The Able Trust Grant Application Cover Page

Organization Name: The Grow Group, Inc.

State of Florida Charitable Registration#: N/A

Employer Identification#: 27-3549225

Mailing Address: 412 E Madison St. Suite 1104 Tampa, FL 33602

Executive Director/CEO/President Name: Devin O’Connor

Phone Number: 813-402-4018

Email: admin@thegrowgroup.org

Primary Project Contact Name: Devin O’Connor

Phone Number Email: 813-843-1324 devin@thegrowgroup.org

Statement of Need: describe why your local area needs a collective impact project to improve collaboration and system as a whole to achieve more and higher quality VR employment outcomes.

Within the Greater Tampa Bay area there are 50+ community resource providers that offer employment-focused services to Florida’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the individuals with disabilities it serves. Organizations often develop their own relationships, programs, and practices without sharing resources or best practices. The field is fragmented and practitioners spend most of their resources creating relationships with employers that result in one-off or limited job placements. Additionally, the performance-based payment structure, with no option for interagency communication, has created a competitive and individualized environment for providers. Ultimately, this impacts job seekers with disabilities and VR outcomes. These conditions also present a challenge for employers who may be in contact with multiple agencies providing similar services with no clear message about how they can receive support when hiring individuals with disabilities.

With the employment rate for people with disabilities at 21% in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and an increased desire for employers to hire them as part of their overall DEI efforts, VR providers are in a perfect position to bridge this gap through a unified and collective effort. Provider collaboration has been explored and successfully implemented in a handful of other states which can maximize efficiency around job placement and provide clarity for employers who are working with a network of providers who offer a shared message. Grant-funded projects and technical assistance centers are the driving force for resource sharing and raising awareness about evidence-based practices with universities and colleges leading much of the training, certifications, and professional development opportunities. A similar model could be introduced within the state of Florida, in partnership with The ABLE Trust, which is naturally positioned as both a partner to the state's Vocational Rehabilitation program and its community resource providers.

Describe how your organization will provide oversight and coordination of the project (i.e., act as the backbone of the project).

The Grow Group will interview leaders and participants of existing provider networks across the county to learn about their struggles, outcomes, and best practices. The organization will interview local providers to hear their ideas about how the network could support their needs while considering any concerns they may have about the collaboration. The Grow Group will assist with drafting participation or interagency agreements, share best practices, and coordinate regional meetings with participating organizations. The Grow Group will also lead employer focus groups, conduct research, and survey local employers to learn how the network of providers can streamline communication, meet their needs and support their efforts in hiring more individuals with disabilities.

Describe how other VR employment service providers and community partners will be recruited for the project. www.abletrust.org

The Grow Group has existing relationships with local providers in VR Area 4 and will invite these organizations to participate in the pilot. Additionally, with The ABLE Trust's help, The Grow Group will reach out to organizations it is not currently working with to invite them to participate. The goal will be to have providers of all sizes, experience levels, and areas of expertise represented in this network so that similar projects can be implemented in other areas across the state.

Initially, lunch-and-learn sessions could be used to bring providers together to share initial information about the network, answer questions and begin to establish shared trust. Once providers have joined the pilot, The Grow Group could host in-person and virtual meetings to share strategies, business leads, and best practices in addition to any training The ABLE Trust would provide.

Provide a description of the project (i.e., 4-month planning period) and how it will meet the required project deliverables and outcomes. o Include in your description the capacity building needs of project participants and how The Able Trust’s technical assistance and support will be used.

During the four-month planning period, The Grow Group will work with The Able Trust team, as well we the organization piloting the program in Area 2, to gather and share information with stakeholders. The Grow Group will partner with The ABLE Trust to host interviews, focus groups and information sessions with these stakeholders while communicating objectives and desired outcomes.

Provide a timeline for Project Implementation.

Month 1- Interview Groups- interview provider networks in other states, post-secondary institutions, national organizations, and other groups to learn about existing best practices.

Month 2- Interview Employers- interview local employers and conduct research to learn more about employer preferences and needs to identify how a network of providers could best support them in hiring, training, and retaining individuals with disabilities.

Month 3- Interview Providers- to information sessions to discuss findings, introduce the pilot, gauge interest, and listen to concerns. Communicate with providers about any updates to the pilot based on their feedback and offer

Month 4- Invite Providers- Share final pilot details, best practices, participation agreement, training schedule, etc.

Provide a Project Budget for the $25,000 allocated for this grant. Note: we encourage using a portion of the grant funds as financial incentives to partners. Project