In this session we will look at ways to increase your network. We know that networking can feel uncomfortable, and we want to increase your confidence and get you thinking about it in a different way.

Paula Collins is the Assistant Vice President of Employment at WORK Inc. She manages a team in North Central Ma who support people with challenges to work. Her team works with MRC, DDS, and DTA as well as 9 area high schools to create programming to improve workplace skills. Paula has presented on multiple topics within disability rights, work supports and DEI on both the local and national levels. She holds her CESP certification as well as the Marc Gold and Associates Customized Employment certification and is a Fitchburg State Leadership Institute graduate. Paula has also assisted in the design and implementation of the Fitchburg Disability Steward program which trains residents for leadership roles in the community. She is an active board member of Stepping Stone Community Theater and MA APSE as well as a member of the DDS Statewide Quality Council. In her spare time, she can be found on Lake Quinsigamond or at Polar Park. 

Many professionals have invisible disabilities that go undisclosed. These professionals bring unique strengths and skills and help diversify the workplace. Invisible disabilities can bring challenges to a person’s success in their work. Come and learn from David Murahashi and CJ Webb as they share their experiences of what it is like to have invisible disabilities in the workplace. They will discuss the pros and cons of disclosure and strategies for successfully working with employers and colleagues.

CJ Webb

CJ has supported people in many capacities for over 30 years. She is passionate about providing employment information, so people can live and work based on their skills, strengths, and gifts. She currently works at Vocational Rehabilitation, as a Pre-Employment Transition Services Program Coordinator. She is a Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) and a Person-Centered Thinking Mentor Trainer, credentialed through The Learning Community for Person Centered Practices. She has been a Personal Futures Plan facilitator since 1996, and also facilitates other person-centered plans such as Essential Lifestyle Plans (ELP), PATH and MAP. One of her favorite excerpts is: Our jobs should help us take the vacations that help us live a full life. She loves to cook, bake, go backpacking, hiking, and seeing live music. CJ is currently the Oregon APSE Chapter President and newsletter, The Focus, publisher.

Heather Evans is rooted in the intrinsic worth of all humans, and has had the joy and privilege of working for people with I/DD and their communities for over 20 years. She joins Wise with extensive experience in Supported Employment, from developing new SE Programs, Customized Employment, and leading teams to Legislative Advocacy, certifying direct service providers as Mental Health First Aiders and managing Organizational Development. She has provided technical assistance to organizations around Systematic Instruction, Customized Job Development, Mentoring Leaders, Mental Health First Aid, Person Centered Planning, Program Development, and several other best practices in Supported Employment. Heather is proud to have completed her Work Incentive Practitioner Credentialing Certificate from Cornell University and is excited to work with the BenefitU team.

She is especially passionate about the inherent right of people to have agency in their lives, and helping Supported Employment practitioners understand how centering the job seeker makes the work of Supported Employment so much more successful. As president elect for the Pacific Northwest Partners for Work Rotary club, she is also learning about how powerful Rotary is for Supported Employment!