May 2026
Turning Paychecks into Financial Independence
Every American deserves the right to earn a paycheck, support their family, and save for the future—it’s the American dream. Hear ODEP’s leader, Assistant Secretary of Labor Julie Hocker, in a frank and insightful conversation about the importance of financial planning for American workers with disabilities. ODEP and the Department of Labor want to make sure every American, including those with disabilities, has the financial know-how, the right supports, and access to tax-advantaged savings accounts to save what they earn, achieve financial independence, and retire with confidence.
|
New Updates to Our “Secure Your Financial Future” Toolkit
If you watched Assistant Secretary Hocker’s interview above, you know that ODEP’s financial literacy toolkit, “Secure Your Financial Future: A Toolkit for Individuals with Disabilities,” is a personal-finance playbook for the American worker with a disability. We’ve recently updated the toolkit with new resources, FAQs, worksheets, and financial-planning conversation starters geared toward family members, direct support professionals, and other service providers who work closely with people with disabilities. Individuals and families can start here to learn how to save more of what you earn and grow your assets.
|
Colleges, Sign Up Now with the Workforce Recruitment Program!
The Workforce Recruitment Program provides employment and career development opportunities to students with disabilities. Managed by the Department of Labor, this free program connects disabled college students, graduate students, and recent graduates to federal employers looking to hire for internships and permanent jobs. Accredited U.S. colleges and universities can sign up now and support their students to participate in the 2027 Workforce Recruitment Program cycle. Visit our site anytime through July and click the “School Coordinators Register Now” button.
|
Memorandums of Understanding Help Career Seekers with Disabilities Find Jobs
It takes strong teamwork across organizations to help career seekers with disabilities get jobs. One way partners coordinate this work is through Memorandums of Understanding, or MOUs—written agreements that explain how partners in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act one-stop system will work together. Effective MOUs clearly outline data- and cost-sharing, mutual expectations, and accountability, making it easier for partners to keep their commitments and provide smooth, consistent services. To learn more, check out our new guide “Memorandums of Understanding for the One-Stop Delivery System,” developed for workforce development boards, American Job Center operators, vocational rehabilitation programs, adult education providers, and other one-stop partners.
|
Spotlight on Mental Health
 May is Mental Health Awareness Month. According to federal data, 1 in 5 Americans experiences a mental health condition in any given year, and 1 in 6 young people has experienced a major depressive episode. ODEP and the Department of Labor are committed to creating mentally healthy workplaces for all Americans. Please see below for resources and guidance about how you can help.
Start Here: ODEP’s Mental Health Pages
ODEP’s web pages explain the benefits of a mental health‑friendly work culture, to both employees and employers, and provide resources such as PSAs, guides, and toolkits to help employers, service providers, policymakers, and individuals (including young people) promote mental health awareness and access to care in the workplace.
Mental Health Support in the Workforce System
Work is a powerful foundation for financial independence, stability, and community life. For many American workers, the workplace is also a crucial source of mental health support and well-being. Take a closer look at this important topic in the latest issue of the ODEP-funded LEAD Center’s newsletter, “Mental Health in the Workforce System.” It highlights practical ways workforce professionals can recognize and respond to mental health needs, reduce stigma, provide accommodations, and connect American job seekers to helpful services.
Supporting Veteran Transitions and Mental Health at Work
Each year, more than 200,000 U.S. service members transition to civilian employment, bringing highly valuable skills. Employers can do a lot to support veteran transitions and mental health while maintaining performance expectations and driving long-term retention. Learn more in our recent webinar “Leading Veterans: Practical Strategies for Supporting Mental Health at Work,” hosted by ODEP’s Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN).
Understanding Workplace Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity refers to natural variations in the ways people think, learn, interact, perceive the world, and process information. While often associated with autism, neurodiversity encompasses a wide range of conditions, including ADHD and learning disabilities. EARN’s “Neurodiversity in the Workplace” guide helps employers understand the benefits of neurodiversity in the workforce and offers strategies to accommodate and support neurodiverse workers.
The 4 A’s of a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace
This toolkit helps organizations create a mental health-friendly workplace in which employees have the resources they need to support their well-being. The toolkit highlights the 4 A’s of a supportive workplace culture: awareness, accommodations, assistance, and access.
From Awareness to Action: Suicide Prevention in the Workplace
An employer may be in the best place to recognize people at risk of suicide and to extend lifesaving help. In this webinar, speakers identify suicide warning signs—including specific verbal, behavioral, and situational red flags—and effective strategies for intervening and communicating with a person at risk, connecting people to professional help, and practical steps for fostering a work environment that reduces risk factors and promotes help-seeking behavior.
Supporting Workers with Substance Use Disorder
EARN helps employers understand substance use disorder, how commonly it affects working-age adults, and how to support workers in recovery. This EARN resource outlines the benefits of creating recovery-ready workplaces, summarizes how federal disability laws may apply, and provides guidance and resources to help employers respond effectively to workers experiencing substance use disorder.
|
