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AMNA NAWAZ: The economy may be doing well by many measures, but, for years, there have

been real concerns over wage growth and the overall standard of living.

So, perhaps it's not surprising that at least one recent survey showed growing public support

for a new government program that would guarantee some income to citizens.

There are small pilot projects of how it could work.

In this reprised report, our own economics correspondent Paul Solman travels to Canada

to see one of the larger programs for our ongoing series Chasing the Dream on poverty

and opportunity.

PAUL SOLMAN: Cheerios, sans gluten, without gluten.

ALANA BALTZER, Ontario: I may not speak French, but I have been in a bilingual country my

entire life, so I know what the French actually...

PAUL SOLMAN: What sans gluten means.

ALANA BALTZER: Yes.

PAUL SOLMAN: A Tuesday trudge to the local grocery store in Hamilton, Ontario.

ALANA BALTZER: Love the organic vegetables.

PAUL SOLMAN: This is the first time 29-year-old Alana Baltzer has been able to afford the

healthy food here at the Mustard Seed Co-op, because, she says, when you're poor:

ALANA BALTZER: It's buy the stuff that you can afford, which is generally quick, easy

and all processed and high in sugar and trans fats and all the other unhealthy stuff.

PAUL SOLMAN: That's all that Baltzer could afford on her $575-a-month welfare disability

check.

But Ontario will now give her $1,130 U.S., no questions asked, as part of a three-year

basic income pilot launched late last year.

NARRATOR: Around the world, people believe that basic income could provide a simpler

and more effective income support.

PAUL SOLMAN: The idea's also being piloted in Finland and California.

Now it's Ontario too.

KATHLEEN WYNNE, Premier of Ontario: How are people's lives changed, and how are they able

to do better in their lives, prevent illness, stay in school, get jobs and keep jobs?

PAUL SOLMAN: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

KATHLEEN WYNNE: We should be looking at different ways of providing support, ways that actually

don't punish people, but actually support people in getting on with their lives and

produce better outcomes.

PAUL SOLMAN: Four thousand randomly selected Ontarians in three communities will get about

$13,000 a year U.S. for a single person, $19,000 for a couple.

In exchange, recipients give up some social supports and the government gets back 50 cents

of every dollar they earn.

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE,®MD-BO¯ Wellesley Institute: It is definitely the biggest basic income

study that there's ever been in North America.

You don't have to show that you're sick.

You don't have to show that you can't work.

You get it as a right.

PAUL SOLMAN: Research director Kwame McKenzie and his team will analyze the results.

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE: We're going to see whether it increases your chance of coming out of

poverty.

We're trying to see if it makes your housing stable.

We're trying to see whether it improves your mental health, whether it basically decreases

your use of other services, such as hospital beds.

PAUL SOLMAN: Turns out Manitoba launched a basic income experiment in 1974 that the provincial

government there later pulled the plug on.

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE: It was an incomplete study.

PAUL SOLMAN: But, long after, researchers studying the data found:

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE: We have got less health service use.

We have got mental health improving.

We have got people going back to college and they're getting better, getting better skills

to move forward.

This is a great thing, right?

PAUL SOLMAN: But was it a fluke?

And could the same policy produce like results 40-plus years later?

Well, for Jodi Dean and family, the answer seems to be yes.

Ten-year-old daughter Madison has suffered from both brittle bone disease and epilepsy

since toddlerhood.

Yes, Canada has universal health care, but not for the E.R. commute.

JODI DEAN, Mother: As far as parking goes, we're not covered for that.

That's $25 an emergency visit.

PAUL SOLMAN: How many times has she broken bones?

JODI DEAN: She's probably had at least 70 breaks.

PAUL SOLMAN: How many times a month do you have to pay for parking?

JODI DEAN: Two to three times a week.

PAUL SOLMAN: Basic income now covers, in effect, half the parking bill, a huge relief for someone

who never dreamed she'd be poor, used to volunteer at the food bank, then found she couldn't

live without it.

JODI DEAN: How do you go back to where you just gave that time and tell them now you're

in need?

PAUL SOLMAN: Jodi Dean, like Alana Baltzer, lives in Hamilton, a once-thriving steel city

of 750,000 within an hour of Toronto.

TOM COOPER, Director, Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction: We used to have 40,000

people working directly in steel, and, today, it's probably closer to 7,000.

PAUL SOLMAN: Tom Cooper, who directs an anti-poverty project, claims he's already seen benefits

from the program.

TOM COOPER: Many of the individuals I have talked to who are on the basic income pilot

are going back to school, wanting to improve their opportunities to get a better job.

PAUL SOLMAN: Moreover, he says:

TOM COOPER: There's not the oversight we see in traditional social assistance systems that

requires people to report monthly on their income or their housing status or their relationship

status.

PAUL SOLMAN: While most poor Ontarians didn't make it into the pilot, Baltzer did, and no

longer has to deal with the provincial welfare system.

ALANA BALTZER: You do not have the bureaucracy involved with welfare or disability.

If you get a job, you simply call, let them know, give them the information, submit your

pay stubs, bada boom, bada bing, done

PAUL SOLMAN: And your mom made it on to the program.

