We are pleased to welcome a guest writer this month—Cherie Takemoto, PhD, from New Editions Consulting, Inc. Cherie is the project director for the National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials, which operates through contract sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), under Contract No. ED-OSE-16-Q-0006.
Cherie will be a featured guest at the NENA Quarterly Conference call on Wednesday, October 23rd at 3:00 pm EST.
- Do you need current, reliable and accessible resources on a wide range of topics related to helping ticket holders find jobs?
- Are you curious about what the technical assistance centers funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administrations are sharing with State VR agencies?
- Are you looking for free training (some with CEUs or CRCs) on a wide variety of topics?
The National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials (NCRTM) is the Rehabilitation Services Administration’s (RSA) central repository for training resources in vocational rehabilitation. The site features robust search capabilities, and most importantly, new resources. Site content includes high-quality training materials that cover a range of topics relevant to helping people with disabilities find and maintain jobs.
The NCRTM produces a monthly electronic newsletter featuring upcoming (free) training events, new submissions, and a variety of rehabilitation-related topics. We also contribute to a regular segment on the VR Workforce Studio Podcast featuring resources related each month’s topic. Below are some examples resources highlighted in the most recent episode about a former Social Security recipient is now successfully employed at Hershey.
My Money. The Florida Department of Financial Services created the My Money Program to provide educational lessons for individuals with developmental disabilities and important resources for family members and caregivers. Individuals can learn and practice financial skills at their own pace, using interactive games, activities and educational videos. Lessons focus on money basics, banks and credit unions, accounts, budgeting, government benefit programs and ways to find and keep employment. Parents, guardians and support providers of individuals with developmental disabilities can also access important information on teaching financial skills, government programs and information on the different ways to save and invest money.
Policy Brief: Building State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Benefits Planning Capacities. This policy brief describes how State VR agencies are using and can use benefits planning services, as a VR agency-funded service, to help SSDI and SSI beneficiaries address concerns and fears about the potential loss of cash benefits and healthcare benefits (i.e., Medicaid and/or Medicare) as they move into jobs paying substantial wages.
VR Toolkit for SSI Youth: Tips, Checklists, and Tools to Support Successful Work Outcomes for SSI Youth. As you prepare youth to join the workforce of tomorrow, access to reliable and accessible information about benefits and earnings is essential—as is access to qualified benefits and work incentive planners. That’s what the Vocational Rehabilitation Practitioner’s Just-in-Time Toolkit is about. Each of the ten tools are based on information most essential to assist you in supporting youth who receive disability benefits and their families in navigating a path toward successful employment and includes specific knowledge needed to support a youth, and takes about five to ten minutes. If you choose, each tool also contains other links to test your knowledge, print out a one-page sheet of reminders or pursue further resources.
Financial Empowerment. The National Disability Institute (NDI) provides training and technical assistance to improve the financial wellness of people across the spectrum of disability. Tools and resources include financial education curricula, financial education toolkits, quick reference guides and connections to experts in the field and NDI at this website.
Money Smart – A Financial Education Program. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) FDIC’s Money Smart financial education program can help people of all ages enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships. Learn here about Money Smart tools and strategies that you can use to teach others, as well as tools you can use to learn on your own.
Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Targeted Communities (E3T3 Webinar Series on Social Security Work Incentives. This RSA-funded center offers upcoming and archived webinars that offer CRC credits. (Click on the titles below to follow the links):
