“Provides adult day health care services, personal care services, respite care services, waiver case management, incontinence supplies, adult day health care nursing, assistive technology and appliances assessment/consultation, assistive technology and appliances, behavior support services, career preparation services, community services, day activity, employment services, environmental modifications, in-home support services, personal emergency response systems, private vehicle assessment/consultation, private vehicle modifications, and support center services to individuals with intellectual disabilities ages 0 or older who meet an ICF/IID level of care.”
“In an effort to assist State Mental Health Authorities, in close collaboration with Single State Authorities, in planning and implementing activities to foster increased employment opportunities for people with mental health and/or substance use disorders, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and its Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) created the Employment Development Initiative (EDI).
This initiative provides, on a competitive basis, modest funding awards in the form of fixed-price subcontracts between the Contractor, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), and the States, Territories and District of Columbia. In addition, each awardee will receive two consultant technical assistance visits coordinated and paid through the Contractor's portion of the project." South Carolina received an EDI award for its program Integration Peer Support into Supported Employment.
• “Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidenced-based supported employment best practice model. IPS is collaboration between South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) and South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD). Since 2005 these state agencies have combined resources and personnel to implement the IPS Supported Employment model. The goal of this partnership is to place people with serve mental illness in competitive employment. Through the collaboration of this Supported Employment model, SCVRD and SCDMH are able to provide an integrated and seamless employment service delivery that results in improved employment outcomes for people with severe mental illness.”
South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council Five-Year State Plan
“The mission of the South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council is to provide leadership in planning, funding, and implementing initiatives that lead to improved quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and their families through advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change.”
This plan outlines the goals of the SC Developmental Disabilities Council for PY2017-PY2021
“ACL’s Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) recently awarded more than $1.8 million in funding to six states to increase competitive employment outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The five-year grants will help enhance collaboration across existing state systems, including programs administered by state developmental disabilities agencies, state vocational rehabilitation agencies, state educational agencies, and other entities to prioritize employment as the first and preferred option for youth and young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.”
Able South Carolina received a grant for the South Carolina Employment First Initiative.
South Carolina SB 462: Uniform High School Diplomas Bill (2017-2018)
“An Act to amend section 59-39-100, as amended, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to the uniform diploma for graduates of accredited high schools, so as to provide personalized pathways for students to earn the diploma and to provide related course of study-based endorsements students may earn, to revise the coursework students entering ninth grade during the 2018-2019 school year must earn for graduation, to provide this revised coursework requirement must support the profile of the graduate, to provide for a uniform employability credential available for certain students with disabilities as an alternative to diploma pathways, and to provide the State Department of Education shall monitor numbers of diplomas and employability credentials earned by students and biannually report such numbers to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly.”
“South Carolina is one of six states selected by the Administration for Community Living to receive funding in order to increase employment outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities statewide. Employment First emphasizes competitive, integrated employment as the preferred option for individuals with disabilities.
The South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition, through collaboration with thirteen Project Partners, will implement The SC Employment First Initiative to address barriers to successful employment for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
“South Carolina has roughly 100,000 students with disabilities serviced under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), of which the majority are able to earn a state high school diploma.
Given the varying levels of student achievement, as well as the inability to complete required high school coursework, there was a need to provide an alternative option for students with disabilities to demonstrate their ability to transition into the work community.
The uniform state-recognized South Carolina High School Employability Credential is aligned to a course of study for these students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines this course of study is appropriate.”
Community Employment Program Development Work Group
“This Employment Community of Practice offers an exciting opportunity for direct service providers interested in implementing customized employment practices. The community of practice builds capacity to improve the methodology and skills of employment staff to assist seekers with more significant barriers to obtain employment.”
This page is continuously updated with webinars and related resources around topics relating to community employment for people with disabilities.
South Carolina HB 4093: Employment First Initiative Study Committee (2017-2018)
“An Act to establish the South Carolina Employment First Study Committee for the Purpose of studying and evaluating the need for an Employment First Initiative Act, to provide expectations policies to be established by an Employment First Initiative Act, to provide for the composition of the study committee, and to provide the committee shall report its findings to the governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on or before May 1, 2019, at which time the study committee is dissolved.”
