Pac Rim 2025

Pre-Conference Events

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Promoting Quality Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities: Building and Implementing Culturally Responsive Vocational Rehabilitation Programs

Sunday, April 13, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM HST

Monday, April 14, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM HST

Ala Moana Hotel
410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu, HI 96814

Overview

The Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE; www.tacqe.com), funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA; H264K200003), works closely with state vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRA) to build capacity for improved collaboration, VR service delivery, and quality employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Through this workshop, participant sites in the U.S. Territories (American Samoa, Guam, and CNMI) will continue their collaboration in addressing employment challenges and barriers unique to territories in the Pacific Rim using culturally responsive strategies. With support from course facilitators, each site will continue working on and sharing progress updates based on their short-term and long-term goals to improve quality employment outcomes within their program (i.e., policy development, accompanying procedural elements including training, forms, etc.).

At the end of this event, participant sites will be able to:

  1. Describe key policies and evidence-based practices (EBP) that promote quality employment outcomes in vocational rehabilitation.
  2. Describe the administrative and programmatic supports needed to implement self-employment/alternative business planning policy and practice.
  3. Learn how other territories are implementing VR policy and practice in culturally responsive ways to improve quality employment outcomes.
  4. Share implementation updates and progress made toward achieving short and long-term quality employment goals through collaborative work conducted by the PacRim CoP.
  5. Contribute to the repository of resources, goals, and ongoing implementation of quality employment strategies helpful for use in the U.S. Territories.

How to Register

Registration will be managed through the VRTAC-QE website (www.tacqe.com) via a unique registration link. This link will only be distributed to eligible sites and reasonable accommodations will be coordinated through QE in collaboration with conference coordinators.

Point of Contact

Dr. Emily Brinck
brinck@wisc.edu