This Executive Order reestablishes the state's Workforce Development Board, and requires that certain members come from organizations that provide competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. It further tasks the Board with developing strategies to provide workforce investment activities, education and supportive services to individuals with disabilities.
This bill requires all state agencies to coordinate and collaborate to ensure that state programs, policies, procedures and funding support competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.
This bill requires psychiatric hospitals to prepare a written continuing care plan for patients who are voluntarily or involuntary admitted, which includes a realistic assessment of the patient's post-discharge social, financial, vocational, housing and treatment needs, and which identifies available support services and provider linkages necessary for meeting those needs.
Topic(s): Connecting Activities, Systems Coordination
This bill adds the Director of the Division for the Visually Impaired and the Director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to the state's Employment First Oversight Commission.
This bill requires that discussions about employment options with children and parents during the IEP process are consistent with Delaware’s Employment First policy, and that progress made toward postsecondary goals in transition IEPs is reported with the same frequency as that for academic goals.
This resolution creates a task force to study and make recommendations regarding statewide programs for the blind and visually impaired, including around postsecondary transition planning and programming.
These Centers provide students with academic support, enrichment, and school engagement through afterschool and summer programming, with a focus on college and career readiness (among other topics). The program targets students in high-poverty areas and is a collaboration between the University of Delaware's Center for Disability Studies and the Delaware Department of Education.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program provides consultation and information for those receiving disability benefits, who need help understanding eligibility and the impact work may have on their benefits.
Operating Entity: Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
CLSC is a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities. It provides students an opportunity to take college classes, engage in career development and independent living activities, and participate in campus life.
Operating Entity: University of Delaware, Center for Disability Studies
Entity Type: College / University
This program enables eligible individuals with disabilities to save money in a tax-exempt account that may be used for qualified disability expenses while keeping their eligibility for federally-funded, means-tested public benefits. Eligible expenses include education, employment training and support, and assistive technology.
Operating Entity: Delaware State Treasurer, Delaware Plans Management Board
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This program helps individuals with disabilities identify jobs in the community and provides the supports needed for individuals to succeed. Services include job coaching, goal setting, soft skills training, and organizing internships or volunteer positions.
Operating Entity: The Arc of Delaware
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program provides emotional and informational support to the families of children with disabilities, including by matching parents with trained "Support Parents".
Operating Entity: Delaware Family Voices
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Family Engagement
This program provides a range of independent living services to people with disabilities at Centers for Independent Living across the state. Services include help connecting to local services, assistance with job searches, local transit skills training, assistive technology help, peer mentoring support, assistance with school-to-career transitions, self-advocacy help, and more.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
This program supports Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers in 12 eastern states plus DC and two territories. Services include one-to-one consultations, trainings and webinars, peer-to-peer mentoring, site visits, non-profit management tools, and more.
Operating Entity: Navigating Excellence Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team (NE-PACT)
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program helps low-income teens and young adults with disabilities in Delaware prepare for work, find jobs, and succeed in the workplace. Services include career exploration and assessment, supported employment, benefits counseling, financial counseling, and assistive technology assistance.
Operating Entity: Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD)
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
This program connects people with mental illness to Peer Recovery Specialists, who provide support, mentoring, and advocacy to assist individuals in developing the skills they need to live an independent and productive life in the community.
Operating Entity: Mental Health Association in Delaware
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Youth Development & Leadership
This program provides youth with disabilities the opportunity to experience the community through work-based learning, volunteer opportunities and recreation and leisure activities. The primary emphasis is on integrated community activities designed to promote employment readiness.
Operating Entity: Easterseals - Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
Project SEARCH is a one-year transition-to-work program for students with significant disabilities that includes classroom instruction, career exploration, and internship rotations. It is a collaboration between local businesses, state agencies, local school systems, and other entities, and is offered at several locations.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
Topic(s): Career Prep & Work-Based Learning
This program enables individuals with disabilities to try out and select assistive devices that will help them maintain or improve independence and home safety. Through the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, individuals can apply for low-interest loans to finance assistive technologies.
Operating Entity: Easterseals - Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
This program is designed to ensure deaf and hard of hearing students throughout the state have access to their educational environment, become confident self-advocates, and become active participants in their schools and communities. Services include transition planning consultations, professional development for school staff, educational interpreting, and more.
Operating Entity: Delaware School for the Deaf
Entity Type: Other
This program provides technical assistance to Parent Centers, including strategies for reaching underserved families, on-site training and support, an annual conference, program evaluation, and consulting around the nonprofit management process.
Operating Entity: Region A: Navigating Excellence-Parent Assistance and Collaboration Team (NE-PACT)
Entity Type: Non-Profit / Community Organization
The PACT program provides students opportunities to develop and enhance employment, independent living, and functional academic skills. Students have the opportunity to participate on school- and community-based work crews.
Operating Entity: Indian River School District, Howard T. Ennis Educational Services
Entity Type: Other
This program trains individuals who are blind or visually impaired to effectively use assistive technology in employment, educational settings after high school, or community living. Training is provided in agency-run computer labs and, when necessary, at the client's workplace or other facility.
Operating Entity: Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division for the Visually Impaired
Entity Type: State Agency / Office
Topic(s): Connecting Activities
This program help out-of-school and in-school youth with one or more barriers to employment (including having a disability) prepare for and secure employment and postsecondary education opportunities. Services include tutoring; work experiences; occupational skills training; leadership development opportunities; and postsecondary education and training preparation activities.
Operating Entity: --
Entity Type: Multi-Stakeholder Project
This document lists resources individuals can use to manage their mental health during the pandemic.
Operating Entity: Delaware Department of Health and Social Services
Topic(s): Mental Health
This document contains guidance on district and charter school responsibilities under Part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) relating to the provision of FAPE including distance learning, accessibility, eligibility determination and IEP provision.
Operating Entity: Delaware Department of Education
Topic(s): Distance Learning, IEP
The Delaware Department of Education's COVID-19 homepage includes a list of learning activities for special education during distance learning. This list includes both learning resources for students with disabilities and State-level policies for schools and educators adjusting special education services to a distance learning environment.
Operating Entity: Delaware Department of Education
Topic(s): Assistive Technology, Distance Learning
Delaware provides an FAQ document that includes information pertaining to IEPs and summer school sessions for special education. It includes links to virtual college and career preparation services during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as guidelines for which students with disabilities would most benefit from summer school additional education services.
Operating Entity: Delaware Department of Education
Topic(s): Distance Learning, IEP, Transition