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"Promoting Work Experiences for Students: Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)" Webinar
Thursday, December 3, 2020
1:00-2:30 PM MST
Greetings!

The Montana Deaf-Blind Project is pleased to announce the second session in our webinar series on work experience and employment for students with a significant impact of disability, including students with deaf-blindness. OPI renewal unit credit is available.

Promoting Work Experiences for Students: Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
Thursday, December 3, 2020
1:00-2:30 PM Mountain Standard Time
Description:
Learn about Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) in Montana. This webinar will introduce families and professionals to the concept and help them understand how to access Pre-ETS. Participants will learn how Vocational Rehabilitation, high schools, Community Rehabilitation Programs, Independent Living Centers, universities and other programs are working together to help students with disabilities prepare for life after high school. Presenters will share examples of how students with the most significant impact of disability are receiving Pre-ETS. There will be a special focus on Pre-ETS for students with hearing and/or vision loss.
Presenters:
Andrew Lowney is a Missoula Region Pre-ETS Specialist. Andrew has a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, as well as a CRC certification. Andrew has been with MT Vocational Rehabilitation since 6/2015, starting out as a general Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, then shifting into the role as Pre-ETS Specialist for the Missoula Region. He was recognized as the Montana Rehabilitation Counselor of the Year in 2018, and for the Outstanding Pre-ETS Case of the Year for the 2019-2020 program year. Andrew has experience working with students with various disabilities, as well as schools of all sizes. Andrew has assisted with various pre-ETS programs and projects in school settings, and out-of-school settings.
Sheri Devlin is the Rehabilitation Counselor Supervisor for the Great Falls Blind and Low Vision Services (BLVS). Sheri has a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling and CRC Certification. She has over 16 years of experience working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. The past 6 years have been with BLVS in Great Falls and collaborating services with the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind. Sheri has also been involved with the Regional Transition group in Great Falls and a member of the Youth Services Team with VR assisting in the development of Pre-ETS services for Montana’s Students with disabilities.
Lillian McGinn is a Pre-ETS Specialist for the State of Montana serving the Great Falls region. Lillian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Sciences, and is currently in a Master’s Degree program in Rehabilitation Counseling through the University of Massachusetts Boston. In previous positions, she assisted adult-age individuals with disabilities in employment as well as those in mental health crisis within a crisis facility. She looks forward to assisting her community as well as surrounding areas in order to help youth find their passion and interests within the world of work.
About the Work Experience Series:
The Montana Deaf-Blind Project is pleased to announce our webinar series on work experience and employment for students with a significant impact of disability, including students with deaf-blindness. The purpose of this series is to provide teams supporting students with deaf-blindness and a significant impact of disability the tools to:
  • Explore community employment as a post-school outcome for all of their students,
  • Begin identifying students’ interests, skills, abilities, and support needs, and
  • Identify tasks individual students could offer in employment.

The end goal of the webinar series is for teams to use the information to create an individualized work experience for a student with whom they are currently involved.

Webinars include:
November 5, 2020 from 12-1:30 MST: Kim Norris-Scrano shared her daughter Alana’s story. Kim began thinking about employment for Alana in elementary school, identifying her strengths and interests and turning those into vocational opportunities.

December 3, 2020 from 1-2:30 MST: Montana Vocational Rehabilitation staff will present information on Pre-Employment Transition Services and how they are supporting Montana students with disabilities to prepare for a working life.

January 14, 2021 from 1-2:30 MST: Ellen Condon will discuss using a Customized Employment strategy to think about employment for everyone…

February 11, 2021 from 12:-1:30 MST: Kim Norris-Scrano will continue the conversation about meaningful work experiences.

Further details and registration links for the individual sessions will be sent to Montana Transition E-Mail List members and posted to the Montana Deaf-Blind Project and Transition and Employment Projects websites.

Did you miss the Montana Deaf-Blind Project’s 2019 Transition to Employment Webinar Series? Or the recent webinars on SSI Work Incentives and Age 18 Redetermination, ABLE Accounts, online etiquette (“Netiquette”), and more? If so, the recordings and handouts are archived on the Montana Deaf-Blind Project website: http://mtdeafblind.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/events-training/ and on the Transition and Employment Projects website: http://transition.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/training-events/
This webinar is brought to you by the Montana State Deaf-Blind Project, with support from the Montana Transition Resources Project.

The Montana Deaf-Blind Project is supported by grant #H326T180038 from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Department.

The Montana Transition Resources Project is funded in whole or in part under a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The statements herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Department.

Address: 41 Corbin Hall
Univ. of MT
Missoula, MT 59812
 Phone: 406.243.4134