GRANTEE:

Lucas County Workforce Development Agency

ADDRESS:

1301 Monroe Street

Toledo, OH 43624

AMOUNT:

$200,000

DURATION:

24 months

POPULATION SERVED: Jobseekers with physical or psychological disabilities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The grant will be used to fund salaries, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, rent, shared costs, and indirect costs.The proposed positions include one full-time and one part-time Disability Program Navigator (DPN).

In Lucas County, over 17,500 receive SSA disability payments. Within The Source, Lucas County’s One-Stop Career Center (CC), 11% of those who access service report a disability. At present Lucas County has an unemployment rate of 8.4%, with the city of Toledo at 10.1%. Statistics show that 10.3% of those who accessed the Lucas County CC had a documented disability.

The DPN positions will provide specialized intervention to assist individuals with disabilities to attain the highest level of employment possible through the coordination of service for both jobseekers and businesses. These positions are designed to coordinate access to all services that are available for assisting persons with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining employment, informing the general public and persons with disabilities of resources available, assisting in job development and employer services for persons with disabilities, providing training of staff working with persons with disabilities within the CC, and advocating for new and improved services to persons with disabilities.

The Source is in its first year of existence as the comprehensive employment and training center of the county, and houses at least 15 partners, including all WIA-required partners. Partners include the Ohio Rehabilitation Service Commission, Goodwill, the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio, Harbor Behavioral Healthcare, and the NetWORK Division of Zepf Community Mental Health Center. The CC also has education partners from universities, community colleges, and adult education centers.

The CC has a Business Service Team (BST), whose major focus is to develop working relationships with area businesses. Represented by various local business groups, including those that serve the disabled, the BST is affiliated with the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and a large economic development organization, which enables the disabled to become self-employed.

GEOGRAPHIC AREA TO BE SERVED:Lucas County, Ohio.

CONTACT:

Eric J. Walker

419-213-5627