ThinkWork!


ThinkWork is the hub for an array of programs related to employment for people with IDD at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Browse the different programs below.
 

Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with IDD

The goal of the Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Advancing Employment for Individuals with IDD is to identify strategies to support state agencies, providers, advocates, individuals and families to make the philosophy of Employment First a reality. Partners on the project include APSE, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, the National Association of State Directors of DD Services, the Arc of the U.S., and the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota. The project is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

 

State Employment Leadership Network

The State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) brings together state developmental disability agencies for sharing, educating and providing guidance on practices and policies around employment to its members. The SELN was launched in 2006 as a joint program of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and the Institute for Community Inclusion (IC) at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

 

Access to Integrated Employment

Since 1988, Access to Integrated Employment has described trends in day and employment services and outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This research project explores the factors that contribute to employment outcomes at multiple levels: individual achievement, employment support practices, service provider engagement, and state policy reform.

 

StateData

StateData.info promotes Employment First and systems change efforts nationwide by supporting outcome-based management and planning. The site includes data from state intellectual and developmental disability agencies, and vocational rehabilitation outcomes and services from the Rehabilitation Services Administration. It also features data from the Social Security Administration, state mental health agencies, the U.S. Census, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Users can select what type of analysis they want to conduct through chart generation tools. In addition, StateData.info offers publications that analyze critical issues in the area of employment of people with disabilities.

 

Community Life Engagement

ICI’s Community Life Engagement initiative involves conducting research on Community Life Engagement in the Employment First context and developing guidance for states and service providers. This work is funded by the National Institute for Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research Field Initiated Program and by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as part of the Access to Integrated Employment project.

 

Real Work Stories

This site highlights the employment successes of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) who are working in paid jobs in their communities. Through the use of innovative, front-line employment support practices, these individuals are earning money, forming networks, and contributing to their communities. Learn more about these people and the promising practices that led to their success.