Illinois

Employment First Update Recently, the Division met with a small group of stakeholders to work on Employment First concepts specific to the Division's services. This project is being facilitated through the support of a consultant, Lisa Mills, funded through a grant from the United States Department of Labor. It is also supported with funds from the federal Balancing Incentive Program (BIP). The first meeting of the group was held on March 30, 2016. During that meeting, the stakeholders focused on service definitions and possible modifications to enhance opportunities for individuals to access supported or competitive employment. The second meeting, held on April 7, 2016, focused on provider and staff qualifications and rate structures. Staff are now working with Ms. Mills to develop written descriptions of the draft modifications for review by the group. The stakeholders intend to meet again by the end of May. It is the Division's intent that this work will be used during the renewal of the Adult Medicaid Waiver now underway.

Evidence Based Programming that encourages youth to progress through a career pathway, completing secondary, postsecondary education and/or advanced training, and enter into unsubsidized employment

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, authorized under 1915(c) of the Social Security Act, allow the State to provide specialized long term care services in an individual’s home or community. The 1915 (c) Waivers were initiated by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 1981. Illinois’ first HCBS waiver programs began in 1983. HCBS waivers have enabled the State to tailor services to meet the needs of particular target groups. Within these target groups, the State is also permitted to establish additional criteria to further specify the population to be served on a HCBS waiver. The State has the discretion to design the waivers as they choose, within certain parameters For example, States may choose the number of consumers to serve, the services provided, and whether or not the program is statewide. Federal CMS continually reviews the waivers and requires each waiver to prove cost neutrality in comparison to institutions. Initial waivers are approved for three years, and waiver renewals have a five year term.

“This Blueprint provides policymakers and stakeholders in Illinois with specific recommendations and action steps to ensure that competitive, integrated employment is the first option for all people with disabilities, a concept known as Employment First. Illinois has taken important first steps towards Employment First, including enactment of the Illinois Employment First Act and the issuance of an Employment First Executive Order. The challenge is now for Illinois to realign and modernize the states’ disability service system. Action must be taken to translate that policy into positive changes for people with disabilities.”

“In January 2011, the Task Force submitted its annual report to the Governor and Legislature, and that report included a recommendation that Illinois become an Employment First state – i.e., that employment in the community be the first and preferred option for individuals with disabilities receiving publicly funded services in Illinois. To enact this recommendation, the Task Force developed plans for an Employment First Summit. The invitation-only Summit was held on January 31, 2012 and included a cross-section of individuals with disabilities, family members, policymakers, advocates, disability professionals, and educators. This report summarizes the findings from the summit, and lays out a series of recommendations for turning the vision of Employment First discussed at the summit into reality.”

MONITORING EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES The Committee continues to track the composition of the state’s workforce to monitor its affirmative action efforts in regards to people with disabilities. A chart in Appendix A shows employment figures in state government over the last 17 years for employees who have self-identified as having a disability through a survey process. The data shows that the number of state employees as a whole decreased over the years by 29% and the number of employees with disabilities decreased by a slightly smaller percentage of 27%. Consequently, the percentage of state employees with disabilities has grown during the years studied, from a low point of about 5% in FY04 to a high in FY13 of 7.5%. The percentage of state employees with disabilities slipped to 7% in 2015. It should be noted that the State began a more reliable system of identifying employees with disabilities in 2011—through an online survey -- which might explain some of the increase in the percentage of employees with disabilities in recent years.

Illinois has adopted an Employment First policy via the Employment First Act (20 ILCS 40) in 2013. This law states that "competitive and integrated employment shall be considered the first option when serving persons with disabilities of working age" and requires all State agencies to follow the policy as well as ensure its effective implementation within their programs and services. Additionally, Illinois has an Executive Order (14-08) that requires the participation of multiple state agencies to fully implement Employment First across the State. The state agencies include: the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Department of Employment Security, the Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the State Board of Education, the Board of Higher Education, the Community College Board, and the Council on Developmental Disabilities. The Order requires the above agencies to look at everything from policies to funding to partnerships all focused around the goal of integrated employment for individuals with disabilities.

This document outlines the plans and goals for the 2015 Division of Rehabilitation Services programs. It “constitutes the report generated by the State Plan Committee and approved by the State Rehabilitation Council.”

"Illinois has implemented several programs and services for people with disabilities through a dedicated disabled workers initiative. This initiative includes:

“The Successful Disability Opportunities Program provides persons with disabilities a greater access to employment opportunities within the State.”

“The Alternative Employment Program was established by law to assist in finding alternative employment opportunities for certified employees who are on an approved leave of absence due to a work related or non-work related disability which precludes the performance of their current job duties.”

“In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act, State agencies must ensure that the employment process is accessible to persons with disabilities. Specifically, these laws require that the State provide reasonable accommodations upon request by individuals participating in all steps of the employment process. This includes the State of Illinois Rutan interview process.”

"This annual report “outlines the activities undertaken by the Task Force during the first full year of operation. It reflects the information that has been gathered by the Task Force to date as well as outlines the recommendations developed by the Task Force during a strategic planning meeting held in April 2011. The Task Force is committed to addressing the major issues impacting employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities in Illinois and collaborating with Illinois leaders to do this. To that end, the task force is proposing several initiatives that are aimed to begin the necessary dialogues for changing the way that existing employment programs are operated and the policies and procedures that govern them.”