Agenda - 02-12-2009 - 1a - Laserfiche WebLink

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AGENCY BUDGET FY 05-06 FY 06-07 FY 07-08 FY 08-09 C Actual Actual Actual Projected Total Agency Budget $517,647 $694,849 $1,220,497 $1,428,506 Orange County's Contribution $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 ® List specific initiatives Orange County's contribution supported within your agency during FY 2007- 08: Orange County's contribution to this agency supports transportation costs for adult self-advocates who live in Orange County, in order for them to attend art, volunteer activities, health and wellness activities, along with support to monitor their financial management. NEW AGENCY INITIATIVES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008-09 • To support enhanced efforts to adequately provide supports to persons with developmental disabilities that desire to work in competitive jobs in the community and to provide opportunities for these individuals to become fully familiar with the community and its available resources in order that their life goals are determined in a well-informed manner. Supported employment is a well-defined approach to helping people with disabilities participate in the competitive labor market, working in jobs they prefer with necessary supports. ® Nationally, the Supported Employment movement began in the 1980s as an approach to assist people with developmental disabilities move from sheltered work environments to "real work in the community for real pay." Since then, over .150,000 people with significant disabilities have gone to work in community employment settings, but national unemployment rates for people with disabilities still range from 70% to 80%, and unfortunately, the majority of persons that reside in Orange County who participate in vocational activities continue to work in segregated settings or are under-employed . • The Arc of Orange County encourages supported employment as an independence optimizing option for ( meeting individual vocational goals, and it is our hope that through a combination of person centered planning, consumer, family and provider education, and a variety of well-qualified supported employment professionals, we will significantly increase the number of people obtaining, maintaining and succeeding in community employment through out Orange County. While there is limited state funding for this service, there continues to be a significant gap between costs associated to adequately support for individuals once community placements are made. This funding will allow a means to adequately address the long term support needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and allow individuals to become an integral part of the community and be increasingly valued'as productive citizens of Orange County. • Please note that community employment means that individuals are also giving back to the community by becoming tax-paying citizens. The barriers that continue to prevent individuals with developmental disabilities from full community participation and engagement cross all geographic and socioeconomic lines. Our vision with this cutting-edge proposal is to demonstrate methods that can promote reciprocal relationships between individuals with developmental disabilities and the community-at-large. As a pioneering model of working with individuals with developmental disabilities, The Arc of Orange County can reach new corporate and individual business partners and donors who will be awakened to the potential assets of this population and to further stimulate the existing base of community partners who already know and appreciate the services and efforts directed by, and on behalf of, this group. • 15