(DPN Bi-Weekly FAQ 9-11-06 )

DOL-Partner FAQ(s)

The 2006 Disability Program Navigator (DPN ) Leadership Series focused on learning more about other Department of Labor (DOL ) programs, and took place from May through October 2006 . Several FAQs will address these topics which were covered in the leadership series. The DOL -Partner FAQs will provide DPNs who were not able to participate in the audio conference series the opportunity to learn more about these programs and how they may collaborate to improve access for individuals with disabilities. The DOL -Partner FAQs may also serve as a summary for those DPN s who participated in the audio conference series to refer to for additional resources and strategies for building partnerships with DOL programs.

With all of the outreach that you do as a Disability Program Navigator (DPN ), you most likely have collaborated with several faith-based and community organizations (FBCO) in your area. Faith-based organizations can refer to a congregation that also has social service programs or a non-profit organization whose program is shaped by a particular faith or religious/spiritual values. You may have heard of some of the more well-known and national faith-based organizations such as Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services and Jewish Vocational Services. Community-based organizations can refer to those groups who serve a particular neighborhood or ethnic community, or that have organized for a specific community need. Many FBCOs are not well-known and you must discover them locally. These organizations can be very influential in the community and fostering partnerships with these groups can be beneficial to your workforce development system in meeting the needs of customers with disabilities.

The Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) at the United States Department of Labor (DOL ) seeks to empower FBCO s as these organizations help their neighbors enter, succeed and thrive in the workforce (http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/cfbcidoes.htm). CFBCI works to ensure, in policy and practice, that FBCO s have a “level playing field” or equal opportunity to apply for federal and local funding. They also work to identify specific ways that DOL can utilize the strengths of FBCOs. In partnership with the DOL Employment and Training Administration, CFBCI as part of its activities has funded a number of pilot programs to look at how the federal government can best make use of the abilities of FBCO ’s. These organizations have access to volunteers and are often in more accessible locations—sometimes more so than One-Stop Career Centers, and this is a great resource to tap into (http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/Report/secretary_message.htm). Scott Shortenhaus, Special Assistant with CFBCI, shares other common assets of exemplary FBCO s:

• Location - Are they in an accessible location that is easy to get to and are they a trusted institution in the community?
• Communication Network - Do they having an existing powerful communication network?
  
• Volunteers - Do they have access to volunteers?
  
• Donations/Contributors in the Community - Do they have the ability to leverage donations (dollars and supplies) from individuals and businesses?
  
• Commitment - Is their mission devoted to the well-being of the individual and provide personalized attention, encouragement, and service?
  
• Service - Do they provide specific kinds of “niche” services, which are not dependent on public funds?
  
• Do they have the ability to accomplish a lot with a small amount of public/foundation dollars?

As a DPN, there are a number of reasons why you may foster partnerships with FBCOs in your area. Some of these organizations may provide specific services for people with disabilities and wish to be a part of the disability network you have coordinated. You may be able to utilize FBCO s as a communication network to market One-Stop Career Center services and reach people with disabilities who are members of a wide variety of congregations, non-profits, and diverse ethnic communities. You also may be able to use FBCO locations for events, such as job fairs and disability-related meetings and conferences. In addition, you may work with FBCO s to identify private/public resources and grants that will expand services in your area for people with disabilities.

Mary Lynn Revoir, a current DPN in Iowa and former Executive Director for a faith-based agency, describes a variety of other benefits to helping your One-Stop Career Centers and Local Workforce Investment Boards create partnerships with FBCO s. These organizations may help address labor shortages by providing employers with a more diversified and skilled labor pool. If your workforce agency is experiencing funding cuts, partnerships with FBCO s may better position the workforce centers to apply for more diversified grants. FBCO s may also assist other agencies who may be experiencing personnel shortages to provide support services to people with disabilities, such as housing and transportation assistance or job coaching. In addition, DPNs can offer many benefits to FBCO s such as passing on valuable resources and information about programs that aid in their missions and offering opportunities for new partnerships, grants, and blending of funding. Some other examples of information that DPN s can offer from their workforce systems to aid FBCO ’s include: labor market information, skill building workshops, employment data for research, and linkage to other programs being offered locally and nationally. Most importantly, as Mary Lynn Revoir points out, the partnerships between government agencies and FBCO s sets an example of mutual effort for the benefit of everyone and demonstrates coordination of services and increased efficiencies, which results in citizens being better served.

Below are examples of FBCOs that you may find in your area. If you would like a copy of the information pertaining to Faith Based and Community Organizations who have worked on mentoring youth please contact DJ Diamond at ddiamond@ndi-inc.org . To find organizations in your areas like the ones mentioned below try running a simple internet search or look in a local phone book on community services.

• Past Mentoring Youth with Disability Grantees:
• High School/High Tech
• Innovative Demonstration Grants for Youth with Disabilities
• Disability Ministries or religious groups who may reach out to individuals with disabilities in your community who could benefit from the information you provide as a DPN.
• Affiliates of larger FBCOs, including: Catholic Charities; Lutheran Social Services; Jewish Federation or Jewish Family Services and Jewish Vocational Services.
• Christian Council for Persons with Disabilities and their local affiliates (www.ccpd.org).
• Interfaith Councils on specific topics like disabilities, mental health, etc.

Note to DPN s: If you have comments, suggestions or questions relating to the above topic, please email DJ Diamond at ddiamond@ndi-inc.org . They may be added to this FAQ and the archived one on the One-Stop Toolkit website.

  RESOURCES:

2006 DPN Leadership Audio Conference Series: Collaboration and Coordination with Faith-Based and Community Organizations

This presentation featured Scott Shortenhaus and Erica Sager Pelman, Special Assistants with the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) program, created by the President in 2001 to act as the interface between nonprofits and the Department of Labor. Mr. Shortenhaus and Ms. Sager provided an overview of the project and discussed how Disability Program Navigators can effectively work with faith-based and community organizations (FBCO ) to more effectively meet the need. The presentation highlighted partnership strategies and practices for DPN s using assets of FBCOs to address employment needs at the community level. This presentation also featured a Navigator with the state of Iowa DPN project, Mary Lynn ReVoir, who has connected FBCO s with the workforce development system and discussed her experiences and strategies. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of this presentation please email DJ Diamond at ddiamond@ndi-inc.org to request one.

DOL Center for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives Publications and Online Library

http://www.dol.gov/cfbci/pubsmaterials.htm (Access the URL and click on the links to view/download the following resources.)

1 The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders In America, 2006 (rev), National Institute of Mental Health, NIH Publication No. 06-4584. Available http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/numbers.cfm.

2 Ibid.

3 The State of Mental Health. Society for Human Resources Management. Workplace Visions Quarterly Report, Issue 2, March 2003. Available http://www.shrm.org/trends/visions/2issue2003/0303a.asp

4 President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Interim Report of the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. 2002. Available http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/reports/interim_toc.htm

5 Employment Issues for People with Mental Illness. Institute for Community Inclusion. Available at http://www.onestops.info/article.php?article_id=88

6 National Mental Health Association. Recovery at Work: A Guide to Implementing Effective Employment Services for People with Psychiatric Disabilities, 19 July 2005. Available at http://www.nmha.org/pbedu/adult/EmploymentManual.pdf