Committee hears results from Kansas Employment First pilot showing hundreds of jobs for people with disabilities

The committee received a presentation on the Kansas Employment First Training and Technical Assistance Center and early results from a state pilot aimed at increasing competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.

Presenters said the pilot, a partnership with KDADS, supported four provider organizations and focused on training employment specialists, building organizational systems for employment supports and piloting a data-tracking tool. Evan Dean and Craig Knutson highlighted outcomes: the phase‑one pilot produced 239 jobs over 18 months and measured six‑month job retention at about 90 percent. The project reported an average wage of $13.78 per hour for an average of 21 hours per week for placements in manufacturing, health care and administrative roles.

Kendra Kruer of OCCK described internal organizational changes — creating "Career Compass Navigators," cross-program collaboration, employer engagement and benefits planning — that helped overcome family concerns about benefit loss and supported employer matches. Kruer stressed that employment should be discussed early in education and that rural infrastructure, transportation and staffing are needed to scale efforts.

Craig Knutson noted research showing employment as a social determinant of health and projected potential Medicaid savings if Kansas increased employment outcomes to levels seen in peer states. Presenters said demand for training is high: the employment‑specialist course was full at 50 participants with a waiting list.

Committee members thanked presenters and said they would seek follow-up briefings after turnaround; the committee adjourned for the day with no votes recorded on related legislation.