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Maine's CHOICES CEO Project

Project Partners

Expanding opportunities for workers with disabilities requires the efforts of a variety of people and organizations. Those listed on this page have made significant contributions to the project.

Funding, Administration and Staffing

The CHOICES CEO project is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and operates under the leadership of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Labor. Research and development support is provided by the Muskie School of Public Service, at the University of Southern Maine. The project director is Larry Glantz, Senior Policy Analyst, at the Muskie School of Public Service.

Partners in Maine

The Commission on Disability and Employment oversees the implementation of Maine's Strategic Plan to Maximize Employment for People with Disabilities, which is the plan that guides this project. The commission is a subcommittee of the Maine Jobs Council. It works with the executive and legislative branches of the state government on issues affecting the employment of people with disabilities. Mel Clarrage, of the Disability Rights Center, is chair of the Commission.

The Maine Jobs Council, as the Statewide Workforce Investment Board oversees the implementation of all workforce development programs in Maine. The Council helps to connect the CHOICES CEO project with other workforce initiatives, collaborates with this project and other project partners to educate policy-makers and the public, and gives recommendations to the governor and legislature. Phil Dionne, is chair of the Council.

Employer research and outreach is facilitated by Frank O'Hara, Vice President, Planning Decisions, Inc. and Merritt T. Carey, Esq., owner of Graffam Solutions, Inc.

Additional partners include:

• Alpha One, Inc., Maine's Center for Independent Living
• Maine Medical Center's Department of Vocational Services, a program that helps people with disabilities secure and retain employment.
• Maine Transition Network, an organization improving the experiences of young people with disabilities who are transitioning from school to work.

Regional and National Partners

The National Consortium on Health Systems Development (NCHSD) facilitates information sharing among states that are improving opportunities for people with disabilities who want to work. NCHSD provides support and technical assistance to the CHOICES CEO project as well as other CMS-funded Medicaid Infrastructure grantees. It offers a variety of information exchange and technical assistance opportunities, including teleconferences and workshops. It also maintains a library of assessment and planning tools, outreach strategies, and best practices in areas related to disability and employment.

The Northeast Partnership is a collaborative of the six New England states. Participants in the partnership share information about program and policy improvements for workers with disabilities. The CHOICES CEO project is a member and active participant in this group.

CHOICES CEO activities are staffed out of the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. This web site is part of the CHOICES CEO project, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through a grant to Maine's Department of Health and Human Services (grant #11-P-92409/1-03). Views expressed do not represent official policy of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, or the University of Southern Maine.