Mental Health Association in New York State

TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Employment Service Systems Research and Training Center (ESSRTC)
Supported through a grant to Hunter College, City University of New York from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, this website, http://www.essrtc.org, targets people with disabilities, employers and all the people within the employment service system who serve people with disabilities. Technical assistance activities are offered based on five different research projects, including the Consortia for Employment Success (CES), Workplace Socialization Model (WPS), Identification of “Good Practices” Within Vocational Rehabilitation, Designing and Testing Comprehensive Employment Practice and Policy Initiatives within a Vocational Rehabilitation State Agency, and Study of Disability Navigators in One-Stops. In addition, the Manual for the Employer Openness Survey developed by research partners at Syracuse University is designed to be used with business persons to assess their openness to hiring persons with disabilities. You must register first before downloading this guide from their Resources page.

Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute (EDI)
The Institute conducts research, provides training and technical assistance, and produces scholarly publications under the sponsorship of federal, state, and private funding in order to enhance the opportunities of people with disabilities. Topics from their website, http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/, include Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Accommodations, Disability Benefits and Work, Disability Employment Research, and Workforce Development. Additional information is also available through interactive links to other sites, such as tips for HR professionals in complying with ADA, assistance with benefits, etc.

NYS Department of Labor

Paths to Employment for Ex-Offenders.
The NYS Department of Labor is conducting workshops geared to persons who work with offenders and ex-offenders, including job developers and educators. Topics include employer’s rights/job-seekers rights, legal issues regarding employment and probation or parole, dealing with gaps in work history; Certificate of Release from Disabilities and the Certificate of Good Conduct, and the Federal Bonding Program. Contact Elaine Kost, Federal Bond Coordinator for the NYS Department of Labor at (518) 485-2151.

New Position at Your Local One Stop Career Center - Disability Program Navigator (DPN).
A pilot program of the New York State Department of Labor, with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration (SSA), has created a new position available at the One Stop Centers. Disability Program Navigators (DPNs) will address the needs of people living with disabilities who seek job training and employment services from the One Stop Centers. The DPN will be a resource person to the workforce investment system by providing advisory help on disability programs to the Centers as well as helping customers of the One Stop with information about Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Disability Income (SSDI), and Social Security work incentives such as the Ticket to Work Program. Locate a DPN in your area.

For information on mental health and the workplace, call the Consumer & Business Outreach Program at (518) 434-0439, ext. 224 or by e-mail at businessoutreach@mhanys.org.