The Center for Excellence (CFE) In Employment of People with Disabilities (an initiative of Maryland Works, Inc.) has partnered with the Maryland DD Council for a third round of TIP (Transforming and Improving Practices through Customized Technical Assistance) grants, providing $116,335 to agencies statewide, three of which are in rural areas. These grants will fund technical assistance from subject matter experts to improve employment outcomes for people with developmental disabilities.as well as meaningful days when not working. To date, CFE has invested $116,778 and the MD DD Council has invested $224,274 bringing the total investment in TIP grants to $341,052.
The first two rounds of TIP grant awards resulted in 23 grantees addressing employment outcomes, eight of which focused on increasing opportunities for people with developmental disabilities living in rural areas of the state.
Round one grants resulted in approximately 130 people with developmental disabilities achieving competitive employment and 200 people engaged in the community and having meaningful days when not working. Year-two grantees are currently working with subject matter experts to improve services and supports; their results are forthcoming.
In addition to improving the agencies' organizational structures and the employment and community-based outcomes for people with developmental disabilities, TIP grants also provide grantees with an engaging learning community of their peers that enables them to share successes, challenges and strategies.
TIP grantees selected for this 3rd round of funding are:
•Delmarva Community Services - to help the agency transform from a facility-based to a community-based model.
•Gallagher Services - to help the agency change its organizational structure and redefine its employment services.
•New Horizons Supported Services/Compass, Inc. - to help develop and implement a peer mentoring service.
•The National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) - to help create a skills and interest assessment tool, a training curriculum for staff, and new policies and procedures.
•Penn-Mar Human Services - to help implement a successful program to help people become self-employed.
•Spectrum Supports - to help management develop an employment plan for people in day programs in Baltimore and Cumberland.
•The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region - to help create an inclusive workforce training center in a hotel where people with and without developmental disabilities learn about the hospitality industry.
•Jewish Community Services - to help develop a comprehensive employment model.
•The Arc Carroll County - to help infuse a consistent person-centered thinking and planning process throughout the entire agency.
•The League for People with Disabilities - to help the agency learn about best practices in employment supports.
•SEEC: to help streamline and expand employment supports and build the capacity of the agency.
•Community Options - to help improve employment outcomes by strengthening the resiliency of the board, staff, and people with developmental disabilities.
