Employment First Progress

The Colorado Office of Employment First (COEF) is committed to regularly sharing Colorado’s
progress of improved outcomes for people with disabilities because data helps us tell the story.

Monitoring Employment First Data

Six targeted data points were determined by the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) of the Colorado Legislature and updates are provided biannually.

  1. Increased number of individuals working in competitive integrated employment
  2. Decreased number of individuals working in sub-minimum wage employment
  3. Decreased number of individuals working in non-integrated employment settings
  4. Increased number of skilled and competent staff that are knowledgeable about Employment First principles and practices
  5. Increased number of partners, families, and other stakeholders trained in areas of supported employment and benefits counseling
  6. Increased number of new contracts implementing Individual Placement and Support (IPS) in new disability populations, such as Intellectual and Developmental Disability and Traumatic Brain Injury (or co-occurring)
Person in a wheelchair giving a presentation


Employment First Related Reports

Rate Structure and Rate Methodology Study – this Rate Study was undertaken as an initial step in the overall goal of increasing availability of quality employment service providers who are committed to Employment First practices and principles resulting in Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for many more Coloradans. This report is not intended to be mandated or prescriptive and will be used in addition to all available information.

All reports listed on this page are the most accessible when downloaded and opened with Adobe.


COEF Quarterly and Annual Reports

COEF provides regular plans and reports to the Colorado Office of Employment First Advisory Committee (COEFAC), the Employment First Advisory Partnership (EFAP), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the JBC. We hope you will read on to see where Colorado is and where we are headed in the area of Employment First.

Program Plan – this annual, cross-disability plan is submitted in January of year one and each subsequent May and includes forecasted activities in the areas of coordination, evaluation and monitoring, training and education, technical assistance, communications, and sustainability.

Performance Report – this annual report combines program and financial information and is submitted to DVR, the JBC, the OEFAC, the EFAP, and stakeholders.

Sustainability Report – this annual report outlines progress for acquiring on-going funding and was submitted each April to the OEFAC and EFAP.

Program and Financial Reports – these quarterly reports summarize program goals, timeframes, budget, and communication strategies such as outreach, website development as well as planned budget and actual expenditures. This report is submitted to DVR and the OEFAC.

JFK Partner Logo

The Colorado Office of Employment First sits under JFK Partners, the state’s University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, a program of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Its creation was envisioned by Colorado Employment First Advisory Partnership (EFAP), a multi-state agency and stakeholder-led collaborative, and was made possible, in part, by funding from the Colorado Legislature and generously matched through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE).

© 2023 Colorado Office of Employment First. All Rights Reserved.

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