Between now and July 10, you have the first of three time-limited opportunities to preview and maybe influence the recommendations being made in three different policy papers that the Stay-at-Work and Return-to-Work (SAW/RTW) Policy Collaborative is producing this year.  Your input (as an experienced professional in this arena) will make it more likely that their FINAL recommendations are realistic and help accomplish their intended purposes.  Participation is easy.

The dialogue opportunity for the FIRST SET of recommendations will remain open just a few more days — until July 10.   The topic of this first paper is Expanding Access to Evidence-based, Early Intervention SAW/RTW Services and Supports, authored by David Stapleton of Mathematica.  His DRAFT main recommendations have been posted on-line at a “crowdsourcing” website for public review and comment, the National Online Dialogue.

To participate, simply register, read the policy recommendations, give it a thumbs up or down, or go deeper and make a substantive comment.  And please forward this email to any colleagues with an interest in the topic!

The SAW/RTW Policy Collaborative was created to advise the US Dept. of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).   Members are invited by the project contractor, Mathematica, after approval by ODEP.  I have nominated many members all of whom have been accepted (as far as I know).  If you have expertise in this arena and would like to join and actively contribute to the Collaborative, please let me know.

I’m drafting the second policy paper entitled Establishing Work and Participation in Life as Accountable Health Outcomes.  Towards the end of July, my major recommendations will be put into the on-line dialogue.  Y’all come and give my proposals a thumbs up, thumbs down, make a suggestion or leave a comment!   Third in the line-up for dialogue will be the main recommendations from the third paper entitled Job Retention/Creation for Workers Who Experience Productivity Loss by Kevin Hollenbeck from the Upjohn Institute later in the summer.

Before the July 10th deadline, go to this link and provide feedback on Stapleton’s draft policy recommendations:  http://TargetingEarlyIntervention.ePolicyWorks.org/    If you have any questions, please contact ePolicyWorks@dol.gov.   And do remember to let other colleagues know about this SHORT-LIVED opportunity.