DISABILITY NAVIGATOR TRAINING New York State Department of Labor Opportunity 17: Disability Program Navigator (DPN) Training AHP collaborated with the New York State Department of Labor to support New York’s participation in the U.S. Department of Labor/Social Security Administration (USDOL/SSA) Disability Program Navigator (DPN) initiative. This national initiative makes DPNs available to assist persons with disabilities who seek employment and training services or assistance with job retention or career development through the one-stop system. Navigators collaborate with employers and organizations to promote hiring people with disabilities. AHP trained, coached, coordinated, and supported more than 44 DPNs located in one-stop centers throughout the workforce investment areas of New York State. AHP conducted State-specific one-day trainings, on-site consultations, one-day regional training sessions, and bi-monthly conference calls with DPNs. In addition, AHP developed a new “Mentoring Program” that paired new DPNs with experienced DPNs in a “buddy” system. AHP also helped the Department of Labor and its local one-stop partners work toward building a statewide DPN network by reinforcing group cohesion and fostering information exchanges among the DPNs; enhancing DPN knowledge of resources related to the employment of individuals with disabilities through TA; and providing practical assistance for maximizing the DPNs’ effectiveness in their respective one-stop systems by facilitating solutions to common issues and concerns.
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