Nevada to Use Elsevier DirectCourse to Train Employment Professionals

PHILADELPHIA, February 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Online curriculum via College of Employment Services supports professionals who serve Nevada residents with developmental disabilities  

Elsevier, a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announced today that Nevada's Aging and Disability Services Division (ADSD) will provide a new online curriculum from Elsevier DirectCourse to train about 75 ADSD staffers. These professionals work to improve employment outcomes for Nevada adults and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

In Nevada, and across the nation, people with I/DD face barriers to employment. Many collect Social Security Disability Insurance rather than working, often due to low expectations around what they might achieve professionally.

However, a growing trend nationwide is supporting people with I/DD to find fulfilling and competitive work in their communities. DirectCourse's online curriculum, the College of Employment Services (CES), trains professionals serving the I/DD population - as well as professionals supporting individuals with other challenges - to help job seekers find satisfying work at or above minimum wage.

"Nevada direct care workers need access to the best, most current resources to improve the employment picture of state adolescents and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. We must invest in the development and maintenance of a strong workforce, building the skill set of career specialists, job coaches, job developers, and employment specialists," said Rosie Malarkey, Clinical Program Planner for Nevada's ADSD. "DirectCourse will accelerate the effectiveness of Nevada's direct care professionals, largely because the courses were developed within nationally recognized research and training centers."

Funding for ADSD staff to take CES courses came from the Nevada Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities. Nevada's commitment to employment is also furthered by its membership in the State Employment Leadership Network (SELN), which connects state I/DD agencies in approximately 30 states to promote employment.

In Nevada, CES courses will be available to professionals who work within vocational centers, mental health offices, health provider organizations and state agencies.

"Elsevier's agreement with Nevada empowers employment professionals to fulfill the career needs of individuals with developmental disabilities," said Hajo Oltmanns, Senior Vice President, Performance Management & Services, Elsevier Clinical Solutions. "The College of Employment Services will help these professionals foster inclusion and support those with developmental disabilities in their quest to lead more purposeful, independent and self-directed lives."

CES is developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and is delivered in collaboration with the University of Minnesota's Research and Training Center on Community Living and Elsevier. Designed for professionals who help individuals with disabilities find employment, the courses provide employment professionals with training based on the APSE competencies. The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) approves each course within the College of Employment Services for continuing education credits.

The DirectCourse suite of online curricula also includes the College of Direct Support (CDS), the College of Personal Assistance and Caregiving (CPAC), and the College of Recovery and Community Inclusion (CRCI). CES courses cover topics such as supporting people in disclosing a disability, helping individuals transition from cash benefits to paid work, and finding matches between an employer's needs and a job seeker's unique skills. Other states are adopting the CES curriculum for their employment staff, including Mississippi, which is offering CES courses through collaboration with the disability advocacy group The Arc.

All courses within the College of Employment Services curriculum allow Nevada's statewide ADSD staff to learn at their own pace and develop national practitioner competencies through content that is guided and updated by recognized experts in the disabilities employment field. In Nevada, as with other users of CES, administrators assign lessons, track progress and create customized content. This ensures that employment support specialists receive the specific education to build the skills they need throughout their careers.

For more information and to request a demo, visit http://www.directcourseonline.com , call 866-416-6697,or e-mail directcourse@elsevier.com .

About Elsevier 

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes nearly 2,200 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 30,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works.

The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions in the Science, Medical, Legal and Risk and Business sectors, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contact
Christopher Capot
Director, Corporate Relations
Elsevier
+1-212-633-3164
c.capot@elsevier.com