Announcement Posted for Supervisory Policy Advisor Position at ODEP
A job announcement posted on USA Jobs for a Supervisory Policy Advisor GS-301-15 on the Employer Policy Team at the Office of Disability Employment Policy in Washington, DC. The person selected for this job will be responsible for ensuring that ODEP’s policies and practices address the needs of the business community, and will be charged with networking and building coalitions with the business sector to promote disability employment. There are two announcements – one for federal employees (federal employee status, veterans, and Schedule A eligible applicants) and one for applicants outside the federal government. The announcement is open until October 10.

DOL Joins the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee
The Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee reports to Congress and federal agencies on issues related to serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance. The Department of Health and Human Services established the ISMICC on March 15, 2017, in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act. The ISMICC is composed of senior leaders from 10 federal agencies including HHS, the Departments of Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs, Defense, Housing and Urban Development, Education, and the Social Security Administration along with 14 non-federal public members. The ISMICC reports to the Secretary of HHS or their designee. The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use chairs the ISMICC, with management and support services provided by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Reports Released Highlighting SAW/RTW Policy Collaborative Online Dialogue Series
The final summary reports for Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Policy Collaborative online dialogue series are now available. These virtual crowdsourcing events, hosted by the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s SAW/RTW Policy Collaborative and ePolicyWorks, sought input and ideas from the public and other stakeholders, including subject matter experts, on SAW/RTW policies and communications. During the three dialogues hosted between March and July, 252 registrants submitted 62 ideas, 406 comments and 431 votes. The ideas and comments gathered will be used to further guide the work of ODEP’s SAW/RTW Policy Working Groups to develop policy recommendations, resources and materials to assist states and stakeholders in improving services to injured or disabled workers.

Workforce Recruitment Program Featured on SSA’s Ticket to Work Blog
In a post on the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work blog, Lauren Karas, ODEP project manager for the Workforce Recruitment Program, explains how college students with disabilities can qualify to participate in the program. The WRP offers these students a potential pathway to internships and permanent jobs with the federal government. In the blog, Karas highlights the success stories of several former WRP interns, including herself.

Workplace Accommodations Prove to be “Low Cost, High Impact”
The Job Accommodation Network released the 2017 update to its annual “Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact” study. The research, which has been conducted annually since 2004, indicates that the majority (59 percent) of workplace accommodations cost nothing, while for those that do, the typical small expenditure pays for itself multiple-fold in the form of reduced insurance and training costs and increased productivity and morale.

ODEP Launches WIOA State Plan Matrices Tool
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act State Plan Matrices tool has been launched as part of the Employment First web portal. To create this resource, ODEP analyzed WIOA state plans based on 12 elements with an employment focus. To view the information, visit the Employment First web portal, select any state, and click on the “WIOA Profile” header. On the profile page, you can look at each employment-focused element individually, download a full PDF of the WIOA profile, or download the entire WIOA state plan.

NCWD/Youth Publishes Info Brief on “Designing Professional Development for Youth Workforce Development”
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth published an Info Brief describing strategies and considerations for designing and delivering professional development for youth service professionals at the state and local levels. “Designing Professional Development for Youth Workforce Development” highlights strategies, required resources, and lessons learned from three different professional development initiatives. The brief informs the decisions of organizations, agencies, and funders as they consider how to invest in professional development efforts within the workforce development system and other youth service systems and program contexts.