News

The state Department of Human Services has prepared a summary of 2017 legislative changes and actions that affect the Community Supports Administration. The changes affect chemical and mental health, deaf and hard of hearing services, disability services and housing and supportive services.

The Metropolitan Council encourages community members to apply for openings on several advisory committees. “Our advisory committees provide some of the best ways to influence regional decisions,” said Metropolitan Council Chair Alene Tchourumoff. “Each member partners with the Council members to provide a wide variety of viewpoints….[W]e need different voices at the table to assure our advisory committees reflect the communities we serve.”

Join the Minnesota Department of Human Rights for a webinar on Implicit Bias at 2 p.m. on Oct. 25. Implicit bias refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner. Employers, business owners, human resource professionals, state contractors will gain a better understanding of the impact implicit bias has in employment and how to address the issue through awareness and training.

“A first-of-its-kind study published by the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) in partnership with US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) finds that far more people than expected have a disability: In the U.S., 30 percent of college-educated employees working full-time in white-collar professions. CTI’s report Disabilities and Inclusion has uncovered that employees with disabilities make up an enormous global talent pool that employers overlook far too often- to their own detriment.”

Minnesota Business Leadership Network (MNBLN) and BetterWorkforce are co-hosting a collaborative Disability Inclusion Summit & Career Fair event at Xcel Energy on October 13, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., bringing college students/grads with disabilities and employers together to think through best practices related to disability inclusion at work.

Social Security and the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy are seeking public input for Information on Potential Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Demonstration Projects. Through this research, we hope to identify effective strategies for supporting workers who want and are able to keep working while living with a disability.