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Disability Benefits and Work New York Makes Work Pay
New York Makes Work Pay
Overview
The New York Makes Work Pay Initiative is a Comprehensive Employment Systems Medicaid Infrastructure Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the New York State Office of Mental Health. The project builds on New York's rich history of engaging in employment systems change efforts to affect positive work outcomes for New Yorkers with disabilities. The New York State Office of Mental Health with their management partners Cornell University and Syracuse University, in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health (DOH) join the state agencies and organizations comprising the membership of the Governor's Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council's Employment Committee in designing and implementing a series of statewide strategic interventions to close the employment gap for individuals with disabilities.
Project Goals
The goals of this strategic initiative include:
- Develop and implement a statewide employment and economic development strategic planning effort incorporating all employment stakeholders and increasing the number of New Yorkers with disabilities who will go to work, maintain employment and advance their self-sufficiency
- Build partnerships among employment stakeholders to align disability services, workforce and economic development efforts
- Enhance the capacity of employers and employment services providers to improve employment outcomes for people with diverse disabilities using evidenced-based and promising employment practices
- Facilitate a comprehensive dialogue and set of actions to identify and address policy, practice and economic barriers to work and self-sufficiency for New Yorkers with disabilities
- Increase work incentive utilization by reinforcing and enhancing provision of comprehensive benefits and work incentives planning
- Alleviate chronic poverty by linking employment at livable wages with asset accumulation tools and strategies
- Increase access to healthcare through the Medicaid Buy-In program
- Expand informed choice and decision-making for people with disabilities facing multiple barriers to employment through expanded opportunities for education, skills development, and economic empowerment
- Develop and expand customized and entrepreneurial approaches to employment as a vehicle for increasing the State's labor force through inclusion of New Yorkers with disabilities
Project Activities
New York Makes Work Pay will expand New York's capacity to support individuals with disabilities with a desire to work; build a comprehensive, cross-agency, sustainable, coordinated systems of support and services to advance employment for people across the full spectrum of disabilities; and, support the goal of removing barriers to employment and create lasting improvements for New Yorkers with disabilities. The following services and supports are available throughout New York State:
Training: Through Cornell and Syracuse Universities a variety of competency-based training, continuing education and learning communities will be established to promote effective evidence-based employment strategies; work incentives utilization and asset development strategies; service provider and employer partnership building; increased access to health care; and, other employment-related topics.
Technical Assistance: Supporting the ongoing staff and organizational development of individuals, agencies and businesses accessing training, technical assistance will be provided on an ongoing basis using several modalities. This will include establishing communities of practice; toll free technical assistance support regarding use of work incentives and asset development (1-888-224-3272); ongoing individual access to experts and consultants; toll free technical support for business through the collaborative efforts of the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (1-800-949-4232); and, online tools and resources available through www.NYMakesWorkPay.org.
Research and Materials Dissemination: Creating a more robust picture of the employment outlook and labor market participation of New Yorkers with disabilities is a critical objective of this initiative. Together, labor economists, practitioners, policy makers, individuals with disabilities and their advocates will begin to assess the feasibility and viability of streamlining and creating opportunities for shared data exchange to better understand the experiences of New Yorkers with disabilities as they attempt to return to work. This activity will be enhanced with the development and production of project newsletters, informational briefs, policy to practice briefs and other print materials, as well as a statewide listserv which can all be accessed online at www.NYMakesWorkPay.org.
About the Project
Funding Agency
United States Department of Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Collaborating Partners
- New York State Office of Mental Health
- Employment and Disability Institute
- Burton Blatt Institute
Project Staff: Employment and Disability Institute
Project Staff: Burton Blatt Institute
Project Staff: Consultants
- Krista McDonald, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
- Mary Ridgely
- Marta Santiago, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
- James Sheldon, Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc.
- Lars Vilhuber, ILR School
- Jan Vink, Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center
Contact Us
Alexis Falise
Project Coordinator
201 Dolgen Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853
Phone: 607.255.5702
Fax: 607.255.2763
Email: ac258@cornell.edu
