[nfbmi-talk] Michigan Misses Out

[Joe Sontag]

It couldn't ever be because we have a "great director" at the helm and because Uncle Pat says things just don't get better than 
this, and because we in Michigan enjoy the best of all possible worlds for stated reasons.----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Wurtzel" <f.wurtzel at comcast.net>
To: "'NFB of Michigan Internet Mailing List'" <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>; "'Michigan Comm for the Blind Vision 20/20 List'" 
<MCB2020-L at LISTSERV.MICHIGAN.GOV>
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2010 11:20
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] Michigan Misses Out


> Hello,
>
>
>
> Well, I don't understand how the state with the second highest unemployment
> rate in the nation failed to qualify for this grant program.
>
>
>
> - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an award of $21,276,575 to
> nine states
>
> under the Disability Employment Initiative to improve education, training,
> and employment
>
> opportunities and outcomes of youth and adults who are unemployed and/or
> receiving
>
> Social Security disability benefits. The Disability Employment Initiative is
> jointly
>
> funded and administered by the department's Employment and Training
> Administration
>
> and its Office of Disability Employment Policy.
>
> "During these difficult economic times, we want to make it possible for all
> workers,
>
> especially those with disabilities, to benefit from the Labor Department's
> employment
>
> and retraining services that have a proven success rate," said Secretary of
> Labor
>
> Hilda L. Solis. "Through this new grant, individuals with disabilities will
> be able
>
> to utilize the necessary tools to obtain permanent and secure jobs."
>
> The Labor Department has entered into cooperative agreements with the
> following states
>
> to implement strategic approaches to support exemplary employment services
> for individuals
>
> with disabilities in the public workforce system: Alaska, Arkansas,
> Delaware, Illinois,
>
> Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. These projects build upon
> the department's
>
> Disability Program Navigator Initiative by hiring staff with expertise in
> disability
>
> and workforce issues. The grants also will support extensive partnerships,
> collaboration
>
> and services provided across multiple workforce and disability systems in
> each state.
>
> These involve state vocational rehabilitation services, mental health and
> developmental
>
> disability agencies, Medicaid Infrastructure Grant-supported activities,
> independent
>
> living centers, business leadership networks, and other community and
> nonprofit provider
>
> organizations.
>
> Another critical component of the Disability Employment Initiative is
> expanding the
>
> workforce system's involvement with the Social Security Administration's
> Ticket to
>
> Work program. The Disability Employment Initiative requires a state
> workforce agency
>
> or local workforce investment boards participating in a cooperative
> agreement to
>
> become employment networks under the Ticket to Work Program. The department
> recognizes
>
> that many Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability
> Insurance beneficiaries
>
> utilize the mainstream workforce system to seek employment opportunities, as
> shown
>
> in the May 2010 Mathematica Policy Research Inc. report "Use of One-Stops by
> Social
>
> Security Disability Beneficiaries in Four States Implementing Disability
> Program
>
> Navigator Initiatives," which is available at
>
> http://www.doleta.gov/disability/whatsnew.cfm
>
> .
>
> The department considers individuals with the most significant disabilities
> to be
>
> a major priority, with grant resources focused on their entry or return to
> work.
>
> States will be working closely with the Social Security Administration's
> Work Incentive
>
> Planning and Assistance Program and its Community Work Incentive
> Coordinators to
>
> conduct outreach and coordination to expand services to beneficiaries.
>
> Grant Recipients
>
> Disability Employment Initiative Grants
>
> Amount
>
> State of Alaska, Department of Labor and Workforce Development
>
> $2,727,000
>
> State of Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
>
> $1,500,000
>
> Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
>
> $1,490,409
>
> Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
>
> $1,839,588
>
> Kansas Department of Commerce
>
> $1,879,459
>
> State of Maine Department of Labor
>
> $1,500,000
>
> New Jersey Department of Labor, Workforce Division
>
> $2,479,280
>
> New York State Department of Labor
>
> $4,945,060
>
> Virginia Community College System
>
> $2,915,779
>
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