The (YTI) has received a pair of federal grants – totaling $3.3 million – and has been refunded to continue serving as the Northeast ADA Center.
The new grants will support two projects.
The first project, “Improving VR Outcomes for Out-of-School Youth Involved in the Justice and/or Foster Care Systems,” is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living’s Field Initiated Projects.
Matthew Saleh, LaWanda Cook, Leslie Shaw and Adene Karhan will lead the three-year project to research how the public vocational rehabilitation program can effectively serve out-of-school youth ages 16-24, with intellectual, developmental and mental health disabilities, and who are involved in the justice and/or foster care systems, by ultimately contributing to employment outcomes.
The second project, the Inclusive Career Advancement Program (ICAP), is a partnership with the Oregon Department of Human Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Oregon Community College System. Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration through the Disability Innovation Fund.
The project, led by Hassan Enayati and Kim Osmani, will seek to advance the current and successfully proven utilization of career pathways by leveraging integrated education and support to advance educational and economic equity for vocational rehabilitation-eligible people with disabilities, including those from marginalized populations. The YTI will lead the evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and technical assistance efforts through professional development and training for ICAP’s community of practice and local employers through webinars, toolkits, and access to resources.
Finally, YTI will begin its 26th year as the Northeast Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center after being awarded its sixth cycle of funding as one of 10 centers around the country. YTI will continue to provide technical assistance, training and information on the ADA in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Julie Greco is a communications specialist with the ILR School.
