COMMISSION ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

 

Meeting Summary Points

May 9th, 2007

 

Welcome and Approval of April Points – Nelson Jackson, Chair, convened the meeting and the summary points for the April 2007 meeting were approved as written.

 

Presentation: Overview of MontgomeryWorks and Customized Employment – Lisa Cuozzo, Project Director, Maryland Customized Employment Partnership & Veterans Workforce Investment Program, MontgomeryWorks One Stop Career Center; Maggie Leedy, One Stop Services Coordinator, Lead Disability Navigator, MontgomeryWorks

 

Ms. Leedy began the presentation by asking the Commission what questions they had in regards to MontgomeryWorks.

 

Harry Bodansky, Public, asked if job seekers become registered and matched up with employers, and if so how well the system works.

 

David Sharp, Commissioner, asked how they identify an employers needs and how those needs are filled. Ms. Leedy responded that there is a Business Services Team which goes out to businesses in the community to identify their needs. There are on-site recruitments two or three times a week. The One Stop Career Center partners with a lot of organizations to reach a common goal. Organizations include JobCorps, Conservation Corps, Housing Opportunities Commission, and Montgomery County Public Schools. Businesses are required to make up 51% of the Workforce Investment Board in order to meet the goals of the business community.

 

Betsy Luecking, Staff, asked about the terms currently being used in the employment field. She also mentioned that Commissioners have stated in the past that they are not sure how to receive services from the One Stop Career Center. Ms. Leedy said that in order for a person to receive services, they need to come into the career center, register and speak with a resource specialist.

 

Connie Caldwell, Commissioner, inquired about the average turn around time from a person’s initial interview until the time they are placed. Ms. Leedy says that the path to employment depends on the person and their motivation. For some people, they are able to find a job very quickly while for others it may take several years.

 

Sharon Sweezy, Commissioner, asked what MontgomeryWorks is doing to encourage people with disabilities to use their services. Ms. Leedy said that they do not target one community, rather they focus their outreach to all of the community and they want all unemployed people to know about MontgomeryWorks and the services available.

 

Roberta Carlin, Commissioner, inquired about the website and that she had trouble in the past finding jobs that were appropriate for college graduates as most of the jobs were at a lower level.

Ms. Leedy responded that the website had been updated within the past three or four months. You can also visit the Maryland Workforce Exchange website (www.mwejobs.com) to find jobs posted throughout the state.

 

Patrice Means-Marlow, Public, asked how one keeps a job after being hired. 

 

Ms. Leedy explained the overview of MontgomeryWorks and the services they provide. MontgomeryWorks is a one stop career center with two locations - one in Wheaton and one in Lakeforest Mall. The centers serve anybody looking for a job and offer a variety of services including workshops, resume building, job fairs, and recruitment. The employment center is for people to come and use the resources to find themselves a job. They do not find people jobs, or place them, or follow up. When a person first comes to the career center, they are given an aptitude demographic questionnaire (education level, job history, etc).

 

There are three tiers to MontgomeryWorks. The first is Core Services. Resources are available for anyone who is looking for a job. The Resource Room has 24 computers, internet access, programs and software (including typing software), a job data bank, a fax machine, telephones and a copier. The Resource Room has accommodations for everyone, including people who have disabilities. There is bilingual staff, information available in audio, Braille, or large print, JAWS screen readers, TTY, zoom text, accessibility features on all computers, and sign language interpreters for anyone who wants to take a class.

 

MontgomeryWorks also offers very entry level computer workshops such as introduction to PC’s, Word and the internet. These are very basic classes and are available to help people take full advantage of the resource room. If people are interested in learning more technical skills, there is an online learning center available featuring hundreds of classes ranging from time management to leadership skills. The emphasis is on self-service. Non-computer related workshops available are resume writing, how to find a job, how to choose a job, and how to negotiate salary. The workshops change every month and are listed in the weekly newsletter, which has just started, along with recruitments and hot jobs. Resource specialists are available to meet with the job seeker for a brief one-on-one meeting. They will assist in guiding the person to the resources and if necessary will provide a referral to other sources of employment.

 

The second tier is the Intensive Service Unit, which offers a variety of case management and training services for eligible county residents, including unemployed and dislocated workers and displaced homemakers. Clients can obtain intensive, one-on-one assessment and career counseling, as well as guidance on occupational training that may upgrade their skills. Funding for training and classes is available at this point. Not everyone reaches this level as it is based on eligibility.

 

Ms. Leedy noted that every one stop career centers throughout the country is partnered with the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS). In the past when a person with a disability went to a career center, they were automatically referred to DORS and they were not receiving the same services as everyone else. Three years ago the Social Security Administration and the Department of Labor co-funded the Disability Program Navigator Initiative, which increases the ability of one-stop career centers to serve customers with disabilities. Disability navigators work with one-stop staff, partners, and businesses to provide accessible employment and training services. This program ensures that a person who has a disability will receive the same services from the career center and will not be referred elsewhere. Their goal is to make sure the career center is accessible systematically and programmatically for all people with disabilities. The staff also receives a lot of training.

 

The Department of Labor and Montgomery County recognizes that there are some people who do need a little more support. There are a few initiatives in place to help those people, such as the Maryland Veterans Employment Partnership and the Maryland Customized Employment Partnership.

 

Ms. Cuozzo continued the discussion. She noted that there are 3,462 One Stop career centers throughout the United States. You can log onto to www.servicelocator.org and type in your zip code to find the One Stop that is closest to you.

