ICI Staff Present at Annual APSE Conference
Many ICI and SGISD staff presented this month at the National Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) Conference in Columbus, Ohio from June 12–15. The theme of this year’s APSE conference was Creating Connections.
An ICI exhibit table, sharing ICI information and publications with APSE conference attendees.
ICI’s Amy Gessert, along with Sherry Healey and Brian Begin of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, presented A Statewide Approach for Employment Professionals to Support Competitive Integrated Employment. They discussed the Minnesota Transformation Initiative, a project working to people transition from subminimum wage employment to competitive integrated employment.
ICI’s Amy Gessert (seated, in white) presented on a statewide approach for employment professionals to support competitive integrated employment with Sherry Healey and Brian Begin, both from University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration.
Sheila Fesko and Karen Flippo presented Cultural Humility: Training Staff to Work with All Job Seekers about strategies for staff to become more self-aware of their personal and cultural biases and to improve awareness and sensitivity to significant cultural identities of other people.
Sheila Fesko (standing) talks to attendees while Karen Flippo (seated, in black) listens.
ICI Employment Services Program Coordinator Jill Eastman co-presented Career Coaching for Growth with Jeff Gentry from JVS Boston. They shared JVS’s new career coaching manual and strategies for supporting staff to coach individuals with disabilities on career advancement.
Jill, with David Hoff, co-presented Employment First Has Reached Adulthood: Now What? They provided an overview of the history of the Employment First movement and possible future directions for Employment First.
David Hoff speaks into the microphone to attendees while Jill Eastman (standing, far left) smiles and listens.
David additionally co-facilitated Public Policy Committee Update with APSE’s Executive Director Julie Christensen on the latest public policy developments regarding employment of people with disabilities and APSE’s role in these efforts.
Chelsea VanHorn Stinnett of Think College at ICI, along with Jessie Green from Ohio State University, presented Inclusive Postsecondary Education: The New Go-To in Supported Employment Partnerships on the opportunities now available to connect supported employment with postsecondary education.
Chelsea VanHorn Stinett smiles at the podium.
Finally, J Gibbs shared about developing apprenticeship opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in his presentation, Partnering for a Better Tomorrow — Apprenticeship for the IDD Population — “The Time is Now”.
J Gibbs talking at a podium to the crowd with his hand held against his chest.
APSE is the only national organization focused exclusively on Employment First. ICI staff have been participating in the annual APSE conference since the early 1990s. Thanks to all ICI staff and partners who contributed to another successful APSE conference!