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Selective Placement Coordinator Contacts for DOC Bureaus

Office of the Secretary (OS)

Linda Aase, Disability Recruitment Program Manager

P: 202-482-0612, E: laase@doc.gov

Bureau of the Census:

Charles Clark

P: 301-763-7862, E: charles.clark@census.gov

Anthony Gales

P: 301-713-6351, E: anthony.c.gales@census.gov

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

Jennifer Croft

P: 301-713-6341, E:Jennifer.Croft@noaa.gov

Cristine Carpino

P:301-713-6341, E: cristine.carpino@noaa.gov

Patent and Trademark Office (PTO):

Bridgette Douglas

P: 571-272-6143, E: bridgette.douglas@uspto.gov

National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST):

Kristen Gilbert

P: 301-975-3001, E: kristen.gilbert@nist.gov

Office of the Inspector General (OIG):

Angela Singmore

P:202-482-0912, E: asingmore@doc.gov

Selective Placement Programs

Selective placement programs are organized action plans and procedures which provide the framework for Federal agency implementation of law and executive branch policy on the hiring, placement, and advancement of persons with disabilities, including disabled veterans. The programs are designed to assist qualified individuals with disabilities to obtain, retain, and advance in employment consistent with their level of skills and abilities.

SPC’s Match Applicants with Disabilities to Vacant Positions

• Provide a ‘central point of contact’ for people with disabilities applying through the Schedule A process. Provide information about current job opportunities, types of jobs in the agency and how these jobs are filled.
  
• When an appropriate candidate is identified, the SPC circulates the resume to the appropriate management officials for review and consideration. In addition, the resume is maintained for future reference if an appropriate position is not immediately available.
  
• Educate hiring managers with information about Schedule A hiring opportunities, reasonable accommodation, and needs assessments for applicants.
  
• Work with public and private organizations involved in recruitment of applicants with disabilities to provide information about job opportunities at DOC and to facilitate the placement of applicants with disabilities in their agency.

New Streamlined Schedule A Hiring Authority

The Schedule A hiring authority allows managers to easily hire people with disabilities into full time employment without going through the normal competitive process (USA Jobs & Quickhire), thus saving valuable time in the hiring process. OPM has an internet page describing more about the Schedule A hiring authority, and is available at the following address http://www.opm.gov/disability/hrpro_3-02.asp

More information on Schedule A hiring is available by contacting the Disability Policy Advisor, Laura Tronge (ltronge@doc.gov) or your Bureau EEO office.  A list of EEO officers and contact information is available at: http://www.osec.doc.gov/ocr/eeoofficers.html.

Those that are qualified for Schedule A hiring include:

• Applicants who have mental retardation,
• Applicants who have a severe physical disability or
• Applicants who have a psychiatric disability;

In order to apply for Schedule A hiring, the applicant must have have proof of the disability; certification of job readiness (if not hired on a temporary appointment in lieu of the job readiness certification); and meet all required qualifications for the position.
The following is a summary of the new changes to the Schedule A hiring authority.

• Schedule A appointing authorities 5 CFR 213.3102(t) (mental retardation), (u) (severe physical disabilities), and (gg) (psychiatric disabilities) have been combined into one streamlined authority, 5 CFR 213.3102(u).

• Agencies may accept proof of disability and certification of job readiness from an expanded number of entities, i.e., a licensed medical professional (e.g.,a physician or other medical professional duly certified by a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory, to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., State or private); or any Federal agency, State agency or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits.

• The distinction between proof of disability and certification of job readiness is clarified (i.e., documentation of mental retardation, severe physical disability or psychiatric disability vs. certification the applicant is likely to succeed in performing the duties of the position for which he or she is applying).

• The temporary employment options for appointments under the new authority, 5 CFR 213.3102(u), are clarified. Agencies may make temporary (for positions not expected to last more than 1 year), time-limited or permanent appointments under this authority.

• The employment options for appointments under this authority are clarified. In cases where an applicant does not have certification of job readiness, an agency may appoint the individual to a temporary appointment to determine the applicant's readiness for continued employment.

EEOC's LEAD Initiative--EEOC's national outreach and education campaign on increasing the population of people with significant disabilities within the Federal Government

OPM booklet - People With Disabilities in the Federal Government: An Employment Guide - provides guidance, information, and references to aid Federal employers in their efforts to hire and advance employees with disabilities. pdf [link to OPM website]

Disability.gov page on seeking jobs within the Federal Government

Success Stories of Federal Employees with Disabilities The following stories provide information on the work successes of Federal employees with disabilities. Many of these employees have faced adversities and have developed solutions to overcome them. Some of these solutions include reasonable accommodations, which provide a foundation for the employees to successfully perform their jobs. These success stories represent a broad range of careers at several agencies.

Learn more about how the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) can support managers and employees with disabilities through free IT and electronic accomodations.

Hiring People with Disabilites

Schedule A hiring video: HR made simple

Schedule A for the Hiring Manager

Schedule A for Applicants with Disabilities

Opening Doors to All Candidates

Selective Placement

New Workforce Recruitment Program Brochure Available for Managers and Human Resources Professionals

The EEOC has included a section in its latest Annual Report updating the figures for Federal employees with targeted disabilities.

