Arkansas Employment First Task Force Training Recommendations

The Final Report of the Employment First Task Force included a number of recommendations related to training, including:

Recommendation 1: Provide training on disability employment to State agency and provider agency staff.

State agencies should offer three levels of training on disability employment for their staff and provider agencies. Basic orientation should be required for staff of agencies serving people with disabilities, and could be offered online using video. Intermediate level training covering specific work incentives should be required for case managers and employment program staff. In-depth training on work incentives would be useful to persons who will actually provide work incentives counseling or work incentives training. Some State agencies may need in-house training capability on work incentives to meet the needs of their staff and providers.

Recommendation 19: Strengthen provider certification for employment services.

Provider certification needs to be strengthened for providers of various employment services. APSE, a national organization with focused on integrated employment and career advancement opportunities for individuals with disabilities, is developing national certification for employment specialists. ARS could use this certification process to upgrade standards for provider staff.

Recommendation 29. Train State agency supervisors

Develop mandatory EO 10-17 supervisory training curricula to expand training on the ADA and its amendments, and demonstrate how supervisors may access Clearinghouse information for recruiting, hiring, and maintaining qualified employees with disabilities.

Discussion: State agency supervisors and personnel officials need to have full knowledge of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its amendments in order to recruit, employ, and accommodate employees with disabilities. This training would include such topics as ADA employment requirements, reasonable accommodation policies, and disability awareness and etiquette. The training will also cover basic work incentives information that enables individuals with disabilities to work and keep their disability benefits, especially health care coverage.