1. CAPE-Youth PD Study Outreach email final IRB approved

OMB Control No: 1230-0NEW

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

PD Study Outreach Recruitment Email

Dear Colleague,

The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) is a U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) funded national technical assistance center supporting the development, implementation, and integration of effective evidence-based practices and policies aligned with improving transition outcomes for youth and youth adults with disabilities.

This year, as part of the ongoing effort to strengthen and align professional development across the many systems serving youth and young adults with disabilities, we are inviting your voluntary participation in CAPE-Youth’s research study on Professional Development. The purpose of this study is to explore best practices, challenges, and strategies for improving professional development efforts and the subsequent capacity of youth serving professionals including supervisors, and frontline staff within the workforce system, education system and other systems supporting transitioning youth and young adults with disabilities as in attaining their employment goals. Findings from a phase one group concept mapping process will inform a second phase involving interviews to further identify gaps/barriers and strategies for overcoming such barriers. Please take time to read the attached flyer and letter from ODEP regarding this project.

If you choose to be a part of this study, you will be asked to participate in a 1 hour and 40 minute group concept mapping (GCM) process. Some participants will also be invited to engage in discussions that will be 1 hour and 30 minutes long during the dates of [date range]. Information from GCM will be private. While discussions will be audio recorded and transcribed, all transcription records will be anonymized to maintain privacy. If you are interested in participating, please scan the QR code on the flyer or click on this link [link to be added] to visit the site where you can sign up. Further, if you know of other colleagues who could contribute to this process or have list-serves to assist with distribution and recruitment process, please feel free to share this email and attachments.

If you are interested in learning more about CAPE-Youth and Cornell University’s research initiatives to support youth and young adults with disabilities transitioning to employment, please contact Kim Osmani (kosmani@cornell.edu) or Wendy Quarles (wq45@cornell.edu). If you are interested in learning more about Cornell’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability and the overall efforts of CAPE-Youth, please contact Andrew Karhan (ak2589@cornell.edu).

Sincerely,

Kimberly J. Osmani, Ph.D.

Extension Associate

Cornell University, ILR School

Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability