The objective of this 18 month project is to develop, implement and test an innovative peer navigator employment pathway (IPNEP) for young adults with ID/DD in Los Angeles County to facilitate their transfer of care to adult health care and assist with service referrals and supports for transition and adult services for employment, education, training and community living.
The USC UCEDD at CHLA in collaboration with ELARC will develop, implement, and test the IPNEP for its adaptation as a Paid Internship Program (PIP) employment training pathway at ELARC and other regional centers. It is anticipated job seekers who enroll in and complete the IPNEP PIP will have competitive and integrated employment in part-time or full-time positions as ON in healthcare and other service settings. These actions will be taken to achieve the project objective:
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- Action 1: The IPNEP will convene an advisory committee to provide continuous input during the IPNEP project composed of youth and young adults with ID/DD, family members, healthcare, employment, education, rehabilitation, community-living agencies and organizations.
- Action 2: The IPNEP curriculum framework will be developed to guide development of curricular materials for IPNEP.
- Action 3: The IPNEP team will create IPNEP Materials and resources identified.
- Action 4: The IPNEP will initiate recruitment. It is anticipated that 2 PN trainees will be enrolled in IPNEP pilot.
- Action 5: The IPNEP team will pilot test IPNEP with 2 PN with 1 to 1 job trainers. The IPNEP team will provide close supervision and support of job trainers and IPNEP PN trainees who will assist 10 young adults with ID/DD each; IPNEP team will assist with troubleshooting; liaison with job training sites, serve as resource, content, service experts.
- Action 6: The IPNEP project will refine and prepare for PIP program launch at ELARC, UCEDD, and in other regional center settings.
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UCEDD IPNEP Advisory Board
- Dr Sandra Aldana, Adjunct Professor in Cal Lutheran’s Public Health Program Member of UCEDD CAC, Member of Advisory Committee of UCEDD Community-Based Transition Program
- Emily Bridges MPH, CHES, Public Health Advocate, Independent Living Resource Center, Inc.
- George de la Loza, Employment Director, East Los Angeles Regional Center
- James Koontz Ed.D, Coordinator, Moderate Severe and LRE Programs Division of Special Education
- Robert Loeun, Regional Director DOR Inland Empire District
- Suzanne Paggi, Member of UCEDD CAC
- Alex Phuong, Member of UCEDD CAC, Member of Advisory Committee of the UCEDD Community-Based Transition Program
- Jonathan Vallin, Program Advocate with Aging Disability Research Connection Program Communities Active Living Independent and Free (CALIFE)
- David Oster, People First South Bay/Harbor Area, USC UCEDD CAC Member