Federal Disability Employment Policy

Alison BarkoffDirector of Advocacy

Center for Public Representationabarkoff@cpr-us.org

Autism Society of America Annual ConferenceJuly 10, 2019

WhatIstheVisionofPeopleDisabilities?• Peoplewithdisabilitieswanttolivetheirliveslikepeoplewithoutdisabilities (withsupportsasneeded)

• Wantopportunitiesfortrueintegration,independence,choice,andself-determinationinallaspectsoflife– wheretheylive,spendtheirdays,andcommunitymembership

• Wantqualityservicesandsupportsthatmeettheirneedsandhelpthemachievegoalstheyhaveidentifiedthroughrealperson-centeredplanning

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EmploymentisKeyToThisVision

• Supportingpeopletoworkincompetitiveintegratedemploymentiscriticalto:– Helpingpeoplewithdisabilitiesaccessthegreatercommunity;– Facilitatingrelationshipswithpeoplewithoutdisabilities;– Buildingnewskillsandself-esteem;– Helpingbringpeoplewithdisabilitiesoutofpoverty;– ReducingutilizationofotherMedicaidservices;and– Providingmeaningfulwaysforpeopletospendtheirdays.

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CriticalTimefortheDisabilityCommunityToAdvocateForDisabilityEmployment

• WorkwithCongressonlegislationtoadvanceCIE• Workonsuccessfulimplementationoffederalpoliciesatthestatelevel

• Advocateagainsteffortstoroll-backkeyfederalstatutes,regulations,andguidancethatadvanceCompetitiveIntegratedEmployment(CIE)

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FederalLegislationRe:DisabilityEmployment

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LegislationRegardingDisabilityEmployment• TransformationtoCompetitiveEmployment(H.R.873/S.260)

– FirstbilltocombinefundingforcapacitybuildingofCIEwithaphaseoutofsub-minimumwageunderSection14(c)

– Wouldcreateagrantprogramtostates(andtoprovidersifinstatesthatdon’tgetagrant)forprovidertransformation

– 6yearphaseoutofSection14(c);immediateprohibitiononnewcertificates

– DisabilitycommunityisworkingtoeducatemembersofCongressandseekco-sponsors

– HearingonMay21st intheHouse;expectwillmovetomark-upthisspring

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DisabilityEmploymentLegislation(cont’d)• CAPABILITYAct(H.R.3070)

– FocusedonimprovingCIEoutcomesfortransition-ageyouthwithintellectual,developmental,mentalhealthorothersignificantdisabilities

– Providesstategrantsforcustomizedemploymentandotherbestpractices

• RaisetheWageAct (S.150/H.R.582)– Billtoraisethefederalminimumwage(to$15/hour)– Includespeoplewithdisabilities;hasa6yearphaseoutofsub-minimumwageunderSection14(c)

– Disabilitycommunityhassupportedinclusionof14(c)phaseout 7

DisabilityEmploymentLegislation(cont’d)• DisabilityEmploymentIncentivesAct(S.255)

– Encouragesemployerstohireandretainworkerswithdisabilitiesthroughincreasesto3existingtaxcredits:• WorkOpportunityTaxCreditsforhiringandretainingaworkerwithadisabilityreferredthroughastateVoc Rehabagency

• DisabilityAccessExpenditureTaxCreditforsmallbusinesses• ArchitecturalandTransportationBarrierTaxcreditforincreasingworkplaceaccessibility

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FederalLegislation:WhatYOUCanDo

• EducateyourmembersofCongressthatalltypesofpeoplewithdisabilitiescanandwanttowork– Keeptellingthosesuccessstoriestocounterthenarrativethatemploymentisonlyforsome,notforeveryone!

• EducateyourmembersofCongressaboutimportantdisabilityemploymentbills– Askthemtobeaco-sponsorandfortheirsupport

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WorkforceInnovationandOpportunityAct(WIOA)

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WIOA:SettingtheEmploymentVision• Statuteprioritizesandincreasesemploymentofpeoplewithdisabilitiesincompetitiveintegratedemployment– DefinesCIEasworkatoraboveminimumwage,withwages&benefitscomparableto,&fullyintegratedwith,co-workersw/odisabilities

• Clearstatutorygoaltolimitsignificantlytheuseof14(c)sub-minimumwage– Requiresanyoneunder24toexploreandtryCIEbeforetheycanbeplacedinasub-minimumwagesetting;prohibitsschoolsfromcontractingwithsub-minimumwageproviders;andrequiresatleastannualengagementofanyoneinsub-minimumwagesetting

• Statuterecognizestheimportanceofandrequirescross-agencycollaboration(includingVR,MedicaidandIDD) 11

WIOAImplementationOpportunities

• TheimpactofWIOAisstartingtochangestatepractice!• InteragencycollaborationthroughMOUsisstartingtohappen

– Butmoreworkneededtomakesureallagenciesareincluded

• StartingtoimpactSection511outreachre:interestinCIEfortransitionageyouth&peopleinshelteredworkshops– ButmoreworkneededtomakesurepeoplewhoexpressaninterestinCIEgetthatopportunity

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Challenges:WIOA’sCIEDefinition• Startingin2017,therehasbeenapushfromsomeprovidersandsomemembersofCongressontheDepartmentofEducationtochangethedefinitionofCIE.

