FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 14 2023

Contact: Jon Ebelt, Public Information Officer, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757
                 jebelt@mt.gov

DPHHS to Host Disability Employment Conference

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is hosting a Disability Employment Conference May 30 – June 1 in Butte at the Hotel Finlen for Montana businesses. 

“The conference will provide employers in Montana with valuable information related to recruitment, hiring, training, advancing, and retaining individuals with disabilities in the workplace,” said Chanda Hermanson of the DPHHS Disability Employment and Transitions Division.

The agenda topics include neurodiversity recruitment, mental health in the workplace, service animals in the workplace, available tax credits for hiring individuals with disabilities, wrongful discharge and more.

Hermanson oversees the Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services (VRBS) program that helps connect individuals with disabilities to employment and provides them with the tools they need to be successful.

VRBS has counselors available who work with businesses to meet their needs in finding and retaining qualified candidates, solving issues related to accessibility and technology, provide consultation on issues such as transportation, and deliver training on disability inclusion that empowers businesses to become more inclusive.

Hermanson said VRBS is here to help businesses who employ or want to employ individuals with disabilities. “We can help Montana’s businesses with their staffing and recruitment needs, provide consultation on tax credits, design customized training, and provide assessments to help identify equipment or other accommodations that might be needed to help someone who has a disability be successful at work,” Hermanson said.

The conference will kick off May 30 with a neurodiversity recruitment presentation from 1 to 4 p.m. by Mentra, a company that works with employers to help them understand how to hire neurodiverse individuals, such as individuals with autism or dyslexia.  

There is no registration fee, but registration is required at this Eventbrite link Disability Employment Conference Tickets, Tue, May 30, 2023 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite   A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Finlen at the state rate of $97 plus tax per night.

A full agenda is available online here.