• Nationally, individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) experience greater levels of unemployment, underemployment, low wages, and poverty compared to those without disabilities [1]. New Mexico has made steady progress toward increasing community-integrated outcomes and performs above the national average.
• Community-Integrated Employment (CIE) includes job development so individuals with developmental disabilities may participate as active community members and realize the benefits of employment.
• In FY17, 35% of CIE adults received employment services. This is the second consecutive year that the division performed above the 33% target.
• The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Developmental Disability Supports Division (DDSD) launched statewide training for the new Employment First Policy and Procedure, which sets the expectation that individuals with I/DD, who are of working age, should be given the opportunity to work in the community. Paid staff are responsible to help remove barriers to work. Thirty-seven trainings, including two train-the-trainer sessions, were held statewide. Approximately 500 people participated in the trainings.
• In FY17-Q1, the Supported Employment database was launched as an automated web application, however it continues to capture the employment status of individuals who receive other funding (data beyond this measure). NMDOH is working to resolve this reporting issue.

[1] National Snapshot of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in the Labor Force. Disabilities-Cooperative Agreement/Grant Number: Uo1 DD000302-05

• Individuals with I/DD and their support networks including parents and guardians
• Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver supported employment providers
• Partners for Employment, which includes the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability
• Supported Employment Leadership Network (SELN)

• The development and use of a Supported Employment database, which does not rely on billing data and monitors employment successes.
• DD Waiver service standards and funding models that promote employment outcomes.
• Increasing awareness about employment as an option for adults with developmental disabilities.

• Support innovative service models.

• Q1-Q2: Develop an Employment First Policy/Procedure and Communication Plan. Completed.
• Q1-Q4: Launch the Supported Employment database. Completed. This database has been automated as a web application. Completed.
• Q1-Q4: Communicate the Employment First Policy/Procedure to stakeholders statewide. Ongoing.
• Q1-Q4: Continue modifying operating practices toward the achievement of community integrated objectives. Continue to work with Partners for Employment to provide opportunities for outreach to key stakeholders and training on best practices in supported employment. Ongoing.

• During FY17, DDSD developed and implemented the Supported Employment database, which monitors employment successes without relying on billing data. This database has been automated as a web application to capture employment status. At the end of FY17, 35.0% of CIE adults received employment services, making this the second consecutive year that the division has performed above the 33.0% target (36.0%, FY16).