Disability Program Navigator

State(s)/Locations
Involved:  Forty-five States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico

November 2003.  NOTE:  In June 2003, DOL awarded cooperative agreement funding to 14 States to establish Disability Program Navigator positions.  In June 2004, DOL continued to fund the original 14 States and added 3 new States.  In June 2006, DOL awarded cooperative agreement funding to an additional 13 States and the District of Columbia and in April 2007, they announced cooperative agreement funding to 15 additional States and Puerto Rico.

Summary

SSA and the Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) jointly established the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) position.  DPNs are located in DOL’s One-Stop Career Centers.  The goals of the DPN program include:  facilitation of integrated, seamless and comprehensive services to persons with disabilities in One-Stop Career Centers; improving access to programs and services; facilitating linkages to the employer community and developing demand responsive strategies to meet recruitment and retention needs; increasing employment and self-sufficiency for Social Security disability beneficiaries and other people with disabilities; developing new and ongoing partnerships to leverage resources; and creating systemic change.

Detailed Description

Navigators train One-Stop staff to help individuals with disabilities access and navigate the programs and supports needed to maintain and gain employment.  Navigators facilitate of the transition of in- and out of school youth with disabilities to assist in obtaining employment and economic self-sufficiency.  Navigators conduct outreach to organizations that serve people with disabilities.  Navigators are not case managers, rather the position focuses on expanding the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center to serve customers with disabilities.  Many Navigators are developing cross agency “integrated resource teams” to blend and braid resources around an individual job seeker’s employment needs.

Status

There are currently about 500 Navigators throughout local workforce investment areas in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.  SEE http://www.doleta.gov/disability/ for a list of DPN States/contact