Join this session to hear from the team responsible for deploying and supporting the ePolicyWorks online dialogues of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Effective policymaking is collaborative policymaking, and ODEP has established effective ways to leverage emerging technologies to foster real-time collaboration and engage stakeholders around key disability employment issues to inform new policies and reform existing ones.

Attendees will learn how the team has successfully integrated the use of emerging tools—from crowdsourcing platforms to social media tools—for idea generation and to gather input from a variety of key constituency groups, including federal partners, state and local governments, businesses and industry groups, provider and advocacy associations, and the general public. Over the course of more than 5 years and 50 online dialogues, the ePolicyWorks team has fine-tuned a process for collecting, analyzing, and applying key discoveries that other federal agencies and organizations can emulate. By taking a proactive, collaborative approach to engage targeted stakeholders, the team has learned valuable tips for working quickly, efficiently, and effectively with the public for a mutually beneficial and rewarding experience, even through the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this session:

1. Find out how emerging technologies are being used in the federal government to engage stakeholders, inform policy and programs, and improve communications.
2. Learn about best practices to quickly generate interest from the public, to effectively moderate ongoing discussions, and to identify promising ideas and comments in real time in order to inform federal agency leadership and others, and to support swiftly moving public policy discussions.
3. Review the ways in which data are collected through crowdsourcing and social media, analyzed to identify ideas and feedback, and integrated into policymaking activities.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Ann Outlaw, with reactors:

• Denise Henrikson, Social Policy Research Associates
• Erica Machulak, Hikma Strategies
• Jerry Smith, Institute on Community Integration

This presentation focuses on ways to use social media to create a community of stakeholders around an area of research or interest. The presenters will discuss strategies that can be used across the research and knowledge translational continuum and will share tips on ways to manage a social media presence. They will highlight strategies for making social media messaging accessible and evaluating social media use.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Ann Outlaw, with reactors:

• Denise Henrikson, Social Policy Research Associates
• Erica Machulak, Hikma Strategies
• Jerry Smith, Institute on Community Integration

Social media holds great promise as a research recruitment and engagement tool. However, with opportunity comes challenge. In this session, the presenter will identify ethical and regulatory issues concerning the use of social media in research, including privacy risks and risks to scientific integrity. He will then propose a framework and offer guidance that can help researchers and institutional review boards navigate social media with confidence.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Joann Starks, with reactors:

• Paul Baker, Center for Advanced Communications Policy
• Marta Garcia, National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
• Hilda Smith, Independent Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Traditionally, scientific knowledge has been locked away in professional journals because researchers have not been trained to communicate effectively with audiences beyond their peers. Communicating in peer-reviewed journals or technical reports is an important part of science. If you want your work to be relevant to nonscientific audiences—including journalists, policymakers, practitioners, parents, or others—it is essential to think differently about how you communicate. In this session, science communication experts from COMPASS will discuss strategies for developing a relevant, engaging message and ways to use social media to reach your audiences.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Joann Starks, with reactors:

• Paul Baker, Center for Advanced Communications Policy
• Marta Garcia, National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
• Hilda Smith, Independent Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

The presenters will demonstrate strategies for using social media (Facebook and Twitter) to successfully engage people with disabilities. They will review strategies they have used to increase end-user engagement with social media, dissemination, and advisory boards.

This session will cover use of social media for the following purposes:

• To recruit new advisory board members
• As a “listening” tool to identify new areas of potential research and content development
• As a dissemination tool for your completed products, by partnering with your advisory board members and expanding your reach through their influence

The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research (TACR) focuses on improving the educational and employment outcomes of youth and young adults (ages 14–30) with serious mental health conditions. TACR develops research studies to identify solutions that can be implemented to provide better outcomes for youth and young adults. As part of the creation and development of its research and dissemination, TACR utilizes a youth advisory board and a family advisory board to add the voices of those with lived experience to its research projects. They work in partnership with individuals with lived mental health experience, their families, and the agencies that serve them to ensure that their voices are infused in all the work that TACR does. Strategic approaches that capitalize on TACR’s active social media presence enhances this partnership.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Joann Starks, with reactors:

• Paul Baker, Center for Advanced Communications Policy
• Marta Garcia, National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
• Hilda Smith, Independent Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience challenges securing and maintaining employment post-injury. Although vocational rehabilitation is one option for providing individuals with TBI support and services that can lead to successful employment outcomes, information about these services can be difficult and confusing to navigate. In this session, the presenter will discuss the findings from a study that compared use of a secret Facebook group to an email news email blast to provide information on employment to individuals with TBI.

Using a randomized, pre/post-test control group design study, 60 individuals with TBI were recruited through clubhouse programs and national support groups for individuals with TBI. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two groups for a 3-month period. The control group received the information via participation in a secret Facebook group, and the comparison group received information through an e-news email blast. Findings from the study will be discussed, including suggestions and recommendations for future research.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Kathleen Murphy, with reactors:

• Chika Agbassi, McMaster University
• Patricia Heyn, Cochrane US Network, University of Colorado Affiliate Center
• Irene Ward, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation

Social media offers a wealth of opportunities to help organizations and individuals communicate their work at very little cost in time and money. Maximizing social media’s potential can be problematic because of a combination of organizational barriers and fears. These may include ensuring that audiences see your content and that it is eye catching and informative, in addition to planning ahead with limited resources and ensuring that your reputation is maintained. Tools such as Twitter and YouTube can provide quick and simple ways to disseminate your work if you find your voice, your audience, and the time to create content, but you also need to consider how you make it stand out.

In this session, the presenter will demystify some of the barriers that may have made you made you apprehensive about using social media to communicate your work and expertise. He will share strategies for making the most of some of the creative tools that can be employed to produce attractive social media content, create a strategy going forward, and avoid common pitfalls of social media.

Panel: Reactors recruited from registrants
Q & A moderated by Kathleen Murphy, with reactors:

• Chika Agbassi, McMaster University
• Patricia Heyn, Cochrane US Network, University of Colorado Affiliate Center
• Irene Ward, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation