DPW News

LCA 2.0 Partners Tari Hartman Squire and Derek Shields hosted another fabulous event, this time at the Hollywood Film Academy. This event included partners with Exceptional Minds, Inclusion Films, California Department of Rehabilitation Services and a number of high-profile performers and studios.

Over 100 young people with disabilities of all types joined the 12-hour event and participated in the Summits activities. As always, these activities included panels featuring industry leaders, individuals interested in serving as mentors and other professionals. Barbara did her workshop on “Self-Disclosure” and “Using Your Disability as A Competitive Edge”.

There was an evening reception which included all the day’s participants and allowed for lively discussion and the development of connections. There will be five additional LCA 2.0 Summits across the country. New York City, NY; Silicon Valley, CA; San Diego, CA, and Hollywood, CA are a few places we’ll be traveling.

Members of the PolicyWorks WINTAC team participated in the Spring conference of the Council of State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Administrators. This national conference brings together state VR administrators, the federal agencies that fund their work and national and state collaborators and providers.

PolicyWorks is using this time to work with states who are interested in developing peer mentoring projects and participate in the Regional and Veteran’s committees.

Lights! Camera! Access! 2.0 Summits are being scheduled throughout the country. These events bring together youth with disabilities interested in careers in the film, tv, advertising and interactive media industries. PolicyWorks partners with EINSof Communications on these events.

LCA 2.0 Summits are scheduled –
February 20th – Hollywood
April 3 – New York City
May 17- Silicon Valley

PolicyWorks continues to work with state vocational rehabilitation agencies to design and implement peer mentoring programs in their state.

PolicyWorks is currently expanding from the original three pilots in Florida, Mississippi, and Alaska. We are working with nine additional states that include: Maine, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, Michigan, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Washington.

In early January, PolicyWorks conducted its first Community of Practice call on Peer Mentoring and the call attracted 63 participants representing 25 states.

We will continue to work on developing support for states who want to develop peer mentoring programs to help young people transition to jobs and careers.

PolicyWorks leadership participated in the re-dedication of the Center on Disabilities at Florida Atlantic University. The Center is housed in the offices of Stand Among Friends, a long-time PolicyWorks Partner.

The Center will now be led by the College of Medicine under the leadership of Dr. Vermaila Prakash, Ph.D. in partnership with Stand Among Friends, PolicyWorks, and Autism After 21.

The three agencies coming together as CollaborationWorks will serve as an advisory board to the center.

The College of Medicine is interested in working with us to develop a Peer Mentoring Experience for medical students in the College of Medicine.

We had a great event in mid-December that brought together our partners, our friends and individuals who use our services and their family member.

Partners included: Dawn Hicks, Stand Among Friends, Michelle Rubin, Autism after 21, and Alicia Roots, representing the College of Medicine.

Friends included: Dr. Caren Sax, Ed.D from the Interwork Institute at San Diego State University, Elaine Katz and Stephanie Holcomb representing the Kessler Foundation, Zack Gibson, representing the Governor’s Office and Sue Abel from Independence Works.

The event also included individuals who work for the partners and individuals who have participated in our services and their family members.