Report:
Community Forum Results
On
September 12, 2006, the Snohomish County Workforce Development
Council hosted a community forum to discuss the future of the
Transition Services Office at WorkSource Everett.
The
Transition Services Office was originally developed by the WDC
in partnership with the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation
and WorkSource Snohomish County and funded through a Department
of Labor Workforce Incentive Grant.
Since
its creation, the Transition Services Office has provided enhanced
access to the Snohomish County WorkSource system for customers
with disabilities. The Transition Services Office offers
a unique environment to people with a sensory, motor, and/or learning
disability to prepare for competitive employment. The facility
includes six high-wall, noise reduction modules, each containing
a wide range of state-of-the art assistive technologies to support
learning. The facility also contains a conference room commonly
used by business to conduct orientations as well as an audio/visual
library and resource area. Finally, there is a private room where
a client can meet with an external Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
or Case Manager. This room is also utilized by employers to conduct
one-on-one interviews 
The
Transition Services Office continues to be a tremendous resource
for our county, and while the Snohomish County WDC has committed
to covering the costs associated with maintaining the infrastructure
of the Office, the WDC no longer has funding with which to staff
the Office. As such, the WDC hosted the community forum in order
to determine the community needs and desires for the Office as
well as to provide an opportunity for community partners to think
creatively about ways to partner to keep the Office running.
Questions
discussed at the Forum included:
One
comment that came up from a variety of stakeholders present at
the Forum was the need to further integrate services provided
at the Transitions Office with the services provided on the first
floor of WorkSource Everett.
The
WDC
is now entering a period for stakeholder comment regarding the
future of the Transition Services Office. If you are a provider
of services for persons with disabilities and you would like to
have your comments heard regarding the above questions, please
contact WDC Adult Program Manager, Amy Persell by email
or by phone at (425) 921-3487.
