NY SCION
On October 21, 2021, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced a commitment of $11.1 million in federal workforce development funding over three years to expand New York State’s Disability Resource Coordinator (DRC) model. This funding supports the placement of DRCs in selected Local Workforce Development Areas (LWDAs) to strengthen workforce system capacity and improve services for individuals with disabilities.
This initiative is known as the New York Systems Change and Inclusive Opportunities Network (NY SCION). The term scion, commonly used in horticulture, refers to new growth cultivated from an established plant. In the same way, NY SCION builds on the foundation established through four rounds of federal Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) pilot funding and the earlier Disability Program Navigator initiative. Those efforts focused on improving education, training, and employment outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities, including individuals receiving Social Security disability benefits. NY SCION extends these proven strategies into additional local workforce systems
Disability Resource Coordinators (DRCs)
Disability Resource Coordinators are specialized staff who work to support systems change within local workforce development areas so that individuals with disabilities are more effectively served. Under NY SCION, DRCs:
- Increase the capacity of Career Centers and affiliated career pathway programs to serve individuals with disabilities.
- Establish and maintain partnerships with disability-focused agencies and service providers, including the New York State Education Department’s Adult Career and Continuing Education Services–Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) and the Office of Children and Family Services/New York State Commission for the Blind (OCFS/NYSCB), to support coordinated service delivery aligned with a job seeker’s employment and training goals.
- Advise the workforce development system on strategies to effectively promote the participation of individuals with disabilities in existing training and employment programs and Career Pathway systems.
- Provide training and technical assistance to Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs), Career Center staff, employers, community colleges, and training providers on topics such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Federal Ticket to Work Program (TTW), work incentives, workplace accommodations, assistive technology, and assessments.
- Coordinate with career pathway programs’ direct service delivery staff, including career coaches.
- Support the recruitment of individuals with disabilities, including Federal Ticket to Work Ticket Holders, into Career Center services and funded career pathways training programs.
- Use assessments to identify appropriate career, training, and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
- Obtain and maintain credentials to provide benefits advisement and work incentive counseling to individuals receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Support the workforce development system’s promotion of the Federal Ticket to Work Program and work incentives, and coordinate with the New York State Employment Services System (NYESS), which provides individuals with a single point of access to employment-related services and supports. Through the One Stop Operating System (OSOS), NYESS connects individuals to job opportunities in the New York State Job Bank, centralizes employment service and support information, improves coordination of employment supports, and matches job seekers’ skills with employer needs.
- Help ensure individuals with disabilities can access the range of workforce programs and services needed to participate in career pathways initiatives.
- Facilitate coordinated approaches that leverage available resources to support individuals with disabilities in achieving their employment and/or training goals.
Disability Resource Coordinators in New York State
Resources
Career Services for Persons with Disabilities
Additional information on how New York State’s Career Center system serves individuals with disabilities is available on the Career Services for Persons with Disabilities page.
Contact Us
For questions about NY SCION or services for individuals with disabilities, contact the New York State Department of Labor’s Special Populations Team at: [email protected]