Has it made a difference in her life?

ALANA BALTZER: Oh, God, yes.

She's more ecstatic about not having to deal with Ontario Works, the welfare workers.

PAUL SOLMAN: The pilot has even induced Baltzer to lose five pounds since November, more exercise,

more confidence.

ALANA BALTZER: The first time in years I have been able to wear high heels without groaning

in absolute pain and sheer agony.

PAUL SOLMAN: As for the depression she has long struggled to fend off:

ALANA BALTZER: It's nice to not have a full-blown episode because I'm worried about whether

or not I'm going to be able to eat tonight or be able to pay my rent or do something

as simple as laundry.

PAUL SOLMAN: Other pluses?

Well, from the government's point of view, it no longer has to subsidize Baltzer's housing,

so the pilot is costing Ontario less than $700 a month more.

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE: It's important to measure that and measure sort of use of government

services.

PAUL SOLMAN: But Baltzer attends college in the fall, as now planned, and then gets a

job, government would be off the hook entirely.

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE: And it's also important to measure whether people are actually generating

wealth, because everybody's thinking often about the cost, but people don't always think

about the possible economic benefits.

PAUL SOLMAN: But, look, say skeptics, basic income will cost a pretty, albeit Canadian,

penny going out, while benefits may never actually flow in.

DAVID WAKELY, Attorney: I don't think the savings are actually going to be there.

So, I think that's misleading.

PAUL SOLMAN: That's local lawyer David Wakely, who says, if the program is extended universally,

it would cost Ontario two-thirds of its annual revenue.

And he doubts recipients will go to school or get a job.

DAVID WAKELY: Where someone can stay home and get a basic income guarantee, this just

serves as a security blanket for them, because they have always got this income to rely on.

PAUL SOLMAN: And as I asked former U.S. union leader Andy Stern, isn't that the time-honored

objection to a basic income?

If you pay people to do nothing, isn't that an incentive for them to continue to do nothing?

ANDY STERN, Economic Security Project: There are always people who are going to stay at

home and take advantage of government programs.

There are a lot of wealthy people and children who are paid to do nothing, and it doesn't

seem to affect them being vital and involved in society.

PAUL SOLMAN: John Clarke of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty doesn't worry about poor people

taking advantage of a basic income.

But he does worry that the program is a move to take advantage of them by laying the groundwork

for the elimination of government-provided social workers, health care, the eventual

privatization of social services.

JOHN CLARKE, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty: So you're shopping for health care, you're

shopping for housing, you're shopping for public transportation, child care, all these

things.

And this is the prevailing agenda at the moment.

And a basic income system takes us in that direction.

PAUL SOLMAN: Moreover, says Clarke, a basic income creates downward wage pressure on the

working poor.

JOHN CLARKE: If you create a situation where low-wage workers are receiving a significant

portion of their wages out of the tax revenues, then the pressure on employers to increase

wages is reduced, the pressure on governments to increase minimum wages is reduced.

PAUL SOLMAN: So how to know then if the costs outweigh the benefits?

DR.

KWAME MCKENZIE: We can all of these theoretical discussions, or we can say let's do a test

and see what actually happens.

What are the costs?

Is it a more efficient way of giving people who need it support?

What are the benefits?

Does it grow the economy or not?

And then we can have a rational discussion based on evidence, rather than just based

on theory.

PAUL SOLMAN: And rather than based on promises of breaking the cycle of poverty, which might

or might not, in the end, be mainly smoke and mirrors.

For the "PBS NewsHour," this is economics correspondent Paul Solman reporting, mainly

from Ontario.

AMNA NAWAZ: Tomorrow on the "NewsHour," more in our Chasing the Dream series, with a report

on helping people remain stable after they start work and begin to earn incomes again.

For more infomation >> Does a basic guaranteed income decrease the need for social services? - Duration: 10:09.

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Graybar Services Improve Contractor Efficiency and Profitability - Duration: 0:38.

Their knowledge of time frames work within our schedule.

They can help expedite or hold products for us so we can have on-time deliveries for when

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and increase our ergonomics.

The key factors: efficiency, time management and profitability.

For more infomation >> Graybar Services Improve Contractor Efficiency and Profitability - Duration: 0:38.

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Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Andrews | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:47.

I refer my patients to Oral Surgery Services because I have complete confidence in Dr.

Smith, Dr. Ferguson, and their team.

I feel like my patients are going to be very well cared for.

I feel like my patients are going to benefit from their expertise.

They give a lot of attention to detail.

And all of that's vitally important to me as I'm sending my patients out of my office

and into another office to be taken care of.

Well, in addition to my patients, I have referred some family members, and of course they enjoyed

the high level of service, and the experience was first class.

For more infomation >> Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Andrews | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:47.

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Correctional Services unaware of hunger strike at Leeuwkop prison - Duration: 2:19.

Correctional Services unaware of hunger strike at Leeuwkop prison

Correctional Services unaware of hunger strike at Leeuwkop prison.

  The Department of Correctional Services said on Wednesday it was unaware of an alleged hunger strike at its Leeuwkop prison in Johannesburg.

