NEON Core State Technical Assistance

for Individuals with Disabilities (ACICIEID) submitted a final report to Congress. The committee recommended to increase the capacity of employment service providers to provide Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) through both organizational restructuring and staff professional development. To address this need, the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) established the National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) initiative in 2019.

NEON assists National Provider Organizations (NPOs) and their affiliated Local Provider Organizations (LPOs), State Intermediary Organizations (SIOs) and State Government Agencies (SGAs) in advancing CIE.

Since 2023, NEON has worked with SGAs to promote positive changes in state-level policies and systems. States selected as NEON Core States receive technical assistance to improve employment outcomes within their systems serving people with disabilities. Depending on need, Core States receive 100 to 300 hours of technical assistance from nationally recognized experts to support their strategic goals to increase CIE for disabled people in their state. Areas of focus for the Core States include benefits planning, blending, braiding and sequencing of funding resources, State as a Model Employer and state strategic planning.

Returning Core States for fiscal year (FY) 2025 include government agencies in Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, Oregon and Tennessee. In addition, the District of Columbia. Illinois, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey and Ohio will receive first time assistance through NEON in FY 2025. States plan to develop policy in the areas of employer engagement, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) implementation, benefits counseling and increasing access to customized employment. Regardless of which area a state is focusing on, all have the goal of increasing CIE.

Here are the technical assistance priorities in Illinois:

1. Phasing Out 14(c) Subminimum Wage in Compliance with House Bill (HB) 793 – Dignity in Pay Act

2. Alignment of Data in Compliance with Public Act 100-0866 & Coordination of Other Critical Data

3. Statewide Employment First Strategic Planning and Workforce Development

4. Mental Health Reentry Services