Previous MRS Events

MRS was joined by business, government, and nonprofit partners to discuss changing trends in the workplace including competition for talent, generational differences, and management strategies. 

• How labor market information and current local programming prepare youth/ young adults for IT careers
• Participant successes from IT trainers
• Emerging IT fields

MRS,  public and private sector professionals representing the workforce, and accommodation professionals discuss:  

• Defining Hard of Hearing (HOH) and Deaf Culture
• Communication is key: navigating hearing loss and workplace accommodations
  • types of hearing loss
  • overview of communication barriers
  • impact of hearing loss in the workplace
• Resources for support for individuals and businesses

A panel discussion highlighting high-demand industries and starting a career path. Topics discussed include: 

• How to get started with in-demand and exciting careers
• Career insights from industry leaders in healthcare, IT, energy and more
• Answers to employment-related questions and gain valuable information

Alexa Moore (Investigator, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) and Marcelina Trevino (Director/Managing Attorney, Michigan Department of Civil Rights) joined MRS to discuss:

• Requesting accommodations
• Retaliation: what does it look like?
• Case examples
• Federal & legal rules: what are the differences?
• Emerging trends: COVID protocols, medical marijuana, service vs. emotional support animals

Philip Muccio (CPO, Neuro-Prosthetist, Prosthetist-Orthotist, President/Founder/Clinician) of AxioBionics joined MRS to discuss how their life-changing medical innovations can help facilitate employees' return to the workforce by: 

• Alleviating chronic pain
• Minimizing the effects of prior injury and movement-oriented disabilities
• Customizing with wearable non-invasive neuroprosthetics technology
• Sharing their job openings at their Ann Arbor location

• What job seekers should know about social media
• Benefits of social media
• How social media may deter potential employers
• Social media etiquette after employment

Sherrie James, MA, LPC (Career Development Services Supervisor at JVS) and Jackie Laskowski (HR Director of Xoran Technologies, Inc.) joined MRS to discuss considerations for adult employment, including the topics of:

• How to prepare for Jobs in the digital age
• Making experience work for you
• Navigating the workplace

A panel of experts joined MRS to discuss protecting personal identity in relation to employment. Conversation covers the topics of: 

• How driving records affect securing employment
• How a personal identity breach affects securing & maintaining employment
• How blemishes in personal identity & driving records affect promotions
• What can be done to keep personal records safe at work & at home

MRS Occupational Therapy Consultants Nikki Fliearman and Renée Lyon present on the topics:

• Differences between high school and post-secondary requirements for success
• Independent living skills
• The role of self-advocacy
• The goal of competitive integrated employment and how to get there

Dr. Debra Pinals (M.D., Medical Director of Behavioral Health and Forensic Programs for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Clinical Professor at the University of Michigan), Erin Wallace (Project Manager for Stay Well Grant Program), Linda Watson (Business Relations Consultant, MRS), and Nacsha Ealy (Business Relations Consultant, MRS) dicuss the topics of:

• Understanding mental health and wellness
• Mindfulness
• Coping techniques
• Resources for improving mental health

Representatives from Comerica provide information regarding:

• Resume advice
• Application strategies
• Insights into employment with Comerica

MRS Rehabilitation Specialists discuss introductory topics in resume writing, including:

• The resume writing process
• Resume formatting
• Examples of resumes
• Additional resources for improving resume writing ability

MRS Occupational Therapists workplace accommodations, including the topics: 

• Identifying what is an accommodation
• How to request an accommodation
• Rights and responsibilities related to reasonable accommodations

Lisa Kaplan, LMSW, CAADC, CPC-R, ACSW (Behavioral Health Therapist, Henry Ford Health System’s Maplegrove Center) joined MRS to discuss the intersection of legal drug use and employment, including the topics of: 

• How the choice to smoke marijuana could impact employment opportunities
• Implications of legal drug use BEFORE drug testing
• Perspectives of employers that do and do not require pre-employment drug screens
• Differences between federal and local laws and the impact on legal drug usage and employment