"The majority of inmates had both their breakfast and lunch as normal.

The Department is not aware of a hunger strike as alleged.

However‚ our security officials are monitoring the situation‚" department spokesperson Mocheta Monama said.

A man claiming to be an inmate at the prison phoned TimesLIVE on Wednesday saying that the majority of prisoners from one section had gone on a hunger strike to ensure their demands were met.

The man claimed they had not received soap and bedding‚ and that there was no medicine available‚ including chronic medication.

"We have undertaken this hunger strike in order to draw attention to management to respond to our plight." The alleged inmate claimed about 30 or 40 prisoners out of the 1‚300 inmates ate during their strike‚ which he described as peaceful.

He added that rehabilitation programmes were cancelled on Wednesday due to the strike.

Monama said a handful of inmates had handed a letter with their grievances to the head of Leeuwkop prison and demanded to speak to the regional commissioner.

"The department will ensure that the grievances submitted by the inmates receives the attention it deserves‚ and all procedures will be followed to ensure that the grievances are attended to appropriately.".

For more infomation >> Correctional Services unaware of hunger strike at Leeuwkop prison - Duration: 2:19.

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Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Richard | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:49.

It's important to me as a general dentist to have an excellent oral surgeon readily

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I first met Dr. Mark Smith in 1987.

We hit it off right away, very much sharing the same practice philosophy.

It's all about the patient and what treatment is right for them individually.

To this day, some 31 years later, our commitment to our patients and our professional commitment

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You should know that he has a gifted mind and equally gifted hands.

His attention to detail is impeccable.

If you want the very best, I highly recommend Dr. Mark Smith.

For more infomation >> Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Richard | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:49.

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Improving Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Services for Transition-Aged Youth (Part 3 of 4) - Duration: 12:03.

ANN OUTLAW: Welcome, everyone, to today's webcast

on the KTER Center's efforts to improve

vocational rehabilitation services

for transitional-aged youth with disabilities, which will be

presented by Jeremy Rasmussen.

I'm Ann Outlaw from the American Institutes for Research

and I'll be your host for the webcast.

This webcast is part of a four-part series

of webcasts on the KTER Center's research activities

and resources.

The webcast is offered through the Center

on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research

for the KTER Center, which is funded by the National

Institute on Disability, Independent

Living, and Rehabilitation Research, or NIDILRR.

We have information that accompanies

today's webcast on our website.

This includes a PowerPoint file and a text description

of the training materials, as well as

links to the other webcasts in the series.

Before we dive into today's webcast,

I'd like to give a brief overview of the KTER Center's

purpose and activities.

On the slide you can see our purpose.

The KTER Center is here to test knowledge translation

strategies to help stakeholders and others find, use,

and understand research to ultimately help people

with disabilities find and keep their jobs.

We do this by identifying findings related

to improving employment outcomes among individuals

with disabilities.

We also work to determine what rules for research-based

information are the most pressing for stakeholders,

such as individuals with disabilities

and their families, location rehabilitation, counselors--

or VR counselors-- the business community, as well as

policymakers.

Finally, we investigate and test knowledge translation

strategies that can increase these stakeholders'

appropriate use of identified research findings

that meet their reported needs.

You can hear more about these activities

in the webcasts in this series or by visiting

our website at KTER.org.

Now let's go ahead and get started.

I'd like to introduce to the audience Jeremy Rasmussen.

Jeremy is from the American Institutes for Research

and he works on the KTER Center.

He's here today to discuss the results from focus groups that

were held with VR counselors and transition-aged youth

with disabilities.

Jeremy will talk about the findings

and how they will be useful to the field.

Thank you so much for joining us, Jeremy.

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: No problem.

Thank you for having me.

ANN OUTLAW: So to get us going, can you

tell us a little about why you did the focus groups?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: Yes.

The purpose of this research really

begins with this idea of bridging

the gap between research and practice

in a way that enables VR counselors

and their supervisors to use research

and evidence-based practices to help transition-aged youth find

jobs and keep them.

To do that, we not only need to know what VR staff in the field

are doing in terms of best practice,

we need to learn what challenges youth with disabilities face

and what they need in terms of support.

These focus groups really gave us the opportunity

to do just that.

ANN OUTLAW: And so what are some of the challenges

that transition-aged youth encounter

while seeking employment?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: To qualify that question a bit,

the types and number of challenges can really vary.

Factors such as cultural background, economic status,

and type of disability need to be considered by VR staff.

One of the first steps to make sure

that youth with disabilities are aware of the employment

opportunities out there as well as the kind of workplace

accommodations that they can use to help them succeed.

ANN OUTLAW: And to back up, can you

remind everyone why it's important to focus

on employment for transition-aged youth

with disabilities?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: Studies have shown

that people with disabilities face

disproportionate challenges in terms

of employment rates, wages, advancement,

workplace barriers, a combination of supports.

In addition to this, studies have also

shown that VR counselors can play a significant role

in helping these youth find employment.

In order to close this employment gap,

it is important to identify best practices from the field,

as well as challenges faced by transition-aged youth.

ANN OUTLAW: OK, so let's dig into the focus group

and the results that you found.

