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OE Enterprises CEO says innovation grant and state assessments shifted attitudes and led to referrals for competitive employment
Summary
Amy Miller, CEO of OE Enterprises, told the board that provider innovation grant funding and statewide CIE assessments helped shift family and staff mindsets; 52 participants were assessed and 22 were referred to EIPD services, and OE plans staff training and new roles to expand employment supports.
Amy Miller, CEO of OE Enterprises, described how a recent provider innovation grant and state-run CIE (Competitive Integrated Employment) assessments prompted the community rehabilitation provider to reexamine practices and expand supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Miller told the meeting OE Enterprises has operated in North Carolina for more than 50 years and serves adults across Orange, Alamance, Chatham, Guilford, Durham and Randolph counties. "We were very, very excited when we saw this grant come across our table," she said, calling the funding a "perfect avenue" to advance competitive community employment for program participants.
The CIE assessments, Miller said, were pivotal: "We had 52 individuals take that assessment and out of those 52, we had 22 that have been referred to EIPD services." She described the result as a major shift because families and some staff had previously expressed concerns about safety and benefit loss that discouraged community employment.
Miller said OE used the grant to look internally at staff and family attitudes and to have one-on-one conversations with caregivers. She said parents and guardians attended assessments and reacted positively, helping change perceptions about what participants could do in the community.
Pointing to the work ahead, Miller said the organization will take incremental steps rather than rushing: "This is not a sprint. It is a long race," she said. Plans include adding staff roles, retraining existing staff, and investing in a learning management system to provide more focused training on person-centered supports and competitive, integrated employment.
Miller also mentioned plans to get some staff "certified so that we can actually support the employers out in the community as well," language the transcript records as "windmill training." She said staff will meet soon to map participants' circles of support and identify community connections that could become job opportunities.
Miller urged other providers to apply for similar funding, closing with, "Do it. Just do it." She said OE Enterprises was one of four starting community rehabilitation programs selected for the provider innovation funding and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
The comments focused on next steps for implementation and culture change; no formal vote or motion was recorded during this testimony.
