US Department of Labor selects participants for national effort to expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities

News Release

US Department of Labor selects participants for national effort to expand employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New York, Tennessee, and the District of Columbia will participate as "core states" in fiscal year 2026 in its National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network initiative.

The selection will help connect these government agencies with targeted, ongoing technical assistance aimed at expanding job opportunities and improving the financial well-being of Americans with mental health conditions, including those with co-occurring disabilities.

The current NEON cohort will focus on deepening state agency partnerships and supporting efforts leading to sustainable employment outcomes for individuals with mental health conditions.

Specifically, NEON will:

• Help states improve collaboration across agencies serving people with disabilities, including vocational rehabilitation, mental health services, developmental disability services, and workforce agencies.
• Support states in expanding and sustaining effective employment policies and practices that lead to measurable employment results for people with mental health conditions.
• Promote evidence-based practices to increase employment success for individuals with mental health conditions and use of data to guide decisions.
• Work with state intermediary organizations and national provider organizations, including new partnerships with mental health organizations that include a focus on employment services.

These collaborations across state agencies and national organizations will strengthen NEON's ability to address complex cross-agency challenges and support states at different stages of readiness.

"Americans with mental health conditions and those with other co-occurring disabilities deserve the opportunity to live and work in their community and achieve financial security," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Julie Hocker. "For too long there have been numerous barriers to employment for people with mental health conditions, particularly those with mental illness. NEON will help states remove those barriers so more Americans with mental health conditions can succeed in competitive integrated employment."

ODEP has administered the NEON initiative since its 2019 launch, and contracts with Economic Systems Inc. of Falls Church, Virginia, for services needed to support the initiative.