First, whom did you involve in the focus groups?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: Well, between October and December 2016

we conducted three telephone-based focus groups.

Two of those focus groups were conducted with a total of 14 VR

counselors.

The third focus group was held for young adults,

18 to 24 years of age, with a wide range

of disabilities who all had previous experience with VR

services.

In terms of geography, nine states

were represented across all three focus groups.

ANN OUTLAW: And what did you discuss during the focus

groups?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: With VR staff, we

discussed what they considered to be most important in terms

of what they do and need to do to help youth with disabilities

successfully find jobs and keep them.

The focus group with youth in transition

discussed what VR counselors could do to support them

in finding and keeping a job.

The youth focus group also talked about their challenges,

accommodations they need to be successful at work,

and how to find a job.

ANN OUTLAW: And what were some of the perspectives

that the VR counselors shared?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: If you don't mind,

I'm going to replace the word perspectives with here

with themes.

And from our discussions with VR counselors,

three themes emerged.

The first theme was the need to provide a multifaceted approach

to family support.

Counselors noted that regularly-scheduled meetings

were the foundation that created a strong relationship with both

the youth and their families.

They also noted that it can be helpful to encourage family

members to be realistic about their aspirations

for their child, especially in regards

to employment or college.

Counselors sometimes have to mediate between the youth

or young adult in his or her family

to reconcile competing expectations.

The second theme was the need to conduct any activities

with clients to address long-term support needs.

For example, VR counselors identified things

like conducting job assessments, training on social skills,

identifying the supports needed for an individual to work,

and things of that nature.

VR counselors seemed to especially value resources

that built the capacity to teach you

how to engage in long-term thinking and planning.

Now, the third and final theme that emerged

was strategies on empowerment and disability disclosure.

VR counselors stressed the importance

of preparing youth for employment opportunities

by having the youth practice how to request

the kinds of accommodations that they would need in the job.

There was also discussion about the need

for a person with a disability to find

the right or appropriate time to disclose

that disability to an employer.

ANN OUTLAW: I'm guessing that there are quite a few elements

and approaches that go into making those three themes

work successfully in practice.

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: Yes, absolutely.

I think what you're picking up on here

is just how nuanced this work is, the work of VR counselors.

Though these themes are a great place

to build specific strategies around,

what those strategies end up being will likely

depend largely on the individual needs of the youth

with the disability.

ANN OUTLAW: So speaking of the youth

with disabilities, what things emerge from their participation

in the focus groups?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: Well, three themes also

emerged from our discussions with the transition-aged youth.

Interestingly enough, the importance

of understanding their needs is the first theme.

Youth participants stated that VR counselors

are often helpful in describing how high school differed

from work in college, but that not all of them

understood needs specific to their age

or to having a specific disability.

The second theme highlighted the different experiences

and preferences that youth have for working

with the VR counselors.

For example, some stated that it was helpful

when VR counselors supported them on the job

for the first three months.

Other participants emphasized how much

they value the guidance VR counselors provide

in them getting workplace accommodations.

The third theme here centered on independence and self-reliance.

Youth participants expressed that they can be relatively

self-reliant in finding jobs.

Ironically, one recently reported

her being more independent is the issue of high VR staff

turnover.

This turnover meant that youth had

to be more independent in searching

for employment opportunities.

ANN OUTLAW: So it seems like being

responsive to the needs of youth with disabilities

while respecting their independence

are two big takeaways.

Is there a balance between the two?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: I would say yes, absolutely.

I think the second theme really gets at that point.

Youth with disabilities vary in the level of long-term job

support they want.

There's a balance.

And that balance will need to be determined

on a case-by-case basis.

ANN OUTLAW: Do you see a difference

between what the VR counselors are describing

as best practices and what the youth with disabilities

are describing as challenges and needs for support?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: No, not really.

Good practices involving family engagement, long-term support

needs, and disclosure strategies not only

can alleviate many of the challenges experienced by

but also make them more independent.

ANN OUTLAW: So while the number of people

who participated in the focus groups was small,

both groups arrived at great recommendations.

So do you think that this is reflective of the VR counselors

in transition-aged youth in general?

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: For VR counselors, I would say no.

These focus groups were small.

And the VR counselors volunteered,

so they were self-selected.

They don't represent all of VR counselors.

However, the themes that emerge give us

a sense of what kinds of practices

may be successful in helping youth with disabilities

find and keep jobs.

The fact that those themes aligned

with what we learned from the youth focus group

is really helpful to think about when planning services.

On the other hand, although the youth with disabilities

that participated were also self-selected,

being more responsive to the needs of these youth

while respecting their independence

is important when providing services in general.

ANN OUTLAW: Thank you so much, Jeremy,

for taking time out to talk to us about this.

JEREMY RASMUSSEN: Oh, you're welcome.

Thank you.

ANN OUTLAW: And for our audience,

you can find more information about the work

at the KTER Center's website at www.kter.org.

As a reminder, today's webcast is

part of a series of webcasts on the KTER Center's activities.

And don't forget to view the other webcasts in the series.

After you finish watching all of them,

please remember to fill out an evaluation and we'll

send this evaluation link to all of you who registered.

