News and notes from Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation.
Employment First Series: Part 3 of 3
Aug-30-2021
Services
This month, I want to share a bit about how Imagine!’s Employment Services are helping to drive the change necessary to make Employment First a reality for the people we serve. If you missed the beginning of this series, check out Part 1 and Part 2.
We are taking a four-pronged approach to this culture change work: (1) training, (2) education, (3) advocacy, and (4) structures.
Training
Our training work is focused internally, and affects both our employment staff and the entire Imagine! team. Within Employment Services, we are weaving Employment First into all of our training, communications, and messaging. In addition, our staff members are pursuing certifications in Customized Employment, an evidence-based approach to finding independent employment opportunities for people with more complex support needs.
Outside of our department, we will be offering trainings to other departments to help all of Imagine! to build the mindset that employment can and should be the preferred goal for everyone we serve.
Education
Education is more passive than training, and takes many forms – including this series! We are working to educate our community though individual team meetings and town hall events. In the future, we will be working to update the Imagine! Direct Services website and other materials to ensure it reflects and promotes Employment First. Finally, the leadership of Employment Services are very intentional in our choice of language. The way we talk about our services provides an ongoing opportunity to encourage everyone we meet to reframe the way they think about employment for people with IDD (e.g. “career exploration and preparation” versus “job readiness,” “hired” versus “placed”).
Advocacy
Actively working with our state partners can help drive the systems change necessary to make Employment First possible. We participate in stakeholder sessions on everything from rates for employment-related services to the strategic plan for transportation in Boulder County, and everything in between. In addition, I serve as a member of the board for Colorado APSE, our state chapter of the Association of People Supporting Employment First.
Structures
Structural work is at the heart of driving Employment First at Imagine!. We are reimagining our services to ensure they align with Employment First principles. This includes:
- Phasing out group employment and replacing it with career preparation services (including curriculum-based learning and skill-building in a volunteer setting);
- Building connection between School Age Services and Employment Services; and
- Investing in our independent employment team to ensure we have the capacity to support everyone and anyone with IDD who wants to work in our community.
If you’ve made it this far – thank you! You’re part of this effort too, and I’m grateful to have you as a partner in this work. If you have questions about employment or Employment First, email me anytime at kcortes@imaginecolorado.org.
