About

The State Peer Leaders Network (SPLN) recognizes that there is significant value to states learning from each other in the field of employment of people with disabilities and to having a dedicated forum in which to connect with leading colleagues. The State Peer Leaders Network is designed to facilitate information exchange, continuous learning, and the sharing of promising practices and strategies for a select group of state policymakers interested in putting these practices to work. Technical assistance (based on resources and need) as well as access to topical teleconferences, webinars, and virtual seminars is available through the NTAR Leadership Center.

Members

The State Peer Leaders Network brings together state leaders with a strong interest in the employment of adults with disabilities and can include local leaders depending on the state. Membership in the SPLN is by request only and directed toward state leaders who have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing their work on employment of people with disabilities by reaching across multiple agencies and developing partnerships between workforce development, economic development, and disability employment. Current members of the SPLN are: Alaska, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.

NTAR-Sponsored Activities Available to SPLN Members Only

The NTAR Leadership Center offers a range of activities to SPLN members, including opportunities for technical assistance. Activities include the following:

1. Access to teleconferences and webinars with national experts and state leaders. Based on state interests, and with a focus on demand-side strategies and the project’s five targeted goal areas, NTAR offers a series of teleconferences and/or webinars that highlight innovative strategies and promising practices. Topics include:

2. Access to a learning exchange between the State Leaders Innovation Institute (SLII) and the SPLN. The State Leaders Innovation Institute is producing tools, resources, and knowledge that will be of significant value to other states that are advancing their disability employment efforts. The three states currently participating in the SLII are Connecticut, Maryland, and Minnesota. The learning exchange facilitates the sharing of resources and knowledge among states in the Institute and those in the SPLN, and includes conference calls between these states as the phases of the Institute unfold.

3. Timely access to NTAR Leadership Center resources. Leaders in the SPLN receive first access to research, promising practices, and other resources developed through the NTAR Center. The SPLN email list is used to disseminate resources as soon as they are available.

4. Access to NTAR Leadership Center technical assistance resources. Members of the SPLN can request technical assistance from the Center ranging from telephone/email consultation to short consultancy research to on-site support. On-site visits may include, for example:

Presentations at conferences or state leadership team meetings,
Facilitation of workshops or targeted special topic meetings involving state leadership team members,
Brokering the provision of specialized training in topical areas related specifically to the mission of the NTAR Leadership Center, and
Preparation of short topical documents and/or briefs in areas related to the mission of the NTAR Leadership Center and of importance to state demand-driven disability employment efforts.

Technical assistance requests will be provided as fiscal resources and project capacity permit.

5. Access to peer learning and information exchange through a Cooperative Inquiry System. To promote peer learning, members of the SPLN can submit questions for a quarterly survey of the SPLN. Survey responses will be compiled and shared with the network as a whole. Each quarterly survey will have a theme drawing from the questions that are submitted.

6. Receive dedicated news about resources and learning events. The SPLN email list and web page keep the Network informed about new research, resources, and special events.

7. Access to members-only leadership development opportunities. Members of the SPLN are invited to participate in a Virtual Leadership Institute (VLI). Recognizing the importance of leadership development to promoting systems change, a Virtual Leadership Institute will be offered to SPLN members through a series of five webinars. The VLI will assist participants in setting active goals and enhancing organizational performance in order to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities along with building a network of peers.

Accessing Technical Assistance through the State Peer Leaders Network

Please contact Nanette Relave (nrelave@aphsa.org or 202-682-0100, ext. 241) if you wish more information about the Network and/or to initiate a technical assistance request as a member of the SPLN.