Working Age Adult Policy

The DSHS/DDD released a policy, effective July1, 2004, promoting gainful employment in integrated settings in the community for working age adults with developmental disabilities. This policy was fully implemented on July 1, 2006.

In February 2005, a Working Age Adult Stakeholder Task Force was formed to help guide the King County Board for Developmental Disabilities and the KCDDD in implementing this policy. Self-advocates, family members, case managers, schools and service providers were represented on this Task Force, which was responsible for identifying challenges, discussing potential impacts, and developing implementation strategies. The Task Force was also responsible for ensuring that the county solicited input and incorporated the views and perspectives of people from diverse communities. The Task Force met from February to June of 2005, to develop a strategic plan suggesting ways to overcome the challenges of the policy and to develop steps to fully implement the policy. Representatives from the Task Force presented a final report with the strategic plan outlined below, to the board on June 15, 2005.

The Task Force also developed a 'next steps' document which called for the hiring of a staff to implement the plan and the appointment of an ad hoc committee to oversee the implementation and recommendations written into that plan. That report and plan ended the responsibilities of the Task Force. In September 2006 a staff person was hired for a three year project position and the Oversight Committee was put in place with an end date, for both the committee and the staff position, of September 2009. The Working Age Adult Policy Oversight Committee is made up of board members, family members, educators, self-advocates, and providers. This committee meets four times a year to be updated on the implementation of the plan by KCDDD and to make new recommendations to KCDDD.

The following documents were developed by the task force:

• Executive Summary of the Strategic Plan for the Working Age Adult Policy Task Force (pdf)
• The Next Steps Document (pdf)
• The Strategic Plan which includes:
• Priority Area 1 - Develop a Shared Vision (pdf)
• Priority Area 2 - Marketing (pdf)
• Priority Area 3 - Creating the Environment (pdf)
• Priority Area 4 - Collaborate for Change (pdf)
• Priority Area 5 - Show Us the Money (pdf)

Also see:

• Working Age Adult Policy Focus Groups
• State Division of Developmental Disablities Policy (pdf) (external)
• State's Frequently Asked Questions: County Services for Working Age Adults Policy (MS Word) (external)