Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 46 - Social services.
46.2898 - Employment of individuals with disabilities; long-term care programs.

46.2898 Employment of individuals with disabilities; long-term care programs.
(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Board” means the board for people with developmental disabilities.
(b) “Coaching” means providing specific, targeted supports to a business, school district, or vocational agency that demonstrates how coworkers can provide internal support to a coworker with a disability, eliminating the need for a job coach or other individual from outside of the employer.
(c) “Family care” means the program that provided the family care benefit, as defined in s. 46.2805 (4).
(d) “Internal support” means primary employment support for an individual with a disability provided by an employer or employees of the employer and not by a job coach or other individual from outside the employer.
(e) “Qualified employee” means an individual with a disability that is an enrollee of family care, the Family Care Partnership Program, or the self-directed services option.
(f) “Self-directed services option” has the meaning given in s. 46.2899 (1).
(2) Coaching program established. The board shall develop a program to provide coaching for the hiring of individuals with disabilities and shall do all of the following:
(a) Develop a model of coaching businesses in the hiring and employment of individuals with disabilities that engages businesses directly.
(b) Expand awareness and competence across the private sector in hiring individuals with significant disabilities who are enrollees of family care, the Family Care Partnership Program, or the self-directed services option.
(c) Collaborate with individuals and businesses that hire and provide internal support for individuals with disabilities to develop tools and training programs for use in other businesses.
(d) Coordinate with the department of public instruction to explore the use of business-supported employment of individuals with disabilities in the school-age population.
(e) Include travel costs in costs available for any reimbursement, including grants awarded for meeting criteria under sub. (4) (b).
(3) Coaching; board duties. The board shall provide the coaching described under sub. (2) to private and nonprofit businesses and to schools, care management organizations that administer family care or the Family Care Partnership Program, consultant agencies that assist enrollees of the self-directed services option, and other employment services providers for the state's long-term care programs.
(4) Coaching recipients; grants.
(a) The board shall request proposals from any of the following to participate in a coaching program for the hiring of qualified employees:
1. Public schools.
2. Care management organizations that administer family care or the Family Care Partnership Program.
3. Consultant agencies that assist enrollees of the self-directed services option.
4. Employment services providers for the state's long-term care programs.
5. Private businesses.
(b) From the appropriation under s. 20.438 (1) (a), the board shall provide coaching and award grants to entities described under par. (a) that meet all of the following criteria:
1. Annually, the entity submits a report to the board containing all of the following:
a. The number of individuals with disabilities hired by the entity that provides supported employment through a business-based internal support model.
b. The wages and hours worked of employees with disabilities hired by the entity that provides supported employment through a business-based internal support model.
c. The number of businesses receiving coaching from the entity that hire and employ individuals with disabilities and that provide internal support for those individuals.
2. The entity demonstrates an increase in the number of businesses hiring and employing individuals with disabilities and providing internal support for those individuals.
3. The entity demonstrates a reduction in public spending on employment supports for individuals with disabilities by a minimum of 25 percent compared to previous costs or cost estimates. The entity shall provide information on this reduction and a description of the impact of the program under this section in the annual report under subd. 1.
4. The entity meets other outcome measures as determined by the board.
History: 2017 a. 323; 2021 a. 238 ss. 9, 45.

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