Behind every successful job placement is a web of strong relationships. As an Employment Specialist or Job Coach, your impact grows when you know how to collaborate with the right people including beneficiaries, families, Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, Social Security representatives, service providers, and employers.

This interactive session will help you understand the foundations of effective collaboration, identify key players in the employment journey, and practice outreach strategies that open doors. You’ll engage in hands-on activities that help you define your own strengths and those of your organization, build a plan for proactive networking, and foster trust within support teams. Walk away with tangible tools, a renewed sense of connection, and ideas you can put into action right away—all with a smile on your face! 

Kelley Land is a nationally recognized leader in disability policy, workforce development, and public systems transformation, with over 20 years of experience in the human services field. She is the founder and principal of 3Lands Consulting, where she collaborates with nonprofits, government agencies, and healthcare systems to strengthen programs through strategic planning, policy development, grant writing, and training implementation.

Previously, Kelley served as a Senior Technical Assistance Liaison with the Virginia Commonwealth University WIPA National Training Center, providing national guidance on benefits counseling and the Ticket to Work program. She developed and delivered accessible, equity-focused training to service providers across the U.S. and its territories. Earlier in her career, she was a Research Associate at Indiana University’s Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, where she led statewide initiatives to improve benefits access and build organizational capacity through the Indiana BIN Network.

Her expertise includes Medicaid policy, SSI/SSDI navigation, employment services, and transition planning. She has directed large-scale employment programs, authored peer-reviewed publications, and created training curricula for both in-person and virtual platforms. A skilled fundraiser, she has secured significant grant funding and organized successful grassroots campaigns.

Making ethical decisions can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. In this webinar, we’ll introduce a tool to help you and your team confidently make informed ethical choices. We’ll discuss value sets like those from the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Administration and the APSE code of conduct, applying them to real-world scenarios in community-based services. Our aim is for you to leave with practical tools for ethical decision-making and to foster ethical practices within your teams and organizations. Join us to enhance your decision-making skills and discuss ethics in community-based disability services.     

Shaun is a community developer, and he has worked to support people with disabilities since 2002. He has been with Wise since 2013. He works in schools, people’s homes, and job sites, helping to build inclusive communities. Shaun is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and a certified Employment Specialist. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Eastern Europe and obtained both his M.Ed. (Applied Behavior Analysis) and B.A. (Political Science/Human Rights) from the University of Washington. Shaun uses applied behavior analysis, emerging technology, reflective processes, and mentorship to drive employment outcomes. He teaches courses on Positive Behavior Supports, Systematic Instruction, Technology, and Mentorship. Shaun loves languages and currently studies Spanish and Bulgarian. He is available to support individuals and families in English, Spanish, and Bulgarian. When he isn’t working, he likes to garden, volunteer in his community, brew espresso, care for his aquariums, and skate circles around his hometown of Burien, Washington.

Ryan has spent his professional career in the Supported Employment field when he began as a job coach in 2011. He has worked the last 6+ years in the corporate Accessibility world. His mission is to share his experience, report back, and foster collaboration with the field to ensure people with IDD are included. Attendees can expect to gain insight into corporate disability inclusion, the field of Accessibility and accommodations in the workplace.  

Ryan Farrow, Portland, OR 

 Throughout my life and career, I’ve been loyal to the disability inclusion movement and committed to a simple idea: everyone can and deserves to work. My goal is to reshape the narrative around disability and employment by amplifying stories of strength and valued contribution.  

 I managed the Nike Supported Employment Program, to design and implement strategies for recruiting talent with I/DD into various roles. I continue to lead disability employment corporate initiatives as part of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team at a large Portland Metro corporation.  

  Prior to working in the corporate world, I’ve been a job coach, job developer, program manager, trainer, and have a passion for assistive technology 

We will explore the term intersectionality and how power and privilege define how we honor and validate another intersectionality. Focusing on varied lived experiences, we will outline approaches that help honor the diverse intersectionality of others. As well as, discuss “bold/BOLD” moves that help champion inclusion, equity, respect, and dignity. 

Jetamio Kennedy (He/They) 

Certified Crisis Prevention Specialist (CPI)

Equity and inclusive learning manager for Relay Resources

Queer Bipoc transman with Mental Health and processing disabilities

Worked as a behavioral interventionist with disabled children for 10+ years

Lover of Lego and camping

Self-proclaimed movie critic

Married to a person named Boogie with a little dog named Luca….(yes from the movie)

This session will explore the following Washington State DDA policies and guidelines; policy 15.03 State Community Protection, policy 6.08 Mandated Reporting, and Employment Service Plans. Each of these will be briefly introduced before a questions and answer session with Home and Community Living Administration (HCLA) staff.  

Destinee Buzzard- Community Protection Program Manager, Michelle Christensen- Incident & Communications Program Manager, and Megan Burr- Employment and Day Program Manager will be discussing the policies and guidelines for this session.