First Regional Smart Solutions Exchange Held
Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, in collaboration with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Council of State Administrators for Vocational Rehabilitation, was proud to host the first national forum, “Smart Solutions” networking and information exchange on Wednesday, September 12th.
The event was designed to bring business and vocational rehabilitation (VR) together to share best practices for hiring people with disabilities, to create business-to-business dialogue on the benefits of working with VR, and to connect new companies with local VR representatives.
The forum provided businesses with ideas and examples to drive innovation and profits by expanding the diversity of their employees, clients, and partners. In addition to strategies to meet employment needs in a shrinking labor market, participants discussed methods to tap into the over $200 billion disability market.
Representatives from Spaulding, Partners Health Care, Clark Companies, Appleseeds, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission gave presentations throughout the day, striking a theme of collaboration and partnership.
Assistant Secretary Jean McGuire of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and Commissioner Janet LaBreck of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind emphasized the commitment of the Patrick Administration to expand employment opportunities for all. Oswald Mondejar, Vice President of Human Resources at Spaulding encouraged fellow business partners to tap into this underutilized pool of talented workers. He gave examples of new ideas that led to benefits for patients, workers, and visitors throughout the organization. Kathy West-Evans from the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) spoke about the National VR (Vocational Rehabilitation) Business Network, the NET. The purpose of the NET is to deliver VR expertise as “one company” to serve business customers as a unified entity.
Employers represented at the forum also included IBM, Verizon, TJX, Boston University, Harvard University, Service Master, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The public Vocational Rehabilitation program is a federal-state partnership that operates through 80 state-based programs across the country, including the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. The Vocational Rehabilitation program is funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, for the purpose of supporting the employment and independence of people with disabilities.
The other national forums will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Ohio, and San Francisco, California in coming months.
For additional information, please contact Lynn Paulson at the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind at (617) 626-7583, Mass. Toll-free (800) 392-6450 X7583 or email: Lynn.Paulson@state.ma.us.