I'd also like to thank the National Institute

on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation

Research, or NIDILRR, for providing funding

for this webcast.

On this final note, I'd like to conclude the webcast

and we look forward to your participation

in our next event, so thank you.

For more infomation >> Improving Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Services for Transition-Aged Youth (Part 3 of 4) - Duration: 12:03.

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Improving VR Counseling Services for People with Autism (2 of 4) - Duration: 17:14.

ANN OUTLAW: Welcome everyone, to today's webcast

on the KTER Center's efforts to improve

vocational rehabilitation services for people with autism

spectrum disorder, which will be presented

by my colleague, Elizabeth Frentzel.

I'm Ann Outlaw from the American Institutes

for Research, or AIR.

And this webcast is part of a four part

series on the KTER Center's research activities

and resources.

This webcast is offered through the Center

on Knowledge Translation for Employment Research

for the KTER Center, which is funded by the National

Institute on Disability, Independent

Living, and Rehabilitation Research, or NIDILRR.

We have information that accompanies

today's slides, or today's webcast on our website.

And this includes a PowerPoint file

in a text description of the training material,

as well as links to the other webcast in the series.

Before we dive into the webcast today,

I'd like to give a brief overview of the KTER Center's

purpose activities.

We're here to pass knowledge translation strategies to help

others find, use, and understand research

to ultimately help people with disabilities find

and keep their jobs.

We have a variety of research and dissemination activities.

We try to identify findings related

to improving employment outcomes among individuals

with disabilities.

We also help to determine what leads

for research based information our most pressing

to our stakeholders.

And thirdly, we investigate in task knowledge translation

strategies that can increase the stakeholders appropriate use

of identified research findings that meet their reported needs.

We aim to widely share our project findings

and to provide technical assistance to researchers

to support application of their work, while also

promoting collaboration among NIDILRR researchers working

in the employment field.

And between these researchers and their stakeholder audiences

that can benefit from the use of these research findings.

You can hear more about these activities

in the other webcast in the series

or by visiting our website at kter.org.

Today Elizabeth, the KTER Center Research Director,

will be talking about the findings from the focus groups

we conducted with people with autism spectrum disorder

and how that information will be used.

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: Well, you're welcome.

ANN OUTLAW: So to get us going can you tell us why you

conducted these focus groups?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: Yeah, we conducted the focus groups

as a starting point for a larger research

study that is discussed by Kathleen

Murphy on a separate webisode.

In a larger study, we're going to train via our supervisors

or managers about social and communication skills

for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.

And ASD is a really large topic and we wanted our work

to be person centered.

So for this study, we needed to understand

what was most important to adults with ASD and their VR

counselor.

That way, we would know what topics to focus on

to create the training.

We wanted to make sure available research

would be relevant to what people wanted and needed to know.

ANN OUTLAW: Why the interest in person-centered and what

does that actually mean?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: In this case,

a person-centered approach means focusing

on what matters most to the individuals with ASD

seeking employment and our VR counselors.

So rather than a researcher-centered,

or what is important to researchers,

we wanted to focus on what is important to the individuals

who will use the information.

And in the past, some research studies,

researchers would identify a specific issue

that was important to the researchers,

but may not have always been important to the people being

studied.

So in this case, we conducted the focus groups

to identify specific issues that are

important for training VR supervisors to in turn train

their staff.

The researchers identified the general topic of ASD

in the vocational rehab world because both NIDILRR

had already invested in projects on ASD.

And because individuals with ASD and the VR counselors

identified the topic as important to them.

ANN OUTLAW: Now tell us a little bit more

about the reason you did the focus groups.

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: The purpose of the research

really starts with this idea of bridging

the gap between research and practice

in a way that enables VR supervisors to help their staff

to use research to better assist people with ASD to find

and maintain employment.

And to do that, we not only need to know

what VR staff in the field are doing

in terms of best practice, but also the challenges

individuals with ASD face and what they would like to see

more of in terms of support.

So these focus groups really gave us the opportunity

to do just that.

ANN OUTLAW: Can you tell everyone

why it might be important to focus

on employment for individuals with autism spectrum disorder?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: Absolutely.

Austism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD,

describes a group of developmental disorders.

People with ASD often find it difficult to communicate,

interact, and engage socially with others.

They also tend to have narrow interests

and repetitive behavior.

Typically, parents may see symptoms

within the first few years of a child's life.

And the symptoms are ongoing.

Common issues for people with ASD

include sensory issues, such as being

extra sensitive to smells, lights, or how things feel.

And these symptoms and levels of severity vary widely.

So when looking for a job, adults with ASD

may have challenges with social skills

or communicating verbally.

They may also be extremely focused.

And focused is great, but sometimes people with ASD

are so focused it's detrimental to being able to do their job.

ANN OUTLAW: Interesting, so who was

involved in these focus groups?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: In December 2016,

we conducted two phone-based focus groups.

One with five VR counselors, and a second focus

group with five adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

In the focus group with people with ASD, four of the adults

participated on the telephone, and one of the individuals

wrote responses to the questions asked during the focus group.

All of them worked with VR counselors.

