Project and Programs Across Areas of Focus
Transition, Employment, and Careers
The Center on Community Living and Careers promotes partnerships between people with disabilities, their families, and their communities to build capacity and effect systems change through research, education, and service.
The Center focuses on improving transition and adult services through person-directed approaches, career development, community living, and community membership.
Americorps State Inclusion Program supports capacity-building of a training infrastructure that creates materials that are universally-designed to promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities within the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI) grantee programs. Materials development includes a needs
assessment and accompanying analysis
support, fact sheets, success stories, and subsequent information dissemination
support. A final evaluation on the disability
training needs for OFBCI initiatives also will be conducted.
The Benefits Information Network (BIN)
creates a network between all Indiana benefits counselors and providers to
improve capacity in using federal and state work incentives. Activities include the
preparation and dissemination of a
training curriculum, the training and
evaluation of personnel regarding their
knowledge and understanding of the
programs, the development of a listserv for ongoing information dissemination.
Additionally, ongoing support and
information dissemination to BIN
personnel and Indiana work incentive
coordinators on work incentives and
community resources will be provided.
As Indiana transitioned more and more of its residents with disabilities into
community-based settings over the past
five years, the need for more and better
training to direct support professionals
became a priority. The Direct Support Professional Career Ladder Program is designed to develop a system of education and training that, when complete, will
improve the dilemmas faced in Indiana
around the lack of direct support
professionals, the high turnover, and
systemic training needs.
The Indiana Works-Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach Program
for Southern Indiana provides SSDI and SSI beneficiaries and recipients with
benefits planning, assistance, and outreach to increase the number of beneficiaries and recipients who return to work and achieve self-sufficiency. Indiana Works supports
five benefits specialists to provide benefits planning, assistance, and outreach to
southern Indiana.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services supports the development and
enhancement of community-based
employment services for persons with
disabilities. Additionally, the Project assists in the development and enhancement of transition (school to work) services and the development of policy and training needs of Indiana’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program.
Two specific areas of concentration are
1) A leadership academy is being
developed for Vocational Rehabilitation
Services personnel and community
providers; and 2) A statewide replication and implementation of Project SEARCH, a
business approach to job development and placement.
Return to the Indiana Institute Organizational Structure Page
This material is available in alternative formats upon request
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana Institute Centers by Focus Areas 
