UCEDD Innovations Lead to IDD Networks’ Driving Change: Envision, Empower, Employ

State systems responsible for administering employment services and supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) must acclimate to changing demands, address new regulations, and continue to meet needs in an era of high workforce turnover and uncertain funding. While improvements have been made across the U.S., there are still far too many individuals seeking meaningful employment and contributory roles in the community who are not supported to achieve those goals. A key success factor is providing publicly funded state systems with the information needed to strategically pivot toward priorities and ensure smooth transitions of organizational change. Our country’s developmental disabilities’ network includes University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs), which play a unique role well suited to infuse research-to-practice and quality management tools as these systems seek to help individuals achieve meaningful lives in the community. As one of the country’s 68 UCEDDs, the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) co-hosts the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN), founded in 2006, using staff expertise and a wide range of relevant, in-house interrelated projects to amplify the work of state systems and coach those systems toward higher performance. Using decades of research and case study work while helping states connect with and learn from each other, the technical assistance SELN provides to states is reflected in higher levels of improvement compared to states not in the SELN. The range and breadth of issues arising in current systems change work demands knowledgeable networks available to coach state agencies and partners toward a successful future. UCEDDs such as the ICI are well-positioned to continue leading this charge.