ANN OUTLAW: Tell me a little bit more about the focus groups.

What did you discuss during the focus groups?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: For the focus groups

of adults with ASD, we asked about what challenges they

and other people with ASD have when finding and holding

jobs, what services VR counselors can provide,

and what training VR counselors and employers need.

The focus group of VR counselors addresses the services,

training, and resources that could

enhance the services that the counselors provide

to adults with ASD.

So in essence, we covered the same topics

across both focus groups, but framed them

somewhat differently.

ANN OUTLAW: Elizabeth, those are interesting topics.

For the adults with ASD, what perspectives did they share?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: First, given the great variation

in how ASD is experienced, the main finding of the focus group

was the need to understand that people with ASD

have unique interests, goals, and capabilities.

If you meet one person with ASD, you

have met one person with ASD.

And similarly, there is no one size fits all job.

Second, and related to this, focus group participants

with ASD reported feeling stereotyped

into specific roles--

typically computer or numbers type

of roles, when VR counselors attempted

to place them in jobs.

According to most of the participants in this focus

group, VR counselors generally believe that people with ASD

prefer computer jobs.

Participants felt that this limited view under-served

many people with ASD.

ANN OUTLAW: So it seems like it's important for VR staff

to avoid pigeonholing or being too narrow in how

they think about job placement for people with autism.

Is there anything else that was helpful for individuals

with ASD?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: I would say, yes, definitely.

The focus group members with ASD said

that they had challenges with communications,

understanding and filling out applications, and interviewing.

For example, individuals with ASD

stated that they really didn't know

how to fill out an application and needed guidance.

Communication skills, particularly

during an interview, were also identified as a need.

For example, what is typically asked

in an interview and common responses,

including standard pleasantries, such

as hello and goodbye, nice to meet you, and thank you.

By understanding these types of challenges for people with ASD,

VR counselors can better support them

to manage these common frustrations associated

with finding work.

And adults who had ASD in this focus group

reported that they knew other with ASD whose counselor seemed

pressured to fill a position and claim a success,

rather than target employment that was a good fit

and would last beyond 90 days.

What that means is yes, someone would get a job,

but the individual might not like it

and couldn't really do the job and would leave right

after the 90 days were completed.

And so without using the term, supported employment,

focus group members requested this type of approach.

They indicated it would be helpful to have

an advocate, a counselor, or an ASD specialist who

could advise employers whenever an issue arises.

A person is in such a role could explain

personal expressions of Autism Spectrum Disorder,

for example--

self-stimulation.

And educate employers, protecting the person

with the from feelings of embarrassment

or being ostracized.

The focus group participants also

suggested it would be helpful to discuss with VR counselors

how they should disclose their ASD status with the employer.

Some believe that they would be treated differently

in some circumstances, but it could

be beneficial at other time.

Disclosure may justify the use of specific equipment,

such as communication technology.

Adults with ASD in the focus group

reported success when their bosses and coworkers

understood the idiosyncrasies with how people experience ASD.

The adults advocated that VR counselors

should talk with potential employers

about the strengths and weaknesses

of a person with ASD.

Certain personal traits may be an asset

in the right workplace.

They also recommended that human resources departments

contact organizations or programs, such as the Job

Accommodation Network that can provide resources

and support for accommodating people

with ASD or other disabilities.

ANN OUTLAW: Elizabeth, while the number of people in the group

was small, they advised that terrific recommendation.

Do you think this is reflective of the larger population

of individuals with ASD?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: You know that's a great question, Ann.

What we heard is not likely that everyone with ASD would share,

nor is it intended to be.

And the purpose of this research was

to obtain a depth and breadth of responses,

not to be statistically representative.

In addition, the participants were self-selected,

so these are individuals who communicate well and are

comfortable communicating and are likely more independent.

We might have had very different findings

if we had a large random sample of people focused

on individuals with verbal challenges,

or who were less independent.

These participants also reported that they

identified and obtained employment independently.

And most of them had more success finding jobs

on their own, rather than through VR services.

Some of the participants, even stated

they found jobs in part because their VR counselors did not

find them employment that matched their interest

or capabilities.

ANN OUTLAW: Ooh, well that is very interesting

to hear the perspective of adults

with ASD and their experiences receiving VR services

and obtaining a job.

And what about the VR counselors.

What did you hear from them?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: Well it was very

thought provoking because while the counselors involved

in the focus group did not work with any of the individuals

with ASD in the focus group, there were some similarities.

ANN OUTLAW: That piques my interest.

What do you mean?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: So one of the key similarities

is that the counselors felt it was

critical to treat each person individually and avoid

generalizations.

So for example, VR counselors pointed out

that understanding the strengths and weaknesses

of the individuals with ASD that they serve

allows them to identify a job that is a good fit.

Careful thought about an individual's capacities

and interests allows a VR counselor

to better tailor a job search and develop

workplace strategies that are intrinsically motivating.

ANN OUTLAW: So Elizabeth, if the participants

agreed that each person with ASD needs

individualized support, what is the takeaway from the two focus

groups?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: I would say that across the groups,

VR counselors consistently agreed

with the concerns expressed by the adults

with ASD who had received VR services,

even when those concerns reflected somewhat negatively

on the VR system.