 

The Maryland Veterans Employment Partnership receives funding from the Veteran Employment Training Administration and the Department of Labor. The program provides employment assistance to veterans who have significant employment barriers. Staff work with local employers to increase employment opportunities for veterans. They conduct job search workshops and help veterans obtain training and placement services and find and retain jobs. They also work with state and federal partners to provide the full range of job development services to meet the specific needs of veterans. Funds for transportation are also available for the first two weeks of employment if needed. If you are a veteran or know of a veteran who is looking for a job, you can contact Frances Hightower, the veteran career specialist, at the One Stop at 301-924-6880 x 1572.

 

The Maryland Customized Employment Partnership is a blend of flexible strategies and principles that benefit people with significant disabilities. The program increases employment options for job seekers and provides guidance to employers by identifying their business needs and finding a person to match those needs. MontgomeryWorks is looking to broaden these services. They are also working closely with Montgomery County Government and the Federal Government (Department of Veteran Affairs) to help find ways and additional strategies to include people with disabilities in the workplace. In addition, there is a Business Services unit that works closely with employers to identify their needs, locate qualified candidates for jobs, and create employment and training programs that help the company’s success. They also help to coordinate a variety of outreach and recruitment activities, such as job fairs, post openings in a searchable statewide database, and create relationships among federal, state, and local partners to meet the businesses’ goals.

 

Ms. Cuozzo opened the floor to more questions.

 

Dr. Harold Snider had registered with MontgomeryWorks almost two years ago and found that the job notice board was not accessible. Ms. Cuozzo explained that job listings are now posted on-line on the Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE) website. Accessibility issues in regards to MWE must be addressed to the state of Maryland. If there is a complaint against MontgomeryWorks, please contact Ms. Leedy or Ms. Cuozzo.

 

Roberta Carlin asked if the job database featured jobs only in Montgomery County or if one could search for job listings throughout the country. Ms. Cuozzo said a person can search listings in other states by using the MWE website.

 

Steve Hage, Commissioner, inquired about youth transition outreach. Ms. Cuozzo said there is a very good amount of outreach for youth-transition. A Youth Job Fair was instituted two years ago and over 800 people attended. They hope to add a youth-centered area at the One Stop Career Center with two computers and a job board with postings related specifically to youth.

 

Ms. Cuozzo added a final note that benefit workshops are held every two weeks by Benefits InfoSource. They explain how financial support services will be affected when a recipient of SSDI and SSI returns to work, as well as, providing benefits planning and information and referral.

 

Ms. Cuozzo and Ms. Leedy welcome the opportunity to visit any organization to give a presentation and encourage people to tour the One Stop Career Center facilities. To contact Maggie Leedy you can call her at 240-283-1564 or e-mail her at mleedy@montgomeryworks.com. To contact Lisa Cuozzo, you can call her at 240-283-1576 or e-mail her at lcuozzo@montgomeryworks.com.

 

Phil Andrews, Councilmember, spoke before the Commission in regards to support for the continued practice of not charging for parking at libraries. Due to the location of the new Rockville library, there is a possibility that patrons would have to pay $1.00 per hour to park in the garages. Mr. Andrews feels this would only deter people from using the libraries. He also asked for the Commissioners assessment of how the library transition was.

 

Harry Eisenberg, Commissioner, asked how the library would keep people from taking advantage of the free parking. Mr. Andrews stated that a possible solution would be to require library patrons to validate their parking every two hours. 

 

David Sharp, Commissioner, asked if there were parking fees associated with the old Rockville Library. Mr. Andrews stated that parking was free, but there were only 37 spaces available.

 

Dr. Snider made a motion to support the continued practice of not charging for parking at libraries. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. Nelson Jackson, Chair, noted that a letter of endorsement will be drafted during the upcoming Steering Committee meeting.

 

Dr. Harold Snider inquired about having another hearing in regards to MetroAccess and customer complaints. Mr. Andrews said that he thinks that a follow-up is a good idea and he will get back to us on that issue.

 

Update from the Chair –

None

 

Workgroup Updates –

David Sharp noted that Phil Smakula, Dept. of Recreation, had approached the Steering Committee about co-sponsoring a public forum to discuss the recreational needs of people with disabilities. No financial obligation is required by the Commission. A vote was taken and unanimously approved.

 

Joseph Adler, Director, Office of Human Resources, gave a brief update for the changes that have occurred since his meeting with the Commission in October of last year. JAWS screen readers have been installed in the Office of Human Resources as well as in all of the libraries. JAWS will also be installed in three regional service centers located in Wheaton, Germantown and Silver Spring. There is a customized employment internship program being developed for people with disabilities. There will be fifteen internships available this year with individuals working from 2 to 20 hours per week. Also, the Occupational Medical form has been updated with Betsy’s suggestions.

 

Jay Kenney, Chief, Aging and Disability Services, stated that meetings before the County Council in regards to budget priorities have gone very well. He will be meeting with the County Council HHS Committee in the near future.

 

John Miers, Commissioner, noted that May is Mental Health Month. On Thursday, May 17th, at 7:00pm a forum on Understanding the Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant will be held at the EOB, 101 Monroe Street, 1st Floor Auditorium. 

 

Betsy Luecking said that the Maryland State Highway Administration would like to speak to the Commission in regards to accessibility for their future projects. The meeting must take place before the end of June due to budget purposes. The Commissioners suggested extending the June meeting to 6:00pm – 8:00pm to allow extra time for their presentation.

 

Roberta Carlin noted that the American Association on Health & Disability received a community grant from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. They are also conducting a breast cancer screening survey for women with disabilities. For more information, visit their website www.aahd.us or contact Roberta at 301-545-6140.

 

Public Remarks –
None

 

Next Meeting: June 13th, 2007