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Member Insights & Resources

DSPN is committed to keeping members informed on a variety of relevant topics affecting their settings and those they serve. Check back weekly as we'll refresh this page with more news you can use.

DSPN Member Webinar with Wispact

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DSPN members - here's a special opportunity from the staff at Wispact.

Wispact improves the lives of people of all ages with disabilities across Wisconsin through the management of special needs trusts to provide more choices, more opportunities, and a better quality of life. Based in Madison, Wispact manages the Special Needs Trusts for more than 3,000 people throughout the state of Wisconsin.

 

Peer Mentoring Educational Webinar

 

We thank the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD), Opportunity Development Centers (ODC), and Aptiv for their recent webinar on the Peer Mentoring program being developed in Wisconsin. They've kindly made the recording available for members that could not attend.

 

In this webinar we learned about:

 

  • The purpose of Wisconsin’s Peer Mentoring Program

  • Who makes a good Peer Mentor?

  • The Peer Mentor Certification Process

  • The Peer Mentor Pilot Outcomes and Opportunities

 

And we heard directly from Peer Mentor Interns about their experience!

Access the recording below:

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Thank you DSPN members for joining us on March 20th. for an informational webinar with representatives from Acumen and TMG to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of Fiscal Employer Agents (FEAs) and IRIS Consultant Agencies (ICAs) in the IRIS program. We appreciate the informational insights from Vicky from Acumen and Dan and Paul from TMG.

Do you have questions about how to become an IRIS vendor or how IRIS payments are processed? Make use of the webinar recording below as a resource:

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2024 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Updates - January 10, 2025

'2024 was another extraordinary year for our state and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD). Under the leadership of Secretary Amy Pechacek, DWD achieved many milestones and delivered effective and inclusive workforce services to reduce barriers to work, and expand access to job training and apprenticeship.'

 

You’ll find some of these accomplishments showcased in DWD’s 2024 annual report, available online: dwd.wisconsin.gov/dwd/pdf/annual-report-2024.

 

Highlights from the report include:

  • Record apprenticeship enrollment and expanded offerings

  • Record high disability employment for the second straight year

  • Continued protection of Wisconsinites' rights and workplace protections

  • A decline in worker's compensation premiums for the ninth year in a row

  • A seven-month streak of record high employment levels, a record high number of nonfarm jobs, and continued low unemployment

 

'These achievements are a testament to the commitment of our agency's staff and collaboration among employers, labor, government, educational institutions, and other partners. Together, we carry the momentum of 2024 into a new year of continued collaboration, innovation and achievement.'

 

Thank you.

 

Meredith Dressel

Division Administrator
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

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