Arkansas Employment First Task Force Final Report

“After the Governor signed Executive Order 10-17, the Department of Human Services convened the Employment First Task Force. The Task Force was comprised of representatives from state agencies, provider associations, and advocacy groups. The Task Force developed the following definition of “Employment First:”

Employment First means employment in the workforce at livable wages and benefits is the first and preferred option in the provision of publicly funded services for all working age Arkansans with disabilities, regardless of level of disability.

The Arkansas Employment First Task force endeavors to continue interagency collaboration as a permanent interagency work group is needed to promote collaboration on issues and sharing of information related to disability employment, including outreach and marketing, training, coordination of services, and reporting outcomes. This group will include representatives of State agencies, provider groups, advocacy groups, and the Social Security Administration.

The Final Report contained two recommendations related to interagency collaboration:

A permanent interagency work group is needed to promote collaboration on issues and sharing of information related to disability employment, including outreach and marketing, training, coordination of services, and reporting outcomes. This group will include representatives of State agencies, provider groups, advocacy groups, and the Social Security Administration.
Explore strategies for sustaining the EmployAbility Project after its federal funding ends in 2012. The Project provides policy analysis, training, and outreach and facilitates interagency collaboration to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.”