Presentation to the7th Transition Community Practice Meeting

May 16 - 18, 2010 – Charlotte, NCby

L. Dara Baldwin, MPA – TASH – Advocacy ManagerMember of AFP Board – TASH Representative

The Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) is a formal partnership of leading developmental disabilities organizations with a common vision—to create a better and more fulfilling quality of life for people with developmental disabilities.  Through the diversity of our many voices, we will collectively reach this goal

AFP also supports a network of state teams, dedicated to promoting full participation for people with developmental disabilities

2003:  AFP is founded as a vibrant collaboration of the key stakeholders in the developmental disabilities field focused on a common purpose—to enhance full participation for all

2005:  AFP hosts a Washington DC Summit that creates an action agenda for full participation that is incorporated into the strategic planning of all member organizations.  In addition, AFP created an interactive DVD series to educate the public about the promise of full participation for people with developmental disabilities

AFP’s 2005 Summit, Many Voices, One Vision, drew over 2,400 people from all branches of the developmental disability community, including self advocates, family members, researchers, service providers and direct support workers

2009:  the Alliance for Full Participation announced its new campaign, “Real Jobs – It’s Everybody’s Business,” and its goal of doubling the employment rate for people with developmental disabilities by 2015

Resources to learn more about the initiative:

– In 2010 launch of new website please visit:

http://www.allianceforfullparticipation.org/index.php

– AFP produces an e-mail newsletter to keep you up to date with

our activities. Please enter your e-mail address to sign up for our e-mail newsletter: please go to website to sign up

– There are articles and press releases on the website as well

– Success Stories are on the website – please send us yours

SUCCESS STORIES

Summit 2011 will be November 17-18, 2011 at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel just outside of Washington, DC, AFP will convene a ground-breaking employment summit marked by a sense of partnership, purpose and collaboration. 

Over 1500 attendees will work together to plan, organize and share best practices that will lead to a substantial increase in the number of people with developmental disabilities in integrated employment.  Countless more will participate at local viewing stations set up throughout the county.  Innovative program design will ensure that the work completed in Washington will have a lasting impact on our society

The AFP Summit will mark the mid-point in AFP’s “Real Jobs—It’s Everyone’s Business” five year campaign.  In addition to the Summit, AFP will be providing education and networking opportunities through an interactive online community, newsletters, and webinars

This work strongly depends on the local community and local employers – AFP will use its State Teams for this engagement

The goal is to have a team in all 50 states – as of May 2010 34 states have Teams (please see list on website)

AFP invites you to become a state leader for those states with no leader

Over the next few months, state teams are urged to come together and determine their numerical goal for doubling employment by 2015

The teams will work with existing programs – joining them and assisting to create a larger network

AFP extends local and national special education community to join the state teams

State Team Leaders Roster:

Alaska Ryan, Millie Arkansas Manus, Patti Arkansas Petty, Julie California Meadors, Joe California Anderson, Tony Colorado Tewell, Marcia Connecticut Wood, Robin Delaware Maichle, Pat District of Columbia Campanella, Tina Hawaii Lee, Chin Illinois Paulauski, Tony Indiana Forsha, Joel Iowa Morrow, Sue Ann Kansas Rhys, Jane Maine Dyer, Rachel Maryland Gauruder, Colleen

State Team Leaders Roster Continued:

Michigan Potter, Linda Michigan LeRoy, Bob Minnesota Alexander, Jon Mississippi Burck, Lisa Missouri Pace, Lori Mississippi Nalker, Matt Nebraska Rocker, Susan New Hampshire Hunt New Hampshire Hunt, Janet E. New Jersey Spitalnik, Deborah New Jersey Livaks, Bret New York Finn, Chester New York Chmura, Max North Carolina Heasley, Tara North Dakota Brunette, Don

State Team Leaders Roster Continued:

Oklahoma Goodwin, Judy Oregon Owens, Cynthia Rhode Island McConaghy, Doreen South Dakota Poncelet, Arlene Tennessee Willis, Wanda Tennessee Cohn, Alicia Utah Mantonya, Claire Vermont Dague, Brian Virginia Stierer, Cheri Virginia Helmboldt, Emily

WA Boone, Jane

State Teams Continued: AFP will provide state teams with resources to help:

- assess their current employment practices

- determine areas that they would like to focus on for improvement, and create

- an action plan for achieving these goals

State Team Scorecard

The scorecard was created to help state teams review the state policies, practices and strategies that impact on opportunities for integrated employment. The answers on this scorecard will help state teams identify priorities and set goals for employment initiatives and outline a strategy for doubling their state’s rate of integrated employment by the year 2015

State Teams meet quarterly the first score card is due June 30, 2010 – to establish a baseline

State Teams Continued:

Please join a state team or create a new one – AFP will assist you and be a resource to your success

– We encourage Self Advocates, Family members, educators, administators and advocates to join in these efforts

Please contact Karen Flippo if you have recommendations of people or organizations that may be willing to provide leadership in these states – she can be reached at:kfflippo@allianceforfullparticipation.org

Citation: Information for this presentation can be found on the AFP website:

www.allianceforfullparticipation.org

Presentation done by: L. Dara Baldwin, MPA

Advocacy & External Relations Manger for TASH

contact at: dbaldwin@tash.org