Commission on Disability and Employment Meeting

December 19, 2013: 9:00 AM
Maine Department of Labor

State Workforce Investment Board COMMITTEE ON DISABILITY AND EMPLOYMENT (CDE) December 19, 2013 MINUTES

Present: Mel Clarrage, Chair, Gwen Lapointe, Marsha Swain, Gayla Dwyer, Jean Coltart, Debra Brucker (by phone), Peaches Bass, Garret Oswald, Avery Olmstead, Jenny Ardito, Gwen Lapointe, Carolyn Lockwood, Auta Main, and Nancy Labbe

Absent: Debra Hanmer, Jennifer Kimble, Rachel Dyer, Donald Rice, and Monica Elwell

Introductions:

The meeting began with introductions. Mel Clarrage introduced Jenny Ardito, who was just voted in (through email) as a new member of the CDE.

Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting:

Gayla Dwyer moved to approve the minutes of the September 19 meeting as written; Avery Olmstead seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

Strategic Plan and National Governor?s Association (NGA)Report:

Mel requested a volunteer to take the lead on jumpstarting the conversation to see how Maine is doing in some of the target areas such as: work with businesses, the State as a model employer, youth with disabilities, vocational rehabilitation and integration of one stops (career centers) in overall employment service delivery.

Updates:

? State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB):

Mel reported that the SWIB is not currently funded. Discussions on how to fund SWIB activities are happening. Members will be informed when decisions have been made.

Garret Oswald explained that the Commissioner did send out a memo talking about SWIB activities staying in place. Erosion of funding is something that many states have been grappling with for a number of years. They are looking for ways to diversify funding.

Mel recently had a meeting with Representative Amy Volk, an ex officio member of the SWIB, and shared some of this information with her. She has requested a meeting with the Governor and a couple of SWIB members to discuss this issue.

The Chair of the CD& E will be meeting this afternoon with the Commissioner, and Mel expects more conversation on this topic to occur. ? Office of Program Management:

Mel also stated that the Office of Program Management (OPM) came out with a report, which stated that the Governor?s Committee on Disability and Employment was being abolished. Carolyn Lockwood clarified that OPM has been notified that the Committee simply had a name change and is now located within the SWIB. She explained that the OPM was doing some housecleaning and noticed that the group had not met (under the former name) for quite a long time.

? Disability Employment Initiative (DEI):

Peaches Bass announced that she has accepted the Program Manager position for the DEI grant. She explained that on October 1, Maine was awarded funding for the fourth round of DEI grant activities. The grant was for $1.5 million for a three-year period ending in January, 2017 and will focus on activities in Kennebec, Somerset, Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford Counties. There will be two Disability Resource Coordinators hired soon for the Lewiston and Augusta CareerCenters.

Focus will continue on Ticket to Work, and Vocational Rehabilitation will be hiring a Rehabilitation Councilor I soon.

Peaches also explained that the Committee on Disability and Employment will continue to be the steering committee for the DEI.

It was suggested that at the next CDE meeting, we can have a discussion about the role of the steering committee and its functions.

? Five Councils and Empowerment Forum:

The first Empowerment Forum occurred the first week of August. The next one is scheduled for August 7 in Bangor; Mel asked everyone to please save the date. An excellent keynote speaker (John Robinson) has been lined up for the event. More information about Mr. Robinson can be found at www.ourability.com.

Mel reported that Kelly Osborn is the chair for the State Rehabilitation Council; and Jenny Ardito is the vice chair. Brad Strause is the chair for the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind, Jim Phipps is the vice chair, and Kathy Despres has been asked to represent them on the Five Councils. Mel Clarrage is now chairing the State Independent Living Council; the vice chair is Stacie Linkel.

CDE members then discussed ideas for building on the success of the Empowerment Forum.

Other Business:

There being no further business, the meeting was then adjourned.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 20, 2014 9:00 a.m. ? 11:30 a.m. Francis Perkins Room (SMALL SIDE) Central Maine Commerce Center, Augusta

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