New York State's Medicaid Infrastructure Grant

New York Makes Work Pay is a statewide initiative intended to dramatically improve the rate of employment among people with disabilities funded by the Center for Medicaid Services. The initiative's seven goals target sustainable, comprehensive policy and practice solutions to address the state's estimated 70% unemployment rate among working-age people with disabilities. It will positively impact individuals, employers, service providers, communities, funders and policy-makers by building skills, awareness, partnerships and resources to achieve improved and lasting workforce participation and self-sufficiency outcomes.

Mission

All people can work. New York State, in partnership with the whole community, will exercise leadership to advance prospects for employment and economic self-sufficiency of all individuals with disabilities. Resources will be directed or redirected to realize this vision of integrated competitive employment. Individuals with disabilities will have the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the economic vitality of the workforce. Employers will view individuals with disabilities as valued employees in their recruitment and hiring efforts.

Partners

The New York Makes Work Pay Initiative (NY-MWP) builds on New York State's rich history of engaging in employment systems change efforts to affect positive work outcomes for New Yorkers with disabilities. The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) through the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene (RFMH), with their management partners Cornell University and Syracuse University, in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health (DOH) join the state agencies and organizations comprising the membership of the Governor's Most Integrated Settings Coordinating Council's (MISCC) Employment Committee in designing and implementing a series of statewide strategic interventions to close the employment gap for individuals with disabilities.

Goal Abstracts

• Abstract 1: Address Policy and Practice Barriers to Employment   PDF (303 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)
• Abstract 2: Partnership Building   PDF (247 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)
• Abstract 3: Increase Workplace Demand for People with Disabilities   PDF (271 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)
• Abstract 4: Work Center Transformation   PDF (270 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)
• Abstract 5: Entrepreneurship   PDF (294 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)
• Abstract 6: Access to Work Incentives, Asset Accumulation and MBI-WPD   PDF (262 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)
• Abstract 7: School to Work Transition   PDF (293 KB)  |   TEXT (4 KB)

Brochures

• Customer Brochure:  PDF (123 KB)  |  TEXT (4 KB)
• Toll-Free Hotline Brochure:  PDF (260 KB)  |  TEXT (3 KB)
• Work Incentives Information Network (WIIN) Model Brochure:  PDF (167 KB)  |  TEXT (6 KB)
• Fact Check Brochure:  PDF (540 KB)  |   TEXT (7 KB)

Services and Activities

• Skill and asset development resources coupled with program and business best practices, to improve consumer access to the job market via both traditional and innovative pathways.
• Assistance to employers to improve hiring and retention of workers with disabilities.
• Improve strategic planning, coordination and collaboration across state agencies and among workforce service providers, community partners and employers to remove barriers (policy, practice, infrastructure) to employment and job advancement.
• Statewide forums, regional networks and local trainings to help people with disabilities accumulate financial assets, access work incentives and advance their self-sufficiency.
• Improve employment and entrepreneurship policies and practices to engage people with disabilities in high growth, high demand occupations.
• Dissemination of state-of-the-art materials and resources through a website, workshops and issues briefs.