VR counselors expressed that they do not always have time

to implement what they know.

And this limitation may be related to constraints

that agencies also face where resources are stretched thin.

And one possible reason for this apparent contradiction

between services that people with ASD get

and the knowledge of the counselors who provide services

is that some of the VR counselors in this focus group

had more experience in VR service delivery,

specifically for individuals with ASD.

While the counselors who actually

worked with the adults who participated in the focus group

may not have had that expertise.

ANN OUTLAW: Ooh, so from these focus groups,

what are the next steps?

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: Well, Ann, after the focus groups

were held, we conducted a scoping group review,

which is a literature review that describes the landscape

available research of available research

relevant to improving social and communication skills

for individuals with ASD.

And using what we found through the scoping review process,

we then developed a training program for VR supervisors.

And our next step is to evaluate or test the training.

And our goal is to train the VR supervisors

on a research that supports employment outcomes for people

with ASD.

And then to learn whether that helps

connect to the day-to-day work of VR counselors

to better help them succeed in making

job placements that are a good fit

for the individual with ASD.

ANN OUTLAW: Well those sound like terrific next steps.

Thank you very much, Elizabeth, for taking the time

to talk to me about these focus groups.

For our audience, you can learn more about the focus group

findings and the next steps by visiting the website

at kter.org.

As a reminder, this webisode is part of a series on the KTER

Center activities.

After you listen to all four webisodes in this series,

please take time to fill out our brief evaluation,

which will be emailed to everyone who registered.

And you can also find it on our web site.

And finally, I'd like to thank our funding

agency, the National Institute for Disability Independent

Living and Rehabilitation Research for providing funding

for this research webisode.

Thank you so much, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH FRENTZEL: You're welcome.

For more infomation >> Improving VR Counseling Services for People with Autism (2 of 4) - Duration: 17:14.

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Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Smith | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:53.

I refer my patients to oral surgery services because of the comprehensive nature of their

care, and both Dr. Smith and Dr. Ferguson have a strong understanding of the restorative

process, and the way that they approach their surgeries really helps me to finish the case

on the back end.

Dr. Smith and Dr. Ferguson bring a wealth of knowledge to their treatment of my patients.

They're both warm and caring, and many of my patients come back having had a great experience.

The staff at oral surgery services is also very concerned with the care of my patients.

My patients are always coming back saying how efficiently things operate.

I will continue to refer my patients to Oral Surgery Services.

I really don't think there's any other oral surgery practice in the city that offers

the care in the way they do.

For more infomation >> Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Smith | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:53.

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DPHHS introduces website highlighting public health clinics and testing services - Duration: 0:53.

For more infomation >> DPHHS introduces website highlighting public health clinics and testing services - Duration: 0:53.

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Meet Richard "Rick" Metzger, VP, Operations and Surgical Services | Ascension Gulf Coast - Duration: 4:00.

I'm Rick Metzger.

I'm the vice president of surgical services and operations at Providence Hospital.

Well, working in surgery for 24-plus years, I have lots and lots of interesting stories,

as one could imagine.

But I think what is really most interesting about my career is where I started.

I started as an orderly many years ago in the operating room.

I became a scrub tech and got to experience firsthand a lot of clinical experiences that

most executive folks just don't get to experience.

Whether it's holding a heart in your hand in a trauma as it takes its last beat, whether

it's spending time with a family member as her loved one passes away, whether it's the

exhilaration of a first-time parent or a patient getting the diagnosis they were hoping they

would receive and the prognosis they were hoping they receive.

All those experience give each of us as caregivers a depth that I think creates a uniqueness

to each one of us and prepares us for things that ... whatever may come down the road.

Our mission at Providence Hospital is rooted in the healing ministry of Jesus, and you

see that through our associates.

A lot of patients, of course, pick Providence Hospital because that's what we are and that's

what we do.

You can go to a lot of hospitals throughout our community or throughout the country and

become more well, but we treat the whole patient.

We treat the spiritual needs of the patient, and I think that really differentiates Providence

Hospital from the other facilities in the community.

You really see the mission at work at Providence Hospital through our pastoral care team.

They make rounds on our patients.

You often see them praying in the hallways with patients.

You'll see on our daily meal trays they send prayer requests and prayer notes to our patients.

You hear that from our patients a lot, that they really appreciate the pastoral care team

and all that they do here, and you really see our mission come through our pastoral

care team.

I think what I'm most proud of is the spirit of the associates that work here.

Our Daughters, who started the hospital over 160 years ago, would be very proud that the

mission that they started is alive and well at Providence Hospital.

It comes through every day, really through our associates, and they demonstrate that

same mission that the Daughters started so many years ago.

I would say my biggest passion is probably fishing.

That's changed a lot for me over the years.

I used to be a very competitive fisherman.

I have a family now, and I'm raising my own children.

I take fishing a little less seriously, and it has become more of a recreation.

I like to think of myself as the world's best cheer dad.

I have a daughter that's in competitive cheerleading, and that keeps us very busy.

We travel all over the Southeast to different cheer competitions.