• Specificpushbackon:– Focusof“integration”oninteractionwithco-workers– WhetherAbilityOne jobsareCIE-- longstandingVRpolicytoevaluateindividualsettingsbutguidanceacknowledgesmanyA1programsmaynotmeetthedefinition

– “Typicallyinthecommunity,”meaningnotajobjustcreatedforpeoplewithdisabilities

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Challenges:EffortsatRegulatoryChanges

• Throughout2017and2018,strongadvocacyagainstopeningtheregulations– Lettersfromabroadrangeofdisabilitystakeholdersopposingopeningtheregulations

– ReportsfromNationalCouncilonDisabilityandSenateHELPCommitteeadvocatingforadditionalTA,notregulatorychanges

– Consensusletterfromdisabilityadvocacygroupsandprovidersrecommendingadditionalsub-regulatoryguidanceandtechnicalassistance,notopeningtheregulations

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Challenges:EffortsatRegulatoryChanges(cont’d)

• USDepartmentofEducationhasgivenpublicnoticethroughitsunifiedagendaforrulemakingthatitplanstore-opentheWIOAregulations– Initiallyonthespring2018agenda,estimatedforSeptember2018– Thenonfall2018agenda,estimatedforJanuary2019– Onrecentspring2019agenda,estimatedforDecember2019

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WIOA’sCIERegulations:WhatYouCanDo

• WeexpectthataNoticeofProposedRulemaking(NRPM)willbeoutinthenextseveralmonths– NPRMsmustbeputoutforpubliccommentandtheagencymustrespondtothecommentswhenfinalizingarule

– ITWILLBECRITICALFORPEOPLEWHOSUPPORTCOMPETITIVEINTEGRATEDEMPLOYMENTTOCOMMENT

• AcoalitionofnationaladvocacyorganizationswillbeprovidinginformationabouttheNPRMandhowtocommentoncetheruleisout.– Resourceswillbeathttps://integratedemploymentnow.org/

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MedicaidHCBSSettingsRule

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SystemsChangeThroughtheHCBSSettingsRule

• HCBSSettingsRule,finalizedin2014,forthefirsttimesetsclearstandardsforcommunityintegrationforallMedicaid-fundedhomeandcommunitybasedservices

• TheRuleitselfspecificallyrequiresthatHCBSprogramsprovide“opportunitiestoseekandworkincompetitiveemployment”– ImportanttoconstantlyremindstakeholdersthattheRuleappliestobothnon-residentialandresidentialservices

• TheHCBSSettingsRulecanandshouldbeagamechangerforincreasingopportunitiesforcompetitiveintegratedemployment 18

ChoiceofNon-DisabilitySpecificSetting• Rulerequiresstatestoofferindividualsachoiceofa“non-disabilityspecificsetting”– Appliestobothresidentialandnon-residentialsettings– Thatmeanstheopportunitytoworkincompetitiveintegratedemployment

• CMShasmadeclearinapprovallettersthatstatesshouldassesstheircurrentcapacityofnon-disabilityspecificsettingsanddevelopaplantoincreasecapacitysoallindividualshavearealandmeaningfulchoice

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TieredStandards• Stateshaveflexibilitytosetdifferentstandardsforexistingandnewsettingsthroughtheirstatewidetransitionplan– Statemaysetstandardsfor“modelsofservicethatmorefullymeetthestate’sstandards”forHCBSandrequireallnewservicedevelopmenttomeetingthehigherstandards

– Thisallowsstatesto“closethefrontdoor”tosettings/services– Numerousstatesareusingtieredstandardstomoveawayfromfacility-baseddayandtofocusonCIE

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HCBSSettingsRule:WhatYOUCanDo• Publicinputisrequiredintostate’stransitionplans(STPs)• Itiscriticalthatstakeholdersmaketheirvoicesheard• MakesureyourstateisincludingafocusonemploymentinitsSTP

• EncourageyourstatetoalignHCBStransitionactivitieswiththeirownstateinitiativesandotherfederalobligations:– State“EmploymentFirst”initiatives– State’sWorkforceInnovationOpportunityActplans– State’sOlmsteadplansorsettlementagreements

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AReminderofWhyThisMatters

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RoleofEmploymentinEvan’slife

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SkillsandRelationshipsIntheWorkplace

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RelationshipswithCo-workersOutsidetheWorkplace

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WorkHelpsPeopleAffordtoLiveIndependently

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WorkHelpsPeopleAffordaSocialLife

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WorkBuildsSelfAdvocacySkills

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Resources

• CoalitiontoAdvanceCompetitiveIntegratedEmployment:www.IntegratedEmploymentNow.org

• HCBSSettingsRuleimplementation:www.hcbsadvocacy.org(HCBSAdvocacyCoalition)&www.medicaid.gov/hcbs (CMS)

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