Hello Job Placement Service Providers!

This newsletter contains professional development training, news, and resource updates!   Please share this newsletter and this newsletter signup link with others in your agency.

Changes to Your Business Info

If there have been any changes to your address, tax ID number (e.g., a Federal Employer Identification Number/FEIN), bank account for electronic deposits, payment address, or service offerings, please let us know as soon as possible to ensure accurate and timely payment processing. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. Thank you!

Where Should I Send My Invoices?

You can find the bill payers for each DVR office here to see as accurately as possible where to submit your invoices and reports.

Upcoming HCPF Supported Employment Stakeholder Meeting

Wednesday, Dec 6, 2023  1 - 2:30 pm MT

Join via Zoom

• Meeting ID: 969 4053 6000

• Passcode: 115140

• Toll Free Call-in option: 1-877-853-5257

Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing invites stakeholders to come learn about the potential language changes being considered regarding Supported Employment services. With the upcoming waiver renewal of the Developmental Disabilities (DD) and Supported Living Services (SLS) Waivers, the Department is looking at expanding and clarifying the service definitions for Supported Employment services.  

Proposed changes include: integrating more Employment First and person-centered language, expanding the description of activities within the Job Development and Job Coaching services, separating group and individual Supported Employment services to support clarity, and clarifying areas where there has historically been confusion. The goal is to address the ambiguity that exists in the current service descriptions. 

You can also copy the invitation from the Office of Community Living's Stakeholder Engagement Calendar.

Social Security Ticket to Work Program Beneficiary Satisfaction Survey

Learn More Here

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is  conducting a survey about the Ticket to Work (Ticket) Program with only randomly selected Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. People who receive invitation letters to participate in the survey will be asked to give feedback about their familiarity with, and participation in, the program.

The Ticket to Work Beneficiary Satisfaction survey asks about their awareness of the Ticket Program, experience receiving services from an Employment Network, and their work experience. Information from the survey will help to improve the Ticket Program. It also ensures that we are aware of services that SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients indicate they need.

If your clients choose to participate, they have the option to complete the survey online with the personal identification number or QR code in the letter. It can also be completed by telephone interview.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and will not affect their eligibility for benefits now or in the future. SSA safeguards the information provided and use it for limited purposes, consistent with applicable federal law, regulations, and directives. Also, SSA does not include their name or other identifying information in published reports or presentations about the survey.

SSA would appreciate your help with advising beneficiaries and recipients that it is legitimate. 

MEETS SB18-145 Supported Employment Certification Requirements!

ACRE Approved Supported Employment Online Course

From VCU RRTC Rehabilitation Research & Training Center

• January 8 – April 1, 2024 | 5:30 – 6:30 PM MT | Virtual 

• Register Here (registration ends January 2, 2024)

This course provides an extensive overview of supported employment and how to facilitate competitive jobs for individuals with significant disabilities. Topics include: federal policy; customer profile; job development; job-site training; long-term supports; and funding. 

The College Disability Services System: Accommodations and Students’ Responsibilities and Rights

From the National Center for College Students with Disabilities

• December 5, 2023 | 5:30 – 6:30 PM MT | Virtual 

• Register Here

A close look at shifting laws, how the system works at college (i.e., what students must do if they want accommodations and what their rights are), and what documentation they might need. Learn more about the College Disability Services System.

Career Conversations: an interview with Brian Ghezelaiagh, licensed Psychiatrist  

From APH CareerConnect

• Thursday, December 7, 2023 | 4:00 – 5:00 PM MST

• Register Here

Join APH CareerConnect for our very popular Career Conversations Series. 

Brian Ghezelaiagh, MD, Psychiatrist will share his journey from choosing psychiatry through his education and now practicing as a licensed Psychiatrist. Brian has low vision and will discuss accommodations at work and what it is like for him to practice as a psychiatrist. 

Colorado Disability Benefits 101 (DB 101) Training

• Zoom Recording of DB 101 training 

  • Passcode: 3y=0*iiC

• Slide Deck

We appreciate your feedback. Please complete the short training evaluation in this google form: DB 101 Training Evaluation.

How to Conduct a Job Analysis 101

From the Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (TACQE)

Access Training Here

Gain strategies and insights into how to use job analyses to support a diverse range of individuals in the workplace. You’ll learn how the process involves systematically assessing a job's responsibilities and objectives, identifying essential supports, and gaining insight into business operations, management, and coworker dynamics. 

Benefits Planning Social Media Toolkit Now Available!

The Colorado Chapter of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) launched a Benefits Planning Awareness Campaign to raise awareness about how benefits and employment can work together to support people on their employment journey. 

Here are three ways you can help:

• Use the social media toolkit to post on your own organization’s social media platforms to connect your audiences to valuable Benefits Planning information. 

• Forward this campaign to any stakeholders who may find it meaningful to their efforts in elevating competitive, inclusive employment in Colorado, including to anyone you sent our original campaign launch email. This may include state agencies, providers, employers, professionals, community partners, or any who may directly serve or work with people with disabilities.

• Share the infographics, video, online resources, and Benefits Planning information directly with people with disabilities and their families. 

Digital Accessibility Basics

From the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT)

Access Resource Here

Any digital content your company distributes, either internally or externally, needs to be accessible. Get guidance and resources for making your digital resources as accessible as possible. 

Demystifying Accommodations for People with Hidden Disabilities

From SHRM

Access Resource Here

Help your employer partners understand how they can support their employees with disabilities.

Navigating Medicare open enrollment? These expert tips can help.

From the Colorado Sun

In case you missed last week’s free, virtual event on Medicare open enrollment, health reporter John Ingold compiled the advice from the event’s three experts on how to pick the best plan or plans for you. You can read the highlights of their discussion or watch the recorded hourlong panel designed to help navigate the very confusing world of Medicare.

Check back later! You can also access our current employment opportunities here.