• Two highlights from this report include:
  From FY 1997 to FY 2006, the Total Work Force increased by 135,732 employees, a net change of 5.48%. However, the number of federal employees with targeted disabilities decreased from 28,671 in FY 1997 to 24,442 in FY 2006, a net change of –14.75%.

• Of the 2,611,493 federal employees in FY 2006, 24,442 were Individuals with Targeted Disabilities, resulting in a 0.94% participation rate for employees with targeted disabilities. Over the past 20 years, the federal government’s efforts to improve the participation rate of employees with targeted disabilities have failed to result in any significant progress.
  

Did you know?

• A Harris Poll done in FY 2004 for the National Organization on Disabilities found that only 35% of people with disabilities reported being employed either on a full or part time basis, compared to 78% of those who do not have disabilities.
• An Urban Institute study published in January 2001, found that more than half of the non-working adults with disabilities stated that there were no appropriate jobs available despite the fact that there were accommodations possible that will enable work-- or their disabilities did not pose a barrier to working.
• In 2003, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued instructions for the annual affirmative employment plan and report in Management Directive (MD) 715. MD 715 requires that all Federal agencies develop and maintain a model EEO program, part of which includes setting a goal for the employment of people with targeted disabilities.
• In 2006 EEOC responds to the issue of declining numbers of individuals with targeted disabilities within the federal government. EEOC Commissioner Christine Griffin is spearheading a new EEOC initiative called LEAD (Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities). Additional information about this initiative can be found at the following address http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/index.html

Recruitment Resources for Hiring People with Disabilities

Full Time and Internship Employment Recruitment

1. The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a nationwide resource to identify qualified temporary and permanent employees from a variety of fields. The Department of Defense and the Department of Labor co-sponsor this program, however, all Federal Agencies, are encouraged to participate.
• An FTE and salary moneys are required to cover the length of the internship
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has authorized the use of temporary appointments under 5 CFR 213.3102(i)(3) for WRP summer hires.
  
• WRP actions will be processed similar to the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP) recruit/fill “name request” actions.
2. The Employer Assistance Recruiting Network (EARN) is a free, nationwide service that connects employers with job placement professionals who can identify qualified candidates with disabilities for job openings, both full and part-time.  EARN can store resumes electronically for Federal Agencies, acting as a repository for Schedule A resumes and certifying letters at agencies' request. Candidate searches by location and education level can be done on the employer’s behalf.  Plans are in place for additional features and programs in 2007.  For more information contact Michelle McGrath (mmcgrath@earnworks.com).  
   
3. State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies:by contacting your local vocational rehabilitation office, you will tap into a wealth of resources related to employment options for people with disabilities. Vocational Rehabilitation, a state-supported division of services, assists individuals with disabilities who are pursuing meaningful careers. VR assists those individuals to secure gainful employment commensurate with their abilities and capabilities through local job searches and awareness of self-employment and telecommuting opportunities. A full list of VR agencies listed by states is available on http://www.workworld.org/wwwebhelp/state_vocational_rehabilitation_vr_agencies.htm
4. ENTRYPOINT! is a collaborative project among the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), industry, and government agencies designed to meet the human resource needs of the public and private sectors. The ENTRYPOINT! internship program identifies, screens, and places in summer internships undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who are pursuing careers in science, engineering, mathematics or computer science fields. ENTRYPOINT! students are held to a high academic achievement level in order to participate in the program.  Since its inception in 1996, ENTRYPOINT! has provided 442 internships for 334 individual students with strong academic records. Some 90 percent of the internship recipients are now working in science, technology, engineering or mathematics positions; or are pursuing degrees in relevant fields.
5. Microsoft-AAPD Federal I.T. Internship Program: Microsoft Corporation and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) Federal Information Technology (I.T.) Internship Program was created in 2003 to provide undergraduate students with disabilities, who have a demonstrated interest in I.T. careers, with the opportunity to participate and benefit from highly sought-after federal internships. The internship is made possible through a generous grant from Microsoft and is administered by AAPD. This internship program provides ten (10) students with disabilities with the exclusive opportunity to participate in an eleven (11) week I.T. internship at a federal agency in Washington, D.C.  For additional information on the Microsoft-AAPD Federal I.T. Internship Program, please contact AAPD at (800) 840-8844.
   
6. Gallaudet University’s Career Center: Provides job fairs, interns, resume referrals, and on-campus interviews. Employers are welcome to conduct information sessions or set-up information displays in high traffic areas like the Student Academic Center. The next Gallaudet Job Fair will be held on October 24, 2007 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University. For more information, contact Pamela Mower (pamela.mower@gallaudet.edu).
7. National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID): Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services. NTID can customize your recruiting efforts based on your hiring needs. The majority of employers use job postings, on campus interviews and career fairs to recruit RIT co-op, graduating students and alumni. Additional recruiting options include company information days and access to a resume database. The Fall Career Fair 2007 is scheduled for Wednesday September 26th, followed by Interview Day on September 27th.
8. Call to Serve: a joint initiative sponsored by the Partnership for Public Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, providing information on careers in the federal government. Search the directory of federal internships and information with a network of over 600 colleges.   In addition, you'll find information about multiple vacancies in the federal sector, subdivided by jobs that require language skills, loan repayment programs, etc.