AIVRTTAC Weekly

Update

AIVRTTAC Updates and Announcements

New Bridge Brief: Practical Vocational Rehabilitation Strategies for Tribal and Underserved Communities

URGENT: Review the U.S. Census Bureau Dear Tribal Leader Letter Ahead of the October 2 Tribal Consultation on Proposed 2030 Census Rules

Beyond the Job Description: Customized Employment in Action

Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Job Opening: Vocational Rehabilitation Program Director

New Bridge Brief: Practical Vocational Rehabilitation Strategies for Tribal and Underserved Communities

This bridge brief summarizes practical lessons from research and practice related to TVR. It is based on research conducted by staff from Northern Arizona University’s Institute for Human Development, the American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation Training and Technical Assistance Center, and Northwest Indian College’s Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Institute. While the focus is on American Indian and Alaska Native communities, many of the strategies discussed here are also helpful when serving other underserved populations facing barriers related to geography, culture, poverty, transportation, or distrust of public systems.

Join NCAI on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 2:00–3:00 p.m. ET for Sovereignty at the Ballot Box, the first webinar in NCAI’s three-part Native Civic Power Series.

Participants will learn about Native voting rights, barriers to ballot access, and the connection between voting, self-determination, and Tribal sovereignty. The webinar will also provide practical information and resources to help Native voters, advocates, and communities strengthen civic participation and ensure Native voices are heard.

Beyond the Job Description: Customized Employment in Action

Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) Webinar

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 | Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)

Each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), celebrates the contributions, skills, and talents of people with disabilities in America’s workforce. In recognition of this year’s theme, “Celebrating Value and Talent,” join DETAC for a webinar exploring how customized employment can connect job seekers’ strengths with real business needs.

Customized employment starts with a simple idea: understand a job seeker’s interests and strengths, identify what a business needs, and bring the two together. This webinar will highlight practical techniques for bridging the two to create customized jobs. Participants will learn how Lean strategies, which are process improvement techniques that increase efficiency and reduce waste, promote sustainable employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities and businesses. Participants will also hear directly from employers about their firsthand experiences on what worked, lessons learned, and the value customized employment has brought to their organizations.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Apply tools and strategies to match job seeker strengths with unmet business needs.
• Strengthen employer engagement and build lasting partnerships.
• Develop customized job proposals that create value for both employees and businesses.
• Identify scalable, employer-tested practices and lessons learned from real-world experience.

Presenters

• Laura Owens, Ph.D, CESP, President, TransCen
• Employer #1: Molly Maid
• Employer #2: Children’s Wisconsin

Shoshone-Paiute Tribes Job Opening: Vocational Rehabilitation Program Director

POSITION: Vocational Rehabilitation Program Director

PROGRAM: Vocational Rehabilitation Program

SUPERVISOR: Tribal Human Services Administrator

SALARY: $62,774.40 Annually (Grade 25, Step 01)

CLASSIFICATION: EXEMPT

LOCATION: Owyhee, Nevada

CLOSES: Open Until Filled

Links to recent editions of the AIVRTTAC Weekly Update are now available

on the AIVRTTAC.org website.

The contents of this newsletter were developed under a grant from the Department of Education (PR/Award #H250Z150002). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)