STM publisher Elsevier has announced that Nevada's Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) will provide a new online curriculum from Elsevier Direct Course to train about 75 ADSD staffers. These professionals work to improve employment outcomes for Nevada adults and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
In Nevada, and across the nation, people with I/DD face barriers to employment. Many collect Social Security Disability Insurance rather than working, often due to low expectations around what they might achieve professionally.
However, a growing trend nationwide is supporting people with I/DD to find fulfilling and competitive work in their communities. DirectCourse's online curriculum, the College of Employment Services (CES), trains professionals serving the I/DD population – as well as professionals supporting individuals with other challenges - to help job seekers find satisfying work at or above minimum wage.
Funding for ADSD staff to take CES courses came from the Nevada Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. Nevada's commitment to employment is also furthered by its membership in the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN), which connects state I/DD agencies in approximately 30 states to promote employment.
In Nevada, CES courses will be available to professionals who work within vocational centers, mental health offices, health provider organizations and state agencies.
CES is developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and is delivered in collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Research and Training Center on Community Living and Elsevier. Designed for professionals who help individuals with disabilities find employment, the courses provide employment professionals with training based on the APSE competencies. The Commission on Rehabilitation Counsel or Certification (CRCC) approves each course within the College of Employment Services for continuing education credits.
The Direct Course suite of online curricula also includes the College of Direct Support (CDS), the College of Personal Assistance and Caregiving (CPAC), and the College of Recovery and Community Inclusion (CRCI). CES courses cover topics such as supporting people in disclosing a disability, helping individuals transition from cash benefits to paid work, and finding matches between an employer's needs and a job seeker's unique skills. Other states are adopting the CES curriculum for their employment staff, including Mississippi, which is offering CES courses through collaboration with the disability advocacy group The Arc.
All courses within the College of Employment Services curriculum allow Nevada's state wide ADSD staff to learn at their own pace and develop national practitioner competencies through content that is guided and updated by recognized experts in the disabilities employment field. In Nevada, as with other users of CES, administrators assign lessons, track progress and create customized content. This ensures that employment support specialists receive the specific education to build the skills they need throughout their careers.
