Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) Program will allow the UDDC to facilitate the education of Utahns about the Employment First initiative and its expectations including people with developmental disabilities and their families. The FEAT program will aid the Council in achieving the Employment First goal of our upcoming 5-year plan and is the culmination of work among several collaborating agencies both private and governmental.
The project is designed to address the parent’s role in planning for employment as their child transitions into adulthood. The training curriculum is designed around the training program developed by Dr. Judith Gross at the Beach Center on Disability, University of Kansas. The Utah Parent Center (UPC) will provide FEAT training to parents/families in joint training activities with their sons and daughters as required co-participants.
The FEAT curriculum addresses a variety of topics, including: employment options, family role in supporting employment, transition in education and healthcare, support resources for employees and employers, antidiscrimination laws and self-advocacy and funding and employment resources including services, benefits, and programs available federally.