I enjoy spending time with my family, watching my children do the things that they love,

and try to support them in all that they do.

I think the most important traits for a caregiver is to have a good heart and a good attitude.

I've said for many, many years, if you give me somebody with a good heart and a good attitude,

I can teach them the technical skills.

or certainly I have people that work with me that can teach them the technical skills.

But it's much, much harder to change the innate characteristics of a person.

If someone comes to us with a good heart and a good attitude, we can teach them all the

technical skills they'll need to be successful in their job.

For more infomation >> Meet Richard "Rick" Metzger, VP, Operations and Surgical Services | Ascension Gulf Coast - Duration: 4:00.

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Fiduciary Services - Which Level of ERISA 3(16) Fiduciary Service Does Your Company Need? - Duration: 4:38.

So yesterday, I went through the exhibit hall. Some of you may have noticed me.

I walked up and down the exhibit hall, made a few laps.

I made eye contact with almost everybody in there and one person actually stepped up and introduced herself to me.

And now, I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing,

But Sue Miscik, who is right here, volunteered

To have a little discussion about how we position ourselves against other people, when we're compared against people at the bottom.

So Sue, are you up for coming up? Give Sue a round of applause.

You get microphone 7. It's very special. OK. All right. Thank you. Thanks for coming up. Thank you very much.

All right, so I was talking to Sue yesterday, and

I was asking her about this in terms of the different levels of capabilities they offer.

So, first give everybody just a brief overview of what you guys do in the 3(16) space.

So, my company is NPPG Fiduciary Services and we are a full scope 3(16)

Fiduciary that tacks on to a retirement plan and takes the responsibility and liability off of the plan sponsor.

Perfect.

So, that's in essence what she does and now we're gonna kind of pivot this

To make sure that we're delivering a message that helps those clients who aren't getting the same breadth of services that they offer,

To help them see the difference. See, when you're a client or prospect

When they don't know the difference between what you offer and what other people offer, whose fault is that?

Is it their fault or is it our fault?

It's our fault, right. Which is by the way good news, because it was their fault

There's not much we can do about it, but when it's our fault, we can fix it.

So, when we talked yesterday, you mentioned that there are, basically, three different levels as we discuss this.

So, at the bottom level, what type of services to those people provide?

Those are "3(16)-like" services or lite.

L-I-K-E or L-I-T-E. Sure.

People who are operating and performing 3(16) services,

But they're not taking a shift in the liability. Or, maybe taking a shift in one or two liabilities,

But not really providing liability coverage for the plan sponsor.

Perfect. So it's people who are providing similar service to that,

Maybe not the full breadth. Now at the next level,

So, we'll call that kind of the effective or base level. At the next level, we'll call that kind of the enhanced level.

What kind of services might those people provide?

There's some level of liability protection for the plan sponsor.

There's somebody actually doing some pieces of the 3(16) services the plan administrator services.

But it's limited in scope and breadth and they may or may not be named in a plan document.

They may or may not sign a 5500 form.

Got it.

Okay, and at the highest of the engaged level, kind of the pinnacle the industry, is naturally what you guys do Sue,

So, what are some additional services that you provide?

So, we're named in the plan document.

We become the plan administrator for about 30 different functions, and it's customizable to the level

That the plan sponsor needs. And we take on both the fiduciary liability,

Responsibility and actionability of those functions. Okay, cool.

So, imagine knowing all that at the three different levels,

If now, when Sue goes to meet with somebody and they say, "Well, we're interested in your services," if Sue said to them:

"Well, gee, when our clients come to us for these types of 3(16) services,

They're usually looking for a relationship at one of three levels. At the basic, kind of effective level,

They're looking for somebody who really is just going to provide some level of

Responsibility and kind of help to

Almost, cross the T's dot the I's for them. At the next level, might be somebody who's also doing some third party administration.

Things like that, and takes on a little more liability.

At the top, is a vendor who is fully engaged with your board, with people who have responsibility today, to shift that responsibility, as much as we can, to us.

To actually be in the plan documents. To make sure that we're taking

Responsibility for the TPA financial advisor to make sure everyone's in compliance.

So, which level are you looking for today?"

And now, the client just became educated that there are three different levels and

How that works. So, can you see where that might position Sue's business in a different light

Compared to the competition? Is this something that can work for you? Yes. Great. Thanks so much. Thank you very much.

Wait, I come bearing gifts, too. Give Sue a round of applause.

For more infomation >> Fiduciary Services - Which Level of ERISA 3(16) Fiduciary Service Does Your Company Need? - Duration: 4:38.

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Referring Provider in Metairie LA: Dr. Moses | Oral Surgery Services - Duration: 0:47.

Dr. Smith and I have worked together on the cleft and craniofacial team for over 20 years.

I've worked with a large number of great oral surgeons in my career, and Dr. Smith

is the most outstanding oral surgeon I've ever worked with.

He gets the best results, his patients do well, they look good, they recover well, and

on top of all that, he's a really nice guy and completely honest and easy to talk to.

I've gone to him as a patient, my wife and children have gone to him, and they talk about

the doctor's doctor, and Mark Smith is clearly the doctor's doctor.