COVID-19 and Customized Employment

Upcoming Webinars

GHA Presents: Organizational Leadership During Uncertain Times - Challenges & Opportunities

Progressive Employment Concepts is a 100% Community Based Organization in Northern California. What started from humble beginnings serving 15 people with a vision of what services could/should look like has grown to become an organization on a path to becoming a truly person- centered organization striving to provide high quality Customized Employment services and individualized Person Centered Community Supports. Carole Watilo Progressive CEO will join us to share their journey from the beginning, where they are going, and how they are doing during these challenging times.

Presenters: Corey Smith is a Senior Associate with Griffin-Hammis Associates. He provides training and technical assistance on Customized Employment, Supported Employment, braided funding, and building social capital for people with disabilities, families, providers, high schools and funding sources. Projects include the development of CE services in both metropolitan and rural communities, also working with funders and Universities on best practices strategies. Corey brings many years of experience in direct services, administration, organizational transformation, and development, for organizations providing employment services.

Carole Watilo is the Executive Director of Progressive Employment Concepts and its outlying office in Davis, Community & Employment Services. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and a Master of Arts Degree in Education with an emphasis in Special Education from Sacramento State University. Carole has additional training related to Person Centered Thinking practices, Augmentative and Alternative communication strategies, positive behavior support strategies, Discovery and Customized Employment. She has worked in this field since 1984, beginning her career as a residential and classroom aide for children with autism in a non-public residential school. From 1987- present she has worked with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a variety of capacities. She has provided direct services as an ILS Instructor, SLS support person, and employment support specialist. She has supervised staff in all of these areas as well.

Date: June 3, 2020

Time: 1 PM - 2:30 PM EDT

Register now: https://www.griffinhammis.com/webinar-registration/

CE Conversations: Developing and Harnessing Social Capital (Part 2)

This is the second in a two-part series, “Developing and Harnessing Social Capital”. Building on Session 1, we will draft, during this second session, steps for connecting virtually to build Social Capital based on the specific interests of an individual you are providing supports to.

Come prepared to provide enough  information regarding the individual’s interests, while maintaining confidentially.

You will then be able to share the draft with the individual for discussion, additional input, approval and practice prior to facilitating the virtual connection.

Presenter: Nancy Brooks-Lane's diverse skills include training, technical assistance and side by side mentoring in best practices; organizational and system change strategic planning; and aligning policy, funding, and change. She has assisted persons with significant disabilities to obtain customized employment or start their own business and has mentored, trained and provided technical assistance to self-advocates, families, providers, citizen advocates, funders and social and political leaders in the processes of best practices and system change.

Date: June 5, 2020

Time: 1 PM - 2 PM EDT

Register now: https://www.griffinhammis.com/webinar-registration/

CE Conversations: Families

GHA has looked to address many topics during this time of flux and today we want to support our families.  Families who have taken on teaching school lessons, been forced to learn unfamiliar technology and generally been attempting to provide balance and stability for their family members who have had their routines turned upside down.  Routine is such an important aspect of life for all of us, but particularly so for individuals who succeed with a schedule and working with ‘knowns’.  Please join us for this conversation on how we can best support families and learn from family members as to how and what they have learned during these unprecedented times.

Presenter: Marsie Hartman has been a Senior Associate at Griffin-Hammis Associates since 2011. Her work in employment services began in 1986. During the years her work has included has providing direct supports, program management and policy development. She led employment projects with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities while a Senior Policy Analyst at Health & Disability Advocates in Chicago. She is currently an Instructor of ACRE courses and trainer in Customized Employment. In addition, partnering with the Florida DDC on their Workforce Training Initiative Collaboration addressing the workforce crisis around the need for Direct Support Professionals. Her love is of the empowering impact that the Social Security Administration work incentives can provide individuals earning income from work.

Date: June 12, 2020

Time: 1 PM - 2 PM EDT

Register now: https://www.griffinhammis.com/webinar-registration/