ThinkWork! is the ICI/UMass Boston's resource hub offering data, personal stories, innovative practices, and tools related to improving employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
The Projects of ThinkWork
Current Projects
Access to Integrated Employment
Access to Integrated Employment (AIE) is a Developmental Disabilities Project of National Significance. The Administration on Community Living defines Projects of National Significance as projects that focus on the most pressing issues affecting people with developmental disabilities and their families. Since 1988, AIE has described trends in day and employment services and outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This research grant explores the factors that contribute to employment outcomes at multiple levels: individual achievement, employment support practices, service provider engagement, and state policy reform. Projects supported by AIE include: StateData, ThinkWork Stories, The National Survey of State Intellectual and Developmental Disability Agencies’ Day and Employment Services, and Service Provider and State Agency Promising Practices.
State Employment Leadership Network
The State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) brings together state developmental disability agencies for sharing, educating and providing guidance on practices and policies around employment to its members. The SELN was launched in 2006 as a joint program of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) and the ICI at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Employment First MA
Employment First MA assists providers with the transformation from center-based work to work in the community, and provides training, technical assistance, and access to a wide range of tools and resources that align with the values and guiding principles outlined in the Blueprint for Success 2.0: Moving Forward Together. This project is hosted by the ICI at the University of Massachusetts Boston and is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS).
Employment First Missouri
The Employment First Missouri project provides technical assistance to promote the advancement of integrated community employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Missouri.
Employment First Kansas
Employment First Kansas brings together partners across the state to advance meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The project is a collaboration of ICI’s ThinkWork, the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), the Kansas University Center on Disabilities (KUCD), and the Kansas University Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies (KU IHDPS). Through stakeholder engagement, policy development, and a provider pilot, the initiative is building the infrastructure needed to make Employment First a reality in Kansas.
Community Life Engagement
The Community Life Engagement initiative involves conducting research on Community Life Engagement in the Employment First context and developing guidance for states and service providers.
Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment
The Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE) was launched in 2021. It uses a collaborative, strengths-based, community-driven approach to improve the transition to adult life for local youth with ID/DD in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The work of the LPTE is guided by a Consortium that is made up of community partners such as schools, state agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals with disabilities and their families.
Community Rehabilitation Provider Survey Project
The Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP) Survey Project is a 3-year, federally funded research initiative launched in September 2025 that examines how CRP characteristics and service delivery models influence competitive integrated employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through a national survey, analysis of provider- and state-level factors, and case studies of effective CRPs, the project identifies key practices associated with successful employment outcomes and develops actionable recommendations for providers and policymakers. The project is guided by an Advisory Board of people with IDD, their families, and professionals in the field, in collaboration with the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR).
From College to Career Project
From College to Career: Strengthening Employment Outcomes after Postsecondary Education for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) (FCTC) is a project that looks at how postsecondary education (PSE) programs help students with IDD move from college into employment. Our goal is to help staff at college programs better support students with IDD to find jobs after graduation. The project involves a series of three research studies and the development of a training curriculum.
Past Projects
Employment First Florida (2011-2022)
The EmployMe1st project is a joint project of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, the ICI/UMass Boston, and National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services. The partnership helped the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council to understand national Employment First efforts and to develop an Employment First initiative in the state.
Pathways Project (2021-2023)
The Pathways Project is for parents of youth with Down syndrome ages 10–14. The project supports parents to create a positive future vision for their children and enable them to take small steps toward achieving future goals.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2014-2019)
The goal of the RRTC on Advancing Employment for Individuals with IDD is to identify strategies to support state agencies, providers, advocates, individuals and families to make the philosophy of Employment First a reality. Partners on the project include APSE, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered, the National Association of State Directors of DD Services, the Arc of the U.S., and the Research and Training Center on Community Living at the University of Minnesota.
Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment (2016-2021)
The Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment (MPTE) is a systems-change project of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services. The project is designed to improve employment outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities transitioning from school to adult life.