APSE Employment First, Employment for All Conference 2025
By Drew Milne
From June 11 through June 14, 2025, the APSE (Association of People Supporting Employment First) Employment First, Employment for All conference took place in Washington, DC. Employment First professionals, including people with disabilities, service providers, universities, and rehabilitation counselors from across the United States gathered to advance Employment First’s mission of competitive, integrated employment for all.
The Sonoran Center was represented by Employment First Program Manager Jessica Winchester and Project Coordinator Rosa Rojas Franco.
“APSE believes in Employment First and Employment First is the foundation of the work I do around transition and employment here at the Sonoran Center.” Rojas Franco said.
“I’ve been involved with APSE through my work on Employment First and workforce development initiatives in Arizona.” Winchester said. “This year, I had the opportunity to co-present a session alongside colleagues from Arizona and Colorado, which made the experience even more rewarding.”
Jessica Winchester co-presented a session titled “Using Data to Advance Employment First: Lessons Learned from Arizona & Colorado.” The presentation explored key findings from a comprehensive needs assessment of employment professionals in both states. Winchester and her co-presenters shared data-informed recommendations to strengthen workforce development, address training gaps, and improve access to certification.
“It was a great chance to highlight the collaborative efforts among the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, Arizona APSE, the Colorado Office of Employment First, and the Sonoran Center.” Winchester added.
The conference hosted a wide variety of info sessions, presentations, and forums to explore. Participants shared best practices, techniques, and general knowledge about Employment First.
“I sat in on various presentations, a few that stood out to me the most were, 'Improving Employment Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults through tailored trauma-informed Mental Health training for Employment Professionals’ , ‘Using Backwards Planning with Transition TN's PRE-ETS sequencing guide to improve competitive integrated employment outcomes for youth with disabilities’ and ‘The foundations of Leadership’,” Rojas Franco said.
“I attended sessions focused on Customized Employment, Self-Employment, ODEP’s NEON (National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network), and sexuality education and advocacy for individuals with disabilities.” Winchester explained. “Each session offered fresh insight and tangible strategies we can bring back to Arizona. I also attended the Day on the Hill and visited Congress and Senate offices for Arizona, to talk with staff about important issues affecting Employment First and employment services for people with disabilities.”
Rojas Franco added: “As the Finds Their Way Project Coordinator, I am always seeking new and innovative ways to advance our efforts in a meaningful way that truly positively impacts the communities we serve. Additionally, I like to seek out new strategies and perspectives that help strengthen my approach to leading a project. APSE offers sessions tailored to both those areas and is a conference I look forward to every year.”
Rojas Franco and Winchester both agreed that the enthusiasm, energy, and passion for disability advocacy displayed at the conference was a welcome encouragement.
“The energy was inspiring, and the shared commitment to systems change reminded me of the power of collaboration. It was a great opportunity for us to connect with national peers and share what we’ve been working on locally.” Winchester said.
“Many times, we get so wrapped into our day-to-day workload, especially with the current climate of change, it's easy to feel discouraged. Attending APSE helped remind me that there really is an association, a community of people working together to accomplish a common goal of equity and inclusion for all individuals with disabilities and that the work we do must continue. Attending APSE was very refreshing.” Rojas Franco said.
