Training for Coaches and Employment Specialists
In collaboration with the Maine Departments of Behavioral and Developmental Services and
Labor the Center is completing the Maine Employment Curriculum, a comprehensive
"train the trainers" guide for those who support individuals with disabilities
to acquire and maintain integrated employment.
In the last decade, many of the beliefs and perceptions about the capacities of people
with disabilities, including those with severe disabilities, have been challenged through
changing social policy and by people with disabilities and their families. However,
unemployment rates for people with disabilities are still four times higher than those in
the general population. Yet, over 80% of those same people say they want to work. It is
difficult to understand these statistics when our economy is strong and many employers are
experiencing increasing difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees.
Despite our best intentions, the specially designed programs for people
with disabilities have isolated many people with disabilities from their communities.
Therefore, community inclusion has not been realized for many people. In our culture, work
is often the vehicle for such inclusion to occur--jobs bring opportunity to make friends;
money earned brings opportunity for choice, control and economic well being.
The role of vocational supports should be to provide people with
disabilities the support they require to develop meaningful and valuable careers in their
communities. There is a need for providers of vocational supports to change the way in
which they support individuals, moving from dependency-based human services approaches to
inclusive, community based options where individuals are supported to be employed in
mainstream businesses.
It is the intent of the Maine Department of Behavioral and Developmental
Services and the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services to have work and career as a focus of
services that lead to the desired integration of the people they serve based upon well
defined, individually designed vocational plans that build on an individual's strengths,
needs and choices.
The Maine Employment Curriculum is just one of a number of systems change
initiatives currently underway in Maine to build the capacity of community rehabilitation
agencies to implement a new vision of employment supports for individuals with
disabilities.
The Center will be hosting a leadership institute this summer on the Orono
campus for staff development leaders interested in delivering the curriculum locally and
regionally. The leadership institute application materials will be available on-line in
early May at www.ccids.umaine.edu/employme
If you would like additional information about the curriculum, the
training institute or how you can participate, please contact Debbie Gilmer at: debbie.gilmer@umit.maine.edu or call
207-581-1084, or toll free at 1-800-203-6957 (voice/tty).
 Return to FACTS Vol 5
This is an official publication of The University of
Maine
A member of the University of Maine System
Updated:
01/11/2007
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