “the other side” but don’t degrade them • If you don’t know an answer, tell them you will get back to them – and be sure to do so • Take a picture if possible • Aberwards: send a thank you note • • • • • • •
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The key to my life is that I am willing to make an ass of myself.” • Harry Chapin
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